The Washington herald., 1919-06-08
u. S. EMPL LOYMENT SERVICE.
SENDS LABOR TO DETROIT
Shortage Reduced from $4,000 to 10000 in the
Week-Other Cities Need Workers.

Detroit. June THE last week has
seen great Improvement in labor
conditions In Detroit. The shortage
which month ago was estimated at
SooO workers, has been decreased to
O.OoO by the efforts of all automotive
concerns. the United States employ
ment office and other employment
agencies. which have brought thou
sands of men to Detroit. Many of the
factories are advertising outside the
city for men. while others have field
representatives busy in many sec
tons. Hundreds of mechanics and
other' skilled workers have come In
from Buffalo and New York City
within the last few days.
Grand Rapids short 1000 Men.
Grand Rapids. a furniture center, Is
snort z,OO men, while Pontiac. Battle
Creek. Flint. Jackson, Lansing, Ira
verse City. Port Huron, Saginaw, and
Bay City have all sent in urgent re-
quests for workers at once. The
shortage seems to be general in all
OF the manufacturing cities of the
State
Hundreds OF men. both skilled and
unskilled, are being brought from the
copper countries. Work in the cop
per fields is slack at this time, many
OF the mines operating only on a 30
per cent schedule. resulting in a labor
surplus there. So many automobile
labor representatives from Detroit,
Flint. Lansing and other Lower Mich
lgan points are working in Upper
Michigan. employing workers for the
industrial centers. that the newspa-
pers Of that section are voicing a
protest. The press Is urging the
workers not to be stampeded because
there is little lull in the copper in
dustry. following a very high pres
sure in production because of war
needs. They declare that with the
signing of peace terms a great boom
Is due to hit that section.
Workers Brought from Other Cities.
Factories bringing the men in from
outside find this method very costly
and sometimes without fair results.
One plant recently brought 800 work.
ers to Detroit from Chicago and near
by points. The men were told to re-
pEt for work at a certain time. but
out of the 300 only seventy-five ap-
peared. There are many instances Of
this sort. Pontiac recently imported
Uo workers. go of whom left town
within a week. The great reason for
laboring man leaving Is the living
conditions. He tnds homes unobtain-
able, rents excessive and food prices
extraVagant. II Detroit and neighbor-
ing industrial towns hope to solve
the present shortage by bringing In
men from the outside. they must first
solve the housing and living problems.
common labor in Detroit is being
paid from 20 cents to 60 cents an
hour. while skilled labor runs from
t5 cents up to sl.25. Tool makers and
other highly skilled mechanics are
working on scales ranging from 50 to
80 cents an hour. The minimum day
wages for common labor is approxi-
mately s., and in some cases more.
The skilled employe is averaging be-
tween SO and $50 weekly.
one problem causing the employer
OF iaoor more or less concern is the
exodus of foreign workers and a
threatened permanent shortage of
common labor. In the last four
months 2.OO Detroit aliens have lett
Ior their native lands.S Between 600
ana 'Oo are applying monthly at an
grafton once for passports. If
this exodus continues, and there is
every indication that the movement
IS spreading Detroit alone is going
TO lose between 10000 and 12, 600 work
ers witrin the next few months. EN-
igration restrictions are rather rigid
at present, owing to the continued
enforcement Of war rulings, but IN
the declaration of peace there will be
relaxation OF many emigration
laws. and hundreds of men barred
because of technicalities at present
Will then be permitted to leave.
Ihe greatest percentage of those