Evening star., 1923-05-01
SHORTAGE: IN LABOR
SURVEY INDICATES.
Pre-War Stability Nears, as
Business Booms-Waqes
on Upgrade.

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the steadily growing business boom
and an industrial revival approaching
pre-war stability are mirrored In an
actual shortage of labor, including
farm help. existing in twenty-three
states Of the Union. with twenty-one
other states reporting unemployment,
SO prevalent in 1920-21. completely
absorbed with no strikes of more than
local character In progress or ex-
pected. according to figures, statis-
tics and reports gathered from labor
leaders, Industrial commissions and
state and federal employment agen-
cies throughout the nation by the
Associated Press. In only four states
does general unemployment exist.
Industrial peace in the United States
is indicated by the reports of only
nine strikes of any consequence, ac-
cording to the Associated Press. Some
of these are trivial and none of them
appears to cause more than a ripple
of local interest. Among these are
the big shop strike Of last July, that
in some quarters Is still hanging fire.
and others of less Importance among
the New York stevedores and in one
Pennsylvania mine.
Wages ON Upgrade.
Increases in wages have become eff
fective in SO many states and in so
many different trades and occupa-
tions that they point to a static con-
dition in that direction.
These include an IL per cent in
crease to 100000 packing house en-
plcyes, % per cent increase to car
penters. a l2h cents an hour increase
to common laborers and a general in
Chicago, and 12k per cent increase
to 200. 900 workers in the wooden and
cotton mills of New England
Only One State Cuts Pay.
The reports also show a general
increase in wages in Michigan and an
and machinery workers in New Eng
land. Increase In wages of ranch
hands in the northwest, carpenters
in Kentucky. farm labor in Iowa and
In Montana and plastererS in Buffalo
are also shown. Eight thousand
Bethlehem Steel Company men have
received an IL per cent raise. Common
tile mill workers and the plasterers
have received increases In Virginia,
and the wages of miners have been
increased in Arizona.
Reports from only one state show
that wages have been lowered. This
is in Louisiana. where the pay Of
common labor has been sharply cut.
Middle West Needs Men.
The survey shows that in fourteen
states in the central, middle western.
western and southern sections
shortage in farm help confronts the
New York, Indiana. Kentucky. Illi
nois and California shortage is
known In workers to carry on huge
building programs that are planned.
In nine states skilled laborers are in
demand. with jobs going begging.
while in four other states the short
age comes in common labor.
The building boom is noted in sew
eEteen states. and takes in territory
in every section of the country, while
ported from the seven states of New
York. Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana, IL
linois, Missouri and Delaware.
Few Report Surplus.
The reports show that only in
Oklahoma, Tennessee. Georgia and
South Carolina does an excess of
workers over jobs exist generally.
True. there is a surplus Of workers in
clerical help, porters and chaffeurs
in New York, Kentucky. North Caro-
lima, Oregon. Washington and Cali
fornia, but in each of these states
the workers in other lines are en-
ployed and in certain lines surplus
of jobs exists.
In Pennsylvania it is reported that
negroes are being brought up from
the south TO H'Ork IN tne Mills, white
in the southern states this report is
confirmed through statements of the
unrest among negroes In certain ter
ritory and a tendency to desert the
south for more wages in northern
manufacturing plants
Greater New York has $4,000 dwell
ings under construction, besides hun
dreds of huge business and municipal
projects. and is exceeding last years
program Of new building by nearly
/ s50.000,00 a month.
Railroads are preparing to make
new demands on the labor market by
spending, in the New York district,
part of the s1.100. 100000 appropriated
for work throughout the nation in
1928. and in manning all shops full
force to put rolling stock in order for
an unprecedented tonnage expected in
the fall.
Present conditions and prospects
for the next few months were de-
scribed by New York railroad officials
as normal. with sufficient skilled and
unskiiled hands. and including an as
founding efficiency among shopmen,
better than at any time since before
the war"