New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-28


Morris L. Ernest, of New York CITY.
and others prominent in EMPLOYMENT
service also will be heard. The after
noon will be devoted to further com
mittee meetings
The first public hearing was called
to order at 10 a. m. by DIR. S. McCune
Lindsay, chairman of the public hear
ing committee. DR.. Lindsay requested
that all those who have suggestions to
make concerning the subjects which
the conference has in hand cornmuni-
cate with the committee, and said that
Immediate attention would be gwen to
these requests.
The first witness examined was Mr..
Phelps. He said that in Massachusetts,
an annual census has been taken
for thirty-nine years of the manu-
featuring establishments in tlae state.
giving monthly information on employ
ment. This enables comparison of
employment between the present day
and the year 1914. which may be con-
sidere9 the last normal employment
year. MI Phelps said this comparison
indicated that some industries are now
actually employing more people than
they employed in 1914. While this does
not apply to all industries nor does it
apply to all industries taken together
as an aggregate, it does apply to GER
tain leading industries Of the state 1t
was also discovered that the urem-
ployment in large establishments was
greater than in small establishments.
Wages Held Big Factor
Mr. Phelps said that distribution of
the employed in Massachusetts, at the
cIresent time was not in accord with nor
NAL times. In other words, people
were still trying, he said, to maintain
their positions - the new industries
that they selected during the war. Mr..
Phelps expressed belief that the I'M
employment was not altogether due to
lack of work, but partly to lack of
work at the wages which people insist
on receiving. At present, the public
employment Office Of Massachusetts is
receiving thirteen applications for
every position offered, as contrast ed
one position in May. Wages in Bos-
ton, as given by Mr. Phelps, in answer
to question by Matthew Wolf, range
from 40 to 45 cents an hour for
unskilled men, as compared with 90
to 65 cents in war times.
A special survey made last December
by Mr.. Phelps's department, at the re-
quest of the Governor of Massachu-
sets, disclosed that So per cent of the
employees in the textile industry were
out of work. Large numbers also
worked part time, so that the total
time worked by employees in those es-
Establishments was SIS per cent as an
aggregate during the week of maximum
employment of 1920. The same inves-
tigation showed Al per cent unem-
ployed in the boot and shoe industry
in Massachusetts and 1875 per cent in
the metal industry. Since that time,
Mr.. Phelps said, conditions have very
much improved.
Several Factories Working Nights
A large number of textile factories
are working nights, he said. Boot and
shoe factories are increasing their
forces, and also the number of hours
of operation per week. 1t is Mr.
Phelps's belief that the low point was
passed in May The public employ
ment Office of Massachusetts serves
low grade labor to large extent and
it's statistics Of employment do not in
clude the wholesale and retail trades.
Seventy per cent of the total or
ganized labor of the state, however, is
covered by the statistical returns.
Harry D. Jacobs, president of the Ex-
Service Mems Employment Bureau, of
New York, said that on September 1
there we're $4,000 unemployed former
service men in New York City, the
American Legion, the Veterans of For
eign Wars, the Red Cross, the War
Camps and the Ex-Service Mems EN-
ployment Bureau. Of these $4,000
$4,000 are natives Of New York, while
10000 are "foaters," who came to New
York looking for work. Mr. Jacobs
said that the difficulty in the situation
was that out of 100 applicants rs are
unskilled and of these rs about 80 per
cent are illiterate. About 10 per cent
of the $4,000 are physically incapaci-
tated or disabled. The problem in New
York, as he sees it, is from the stand
point of the unskilled ex-service men.
Mr.. Jacobs finds employers perfectly
willing to put ex-service men ahead
Of civilians, but they will not take men
without previous experience. Mr.. ia
cobs estimated that about 100000 ex
service men are employed to-day.
R. r. Lutz, of the National Industrial
Conference Board, said the result of
the survey. which included the latter
part of August and the first part of
September, indicated that American
industries, as whole, were at present
employing from 90 to rs per cent fewer
persons than they did in July. 1920.
The total number OF unemployed as
of June /, 1921, was estimated by the
National industrial Conference Beard
to be $500 600 persons. The average
number of unemployed during normal
times is little over 100000.
J. 3. Williams, representing the In
dustrial Commission of Minnesota,
presented statistics compiled by the
state to show present unemployment of
41,T48.