The Washington herald., 1919-02-14
LABOR PROBLEM
NEXT U. S. TASK
Spillane Says Uncle Sam
Must Now Find Workers
for Jobs.
BY RICHARD sPiLLANE.
Special writer for The wnshinxton
Herald, assigned to h1nanise
and vitaIise the topics of eco
Monies and reconstruetion.


At present there is worry in many
cities over unemployment. Secre-
tary Wilson announces there were
$4,000 men out of work in l23 in
of January. For weeks the army
of unemployed has been increasing.
The trend is upward. II will con-
tinue upward until business is re-
adjusted TO peace conditions. That
process may take several months.
Progress is being made every day.
Labor conditions are very uneven.
Some Middle West cities have con-
siderable unemployment. Various
coast cities like Philadelphia aud
San Francisco report shortage OF
labor So does Pittsburgh. Where
work on war orders was greatest
unemployment Is largest for there
the plants are being changed over
from war lines TO peace lines.
Army Took Experts.
The figures as to unemploymen Mt
are total. They include not only the
men idle because plants have been
closed down to change the machinery
but cases where men are out on
strike. Also there Is one item that
| IL important. In some msnufaciur-
| ing lines technical men Of high abil'
! ity were drafted by the government
I to do special work in some technical
Hines OF war work Now these man.
lufacturing concerns are hampered be
cause of the absence of the technical
men. Washington is getting busy tc
return them to industry. A govern
ment Official is authority for the state
ment that / eco men are idle because
/ fifty technical men necessary TO the
purchasing OF one particular industry
are still in the government service.
| ANY sudden change rocks US. Tt
/ come from a warm room into a COO
I one makes US shiver. There may bt
more of shiver over the unemploy'
ment figures than ~ warranted.
! For 262.0o0 persons to be idle IL
lI23 industrial centers may meal
400. 000 in the whole country. Ths
is less than 2-5 of ! per cent OF thu
total population.
1 It is likely that before long ther,
will be a scramble for labor inste1'
of any considerable idleness- Ever,
city and every State in America J.
away behind in building operations
Normally st Louis eNpends Sl2
4 900. 900 annually on construction. j.
1918 its building work was S6.302,
7l2.
New York in 1916 expended s22l.
293.e74 on construction. In 1918 tn
total was s56,5OO.495.
i Minneapolis in 1916 expended S22.
s17,29O. In 1918 it spent s5.4174C
CieveIand's Budget.
Cleveland in 1916 expended Sc. los.
G6O: in 1917. so. .IS3.sC5. and in 1915
dropped 10 sl6,SS6.S6o.
CincinnatTs record is: 1915. Sl4.o25,
$50: 1916. slO.S42. So; 1917. SC,4JL3l6, an
1918. A.57S. SIS.
Indianapolis dropped from S.&LC
in 1916 to si.S57.6S5 in 1918.
Milwaukee slumped from Sl6.olS. Is
. in 1916 TO S4.S62,l27 in 1918.
So it goes the nation over.
, America is more than s.. .0OO, 90. -
behind in its building needs.
Nearly every State in the union
preparing to spend largely for 600
, roads. The total OF this work al pro&
imates sl.000.00o. 600.
Those are only two items There ar
many others. BY May l this countr
l should be humminG with activity
, Now we come back 10 the white la
Dor CIestion.
, America has obtained its rough Ia
= Dor for road work. railroad worl
ditch digging. coal mining. etc. froI
abroad We have drawn on Irelsnt
Wales. Italy. Poland. Russia. Scand
navia and other lands for labor
In the last five years our immigra
ton has fallen of 10000
Where is our labor. our rough labC
for mill, mine and road work to com
from?
The American born men do not tax
D 10 pick and shovel. That work ha
: been for the immigrant
' The American-born women do M
take to household service That wor
has been for the Immigrant girl. Tn
American girl will take a position /
." ofiCc or store. bul thinks il