Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-01
ARMY OF JOBLESS
Continued from Page One)

tai population Of the 16 states was in
excess of 100000.
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, esti-
mated the unemployed at 100000.
Miners and other workers on strike
We're not included in the state esti-
mates. The miners strike, which
union officials estimated as involving
nearly 100000 men, was the largest
industrial controversy in progress as
May day approached. with a consider
textile and stone cutting strikes in
shutdowns in New England and in
minor walkouts in other parts of the
country.
In some cities there was declared to
be demand for skilled workers, al
though the supply of common labor,
generally, was declared to be larger
than the demand. Some state labor
department officials definitely stated
that the unemployment crisis had
been passed in their states and that
a move toward normal conditions was
in progress. Some localities reported
that conditions already virtually were
normal, but from most of the states
reporting there was declared to be
unemployment in many lines. Only in
a few isolated instances, however, was
it declared to be acute, and the gen.
eral tenor of the statements was one
of optimism, particularly with refer
ence to the future.
A program of intense building &C
tivity and city and state improvement
work was outlined in reports from
virtually every state, and it was ex-
pected that many idle workers would
find employment in a gigantic con-
struction boom which was indicated
from many sources.
Monthly records of building activ-
ity kept by the American contractor
since 1914 were broken by the total
valuation of building permits at lead
ing cities for March, and the aggre-
gate of s262.2S3,254 for 100 cities was
believed by that publication to be the
largest for all time. The number of
permits issued last month in those
cities was 62.44i.
AS compared with March, 1921
when the permits numbered 53.315
and the valuation amounted to s131,-
005,317, the gain in value was 9S
percent. New York established an
unprecedented record of S104,59S,548.
Chicagos permits were the largest in
nine years, according to the Illinois
Department of Labor, despite the
handicap of unsettled labor condi-
tons in some building trades. They
amounted to s19,333,50o, an increase
of s12, 1888, 500 over March of last year
The Chicago building controversy
hinges on the Lands wage award
which several construction unions
have refused to accept, and over
which there appears 10 be no present
prospect Of settlement
Although in Kentucky the number
of calls for farm labor was described
as the smallest in years. Colorado re-
ported inability to meet the demand
for reliable farm workers. While no
shortage of farm labor was indicated
in the Middle West, some states re-
ported that there was work for ev-
er~body who wanted this type of
employment, and Kansas declarations
were that only good weather was
needed to reduce unemployment to a
minimum. Farm labor wages gener-
ally were around s35 month, with
board and lodging.
Considerable unemployment was de-
clared to exist among Pacific coast
marine workers, with no indication of
improvement.
The most adverse statement from
a state employment mead came from