Evening star., 1922-11-21
Shortage IN labor
IS MORE ALARMING
No Relief Possible Until. Well
Into Next Year-Wages
Climbing.
BY j. c. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

9peciai DlSEAtch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November Elm.
pioyers in many widely separate
sections of the country are exertinn
pressure to have the gates of this
country thrown wider to workers
from foreign nations, but manufac..
eurers today expressed the belief that
relief, Of labor shortage from this
source could not be secured unit!
Well into the coming year, under tina
most favorable conditions This facl,
they said, had led to considerable
uneasiness as to labor costs in a scorG,
of Industries.
Reports have been circulated thai
some large employers were payiup
bonuses to hold their men by credit
Ing them with more hours than a..
tually were worked. This was stror-.
ly denied by steel manufactures to
day. But the swing of wages III.
doubtedly Is upward rather thar
downward and many manufacture
are proceeding with utmost caution
until the moves of the larger en-
ployers make plain what demands
may be expected
Italy Would Furnish Workers.
Sources of additional labor SUPP y
have been fully ,canvassed by en-
ployers. This was indicated plainly
by the statement Of the rev comnlis.
sioner general of emigration OF ItaIl
Giuseppe de Michaelis. that Italy
stood ready to furnish from 1000 10
50e,S00 hand-picked workers adapteg
to any of the basic trades or ccCG-
pations and willing to go HIere en-
rlbyment was available, to stay ihera
and work there
Many of the larger industria
plants. especially the steel mills, r"J.
are working at nearly 100 per cent 4
capacity and announce. they intend 70!
continue at that rate. Others desire
earnestly to bring their plants TO il
creased production. The employers n..-
clined today to discussswhat meth =
each Will take to keep their mon AID I
secure more. but the trend oil affslft
may be gathered from the cours, 1
the American Window Glass ''.Il
pany. which with plants Iunnins -
per cent of capacity has raised 80
wages of 5000 workers from j. Il
20 per cent.
Ocean Travel Light
The shortage of common labor i-
more easily explained in view al h.
hgures showing the volume Of tra aHs..
atlantic travell which were mad lp,1,,-
lie today. and which show while Iirss
ana second-class traffic Increase.
thlrd class passenger travel lost -
c53 Passengers up to Novemh-T ] -.
COMPARED with the corresponding -
ROD OF last year, with q loss il. ne,
senger revenue to the steamship f;n,s
Of nearly $4,000. 900.
Further slight advances in IL,
prices for lead and zinc are eIpec.-t.
before the end Of 1922 Hide and
leather markets today are somcIsha,
inactive. as many buyers have Witr-
drawn temporarily in the hope th&,
lower prices will prevail later
Business in silk goods has slack.
ened somewhat. although the voluTs,
of sales still is large Prices ar.l
very firm and further advances are
predicted by many merchants. Woo.
en- manufacturers declared today
that while the market for raw WOO,
was exceedingly strong. they expect
ed that any further advances in prizes
would be moderate in extent.
More Low-Priced Autos.
Two companies now producins
medium-priced automobiles will in
wade the low-priced field next season
with cars selling Well under 81 ,oUn
Current sales and production in the
automotive industry in general are
breaking all records.
Improvement in the call for far,E
machinery is shown by the orders
from firms making such products u
the steel companies. These order-
are aggregating a large steel tom
mage. The paint manufacturers have
not been forced to curtail production
and may be expected to continue tc
operate near capacity throughout the
winter in view of the amount %;
building still going on.
Special coal shipments from ths
head of the lakes have been ordere:
to relieve distress from fuel shortage
in some Minnesota counties wher.
freezing weather prevails.