The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-15
LABOR ANIME
FEARED FOR
COUNTRY
Alien Restriction Blamed for
Shortage by Leaders Of
U. S. Industry.
By KENNETH w. CLARK,
International News Service Staff
Correspondent.

America is facing an acute
labor famine.
This is the burden of hundreds
of messages from industrial con-
Germs all over the country which
have poured in on the Senate
immigration Committee, and made
public today. The messages al
most invariably advocated modifi-
cation of the present 3 per- cent
immigration law.
Immigrants Needed
Business activity has been dras.
tically curta;led, plans for expan-
sion of operations this spring have
been cut, and no relief Is in sight,
unless Congress changes the law
to permit, greater entry of peoples
from Southern Europe, whence
comes most of the unskilled type
of labor. - Is. @4t
In view of these appeals; Senator
Colt RepD of Rh1de Island, an
nounced today hiss committee would
immediately begin consideration OF
changes in the law, although it is
unlikely anything can be done at
this session because of the few
working days remaining, and the
solid opposition of organized labor
to- any lessening of the iInmigra-
ton restrictions. Il.
"A survey of eleven Southern
States, wrote C. B. Harmon, secretary
of the Southern Sash, Door and Mill
work Manufacturers Association,
shows "that the labor situation is
already critical. and to speak can
didly land truthtully, the milIwork
industry. is. hard put in rjgettings
sufficient mem to fill already vacant
places and to- increased production. !"
Shortage Is Embarrassing.
1.-THE shortage of labor in indus
try is embarrassing and is making
full operation difficult" declared
the Sharon Steel Hoop company,
of Sharon, Pa. with the opening
of spring and resumption of out
side work, such as house building,
railroad building, and road con-
|struction, there will be a shortage
such as to make proper Industrial
activity impossible, unless relief is
Igiven-and that speedily"
After pointing out that available
American and northern European
laborers will not work in the trades
where the shortage is most acute,
the Hammer Brothers White Lead
Company, Of East st. Louis, Illi-
nois, declared:
t'Conditians are such that at the
present time there is no chance OF
expanding business activity in the
country. A survey shows that un;
lenployment is practically nil and
that more workers are required for
increased production"
Th ebasis of the complaints from
fsnr 49,
from S.. N. Soloman, a ranch owner
of 3Culbertson, Neb.:
T Restriction of immigration to my
mind is the greatest curse of the
country today. 1t is impossible to
get help on the farms. The pur-
chasing power of the farmers dol
lar is lower than ever and he can
not compete. with wages paid on
the railroads and in factories, so
he must cut down hts operations
and earning power.
."Give us more European labor, ;,
Soloman implored, land I believe
the present acute situation will be
relieved. II
Organized labor, is dominating
Congress while the farmer has been
sitting idly by. 1t is now time TO
consider the farmers labor prob
lems."
Production Retarded.
The Ohio Foundrymen's Associa-
ton reported that restriction of. i'm
migration "has greatly retarded pro-
duction and the return of normally
in industry"
In the opinion of the Associated
Industries of Massachusetts,, repre-
senting 1850 manufacturers, en-
blowing more than 500,0 900 people,
"the lack of available workers has
not been so serious since 1917. The
present shortage, in our own mem
bership, as we'll as in all New Eng
land, is very acute"