Evening star., 1933-01-22
100000 owe Jobs
TO W0RK-SHAR|NG.
deagle Committees Analysis
DiscIoses Signs of Stable
Employment.

WC4S 4Ou3lo carly IcGuTIS lIOIu q
nationwide inquiry. as analized in a
statement last night by the Teagle
Share-the-work Committee, organized
to carry out this part of the program
OF the Federal Reserve Banking and In
dustrial Committees which are striving
to promote recovery.
The survey was conducted at the re-
quest Of the committe by the Depart
mentS Of Commerce and Labor, which
have received replies from $1,000 of
100000 questionnaires distributed to
employers in every kind of commercial
activity, many accompanied with sup
Elemental information rounding out a
composite picture of the situation. The
committee, in its statement, signed by
Walter G. Teagle, chairman; L. G.
Walker, vice chairman, and E. S. Cow
drick. secretary, observed:
with rare exceptions the heads OF
organizations employing from one or two
workers to 100000 tell of their efforts
to effect gradual and continuing ad-
juStments to the end that their work.
ers may continue in receipt of sufficient
earnings to carry them through the de-
preston. In few instances among the
returns Is there an indication that the
propHetors of business have placed
their own interests ahead of those OF
their workers, or that they have even
attempted to safeguard their assets
by eliminating surplus employees from
the pay rolls"
Stability Indicated.
Meanwhile, encouraging indications
OF stability in industrial employment
were given in the monthly statement
Of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
Labor Department. Its figures for De-
cember, as compared with November,
showed an average decline of only 0.4
per cent in the number of employees In
II major industrial groups, with drop
Of only 09 per cent in their pay roll,
despite that the most important group,
the manufacturing industries, showed
decreases, respectively, Of 1.9 and 2.3
per cent.
The Teagle Committees analysis was
based on 1884 of the returns received
from the survey and showed that
16,873, or II per cent, came from es-
Establishments operating on q work.
sharing basis as an emergency meas
Ire to carry their employees through the
depression. These employers furnished
Jobs to an aggregate of 1,176,513 per-
Sons. OF these, 242,022, or nearly 81
per cent, have been retained by virtue
Of work spreading, and 1921 were en-
gagged from the ranks of the unem-
ployed because Of opportunities created
through shortening hours of operation.
The firms now on a share-the-work
plan said they would employ 1908 ad-
ditional workers in the next few weeks
as further adjustments were made
Complete returns covering SO cities of
100000 population or more have been
compiled and tabulation of the remain
ing reports will be ready in about three
weeks.
Chaplin Lands Committee.
Roy D. Chaplin, Secretary of Com
llerce, said the replies which have come
to his attention indicated that, without
any promotional efforts whatever, work
sharing had been practiced by many
thousand concerns for varying periods
dating back two years or more. He
credited the Teagle Committee with
having given form and impetus to the
movement, with the result that most of
the industrial plants in the country
have contributed in this way to ending
the spread of unemployment.
THE tremendous response to the
QUESTIONABLE sent out by the Depart
ment OF Commerce and Labor at the
request Of the Teagle Committee, Is a
gratifying evidence Of the willingness
OF employers to take unusual steps to
help the workers of the country through
TINS emergency" Mr.. Chaplin said $50
far, too few of the employers of white
collar workers have extended work
sharing for men and women unaccus-
toned to manual labor.
However, understand that many
employers in this category have been
holding of to await the results of a
trial of work division which is being
made by a number of department stores,
offices and banks. There Is no doubt
in my mind that where due precautions
have been taken against working hard
ships to those affected, the practice of
operating SO as to keep the maximum
number on the pay rolls has been a
great stabilizing force"
typical attitude among most own
erS Of shops, manufacturing plants and
merchandising establishments, was cited
by the Teagle committee by quoting a
Bhort letter received from printer and
publisher In Chicago, in which he said
During the past two years we have
maintained our entire force, and not
one has had to resort to charity. We
have done this at great sacrifice
having gone into the red every month
during those two years. We have tried
to create special work through selling
campaigns, advancing small amounts
against commissions of which has
ended in loss for us. We try to get in
80 hours week. We have all taken
slashes. Our credit has been impaired,
but we are still carrying on"
Mining Company Reports
A company in Upper New York which
carries on mining as part of its opera
tions reported on its effort to minimize
the hardships of unemployment as fol-
lows
"Since the depression started our
work has been divided equally among
our employees at the mills and mines
The work is organized for 24-hour days
at the mills-when we have been able
to work full time. When demands dc
not warrant this, we drop to three-quar-
ter time, six-hour shifts instead of
eight, or to half-time four-hour shifts.
THE farms of necessity are seasonal.
Our employees are told they can get milk
at the farms at cents a quart. The
farms will also supply them with meat,
and they can pay for these supplies by
working on the farms. We have also
given wood to unemployed in this vi
cinity. They may cut this for their own
use or to sell. There are now so men
engaged in this work."
A surprising number of employers re-
piled that work sharing was not appli-
cable to their peculiar requirements and
then proceeded to describe their policies,
which complied fully with the princi-
piles of the share-the-work movement
A typical instance was a pharmaceutical
plant in Wisconsin, the president OF
which wrote:
1T is difficult to share our work be-
cause our people have to be qualified
for particular jobs and it would be
hard, if not impossible, to obtain such
men on the street. Further, we wish to
advise that during all this time we have
kept our full force on the pay roll. not
on account of the volume of business
for we could certainly have gotten along
with smaller force"
The figures of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics were based on payroll reports
ending nearest the 18th of the month