Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-10-11
EXPECT SURPL LUIS
LABOR IN iowa
Manufacturing Plants Close
Down on Account of
Poor Market and
Lack Money.
SITUATION SERIOUS
Issue 4,441 Child Labor Per-
mits in Iowa During
Past Year.
SITUATION SERIOUS
(By The Associated Press. }

! CBy The Associated Press.)
| Dcs Moines, Oct. 11.-There is al
most certain to be Il surplus Of labor
in Iowa during the coming winter, &C
cOrdinS to statement made by Am
brose l.. Trick, State Labor Commits
siOncr. Mr.. Trick does not think that
the labor situation here will be- very
serious; but he predicts some uneasi
ness of conditions due to idle men.
MANY large manufacturing plants
throughout the state are closing down,
declared Mr.. Urick, land many others
putting their men on part time seized
ules. This, of course, is due partly tC
the poor market. People are not buy
| ing. 1t is due also to the uncertain
financial status generally prevailing III
the country. Concerns are finding il
difficult to obtain the money to carry
Oh their ventures.
Iowa, of course, is more fortunate
than many states in the union. Agri-
culture is still the main industry here,
and it can be counted upon to swallow
up a good percentage of the labor re-
leased from other industries. Iowa is
not yet manufacturing state and
cities here where any one industry can
he said to dominate the town. So even
if many factories do close down, there
will not be the horde of working men
thrown idle that there would be in
eastern states. Moreover, the pOplla-
ton of Iowa is too we'll distributed
throughout the state to cause in any
one center Il labor situation approach
ing Il crisis.
Surplus Labor.
But unless financial conditions
change very soon, which | do not be-
lieve anyone expects, there is almost
certain to be Il surplus of labor in Iowa
during the coming winter
Mr.. Trick also spoke OF the child
labor situation in Iowa. During the
past year, he said 100 more working
certificates have been issued to children
in this state than in the preceding year.
A total of Ali permits were given out
to Iowa boys and girls between the
ages of fourteen and sixteen.
The number of permits issued, how
ever, Mr.. Trick asserts, does not cor
respond exactly with the number Of
boys and girls working. as many of
the children change their jobs fire.
qucntly, and are obliged to get Il new
permit for every position they hold.
This. he says. is one of the chief dis
advantages of child labor; the children
are restless, and form the habit of
changing their jobs.
Issue Permits.
Most of the permits are issued to chill
dren in the cities and larger cOmmuni-
ties throughout the state. Nearly one
fourth of those who obtain the permits
work only during vacations and after
school hours.
Mr. Trick declares that the part
time, or continuation schools, which
were started in Iowa last fall served to
aid the children who are early forced
to work. Last year 1000 boys and
girls attended these schools in Iowa
and Il largcd enrolment is expected for
the coming year. Working children at
tend these schools eight hours week,
on time allowed them by their employ
crS.
1t was more the desire to benefit
from the high wages which have been
in effect than need to fill any labor
shortage that drove many children to
leave school to work. according to Mr..
Trick. In many cases, he asserts. the
parents are largely to blame, as they
take their children out Of
the schools and put them to work.