The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-01
By B. GANNETT,

! \A~AHtAANS Va Il w S1g oAlOJ
In the present day naturalization
process young workers are playing
an ever increasing role. In the basic
industries of Ohio such as steel,
mining, rubber, auto, machine, ETC.,
many of which are highly rational
lied, young workers have entered in
large numbers, replacing the adult
workers and in some instances be-
coming the dominant labor supply in
the industry. We find that particu-
larly in recent years has this in
crease of young workers in Ohio in
dustries taken place. The main fac
tors for this increase are:
Labor Saving Machines.
l. The introduction of automatic
machinery, requiring machine hands
and replacing skilled workers. This
is particularly noticeable in the rub
Der, machine, auto and glass indus
tries where the young workers in in
creasing numbers are replacing the
adult workers and are being hired
in preference to the adult workers.
In the rubber mills of Akron. where
the naturalization process has
reached its highest point, young
workers are not only being hired
in preference to adult workers, but
the adult workers reaching the age
of 35 and 40 years of age can no
longer find employment in these
mills.
2. Systems of divisions of labor
also eliminating the need of skill,
such as the conveyors, group system
and section work, have a similar
effect. These are constantly intro
duced in the above mentioned in
dustries resulting in a complete
elimination of skill and a mechani-
cation of the labor process with the
result that even children can work
at the conveyors and at section work.
Youth and Speed-up.
8. The efficiency of youth is more
rapidly attained than that of the
adult workers as has been shown
in efficiency reports indicating
higher production of sections where
young workers predominant. Young
workers can adapt themselves more
readily to the machine age, to the
naturalization process and can with
stand better the intense speed-up.
resulting therefore in the utiliza-
ton of youth labor in the highly
mechanical and developed industries
such as radio, electric supplies and
the war industries where young
workers predominant.
a. Frequent periodic unemploy-
ment and low wages of workers
compels children to quit schools to
aid in the support of the families.
Thus we find that in the state of
Ohio with over a million students
in the public schools only about one
forty-fifth graduate from the high
schools. In Cleveland, s. per cent
of the total enrolment in the public
schools drop out after the eighth
grade, and this according to capt.
talist statistics.
Displacement of Adults.
5. Youth labor is source of cheap
labor. Without exception young
workers are hired at lower wages.
thus competing with the adult work.
ers and resulting in the displacement
of adult workers.
All these factors, including. the
ban on immigration which has re-
suited in a dependence of the Amer
lean capitalist class for it's unskilled
labor supply on the native born, are
the basic causes for the increase of
young workers in the basic indus
tries. We therefore finl more and
more a shifting of the young work.
ers from light industries to heavy
notwithstanding workers today be-
coming more and NOR, an important
section of the industrial proletariat. |
Young Workers Greatly Exploited.
In analyzing the conditions Of the