The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-11-07
10000 WORKERS IDLE
THROUGH SHOP CLOSNCS

lnkUUIn SnVr ILUSNI
: More than 500. 900 workers have
been thrown out Of employment by
closing factories. and cprtailed indus
trial Operations since spring, accord
int to estimates made here today.
Director John Densmore. of the
United States Employment Service.
now Is organizing a nationwide sur
vey Of the situation TO determine the
exact extent of unemployment con-
,cerning which only estimates and in
formal reports now are received.
The increasing unemployment In
many sections Is directly due. to the
great nationwide strike OF buyers.
begun in'the spring, and still in full
swing, according to Government off,
cials. The strike forced many fac
tories to close or operate on part
time. Other contributing causes are
the tight money market, liquidation
OF frozen" loans forced by the
banks, and the flood of immigration
now going on at the pre-war rate of
100000 persons a year.
FINDING NEW WORK.
Government officials 80 far believe
there h little that In alarming In the
situation because many reports In
are rapidly Anding new work IN most
eases. sSnae Of the layinE-off OF
wefkmen In seasonal.
Eastern railroads will begin lay
ing off men about December l." said
Vice President Maloy, of the Union
of Maintenance of Way Workers, here
today. "rhe number of men affected
may reach $4,000. 1.-THE men are pre-
pared. however. This laying-off oc-
ours almost every year."
More than 200 employment Offices
maintained in thirty-three States by
local officials with the cooperation
of the United States Employment
! Service, now are unusually busy plac-
ing men and women in jobs. The
manag ers of these local stations have
. little time to make regular reports
to officials here, 1t was said today.
UNION LEADERS NOT ALARMED,
Leaders in the A. r. of L. here
profess not to be alarmed about the
situation. They are giving 1t close
study, however.
Some leaders are preparing to meet
q challenge which they say employ
ers are planning. According to the.
labor men, the employers. now that
electiop-is over. are banding together
to stage a national battle against the
the open shop, and reduce wages,
according to labor officials.
This Is likely to precipitate a new
epidemic OF labor troubles IL UNDER
taken. leaders say. President Comp
ers, of the American Federation of
Labor, recently declared workers will
not submit to having their pay scales
reduced.
According to Director Hugh Kirwin,
Service. however, industrial relations
now are the best in months.
Men are striking less" said Kir-
win. I'VE now have 100 cases pend
ing. but only q few minor cases in
volve strikes. In most cases the en-
ployer and worker seem glad to keep
the factories going while we investi-
gate, and make recommendations for
q change in conditions. 1t is true that
we have been asked to mediate in
some cases where employers tried to
cut wages. These cases, however, are
few"
A FRIENDLY SPIRIT.
As Illustrative of the friendly spirit
in which both sides now are adjust
ing differences, Kirwin called atten-
ton to a disagreement between en-
ployers and several thousand workers
rs sAAS SPSAsSA AhuucSy 81 coEt ofuitu,
Ark. rE
Employers and workers got to-
gether and organized a COMMITTEES to
Investigate" said Kerwin. They
agreed that work should continue
pending the Investigation. Agreement
could not be reached. Still there WIS
no strike. Both sides then agreed
to leave the grievance to an arbitra-
tion committee Of three, one member
of which was to be named by Secre-
tary of Labor Wilson. Mr.. Wilson
named Ernest p. Gundlach. Chicago
advertising man, who Is going to be-
gin hearings November Is"
LOOKS DARK.
Unemployment 80 far reported here
seems to center In PhilaSaIphia, where
10000 textile workers were laid OF,
New England, Ohio, Illinois and ON
the Pacific Coast.
One Government official. who fnvcs-
tigated the New England situation
from Boston, described the situation
NJ every dark"
The shoe manufacturing industry
n working only 35 per cent full time,
he reported, and the textile industry
only 90 per cent. Empleyers claim
this r. due to Lick OF orders, accord
Ing to the report.
Ohio officials report the rubber IN
austry m employing few workers In