Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-29

ployment bureau Of the labor depart
ment has been informed that the lum-
Der industry OF the Pacific coast at
this time is two per cent above normal
and that a sweeping advance appears
imminent. Lumber men there are
operating their mills on a basis of "a
hours a day. One mill that was idle
two weeks ago is preparing to work
three shifts, night and day, this week.
A run away lumber market is feared.
Orders are coming in greater volume
than during the high tide of war time
effort.
Makers Of machinery. especially road
building and pumping machinery have
advised the department of commerce
of a tremendous increase in activity
during the past two months. One
firm which specializes in mammoth
pumps complains of purchasers being
in such a hurry that virtually all the
pumps ordered are sent by express TO
expedite delivery. The transportation
charges ere terrific on such shipments
but they do not bar the buyers.
Auto Plants Need Men
The automobile manufacturers were
predicting six weeks z that in 1922
they would equal last years output.
At present they are surprising it.
.Advices from Detroit and other CEN
ters indicate that the industry is on
the verge of a labor shortage which
may become severe.
Building activities now Of record
proportions seem likely TO develop by
fall into what is characterized as a
crazy boom put of hand and re-
sulting in heavy labor shortages. ac-
L. - yha -rnctlany'e
conference on unemployment which still
compiled at this agency for all lines of
work show that whereas there were
January there were only 100 jobs last
january there were only 100 workers
for every 100 jobs the first week in
May. Last January the agency was
finding Jobs for SO men out of every
100 who applied: at this time it is
finding jobs for 81 men out of every
100 who come.
So active have the iron and steel
industries become that leaders advised
President Harding this week that they
anticipated a labor shortage in the fall.
Due largely to seasonal work and
to strikes the situation continues
spotty. In Philadelphia. for instance
the labor department finds there is
an actual shortage today for such
skilled labor in the building trades as
carpenters, brick layers, paper hang
ers and plasterers. On the other hand
the garment and clothing trades In
New York are quiet now with employ
ment below what it was six weeks ago.
due to the seasonal variation. Steel
mills in the Birmingham district of
Alabama touched the highest produc-
ton mark aver reached-surpassing
war time activity-within the past two
weeks, according to a report to the
employment bureau, while the presl-
dents unemployment conference finds
a considerable surplus Of technical
engineers.
Big Farm Labor Shortage
Farm labor appears to be greatly in
demand. In New Jersey there is a
shortage. In North Carolina there is
hardly q single able bodied man out of
work today. save clerical workers and
a few who want special kinds of en-
ployment according to the employment
bureau.
Most of the tremendous increase in
employment has come during May, the
same authority says, the preliminary
estimate being made that May returns.
otL III u lew udyS, Will TeCoTu a srtdt-
err gain than those of any other recent
month.
Rail Wage Cut Unlikely
In view Of the great increase in en-
%ployment and the forth coming upward
trend in wages which is regarded as
inevitable in several leading lines, the
view is held here that the railroads
hardly can expect to reduce operating
expenses further by wage cuts. On
the contrary it is believed that in some
lines of railway work there soon may
be difficulty in holding the working
forces at the present rates of pay, |
other fields offering better compen-
sation.
The national banks reflect the
weeks prosperity with an increase in
demand deposits amounting to nearly
$140,OOO,O00 bringing the total far
above what it has been for more than
a year and within striking distance of
the record established in war time.
Carbonate Ignite has been found
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