The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1920-05-11

Hundreds of men ont Of Jobs
daily besieEing factories In the
Calumet region for Jobs paying
them dollar an hour which they
can't get
THEN LOOK on THIS
Hundreds of jobs offered by
farmers in ccunty at good wages
with good board which the fdIe
men can get but scorn.
An acute food shortage with pros.
poets Of starvation is the gloomy pic
ture which faces the people Of the
central states unless something is
done at once TO get help to the farm
ers so that this years crops viii not
fan far below normal Such is the
conclusion reached after summing up
the Investigations which have been
made by Schrumm Bros, in Indiana
and neighboring states
ONLY FOR OWN CONSTMPTION
The firm which studies farm con
ditions closely in Indiana, Illinois and
Michigan has just finished tour CT
these states and the alarming state
nent Is made that approximately nine
~ per cent or the farmers in the oIs-
tricts visited are planning to plant
only such crops this year as they can
tend themselves without having TO
depend upon outside labor. IN brief
they will raise little more than they
viii need for their own consumption.
FARMS STRIPPED OF LABOR
Farms have been practically strip
ped Of the labor which was so pIenti-
full several years ago at the wages
offered them. The high wages paid
the war drew heavily upon the farm
labor supply and after the war the
influx to the city continued in spite Of
the fact that there were already
enough men there TO supply the needs
OF the industries.
Today in the Calumet region there
are hundreds of men floating from
one factory to another. never. working
more than a few days at any one
place They generally belong to the
common labor class ana among them
arc many young men of farm training
who we're drawn to the cities by the
high wages only to find that they had
no trade
HUNDREDS OUT OF WORK
Zach morning the factory gates ara
surrounded by crowds of idle men
seeking jobs. At several of the plants
it is no uncommon thing to see from.
500 to zoo men in one morning. The
plant which pays the highest wage
to common labor is the one which has
the largest crowd Only a few car
hope 10 be hired but some are always
successful and all plants have heavy
labor turnover.
The idea Of 81 an hour seems to
have obses all of them for that
seems to be the goal all are seeking.
For while seventy-tive cents drew the
crowds but where men care for only
few days work week this does no,
furnish them enough money. .HeHcs
the desire for ST. it is said.
OUTLOOK Is GLOOMY
Ou. on the farms OF Lake county the
outlook is gloomy Farmers are IN
despair. The planting season is be
ing delayed by adverse weather and
when conditions are suitable the
amount OF work which can be done
is limited because of the labor short
age.
County Agent V. A. Place of Crown
Point is appealed to daily by farmers
who want help and are willing to pay
good wages. Occasionally he is able
TO place men with them. but of late
such instances are rare. II have calls
every day for either married or single
men" said Mr.. Place this morning.
Right now ] think I could easily use
a hundred farm hands and wnem l.ar-
mers found the demand could be met
We could place many more
"NOTHING BUT TROUBLE
It is significant fact that many
Of the men employed as switchmen be-
fore the recent strike have found
themselves places on farms The ma
jority Of them. however. sought jobs
in the factories. I'm tired OF this
kind OF a life" said one member Of
the Hammond local. nothing but
trouble of some kind all the time here
in town. I had my own property here
and some money saved UP so / just
traded for little place up in Mich
igan and I'm going to settle down
there