Imperial Valley press., 1936-12-02
News Behind the News
Assurances May be Joker c. of {
Pledges Business Support to JObtess.
But Many Skepticat :.

Observation-Disclosures from the U. S.
Chamber of Commerce and other business groups
that industry can be depended upon to absorb
the unemployed a great comfort to those IN
the administration who believe they can depend
on such assurances ., .r1.t
There would be more believers if it were not
for the fact that the unemployment problem
had been a big one ever since 1929 and that
industrial policy meanwhile has been such as
to discourage Unemployment in proportion TO the
increase in industrial production.
New evidences as to the effect OF growth and
improvement of machines on employment Is
contained in a confidential report covering a
survey of chronological Unemployment develop
ments, which Roosevelt took away to study dur
ing his ocean trip. The Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics and WPA co-operated in the survey
Thanks to greater efficiency through ma
chimes and higher standards imposed by in
dustry the American factory worker can now
produce 80 per cent more than in 1920 and III
per cent more than in 1929. ~;
The figure covering the post-l929 period Is
new and shows that the relentless process OF dis
placing workers by machines continued right on
through the depression. 3'as-
Restoration of employment to the 1929 level
would require production of 10 per cent more
goods than were produced in that year whereas
industrial production is now about 10 per cent
below 1929.
Incidentally it is officially estimated that
there were about 100000 unemployed in the
best part of 1929.
But chronological unemployment is only one
of the explanations why there are still between
100000 and 100000 unemployed, CThe; U.
S Chambers special committee says there are
only 4O00,O00 available for employment, but that
seems low. WPA officials say it merely approx
imates the minimum estimate of unemployed
who aren't on WPA or home relief rollso
A very large factor is the birth rate, for
which captains of industry can hardly be blamed.
1t is stated authoritatively that since 1929 about
half million more young people have entered
the labor market each year than have been
retired by old age or death.
Young eager, and often willing to work for
low wages these workers have been dis
placing older and women. So you find
Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins complaining that
many corporations placing the top hiring
ages of 40 and as years while an increasingly
large proportion of persons between 45 and 90
is found on the relief rolls.
This factor-rnore than 100000 new workers
in seven years-means that production would
have TO be increased 20 per cent above 1929, or
nearly 35 per cent the present figure, to re-
duce unemployment to 1929 proportions.
Meanwhile, the working population keeps on
increasing and chronological unemployment also
continues
On top of that industry has been increasing
the number of hours worked per week by the
average employe. The A. F. of L. says the
average work week increased from SO hours in
1885 to 40 hours in 1896. ~ i..-.
Numerous business experts believe the
tional average working week. is A hours or
more, when all unorganized Industries are in
cluded.