The Washington times., 1923-10-09
LAW PROPOSED
To SHIFT
LABOR
League Prepares Bill for Con-
gress to Move Men to Places
Where Needed.

Where Needed.
Unemployment is a problem TO be
solved through the organization of a
system which by keeping in touch
with industrial demands for labor
and the progress of public works will
drain surplus labor into districts and
industries where labor shortages
exist
This idea is contained i'm a bill 10
be introduced in Congress in Decem.
Der by the National Unemployment
League, which seeks an appropria-
ton for meeting the expense incl
dent to a general employment sur
vey to include all American indus.
tries and public Improvement
projects. The amount OF the an.
preparation 10 be asked of Congress.
it is understood, is 100000. With
many Government improvements
planned for the District of Column
bia, the bill is of unusual interest
to Westinghouse.
Legislation having this purpose
was introduced in the Sixty-seventh
Congress. 1t provided for a COM
mission Of three men to be ap-
pointed by the President, the mem.
bers of the commission to serve
without compensation,
Points Out Cycles.
AS explained by those backing the
authorization of such q commission
It is pointed out that periods of u1-
employment occur at comparatiVcIy
regular periods. These periods are
described as cycles" During such
I1n Of
is swelled in all sections of the coun-
try. These periods can be avoided
or their consequences materially
abated, it is declared, if during pre-
ceding periods it is possible to switch
labor SURPRISES as they accumulated
from sections of depression to other
sections where tho demand for labor
exceeds the supply, and particularly
from industrial activities to State,
county, city and national improve
ment projects. In discussing the
bill today Francis 1. Jones, director,
United States Employment Service,
Department of Labor, said:
Complete Labor Survey.
The de-, .t5 understood b. me
is to make a complete labor survey
to take in all American industries
and public Improvement &gprojects.
In connection with the latter i:
will be learned that local improve
ment plans consist of, the state OF
progress of the work in hand, and
such other data as will be valuable
in determining just when surplus
labor in industrial centers can be
diverted to public Improvement EN-.
ployment. This will make it pos
l<aon <Nf
ployed who otherwise would be idle.
To a great extent it would inter.
rupt the temperance of those un.
employment cycles when thousands
of men are without work.
Enthusiastically much Can be
done TO prevent such experiences.
1t is largely a question of know.
ing the conditions existing as a
whole and of the organization of
proper agency for directing idle
labor to points and industries
where it is in the greatest demand.
Such a system in operation is a
realization of what is conceded Ey
all students of social economy to
be the ideal I can conceive of
nothing of greater Importance to
the country at large than keeping
labor employed, and / doubt If
conditions are ever 50 bad that it
is necessary for great armies of
unemployed to be formed.
Some Interesting Data.
One of the interesting facts al.
ready established by surveys made
by the United States Employment
Service is that depressions in trade
always are seen reflected in the
larger industries before they effect
the smaller concerns. On the other
hand, it is pointed out, that as
trade conditions improve the larger
industries are the first to reflect
the trend. Hence they can be used
as barometers indicate the Varia-
tions in demand for labor and as
safe guides in anticipating the
coming storm by making provision
to take care of unemployment as it
develops downward through the
smaller industries.
While students of labor condi-
tiOns admit that public improve
ment work rarely pays as we'll as
industrial employment. neYerthe-
less. it is contended. when il comes
to finding employment for the idle
such work offers a safety valve
which should not be overlooked.
It is also insisted that through this
method of draining idle labor to
such activities at such times the
public not only gains through the
relief thus afforded from the neces-
sity of supporting the idle in idle
ness, but also through the compile.
ton of needed projects at q mini
n