The Mena weekly star., 1920-12-09
DEPRESSION IN
INDUSTRY is RULE
Analysis of Official Reports Shows
Unemployment Prevails, With Act
ual Scarsity of Men in Places
No Relief Soon.

New York, Dec. 4.--0fficial reports
from forty-five states, representing 80
per cent of the nations population, re-
veals widespread industrial depres-
sion, in spite of which no serious or
general unemployment has as yet de-
veloped, the national industrial con-
ference board declared in a statement
made public here tonight
This situation, apparently paradox
ical, has developed when seasonal
agricultural employment is at its low
est ebb in most sections. with lndica-
tions that unemployment slowly is i'm
creasing, it was stated.
From Period of per-Production.
70 understand the apparently con-
Trajectory situation, the board assert
ed:
1T is necessary to recall that the
industries of our country just are
emerging from a period of intensive
operation that may without exag-
geration, be called a period of super
production. In many localities there
has been chronic shortage of labor
for several years Overtime work has
been general The entire agricultural
work of the country has been carried
on short-handed and farmers have
been going without all-year- round
help, which most of them sOrely need.
High wages have brought great
inflow from villages and rural dis<
triets to the industrial centers. The
country never has fully realized the
labor shortage in minor employments
which this condition brought about
The present industrial depression has
cut out most of the overtime that has
been the familiar co-comitant of indus
trial work in the war and postwar
years. Short time is in evidence in
many Industries. Complete shut
downs have occurred and are occur
ring, but not in great numbers, nor
for any length g. smn
Drift Back to Pre-war Jobs.
~The labor. therefore. that has been
released has Tor the most part drifted
back to the less attractive employ
ments from which it was drawn to the
high wage intensively operating in
dustries. And it is not always unem-
ployed, even when SO reported In
some districts the back-dlift has not
IS vet been sufficient to make up the
loss due to the war time migration to
industrial centers. Ia these sections
ag actual shortage Of labor IS report
ed
In New England the unemployment
picture Is darkest, the board reported.
because of the depression IN textile
and other industries regular to the
section.
n the Eastern states employment
Is decreasing, but Is still above pre-
war levels.
Conditions ii the South vary con-
slderably, but unemployment IS re-
PORTED growing generally
The middle West reported severe
depression in motor car centers. with
other conditions nearly normal.
More Work on Pacific Coast
On the Pacific coast less unemplov-
ment is reported. There is unemplov-
ment in the logging industry, but
either normal situation or labor
shortage for the rest.
Closing its statement, the board
said:
1T is apparent that unemplovment
gradually Is increasing, but IN some
districts conditions are normal or
super-normal and In some sections
there IS an actual shortage of labor
resumption of industrial activity
would probably show shortage Of
labor thruout the country"