Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-27
LABOR Distribution
WILL be DISCUSSED.
At U. S. CONFERENCE
Nv HARDEN CoEFAX
ueased Wire Service to to- The JOurnal.)


WASHINGTON, Sept. 24.-When
President Hardihg's conference on
unemployment meets Monday at the
department of commerce, it's prime
attention will be devoted not so much
to increasing the number Of jobs
for the jobless-although that phase
also will be discussed and efforts
made to increase employment-as to
distributing more equitably among
the workers of the country the pres
ent amount Of work to be done.
Employers will not be asked, for
sentimental reasons, to increase
their payrolls. The government
does not intend to conduct the con-
ference on sentimental lines at ALL
but along sound. practical business
methods The Hoover idea of engi-
neering will prevail. That idea will
be to take survey of American in
dustry, as where it stands and what
it faces. and then to devote the best
thought Of the conference to analyz-
ing the situation and acting intel
| US6ul1y " ACAACNO oAoSA 100 = w AASA Y
ever such action can be taken.
The task, therefore, Is primarily
one Of distribution of existing work.
There is a certain amount of work
to be done. There is certain force
to do it. That force, at the present.
Is in excess of the req Iirernents of
man power for the job. How can the
idle man power be given an oppor-
tunity to share. at least to some
extent, in the benefits of employ
ment3 That is one of the main ques-
lions the conference will seek to
answer.
Alternate working Weeks
The device Of staggered working
hours" will be discussed. Under this
plan, manufacturers in certain Sec
lions. unable to supply wor' to all
the workmen needing it, are working
two crews. One crew works one
week and the other the Aext. In eff
feet, it amounts to half-time work
for all and gives everyone an OPP
portupity to earn part Of his nor
NAL pay, rather than giving some
workmmen full time and others none
at all.
Surveys from thirty states, show
ing experiments of that and other
kind adopted by producers to relieve
vi employment, will be available for
the conference. A clearing house of
information will be established
Where an experiment has worked
out we'll in one place. the results and
the methods applied will be avail
axle for representatives Of all in
dustries attending the conference. so
mend it's adoption in their own lines
of business.
The conference is expected to last
two weeks. After the first few ses-
sions, it probably will be divided into
group meetings, each group repre-
senting one or more industries. Each
group will study the situation in
it's industry and the relief work be-
ing done in other industries with a
view to determining whether such
relief can be applied by the group
in question. Also the groups VIII
study a great volume of data, which
the government has been preparing
for the, conference, chief OF which
are recent and accurate figures as
to the extent of unemployment
throughout the country.
Economic Advisers Work
For the past ten days group OF
economic advisers has been at work
in New York preparing skeleton
program for the conference. 1t
will be presented at the Monday
meeting, but it will be only skele-
ton program, for the administration
does not want to have a cut-and-dried
the delegates. Rather, it is seek
ing to give the delegates THE widest
possible latitude. so that their own
ideas may obtain the fullest express
sion. There will be. little program
limitation to the range of discussion
or action. .e.-e
ing public works, such as roads and
building construction. There will
be a survey of such work, under. &C
tual development and projected, to-
gether with accurate information as
to the possibilities it contaipE fol
helping the. situation.
Another Subject to come up will
be legislation. The delegates will be
asked to consider what laws, if any,
might we'll be passed to help. A
third subject will be transportation
The great railroads Of the country,
as well as the ocean carriers will
have their representatives there
They will be asked to. consider and
formulate, if possible. a definite
program Of aid.
Labor will be represented. too, of
horted to work together for the COM
mon canSe