The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-01
MAJORITY STATES.
REPORT WORKERS
IN GREAT DEMAND.
Labor Is Now ScarCer In Ala
bama Than In Many
Years

WASHINGTON, April 3U.-fBy AS
sociated Pressl-An actual shortage
of workers in some class of labor. in
Guiding farm help exists in % states
of the Union. while in 81 other states
the unemploym SO prevalent in
1929-2l, has been completely absorbed
and in only four states does general
unemployment exist, according to fig
ures. statistics and reports gathered
from labor leaders, industrial COM
missions and state and federal EN-
ployment agencies from all of the As
states of this country
lncEeaSeS in wages are noted in so
many states and in so many differ
ent trades and occupations that they
point to general trend in that di-
rection. These include an II per cent
increase.to 100000 packing house en-
ployeS. Is per cent increase to car
penters, 12h cents an hour in
crease to common laborers and gen
eral increase among steel workers,
all in Chicago, and 12a per cent
increase to 100000 workers in the
wooden and cotton mills of New Eng
land.
Eight thousand Bethlehem Steel
company men have received an IL
per cent raise. Common labor is at a
premium in Ohio, textile mill workers
and the plasterers have received in
creases in Virginia. and the wages
of miners have been increased in
Arizona.
o
Highest Ever Paid
In addition to these, the reports
show skilled laborers getting S1.25
an hour and plasterers $1.50 an hour
in st. Louis, the highest wage ever
paid there for this class OF work.
while negotiations are now on in New
York between contractors and the
building trades for increase in
wages of bricklayers. carpenters,
plasters plumbers and allied trades
by $1.00 to $500 a day.
Reports from only one state shows
that wages have been lowered. This
is in Louisiana, where the pay of
common labor has been sharply cut.
The survey show that in IA states
In the central, middle western, west
ern and southern sections shortage
In farm help contracts the tiller of
the soil this spring; that in the five
states of New York, Indiana, Ken
lucky, Illinois and California, a short
age is shown in workers to carry on
the huge building programs that are
planned. In nine states skilled la
borers are in demand with jobs GO
Ing begging, while in four other
states the shortage comes in COM
mon labor.
Buiiding Boom Widespread
The building boom is noted in II
states and takes in territory in every
eral boom in all business is reported
from the seven states of New York
Pennsylvania, Ohio Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, and Delaware.
The reports showthat only in Okla
homa, Tennessee, Georgia and South
Carolina does an excess of workers
over jobs exist generally.
That period of industrial peace
has settled over the entire country Is
Indicated by the reports CT only eight
strikes of any consequence through
out the length and breadth of the
--aand. Some of these are trivial at
present, and none of them appears to
cause more than ripple of local in
terest. Figured in these is the big
shipments strike of last July that in
some quarters is still in existence,
and in other quarters is reported to
be ever and done with. There are
two small strikes among the steve
dores at New York. the Somerset
that has been hanging fire for some
months, strikes of painters, electric
JAMS and plumbers at Omaha and a
moulders' strike in Delaware.
Farm Labor Shortage.
The IA states that report a short
age in farm labor are: Illinois, Iowa
North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota
Wisconsin, South Dakota. Virginia
South Carolina, Montana, Idaho. Ore
SOn,. dSnlnSlOn ana California. The
states that indicate an excess of Jobs
over skilled workmen to fill them
are: New York (both male and fe-
ma1e), Ohio, Illinois. Kansas, Mon
tana, Arizona, Connecticut Mary
land and Mississippi.
An extraordinary building boom is
shown in the following states: New
York. Pennsylvania, Virginia, Lou
fsiana. Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas.
Indiana, Iowa, kentucky. Missouri
Tennessee, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho
and California.
The states reporting that all of the
unemployment prevalent in 1s2o-21
has been absorbed and that condi-
tions are normal in this respect are:
Maryland, Delaware, Maine. New
Hampshire. Massachusetts,, Vermont
Rhode Island, Kansas. Wisconsin,
South Dakota. Michigan, Texas, New
Jersey, West Virginia, Alabama, Ar
kansas. North Carolina, Colorado
Wyoming, New Mexico and Nevada.
In Pennsylvania 1t is reported that
negroes are being brought up from
the south to work in the mills, while
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
tngs under construction, besides hun