Evening star., 1923-04-25
FIGHT FOR LABOR
MENACES INDUSTRY
Turning Point in Production
Feared on Account Of Lack
of Sufficient Workers.
BY J. e. ROYLE.
srecial Dispatch TO The Star.

Snecisl Dispatch TO The Star
NEW YORK, April 2o.-ExecuuNes
in more than one industry through
out the United States are wondering
TODAY how long they can meet com :
petition. They do not fear compeu-
tion from concerns in their own lnes
in producing, manufacturing, dlstrlp-
uting or selling goods. but they DO
fear competition for workers by other
Industries.
The building trades are IN VIZ
tusl state of war against the facto-
ries for labor. Factories are com PEI
ing with the farmers Tor noa tins
workers. Lumber mills are n2n1lns
with construction gangs to increase
their pay rolls.
Men prominent in automobile man
nfacture declared today tnat May
would mark the turning point III pro
duction in that industry not ause
demand was falling off, but because
manufacturers were finding 1t impos-
able to keep the employees necessary
to maintain present output
Costs Check Building.
The building contractors in some dls-
tricts have bid up pBces or laDor 80
high that, while they have been aole 10
secure men, they have checked constr uc :,
.nyna nlans for new buildings. Pros
nectiye builders are taking the atstude
that costs of construction are SO hisl
that they are unwilling to take taaneeS
Of carrying over high cost property aCI-
Jug the next two or three years, as tney
.re zoo rf,,I rents cannot be kept high
anouqh TO make an attractive ieturn on
the investment. .s
In Chicago fifty thousand tenants
have refused to sign new leases at aa-
ranced rentals and also WIZ reluse ~
move Nav l. according to Grace II.
Uarte. attorney for the Chicago tenants
League. Yet practically every van in
both Chicago and New York is reported
engaged for moving day.
Big Merger to Reduce Expenses
SbippinC men asserted that the
countrywide strike of the l. w. w;
marine workers for an increase OF
$50 and other concessions is an Ell :
fort to take advantage OF the lact
thai MANY seamen have been drawn
into other industries in the last SIX
weeks by offers of high wages.
Announcement OF the consolidation
Of Gimbel and Saks interests is re-
cciyed among merchandisers as evil
deuce of the almost universal Ten
dency toward meeting competition
and preserving profits by means Oh
rhe cutting of purchasing and ADMIN :
fstratiye expenses rather than by ad-
yances in prices of goods. The point
stressed in the formal announcemen
of the merger is that 1t Will result
''in noticeable economies, poth III ou!
Ing and in selling.
Mexico Faces Business Invasion.
American business forces already
are marshaling for an advance into
Mexico when an agreement assuring
recognition of the Obregon adml MS
ration shall have been arrived at.
The American Smelling and RennlnS
:. l,Sr al
in the southern republic, Is planning
the erection of several additional re,
fining plants and the ACQUISITION OF
more mining properties, 1t is an
uounced. ..,,
Sugar plantations. especially those
on 1he Isthmus of Tehuantepec and
in the state of Morelos. which nave
beer unproductive for nearly yer
years. will be brought PACK INTO De,
ing this year. IL plans OF American
ana British owners of haciendas are
carried out.
Sugar Prices still Mounting.
Absolute certainty as to the fina!
amount of the Cuban sugar crop still
is far distant. There were 1s2 cen
trails or grinding ing NUS NUS ba3s oRrIns haYe
completed grinding. The output OF
ali will not be definitely known until
toward the end of May. Meantime,
The price brb of hesed fcs5 cents pound
wholesale here, and advances nave
been made also by refiners in San
Francisco, Philadelphia and New
Orleans.
$4,000, 900 for Good Roads.
MlNNEAPOLIS. April 20 Especially
Despite the failure of the measure
providing for a bond issue of S20.0OO.-
900 for highway improvements to
PASS the legislature. the good roads
nrogram of this state for the next
Two years will involve expenditure of
$50. 100000. Proceeds from the state
vehicle tax. federal aid. county bond
issues and municipal financing permit
expenditure of $39,000.000 this year
and an equal sum- it is expected, will
he available in 1924.
1900 I'm Cramp Shipyards.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, April %
Especially D.-Cramp ship yards now
have 4. 500 men employed, compared
with 1000 during normal ship con-
struction periods. The force is large
" employed today on the small cruis-
ers for the Navy which are built for
great speed. Just at the time the gov
ernment reduced wages at the phil
adelphia navy yard. Cramp put into
effect a wage increase of 10 per cent
New High Employment Record.
DETROIT. Mich, April 25 Especially.
The employment in industrial plants
here in the last week reached new
high record of 337,620, an increase of
1888 men.