Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-24
PERTH AMBoY AND SKILLED LABOR

furnishes food for thought for every resident of Perth Amboy
The need for industries here that employ skilled labor has been fell
for a long time. The city has a large number of factories, but
common labor predominates in all of them. The result is that in
prosperous times there is invariably a shortage in this class of labor
while the skilled mechanics who make up the really substantial ee
ment in the community, are forced to look elsewhere.
This is not a healthy condition. There ought to be a better
balance. 1t is time some real effort was made to bring to this To-
sality new industries that will employ skilled labor and hold the
young men who are growing up here and are being educated in our
schools. The training that these boys and girls receive prepares
them for something more than common labor and unless they can
Be satisfied in their home town they are going to look elsewhere for
employment.
The consideration of this problem leads up to two others that
have got to be solved along with that of finding employment for
skilled labor. One of these problems is to find housing accommoda-
tons for the skilled mechanic and his family after he has been
given employment here. Perth Amboy is sadly in need of a new
residential section. Land values all over the city are entirely too
high for the man of average means. 1t is safe to say that even if
Perth Amboy should succeed in securing an industry employing
I'VE or SIX hundred skilled mechanics, nine-tenths of them would
60 into the n%eighboring towns to live. In fact, aside from the in,
dustry itself, the location of such a plant here would be of as much,
if not more, benefit to Woodbridge township, Raritan township.
Metuchen, Keyport, Matawan, South Amboy and Tottenville, than
il would be to Perth Amboy. Here, indeed, is a serious problem
THAT must be faced. 1t goes along with the effort to secure more
industries. We not only want the factories, but we want the people
lnaI are employed IN the factories. rms phase OF the situation must
not be overlooked.
The other problem is more national in scope and cannot be
temedied locally as the other can. 1t is the question of immigration.
It is the natural ambition of every parent to have his children o-
eupy a little higher station in life than the parent does. That is
the reason the average man and woman takes such an interest III
the growth and development of the public schools. They realize
Ehat the public school furnishes the great opportunity for their
children to advance.
The labOrer of today does not want his children TO be mere
laborers. The training that they receive in the schools is given
them for the purpose of fitting them for something higher i'll life.
Ambition is one of the characteristics of the American youth.
This ambition which has been ingrained in the boys and girls is
the foundation of Americas greatness. Every boy is taught that
he has just as much a chance of being President of the United
States as anyone and Lincoln, the rail splitter, Garfield driving a
mule on the tow path, and Harding the insignificant country print
sr, are cited as examples. 1t is natural, then, that the boys and
girls of today should want to be something more than common la.
borers when they grow up.
But the common labor must be performed. Somebody must
go down into the mines and bring out the coal; somebody must
dig the clay, fire the furnaces and keep the railroad tracks in con-
dition. II we are training our boys to look to higher things than
these, who will perform the mental tasks:
Heretofore we have depended largely on immigration to fur.
nsh the men necessary for this sort of work. They have come here
in large numbers. In fact, the influx, at times, has been almost toe
great for the nation to assimnate. 1t is this, perhaps, that has led
to the present radical immigration laws greatly limiting the mum
Der of foreigners who can come to this country in any one year.
The result of this restriction on immigration is being fell
more and more in all great industrial centers like Perth Amboy
particularly in places where the common labor is SO much in de
mand. Here, then, is a problem that has got to be solved along
with the desire to attract skilled labor and the educating of oul
boys and girls to have higher ambitions.
Perth Amboy is vitality concerned in all of these things. Nat
nraIly we want to care for and encourage the industries that are
already here. That is where the Board of Aldermen can do its par
in boosting the city. Let's make Perth Amboy a city that industries
are glad to locate in. Then, we have got to expand and make room
for the homes Of the workers. Here is where a live Chamber O.
Commerce or Board of Trade could help a lot. Finally, we hav
got to use what influences we have to see that the supply CT com
mon labor is not entirely cut off. Altogether, it furnishes one BIZ
problem and one that requires considerable thought. Former Mayo
Dorsey has rendered a good service in bringing the matter s
forcibly before the people.