Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-26
UNEMPLOYED RANKS
SHOW HUGE INCREASE
OVER ONE YEAR AGO
Government Survey Shows g.
473,466 Reduction in In
dustriaI Forces.
WILMINGTON DECREASE oO26

Ev Associated Press 70 Every Evening
wa ashington, Jan. 2s.--Exceedfng by
a million and n half previous estimates
of the number ~ unemployed by in
dustTial and other leaders, figures bas-
cd on first nationwide survey just
completed by the Department OF La
boris employment service show tnat az
the beginning Of the year the number
Of persons employed in industry in this
country was 3.475.4es less than year
I ago.
While. in announcing this figure.
Director Jonn -. Densmore pointed out
1 that IL did not take into account work.
ers who may have found employment
/, in agricultural and other pursuits not
covered by the survey and therefore
| could not be taken az representing the
exact number of unemployed. other Of
! fci1ls said they believed the army OF
unemployed might De larger even than
T the total given.
This was possible. they said, because
Z the survey covered only those pursuits
/ classed under the head Of mechanical
/ industry and no effort was made 70
! ascertain the reduction in the number
/ 0f persons employed in other yoca-
| lions.
| The employment services figures
/ represented a reduction OF SO per
cent in the number OF workers employ
cd IN industry as compared with
~IauEaTv OF last year.
/ Michigan led the states n proror-
tional reduction with 50 per cent. and
/ Ohio ana Indiana followed with a re-
] iucJiou in employment of 50 per cent
each. Next came Illinois. with - per
cent; Connecticut. with 45 per cent;
! Massachusetts,. with ss per cent; Wis
consif, 80 per cent. New York. IS per
! cent. and New Jersey, % per cent. Per-
centages for the other states We're not
given.
The largest percentage Of reduction
. in specific industries, 50 per cent. oc-
CURED in the automobile and acces-
: sary industry. and this vas taken &c
account largely for the great reduction
+ in employment IN Michigan. This in
dustry, the employment service an
nouncement said. employed about eight
per cent OF the total workers in all
industry In the country year ago.
Second in rank in the reduction was
the building trades. with approximate
" % per cent Last January about IL
per cent Of the total industrial workers
was employed in this industry.
A reduction OF 35.5 per cent was
noted in the textile and related in
dustries, 50 per cent in leather and its
products. and 80 per cent in lumber and
house furniture.
Surveys made in 1s2 cities. the en-
ployment service said showed that
numerically the greatest reduction was
in New York City, where 2Ss,245
were reported discharged. Chicago had
reduction of $4,000; PhIladeIphia. TO-
900: Detroit. 16o, 900: Cleveland. $1,000;
Boston, 25.000; Newark. 4t00e; Gin
cinnat, 24.00e; Milwaukee, 24.S3c; ST.
Louis, 1850: Ba altinBore. 3a. $50; Kansas
City. 2o.040; PittshIrs. 12.S0e; san
Francisco. $4,000; Portland, Ore. TO-
0oes Wilmington. Del, 9.026. and Wash
ington, S.SlS.
The reduction in the New England
Industrial ceRters including Boston.
totaled 250.1S6. New Bedford LED with
$4,000 and Fall River was next with
25,60a.
The government figures OF ,lnem-
ploynent are disputed by the American
Federation OF Labor. which insists that
they are TWO low. Frank Morrison.
secretary of the federation. said that
reports received from central fedora
tions in the cities throughout the coun-
try showed that the number of the pre-
sent unemployed was between 100000
! and 100000.
Requests for information as to IN
employment had been sent by the Fed
esatien 20 central trade union bodies in
9I7 cities. MIR. Morrison said, and re-
/ plies had been received from $40.
These replies showed that the unen-
ployed numbered 2,2Sf. .2s2. Frcln the
rernairing 5T7 cities. said Mr.. Aorri-
son, the reports, il Was expected. would
5. bring the total number OF unemployed
70 more than 4,0o0.00o.
Mr. Morrison asserted that unless the
large employers OF labor would devote
themselves TO evolving means Of put
ting men 10 work instead OF reducing
wages, lengthenins hours OF labor and
reducing standards of labor they would
iind their efforts resented by the em-
nloyed as well as the unemployed