The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-01-04
More Unemployment In 1929

Increasing unemployment and more |
labor unrest are suggested as import |
ant possibilities for 1929 in circu- |
lar issued to business men by the Nc
Gill commodity service. The slight
improvement in the employment stu
alton is described as only temporary
halt in the general downward trend.
The McGill experts say the situation
calls for serious consideration from
every executive.
cit is serious" says the circular,
"when several million people who are
qualified for place in industry are
without work. During the past two
years no complaint can be registered
about the total volume of business, yet
employment and payrolls have slowly
declined. After each depression, par
ticularly since 1920, new production
records have been reached, yet fewer
workers have been required
Abnormal unemployment has not
yet caused a growing number of la
Dor disturbances. The purchasing pow
er of the dollar has remained steady.
This has helped in keeping the num-
Der of disturbances at low ebb. The
trouble is that future changes will
probably be less favorable. The dan
ger does not lie in lowering of the
immigration bars but through an in
creasing amount of unemployment
later on when the volume of business
is on declining and not an advancing
SCALE"
This means that American labor
cannot much longer maintain its po-
sition of splendid isolation from the
ills which European labor is suffering.
Unemployment is the outstanding fea-
ture of the labor world today. 1t will
grow more serious. 1t cannot be cur
ed without fundamental change in
capitalist industrialism.
There are 100000 unemployed
workers in capitalist Europe today,
according to the international labor
bureau at Geneva. The number of
unemployed workers in America is
probably not far from that figure.
European unemployment is largely
concentrated in England and Germany
where modern capitalism has develop
ed furthest. But there are armies OF
: unemployed in Italy, Austria, Czecho-
. slovakia and Denmark.
Most recent reports show unemploy-
ment increasing in both England and
Germany. On Dec. the number OF
workers officially listed as unemploy-
ed in England totaled 1,351,000. In
the End half of November 100000
German workers were drawing unem.
ployment insurance pay, 100000 more
than last year. In neither case does
: the total include strikers or locked
/ out workers. For Austria the figure
is 143,477 and for italy 248,100 unem.
ployed.
England is beginning to realize that
this unemployment may be a perma
I nent disease of the social order. Or
: July % the London Economist said
!, The fact that, at a time when the
currency chaos of Europe has large
ly disappeared and the disproportior
between British and foreign prices il
beginning to narrow, the numbers o.
d unemployed have risen has strength
ened the growing feeling that we mus
take a serious view of the situation.
The situation in the British Goa
fields grows worse in spite of all CAPT
talist efforts to cure the i'll withou
e changing the system. To a consider
i able extent it forewarns labor of wha
to expect if capitalism goes wearil.
to its end without the active growth
: OF new order progressively taking
d over the functions of capitalism. Th'
e industrial transference board report
1T would be unwise to estimate th'
!, permanent surplus in the coal mining
industry at any figure below 100000
The Manchester Guardian quotes
{ the British health minister as stating
e that th& condition of the mining area
Q Is w fVbuy parallel in the memory O
living Jersons." 1t adds, "the crush
ing employment in South Vale