The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-12-23
Labor Secretary
In PropOsdis to
Aid the JObleSs

Washington Proposals for the
prcycnticn OF future unemployment
crises aud for tho reduction OF the
normal number OF wofkIess men In
the country were put forth by Secr
tary OF Labor James ]. Davis In hif
annual report. just made public
Secretary Davis pointed out the re
suits obtained through the Fcderal
Employment service during the In
dustrinl depression of the last yeal
and asserted that the employment
service offers an agency for the solp
tlon Of the unemployment problem.
He said:
Less than n year ago II was cstl
mated that between five and six mil
lion workers were without jobs. w.
wore IN the throca Of one OF The
greatest Industrial dcprcssions We
had ever known. There was grav'
danger that the mere operation o
the law Of supply and demand voul'
force drastic rearrangomcnt o.
wages which would seriously deprcs
our standard OF living and radically
alter our whole economic structure
Tho nation fought IFS way througl
this period OF unemployment, ant
today the demand for labor prac
tlcaily equals the supply. We are
back Mt normal IN our employment
but we have made tho startling dis
coyery that normal In America moan
that approximately million and O
half workmen are detached from any
payroll. Wf
Here we have two problems 4
mcet-to prevent 4 recurrence OF th'
employment depression which threw
between five and six million mel
into idIeness and to reduce The mum
ber OF our workIngmen who arr
daily without means OF livelihood.
I'VE have a powerful agency II
meeting both OF these problems Il
the United States Employment sers
fee, which. fully organized and equip
ped. would have its finger at al.
times uron the pulse OF the labo
supply aud demand OF the country
The past year this service. with IL
cooperating agencies, proved us ef
fectiyeness. II listed between $500,
900 workers seeking employment. ano
placed nearly 100000 OF them II
Jobs without expense TO the worker
or employer Its usefulness and the
need for its development are plain.
"The causes Of idleness amonf
our workmen call for instant remedy.
Industrial strife and unemployment
offer opportunities TO the enemy OF
government too favorable for us e
overlook them. Wherever worker
and employer clash and whereve.
men are In enforced idleness, there
is the opportunity for the unscru
pulous employer with his hired guard
his mercenery plug-ugly There, too
the ultra-red radical finds conditions
ripe for his efforts. Both threaten
the subversion OF all government, at
they preach contempt for law ano
order, and by stirring the passions
and hate of men bring to fruitioD
their gospel of violence and blood
shed. These things are a menace t
our whole national existence. They
threaten the fundamentals OF oul
No duty is more press
ing upon us today than that OF safe
guarding ourselves from these dan
gers" HH
Secretary Davis suggested that the
workman himself, in order to meet
periods of depression should be will.
ing to accept employment at other
trades than he is usually engaged in
On this point he said:
"The lessen of the past year seems
to be not so much a problem of an
actual dearth Of employment but
rather one of inability of the Amer
lean workmen to adjust themselves
to changing circumstances. We rec
ognize that the exalted place of our
has been attained through
specialization, but in specializing We
seem to have lost sight Of the fact
that there are other lines of employ
ment than those habitually followed
l would be the last one to suggest
that skilled craftsmen should under
take to become so-called Jacks OF
all trades,' but j would urge upon
every idle workman that when there
is inactivity in his trade he use
every effort to adapt himself to |
some other line of work."