Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-03-17
thousands
Given Jobs
By Legion
Employment Service
Places Multitude of
War Veterans In
Earning Glass

New York, Mar. IL From a
peak" of more than half a mil
lion jobless ex-service men in the
United States shortly after the first
of the year. the unemployment sit
uation as it affects veterans of the
World war appears to have taken
a turn for the better, according to
survey of the national situation
made for the American Legion by
the organizations official publica-
tion, the American Legion Weekly.
Based on the best information
obtainable" the number of unem-
ployed veterans on March l was
placed at 100000. with promise
of further improvement"
A chain of employment agencies
operated by the Legion in every
state has done much to relieve the
situation in various ways, accord
ing to Legion officials. The Legion
has been instrumental in obtain
ing work for veterans without en-
ployment, in discouraging the mi
grafton of jobless men toward the
great industrial centers and en-
couraging a movement from cities
to the farms, and in insisting that
workers who left their jobs to go
to war should enjoy seniority rights
on par with those of military age
who stayed at home.
Ex-SerVice Men Suffer.
Ex-service men have suffered
more in proportion to their num-
bers than other workers, according
to the Legion's survey. because of
the operation of seniority rules and
efficiency standards. Nearly a
year is required for the returned |
veteran to get back to his old |
stride in industry, according to the |
testimony of large employers of |
labor. Another thing that has
handicapped the ex-soldier is his
restlessness and nomadic tenden- |
cies, both products of the strain |
and circumstances of war service.
Re-opening of factories and
mills in the textile regions of New
England and in the mining district
of Pennsylvania leads observers in
those parts to believe the worst is
past, according to the Legion's sur
vey. The automobile centers of De-
troit, Cleveland and Indianapolis
report a slight improvement in
conditions. In Chicago conditions
are stationary, it is said.
Back to Farm Movement.
Thrcuhout the agricultural mid
die west a general movement from
the cities and towns to the farms
is reported. The average ex-sol-
dier bad little taste for agriculture
when he came back from the war.
1t was hard to keep 'em down on
the farm after they had seen Pa
rec. He chose to work in the small
factories or stores in the neighbor-
ing county seat, where, during
1919, jobs were plenty and wages
high. When those jobs began to
go, there was at first an exodus
toward the larger cities. The Le-
gion strove to discourage this. That
movement has about spent itself
and farmers throughout the west
now report little difficulty in get
ting help. and except in the larger
cities there are few bodied
men reported out of work in the
, middle west.
The south reports improvement.
| Dixie has been burdened with
I larger quota of winter floaters thad
usual this wear, according to re-
ports. Some are now finding farm
work in the south. others are drift
ing north, largely to settle on
I farms.
The Pacific coast, a land where
| there are the three great season.
able occupations of fishing. lum-
bering and fruit raising, has Leen
able to decrease the number Of
jobless veterans by half in two
months, according to advices from
there. In Washington state thee
were 1000 unemployed veterans
on January and 1000 on Febru-
airy /.
/ Rl.s