Evening star., 1930-12-08
ESTIMATES VARIED
ON UNEMPLOYMENT
Seasonal Factor in Situation
Contributes to Total
of JobIeSS.
BY ]. C. ROYLE.

Controversy is still raging over the
employment situation. Some Of the
high officials of the Department Of
Commerce feel personally that, like
many a modern miss, the situation Is
not so bad as 1t Is painted. State and
national labor leaders declare 1t is get
ting worse. Neither side. however, min
imizes the seriousness.
Statisticians in the States now work.
ing on o census Of unemployment ad-
init 1t Is most difficult task to arrive
at accurate figures. They saw that a
man out OF work may be counted in one
center, jump into his f1ivver and be
counted again in an adjoining town.
Estimates Vary.
Many Federal officials agree that the
total number of people out of work is
extremely large, but they call attention
to the fact that there Is no small num-
ber who not only are out of work now,
but who have been out Of work for
years. Their chances of getting a Job
are slim even in the best of times and
their anxiety to secure one does not
keep them awake nights.
One authority places the real total
Of those who have lost their Jobs and
have tried to obtain others unsuccess-
fully at less than 100000. On the
other hand, William Green, president of
the American Federation of Labor, esti.
mates the total unemployed at 4,S60, 900,
exclusive Of farm labor and white-col-
lar workers.
Those who disagree with Mr.. Green
assert that in his figures there is no
allowance for seaSonable variation.
They declare the time Of year has now
arrived when outdoor workers Of all de-
scriptions usually encounter at least
temporary unemployment. Work has
ceased in the harvest fields. Building
operations in the North are never as
extensive In December and November
as In other months. Work on the high
ways in the North has been checked by
cold and snow and the men employed
on the Great Lakes have closed their
season.
No one should minimize the serious
ness of the position of labor but to
over emphasize 1t Is to increase its
dangers, according to those who are
doing most to provide jobs for the job
less. This view in effect is subscribed
to, to some extent, by the American
Federation of Labor itself The fedora
ton states that II the 26,000,000 workers
who have jobs feel that lay-off may
come to them at any time, they are
inclined to cut down their purchases
to save money. A cut of 81 per worker
would equal the wages of $500 men
for month, the federation asserts.
Effect on Employers.
Ohicials, State and Federal, who are
striving to relieve the condition of the
workers, point out that If an erroneous
idea as to the total unemployed is dis
seminated, employers themselves will be
inclined to curtail operations and there
by cut down the number Of Jobs
available.
The Federation of Labor says for
mally: Definite signs of improvement
are multiplying in individual lines The
upward turn in textiles, both silk and
cotton, IS encouraging. Building has
increased slightly. There are signs that
the price decline Is nearer bottom.
Business men are beginning to take out
more loans and order more machine
tools, which means a prospect of mn
proved efficiency and increasing opera
tions."
Copyright. i93o)