The Winslow mail., 1924-09-19
.EMPLOYMEN
CONDITIONS OF
ARIZONA And
NEW MEXICO

The accompanying review of indus
trial employment made by the U. S.
department of labor, is the result of
personal surveys and inspection. The
department receives regular and sys
tematic reports each month from num-
erous authentic sources and the in
formation contained in the report may
be considered quite reliable. A re-
port is made by the department cov-
ering every state and large city in
the United States. Following is the
general report for Arizona and New
Mexico:
Arizona
Indications are that employment,
which has slowly but steadily improv-
ed during past two months, will show
a decided improvement in September
when the harvesting of the large cot
ton crop will begin and last until
about January 1925. Approximately
5000 cotton workers are employed in
the Salt River valley but with the be-
ginning of cotton picking early in Sep
tember, about 5000 more workers will
be required-7,000 for the Salt River
valley, including the Buckeye district,
and 1000 for the Casa Grande and
Florence district in the middle Gila
valley. Resident labor is sufficient
except cotton workers, hard-rock min
ers, a few bricklayers, stone-masons
and machinists. Labor in the mines
and smelters of state is practically un-
changing at present but there are in
dications of increased activity in near
future in copper mining. Experienced
copper miners are in demand with
common mine labor plentiful. Build
ing activities continue good Lumber
ing in the Flagstaff and McNary dis
tricts continues active; labor at the
latter district little short at present
Saw mills are all running. Highway
construction steadily increasing with
labor for this kind of work ample. A
new teaching plant at Miami now un-
der construction. Work has started
on a 100000 road to the Horse Mesa
Dam site, which project will be under
construction in near future, and when
completed will cost approximately $4,-
100000, including power house. Con-
struction on the Mormon Flats dam
will be completed within few weeks;
released workers on the latter project
will be transferred to work on the
Horse Mesa dam. improvements cost
ing 100000 on large hotel at
Chandler are under way; ample labor
for this work available locally.
New Mexico
Industrial and employment condi-
tions on the whole are slightly i'm
proved over July, especially in agri-
culture, horticulture and highway con-
struction. Railway shop employment
however continues on a slightly re-
duced basis The apple harvest, now
under way, is affording employment
to several hundred additional work
ers. About September 18th, approx
mately 1000 additional cotton field
workers (mostly pickers) will be in
demand in the Roswell and adjacent
districts for a period of about three
months. Metal mining continues fair
ly active; mine labor sufficient. In
dustrial plants are running at normal
capacity with labor in connection suf-
f1cient. Building shows a tendency
to Slacken somewhat with local build
ing mechanics ample to meet immedi-
ate demands. Considerable municipal
paving and large program of high
way construction is under way with
the prospect within 80 days of con-
tracts for several additional federal
aid highway projects. A shortage of
highway labor is reported in southern
section Of state The existing small
surplus of resident common labor will
have immediate opportunity for en-
ployment in connection with the cot
ton harvest. Unemployed transient
labor not so pronounced as thirty to
sixty days ago.