Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-12-05
WORKERS DRIFTING
BACK FROM CITIES
To OLD POSITIONS
COUNTRY soon To RETURN To
NORMAL CONDITIONS.
OPINION.

NEW YORK. Dec. 4.--officlal re-
ports from as rlates. representing ss
per cent of the nations population, ~.
veal "a widespread Industrial depressler.
In spite of which no serious or general
unemployment has yet developed. the
national industrial conference boari
declared In statement made publlc
there tonight.
This situation. apparently paradox..
cal, has developed when seasonal agri.
cultural employment In al lla lowest
"hh In most sections of the country.
with Indications that unemployment
slowly II increasing. Il was stated.
ITO understand the apparently con.
Trajectory situation of unemployment"
the beard asserted. ~ II necessary 10
recall that the industries Of our coun.
Try are Just emerging from a period
at intensive operation. that may with.
out exaggrratlon be called n period oc
suI~r.production.
In many localities there has been a
/ ohrunic saortage Of labor for several
years Overtime work has been gcner-
al. The entire agricultural work u ths
country has been carried on short.
handed aud farmers have been going
without ail.y,arround help. which
most of them sorely need.
High wages have brought great
inflow from villages and rural districts
10 the Industrial oentcrs. The country
has never fully rcallxed the labor short.
age IN minor employmcnts which this
condition brought about. The present
Industrial depression has cut out mott
II the overtime that has been the "a
miliar concumitant u Industrial work
IN the war and postwar yeara Shot
time IL In evidence in many industries
Complete shut downs havc occurred
and are occurring but not IN great
numbers nor for any great length of
tlmc.
'Thc albor therefore that has been
! released has Tor the most part drifted
hack To the less attractive employments
and is not always unemployed. even
/ when so reported. In some districts
/ the hack-drlft has not m yet been sui.
flcicnt 10 make up the loss due 20 tho
war time migration 60 industrial eeu-
,trs. In these sections. an actual sohrt.
axe of labor IL reported"
In New ENGLAND the unemployment
picture In darkest. the board reported.
because of the deprcssion IN textile ana
other Industries peculiar 10 the section.
In the eastern states employment II
decreasing. hut IL still above pre.waf
levels
Conditions In the south vary cor.
sldorahly hut unemployment is report.
cd growing generally.
The middlcwest reported severe de.
preston In automobile centers with 9th
~ conditions nearly normal. on ths
I'uclfic coas, less unemployment II ~
ported.
There Is unemployment In the iog.
ging industry.
Chasing its statement the hoard said:
Reviewing this picture of our country
In all It's extent. u apears that thers
has been a decided recession from thu
peak of activity and that som few IN.
dustries and the districts dependent on
them ARE suffering from considerable
unemployment Also u Il apparent thar
unemployment Is gradually increasing.
In other districts conditions are normai
or super normal and In some there -
AN actual shortage IL labor.
"A resumption ~ industrial activity
would probably show a shortage of In.
hmr throughout the country"