The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-11

AJhdbC OAlcllAAOCA VI OOAAlIAACA &c "
food processing, paint proc
essing, and automobile fac
tories have felt a definite up
turn of business with increas-
ing employment in those lines.
The Indianapolis Chamber of
Commerce is negotiating with six
new firms to place factories in this
city and one firm, if it comes here,
will hire Is men.
Insurance Rate Raped
One of the most potent fears ex-
pressed by industry today against
the hiring Of men from the relief
rolls is the factor of increased rates
in wage compensation insurance.
Despite the denials of insurance
companies that rates will be raised
for blanket policies the social serV-
ice workers going into Marion
County homes report many men
have been refused work because OF
the state compensation insurance
laws.
Industry points out that the law
computes compensation paid in case
of disability at the rate of per cent
Of =. minimum wage of SIC week.
Ttis would mean that the employer
would have to pay $3.50 compensa-
ton in cas- of injury on sic
weekly salary. Employment super
intendent point out that if a man
were hired at the NRA wage scale
of sf4.50 that the $3.50 would have to
be paid weekly in event of an acct
dent.
Pas: Experience No Basis
It is contended by industry, al
though enormously, that compenSa-
ton rates would be larger because
of the age of the family heads on
the relief rolls and the lack of
dexterity and youthfulness of the
workers.
Insurance companies, however,
point out that compensation insur-
ance in case of injury based on
the past experience the insurance
company has had with the factory
and that a factory with few acct
dents would have better rate than
one with numerous accidents.
In turn industralists fear that &C
cidentS will increase because of the
nervousness and over-eagernesS of
the man who was on relief rolls in
attempting to keep his Job.
Many Too Old for Jobs
The Indianapolis Times in check
ing the case-load of one worker and
pitting the average against other
Marion county visitors found that
out of 225 families on the investi-
gators rolls, IS heads of families
were unemployed because of old age,
ill-health. and problems that made
it impossible to absorb them into
private industry.
Out of the 140 family heads that
could be employed the majority
were more than IS.
Accident statistics of the state
show that the age groups of 80 to 40
in the boom days of 1928 and 1929
had the largest number of fatalities
in industrial accidents.
This bears out induStry'S conten-
ton that the age is dangerous one
in the employing of men but on the
other hand the ages between 20 and
80 in the same boom years showed
1000 more injuries sustained in in
dustrial accidents than in the ages
of 80 to 40
Younger Men Take Chances
"A firm wit, numerous minor
accidents may be poorer risk than
one with a major accident" declares
one insurance man in pointing out
that younger workmen are inclined
to take more changes than older
men in industry.
Three thousand more cases were
closed in October than were opened
in the state and it is the hope of
social workers that the majority Of
those cases were absorbed in private
industry. The seasonal temporary
employment in stores during the
Christmas rush is believed TO have
aided in the closing of the cases.
Improvement in the building
trades because of the statewide
modernization campaign also has
helped bear its load Of re-employ-
ment.
Manufacturers Gloomy
Oficials of the National Re-Em-
ployment Service say they know Of
nothing which will bring about a
great absorption of relief workers
into private industry during the
winter months.
A peSSimistic tone is registered by
H. NJ. Cochrane. secretary of the
Indiana Manufacturers Assn, who
says, Industrial employment in
Indiana has been on the down grade
for the last four months due
to industry's lack of confidence
in the definite policies of the Gov
eminent or lack of them"
Mr.. Cochrane urges the Gov
eminent to pour funds into
haraSSed industries in order to i'm
prove the employment situation.
Unemployment can be accom-
plished only through direct Govern
ment aid 70 industry" he contends.
Definite Uptrend Shown
However, a survey by The Times
of a wide field Of industries in In
dianapolis showed a definite up
trend in business conditions since
the November election.
Increased liberalization Of relief
and taking away from tie state Of
the right TO dictate the spending of
relief money is frowned upon by
Wayne Coy, director Of the Gov