Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-11
WORKERS Buying
POWER IS HIGHER
Statistics Show Employment
Is Higher Than in Any
Recent January.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 11.-More
workers are employed today in the
United States than in any January for
many years. Despite that fact, careful
estimates indicate that around 3,000,0O0
workers are out of jobs.
| This is not extraordinary nor alarm
| ing. A wear ago this idle population
amounted to well over 100000, accord
| ing to statements issued by the Depart
ment of Labor.
! The normal labor turnover involves
| hundreds of thousands. The move
ment of suit case mechanics-n1en Win
the itching foot-keeps certain num-
| Der CT Jobs at any season. Some WORK,
ers are, as the saying goes, at resi- ana
! in revolt" They are just vacatlonlng
between Jobs, with ample funds to carry
them until they are on the payroll again
Still others are voluntarily idle.
Demand for Efficiency.
But the main reason for the unem-
pIoyment which exists today is 1ncom-
netencv. Never before have the WorK-
crs been so efficient and never has the
demand for efficiency been so high.
New industries are Springing up coIl-
stanf1v. fChey need and want men. III
is nnlv the firIldges who have neither
ability nor desire to change from olo
employments to new and readJuaI
themselves to new industries that neeo
help. This is apparent from Reports Vi
the United States Employment service,
which maintains employment otflces Ill
most of the States. -,
Today the iron and steel mills are
running in most sections close to so per
cent OF nominal capacity. There are
prospects for further improvement. Inc
New York Automobile Show Will close
Saturday with a volume Of sales Whlcn
has never hitherto been equalled. TINS
and subsequent shows will give stlnu-
l,s to production which will absorb
something like $4,000 workers In the
industry before February l.
The building trades are more tnan
well engaged. rs
The road and bridge and dam build
ing programs coupled with expansions
and improvements on the railroads, VIII
furnish work for over million men
during the open weather season. the
chief difficulty will be felt by the So
called white collar workers, who nave
plodded along in rut for years. They
will be asked to do more work with
fewer members than ever before ana
there is a possibility of considerable
unemployment in this class before
Spring is over.
The railroads are bemoaning the drop
in passenger traffic. but those roads
that are doing best in this respect say
capture OF business is merely matter
of providing service which will appeal
to the public They realize ride on
railroad train or in a Pullman no
longer is novelty and that they must
sell comfort and safety as well as
transportation.
Retail Trade.
The textile plants are facing the
future with more confidence. They feel
that the domestic mills now. are in a
position to offer goods fully as attractive
as any from abroad.
Retail trade will reflect all these fac
tors and give the most accurate measure
of employment by revealing the buying
power of workers. In the last year
retail sales totaled about SAC, 000, 000,O 900.
This has been confirmed by the National
Retail Dry Goods Association. There
is every reason to believe that this
rate of progress will be maintained In
the first six months of 1929.