Evening star., 1937-09-26

Iln DOdTQS OF factories, III
employment agencies. in the advertis-
ing columns of the press.
Emerging out of the welter of strikes,
ou. of the clash between the American
Federation of Labor and the C. I. O.,
out of the surge of advancing wages,
one item in the labor situation stands
out clearly-there is a Nationwide
shortage of skilled labor. The supply
is greatly inadequate in a score of basic
industries. Employers bid against
each other for the services Of skilled
workmen. for the outstanding gradu-
ates of technical high schools. The
output of vocational schools is readily
absorbed. Estimates of current and
future operating costs rise upward.
With all its vast resources of wealth,
science and research, the United States
is learning once again the Importance
of the man behind the machine, the
punch press, the lathe, the forge and
the hearth.
A countrywide survey by the Ma
tional Industrial Conference Board
reports that toolmakers, machmists
and machine tool operators are in
greatest demand. The director Of the
Continuation and Evening Schools,
New York City, recently stated that
a shortage existed in the aviation,
mechanical, food and needle trades,
and printing. The Apprentice Tram
ing Council of New York State, IN a
report to the Board Of Regents, an
nounced a dearth of skilled workers
in the machinist, toolmaker. die sinker
and foundry trades. Experienced
power machine operators for garment
and shoe manufacturing, electrical and
oxyacetylene welders, electricians,
manufacturing tailors, sheet metal
workers for aeroplane manufacturing
and the installation of air-condition-
ing apparatus were singled out for
special mention.
Building Trades Affected.
In the building trades the majority
of the highly skilled were listed as
over SO years OF age. Even "if the full
complement OF apprentices permitted
under employer-union contracts were
filed" the report stated, "it would be
five or six years before new groups of
desirable journeymen mechanics would
be available. and it is doubtful if these
new groups would be sufficiently
large"
1t has been reliably estimated that
more than 600,0U0 apprentices are now
being trained in Europe as contrasted
with only $4,000 in the United States.
At that rate even the industrial su-
premacy of the Nation might be
threatened unless vastly increased
numbers of skilled craftsmen are
trained rapidly to meet our industrial
needs.
How has this dilemma occurred? Is
the depression solely responsible for
present conditions? What are edu-
cational authorities doing about the
situation? How is American manage
ment attempting to solve the problem?
The depression was only one of the
causes of the present labor shortage.
1t is true that the 1929 collapse forced
not only small but large corporations
to curtail severely or discontinue en-
tirely their apprentice and other train
ing activities. Jobs for craftsmen be-
came scarce. Graduates of technical
high schools and other similar organi-
cations were thrown into unemploy-
ment, many later to go on relief rolls,
with the w. P. A., or into the c. C. C.
The reduction of training facilities,
whether within companies or other
wise, naturally caused severe declines
in the infusion of new blood in the