Evening star., 1933-01-01


National Chairman of the Share-the- Work
Movement.
r AM one Of those who believe that
we are emerging from the depres-
sion. Recent price trends OF com
i modities and securities point tnat
way, and, what Is far more fun
damental and significant, the index OF
EMPLOYMENT shows steady rise. Men
and women are going back to work.
To those out of Job, or whose neigh
bors are out of job, or who see the
great army of the jobless waiting In
breadlines and walking the streets in
search of employment, this may seem
an extraordinary statment. But 1t Is
true one, as records of the Department
of Labor in Washington and Of State
industrial bureaus and employment
agencies show. Men and women are
going back to work.
There were more people on pay rolls
In the United States in August than in
July, more in September than in Au-
gust, more in October than in Septem-
ber. Beginning about August 10. wnen
for a month employment had slumped
to its lowest level Of the last three
years, there came an upturn. There
had been upturns before that lasted
a few weeks and then collapsed into
the downward curve with which every
previous year of the depression has
ended. But not so 1892. The upturn
continued, the number Of people en-
ployed has steadily mounted, and
though we are still long way from
normal it seems at last that We are
definitely on the way-and on a basis
of stability that gives promise Of real
recovery.
Some of the new jobs are seasonal.
Others represent made" work in the
form of public works and other projects
begun to provide employment. But a
large number Of these jobs, perhaps the
majority of the new employees taken on
these last four months, are there BY
reason Of the rapid extension Of the
principle of job sharing.
Thus, in the city of Rochester more
than 10000 workers are on their jobs
today because of the operation of this
spread its employment to 2,153 persons,
and the Bausch g. Lomb Optical Co.
took on 624 additional workers-to
name two among Rochester's 118 con-.
Germs that have applied the idea.
And so one might go from city to
city, and from industry to industry In
San Francisco 582 concerns have pro-.
vided jobs for 1924 workers. In Roa.
noke, Va, IL concerns have provided
jobs for 1924 workers. In the Atlanta
district of the Federal Reserve System,
comprising the Southeastern States,
1000 firms added more than $4,000
workers to their forces.
Small Industries Help.
Even the small industry can do its
bit, as was demonstrated in Houston.
Tex, by nine florists shops which
agreed among themselves on a policy
of spreading the work and increased
the number Of their employees from So
to IS.
In Kalamazoo, Mich. the city gov
eminent itself. by shortening its work.
ing day to six hours, has added 12a
men to its police, fire, public works and
other departments.
A somewhat similar plan enabled the
Baltimore 81 Ohio Railroad to put
1000 men back to work in its repair
shops in October. The International
Harvester Co. re-employed $500 of its
men In November, and plans to REIN
state $500 more In jobs before the Win
ter Is over The d-Continent Petrol
cum Co. has just taken on 100 men
Hart Schaffner SS Marx have 165 more
workers than were on their force year
ago. Altogether, more than 5000 cor
porations and firms have adopted the
work-sharing principle in some form,
and 1t is estimated that as 1888 begins
more than 100000 people are on nav
rolls who would be idle except for this
wise policy Of spreading the work.
In Minneapolis, few weeks ago, the
head OF one of the large department
stores and chairman of the share-th
work movement in the ninth district,
called his competitors into conference
and proposed a new arrangement for
taking care Of the holiday rush of shop
pers. Usually the stores of Minneapolis
and st. Paul take on $4,000 additional
sales and delivery people for the pre-
Christmas season. These are added
curing the period between October Is
and December Is, and are let out on
Christmas eve. What merry Christ
mas!
Now, for this year." proposed the
mercnants suppose we all agree to
take on these extras for three days a
week instead Of the usual six days.
That WIN enable us to hire 10000 peo-
pie instead OF the usual $4,000. And
after CHRISTMAS let's see If we cannot
apply tne principle to our permanent
bc dDtE 10 Keep
some OF these extra workers.
The idea worked not only in Mime
apolis and st. Paul, but it spread to
other cltles. In Nashville, Baltimore
Phnadeiphla and Boston additional
thousanos got part-time jobs this
Christmas, and some of them win be-
kept on through the Winter
ANY cne Of these instances alone is
but crop in the ocean of unemploy-
ment. But every man or woman added
to the pay roll ranks means not onIv
one less DEPENDENT on the State and
local aio funds. but 1t means also one
more citizen restored to the self-respect
OF earning . living, one more person
with regular pay envelope. one more
purchaser OF the commodities and serv-
ices that are the real wealth Of
America. Until purchasing power is
restored 10 some millions of those who
now have nc purchasing power, there
can pe no heal recovery Of industry.
trace and normal living.
We all renember-and grin q bit
sheepishly at the recollection-ou op-