The Connecticut labor news., 1924-12-06
RAILROAD MEN FIGHT VII. .KERSON DECISION FORCING TESTIMONY BEFORE LABOR BOARD
BIG PER CENT OF
 TOILERS IDLE ONE YEARS END TO OTHER

! 1
 By International Labor News Service.
 New York City, Dec 6-The United
 States, most prosperous nation on{ the 1 face of the earth, constantly tolerates
 one of the greatest human wastes-un-
 employment. In times of prosperity, as
 we'll as in periods of depression, mil
 lions of men and women are out of
 work.
 This is the conclusion of the Russell averaging good and bad years, 10 to 12 per cent of all workers in the nation are idle all of the time. The estimate was made in connection with an inves- tigation of employment agencies which occupied representa- lives of the Founda- ton for five years The roptr states that from 100000 to o,0O0,OOO persons are out of work for weeks and some times for months at time.
 That, averaging good and bad years, 10 to F per cent. of all the workers III the United States are out of work all the time.
 That widespread unemployment IS now a constant phenomenon with far reaching economic, social, psychological and moral bearings. That in seeking work through certain types of commercial or fee-charging employment bureaus s-particularly those dealing with unskilled and casual labor thousands of men and women are be- ing exploited.
 That public employment bureaus and exchanges can make a material contri- button toward the solution of this and other phases of the overcoming prob lem of unemployment.
 Then the report says:
 'There is something which we are just beginning to recognize: A resent ment on the part of the workers against security and uncertainty of employ ment are possible.
 Tt is not only unemployment but the fear of unemployment; the knowledge that any jobs IS uncertain and insecure, subject to the fluctuations of economic change which Is responsible for much of our present industrial unrest"
 The report continues:
 "A conservative estimate as to the amount of this continuous unemploy- ment, taking it year in and year out over a long period of time and excluding ex- traordinary disturbances like war and depressions caused by war, put the amount at per cent. III good years to upward of 20 per cent in bad years. To conclude that averaging good and bad years, from 10 to 12 per cent of all workers are idle all of the time IS prob | ably an underestimate of the situation | enough Is known to show that the aggregate of such unemployment i each year reaches large proportions and that the insecurity that 1t causes, as we'll as the actual loss of time incurred an nually, have become very burdensome to large numbers, actually to millions of people Add to this the extra dis ress attendant upon unemployment dur ng periods of business depression and the problem looms up in true propor- ion as one demanding whatever pre- lentive and remedial measures are avail able"
 The National Industrial Conference Board found that the average number of days lost per year by each industrial wage worker appears to be about 42-l hat is, about IA per cent of his working ine
 In England this loss of time IS about per cent in ordinary times, not con ,idering the recent unemployment in hat country.
 The Russell Sage Report on Unem- oloyment is the result of hve-year1 1: study The investigation, which ex- ': ended into more than 70 cities in 31 !: States and Canada, has just been com ,leted The full report covers more ; han 600 pages. |
 A special study was made of the sit lation in Ohio, Wisconsin, Massachu- etts and New York, where there had ,een the greatest development of orga- lized public employment work.