The sun., 1919-08-05

GERMANY'S EXPORT
PLANS HIT BY LABOR
Ex-Soldiers Flock to Cities,
scorning Agriculture and
Hazardous Jobs.
RAW MATERIALS SCARCE
Shipments With Lifting Of the
Blockade Fail to Meet
Expectations.
RAW MATERIALS SCARCE

German attempts at rehabilitation and
At getting into the swing Of world trade
once more are meeting with the same
after war handbags from the labor
standpoint that are affecting the other
former belligerent countries. Ono large
drawback Is tho fiocking into the cities
of men who formerly worked at tilling
the soil, resulting In much misery and
crime in the centres Of population and a
corresponding reduction In the produc-
ton of the needed foodstuffs
Manufacturers in Germany are COM
planning a'so of the fact that former
soldiers in large numbers positively re-
fuse to enter what are known as the
hazardous occupations. such as railroad
ing, coal mining. iron and steel making
and similar lines. This feature has given
the high priests OF kuitur a problem that
they did not foresee, they having had
the idea that the conditions would be
reversed and that men who faced death
on the battlehelds would feel more salts
fled in work that had in 1t an element
Of danger.
linen, lOO, u ldiB0 part VI bro bOShhey
of the German workman was shaken OF
when he left the trenches and the change
of government occurred. better jobs than
those formerly held with better pay be-
ing demanded In most cases. especially
among the younger men Socialistic and
Bolshevik propaganda which sifted
through the army and which filters now
among the working classes, despite the
curblng of the Spartacans, has not tended
70 relieve the conditions.
Even the low exchange rate which
the German manufacturers hoped to use
largely in turning out export goods has
not proved such a great benefit rs was
expected. as the propagandists have en-
larged on this point to their hearers,
causing demands for higher wages to
become more numerous and more IN
slstent
Newspapers received In this country
from Germany take a doleful view OF
the situation as regards to labor. the
Kolnische Zeitun0 says:
THE economic mechanism OF the
country has been seriously injured by
the terms of the armistice and peace
treaty besides the overhasty demobili1a-
tion. Industrial and agricultural dis
tricts suffer from a shortage OF labor
caused by overcrowding in the large
cities. Because the mines are under
manned many factories were forced to
close down. There is shortage OF la
Dor In the iron and steel industry, with
a consequent diminution of the output of
agricultural machinery and a. reduction
In the output of products of the soil.
Agriculture and forestry lack men.
Timber for building. fuel and mine props
are badly needed. The necessity OF the
ia he al ,,Ct,,, MT ~ TIM fnYraq nj
labor. Men out OF work should seek for
It in agriculture and forestry. The lack
OF opportunity for workf1n the towns
will last for long time, since raw ma
terials are being imported slowly and
few orders are coming in.
"All men out of employment should
apply at once to the labor bureaus and
get advice from the rehabilitation COM
mittees The railroad fare of all that
change their places Of employment will
be betrayed by public funds"
Considering the German boasts OF I'M
provaments in all lines Of industry the
following from the Dewtsohe Augemetne
EeltiLnD appears rather startling &c
Americans familiar with the iron and
steel business. as almost all OF the dan
gers pointed out have been eliminated In
the up to date mills in this country:
The difficulty Of obtaining labor Ii
due to the fact that work at the blast
furnaces is hard and contains an eie-
menr Of danger. A large percentage OIL
accidents in blast furnace establish
ments are incurred on the furnace plat
forms by men who feed the furnace:
with coke and ore. Their health is af
fected by the poisonous furnace gas ant
by the flames from the furnaces, bu
these dangers might almost be elimi'
mated by automatic inclined hoists- The
difficulties OF other branches Of the bias
furnace industry might DO avoided b,
the more extended use of specially de-
vsed apparatus, such as tho pig casting
maohinA"