Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-05
OF
INDIANAPOLIS
ARE QUERIED
Asked for Information to Aid
Unemployment Confer
ence.

IN connection with tne forthcoming
unemployment conference that President
Harding has called, the Associated EN-
ployers of Indianapolis is sending to
more than two thousand local employers
and business men a questionable seek
ing information, relative to the number
of persons employed, schedule Of WORK
ing hours, average hourly rate of wages,
average hourly earnings of employees,
percentage of increase or decrease IN
production and in employe efficiency;
whether open shop, non-union or closed
union shop, the present state of the bust
ness and its future outlook, higher or
lower prices of material, plans for pos
sible business expansion upon the re-
turn of normally, how to encourage
business resumption, and other ques-
lions.
1t is explained the replies will be
treated as confidential and no mention of
firm names will be made in the tabula-
lions Of replies.
Accompanying the questionnatres Is
the following letter:
The President OF the United States
has called a national conference to con-
slider prevailing conditions of unemploy
ment throughout the country, and the
writer, as a special agent in District
of the industrial employment survey Of
the United States employment service Of
the Department OF Labor, is called upon
by the director of this district TO fur
nihs him at once with comprehensive In
formation on the number of unemployed
persons throughout the industrial and
commercial enterprises of indianapolis.
THE request has been made Of us to
gather information as to conditions IN
the mercantile and commercial callings,
building trades, miscellaneous industries.
etc, In addition to manufacturing Ines.
Information will be grouped as far as
possible according to nature OF business
and this Information should be Of great
value to every local business man.
ITO obtain this information will, of
course, require an immediate and ex
haustive survey. The conference will lie
held within the next few days and II
will require some time to tabulate the
replies to the QUESTIONABLE which ths
occasion requires that we send you
herewith May we request your earnest
cooperation in helping II Indianapolis to
make a good showing before the coun-
try. In the consideration Of unemploy-
ment statistics. attention should be given
to re- ployment in addition to lay offs.
Because a given number OF workers were
laid of In certain lines Of business II
does not follow that these figures repre-
sent unemployment. Some Of these
workers secure other employment, and
you will note that the enclosed ques-
tionnaire takes this into account.
Labor union leaders here have at
times issued announcements which have
been published in other cities, to the eff
feet there are 5000 to 10000 unemployed
workers in this city. Any intelligent citi-
zen knows that II this exaggeration were
true, bread lines and soup houses would
be in order. indianapolis. because Of its
great diversity of industry and bust
nesses, has been most fortunate in escap
ing serious state of unemployment
Almost 500 different products are man
ufactured here, and the labor that was
laid Off in some lines was largely alb
sorted BY other businesses not so ad
versely affected by the present economic
readjustment. While no one great in
dustry or line of business predominates
to the detriment Of the community dur
ing business depression, the city has
many prominent lines OF manufacture
and commercial enterprises which con-
tribute to its general stability in times
Of business activity as we'll as in times
trial Indianapolis under One Roof at
the Playground exhibition. Oct. 10 to 49,
May we rely upon your cooperation
in making this accurate survey of unem
ployment conditions in Indianapolis? We
have sent this QUESTIONABLE to more than
1000 local employers and business men.
Obviously. neither the result or the eff
fort Will be worth while unless each one
assists us by furnishing promptly the
desired information. missionaries,
properly filled out, should be in our
hands not later than Thursday of next
week, Sept. s. Replies will be treated
as confidential. No mention Of firm
names will be made in the tabulations
of replies, which we viii send to those
employers and business men who cooper
ate in this survey for the good NJ in
dustrial and commercial Indianapolis.
According to public advices, the pur-
pose of the Presidents unemployment
conference is to assist in bringing about
a business revival which would auto
matically increase employment. and not
to enter upon any scheme of public i'm
provement or anything of that sort for
the purpose of supplying employment.
The national conference will have to do
with ways and means for providing
employment through regular channels.
There is also the thought that possibly
Ia some lines of industry employees who
are now working regular hours will be
willing to share their workday with men
who are out of employment.
ut is not planned that the coming
conference on unemployment will deal
with TIE question Of providing food and
shelter for the unemployed The Fed
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