The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-03-27
LEGION DECLARES
100000 VETERANS
ARE WITHOUT Jobs
Survey Closing March | Shows
Improvement Over January.
South Has Had Large
Squads of "FIoaters"

New York, March, ESPECIALLY
There were 100000 veterans of the
World war out of work in the United
estimate received by the American Lee
gion. This is reduction of about 100, =
900 from the peak" of more than $780,
600 jobiess ex-service men in the coun-
try shortly after January / last and
the Legion reports state there is prom
Use of further Improvement.
The survey of the national situation
on which these figures are based was
made by the American Legion official
publication of the Legion, which states
that the unemployment situation as af-
fecting the veterans appears to have
taken turn for the better"
A chain of employment agencies OPP
Grated by the Legion in every state has
done much to relieve the situation, say
the Legion officials. The Legion has
been instrumental in obtaining work
for veterans, in discouraging the mi
grafton of unemployed men toward the
great industrial centers, and has en-
couraged movement from cities to the
farms.
SUFFERED MORE
1t has demanded that workers who
enjoy seniority rights on a par with
those of military age who stayed at
home.
Ex-service men have suffered more
in proportion to their numbers than
other workers, according to the Lee
gion's survey, because of the opera ton
/. of seniority rules and efficiency stand
ards. Nearly year is required for the
returned veteran to get back to. his old
stride in industry, according to the tes-
timony of large employers of labor.
Another thing that has Handicapped the
ex-soldier is his restlessness and no.
madic tendencies, both products of the
strain and circumstances of war service.
# Reopening of factories and mills in
the textile regions of New England and
in the mining and industrial centers of
Pennsylvania, leads observers in those
parts to believe the worst is past, ac-
cording to the Legions survey. The
automobile centers of Detroit, Cleve-
land and indianapolis report slight
improvement of conditions. In Chica-
go conditions are stationary, it is said.
IN FARMING BELT
Throughout the agricultural middle
west general movement from the
cities and towns to the farms is re-
ported. The average ex-soldier had
little taste for agriculture when he
came back from the war. 1t was hard
to keep them down on the farm after
they had "seen Paree." They chose to
work in the small factories or stores in
the neighboring country seat, where,
during 1919, jobs were plenty and
wages high.
When those Jobs began to go there
was at fisst an exodus toward the
larger cities. The Legion strove to dis
courage this. That movement has
about spent itself and farmers through
out the west now report little difficulty
in getting help, and except in the larger
cities there are few able bodied ex-
service men reported out of work in
Z the middle west.
The south reports Improvement Dixie
/. has been burdened with larger quota
of winter floaters than usual this year,
according to reports. Some are now
finding farm work in the south, others
are drifting north, largely to settle on
farms.
- The Pacific coast, land where there
are the three great seasonable occupa-
lions of fishing, numbering and fruit
raising, has been able to decrease the
number of 1obless veterans by half in
two months, according to advices from
there. In Washington state there were
1000 unemployed veterans on January
! and 1000 on February 1.