Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-11
STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER
FORECASTS iDLENEss DUR
ING COMING WINTER.
DOES NOT THINK SERIOUS
SITUATION WILL DEVELOP
Many Large Manufacturing Plants Of
State Closing Down and Others
Curtailins Forces and Hours Of
INSTRUMENTATION Will Not
Affect Iowa Seriously.

BY Associated Press.
Des Moines. Oct. 11.-There Is al
most certain to be . surplus Of labor
in Iowa during the coming winter,
according to . statement made by
Ambrose 4. Urick, state labor COM
missioner. Mr.. Ur1ck does not think
that the labor situation here will be
very serious; but he predicts some
uneasiness Of condition due to idle
men.
Many large manufacturing plants
turnout the state are closing down.
declared Mr.. Urick and many others
putting their men on part time
schedules. This, OF course, Is duo
are not buying. It Is due also to the
uncertain financial status generally
prevailing in the country. Concerns
are finding 1t difficult to obtain the
money to carry on their ventures.
Iowa Of course. is more fortunate
than many states in the union. Agri-
culture is still the main industry here,
and 1t can be counted upon to swal-
low up good percentage of the
labor released from other indus
tries. Iowa is not yet a manufacture
ing state and there are not more
than two or three cities here where
one industry can be said to domi-
nate the town. So even II many fac
tories do close down, there will not
be the horde Of workingmen thrown
idle that there would be in eastern
states. Moreover the population Of
Iowa Ii too we'll distributed thruout
the state to cause In any one center a
labor situation approaching . crisis.
But unless financial conditions
change very soon. which do not
believe any one expects. there Ia al
most certain to be surplus OF labor
in iowa during the coming winter"
Child Labor Conditions.
Mr.. Urick also spoke Of the child
labor situation in Iowa. During the
past year. he said, 1900 moro work
ing certificates have been issued to
children in this state, than In the pre-
ceding year. A total Of 4.Al1 permits
were given out to Iowa boys and, girls
between the ages Of fourteen and six
teen.
The number Of permits issued.
however, Mr.. Urick asserts. does not
correspond exactly with the number
OF boys and gins working. as many
OF the children change their Jobs fire.
lauently. and are Obliged to get a new
permit for every position they hold.
This, he says. u ono Of the chief dis
advantages Of child labor, the chill
tdren are restless, and form tho habit
ko1 changing their Jobs.
Most OF the permits are issued to
children In the cities and larger COM
mhnities turnout the state. Nearly
one-fourth OF those who obtain the
permits work only during vacations
and after school hours.
Mr.. Urick declares that the part
time. or continuation schools, which
were started In Iowa last fall, serve
to aid the children who are early
forced to work. Last year 1000 boys
and girls attended these schools in
Iowa, and a larger enrolment is ex-
pected for the coming year. sWork-
ing children attend these schools
eight hours a week, on time allowed
them by their employers.
It was more the desire to benefit
from the high wages which have
been in effect than need to I'LL any
labor shortage that drove many chill
dren to leave school to work, accord
ing to Mr.. Urick. IA many cases, he
asserts, the parents are largely to
blame: as they deliberately take their
children out Of the schools and put
them to work.