The New York herald., 1922-04-09

III
! Copyright, 1899, By THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Dublin, April 8.
With the Irish labor movement gen.
orally disorganized and more absorbed
in politics than economies, strikes are
now at a minimum In Ireland. I'm
employment and the fact that most
members of unions are members of
one faction or the other of the Irish
republican army, and give their 10y
atty first to it, has prevented con-
certed struggle against the defiation
of wartime wages.
There are now no strikes of conse
quence in any part of Ireland under
the Provisional Government. A strike
of farm laborers in Dublin county
ended recently, the men retaining their
previous wage of 43 shillings a week
instead of dropping TO 40. There was
small strike OF dock workers in Dub
lin which, after several weeks, ended
by the men accepting a reduction from
81 to 64 shillings a week.
The unemployment situation gradually
Is improving. Michael Collins in a re-
cent speech estimated the number OF
unemployed at 1900 citing the figures
of a delegation of the Irish labor party
and the trade union congress. According
To the official figures of the Ministry of
Labor on March 13 of this year. there
We're 50,67S persons registered for en-
ployment at the labor exchanges. The
latter figures represent only 26 county
areas and need considerable correction
yl,.Ia f1 l..l,A .lt a
register at exchanges.
Idlcncss Decreasing.
Collns's figure represents all OF Ire
land and probably Is high. but Il is sup
posed to include about 10000 farm la
borers, most Of whom are in the
sonthcrnc,rea. The total number OF un-
employment in the south, therefore,
would be, roughly, about $4,000. The to-
tai population in all Ireland is 1900. 900.
of which normally about 1896 are en-
ployed In industrial pursuits. Twenty
five per cent. of these were out of work
IN December and 22 per cent. In Feb
ruary.
The fact that unemployment is now
decreasing is partly due to the efforts or
the Government in granting $500 900 for
road work. and In addition to this the
LEGAL board is operating housing
scheme. While the men composing the
unions are more interested In politics
than In their unions. most of the indus
trial population nevertheless Is organ
lied. 1t is estimated that S50, 900 per-
sons In Ireland belong to trade and labor
organizations. This includes the north
Tho largest organization is the Irish
Transport General Workers Union. the
next largest Is a branch of the English
MIA fiCn n Noti v,,fz -
Railway Men. and there are three other
organizations of about 10000 each and
also smaller ones.
Eight Hour workdny.
These organizations have devoted con-
siderable attention to the question Of
wages and hours. and with few strikes
and many arguments have impeded a re-
turn to the pre-war level. The general
work day now is eight hours for indus
trial workers and nine hours for farm
hands.
Labor organizations as such hereto
fore generally abstained from politics
TO avoid conrplicating issues. When Sim
Fein was conducting its campaign to
elect parliamentary candidates labor
held aloof. Now the Irish labor party
is planning to put candidates I'm the ficId
at the next election. The party will
maintain some OF the old neutrality
however. supporting its men regardless
OF their bias for or against the treaty.
On the whole Irish labor is inclined
TO be relatively conservative. About
40 per cent. of the population has small
holdings of land which the people here
interpret as a sure resistance against
Socialism. Labor also Is eager to sec
the country developed industrially. An
official of the transport union. embracing
all kinds of workers, told the New YORK
HERALD correspondent that they would
welcome American investors and could
assure them that they would not face
impossible labor demands.
While the Irish are not accustomed
10 mass production It Is claimed that
they are FINE craftsmen They hope for
American capital to develop especially
the meat packing and allied industries