The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-01-30
ON THE
CAPITALS CUFF
BY HENRY ION

AS striking as the puzzle OF the
early 1905, when people were starv
ing In the midst of plenty, is the
present puzzle of idle men in the
midst of demand for production.
There is no doubt that the demand
for the production, some time in the
future, will provide jobs for many oil
the thousands now walking the
streets. But men walking the streets
can't buy groceries on speculation
The outlook Of the moment is for a
worsening Of the situation.
Detroit is the hardest hit, accord
ing to all accounts. Auto manufac.
turers, who turned a deaf ear on the
warnings and suggestions of labor for
over year, are now at a dead end
and thousands of their workers are
waiting for them to turn around and
get into war production.
Profits Of the auto industry's best
year keep the auto moguls and their
stockholders well-fed during the shut
down but auto workers wages, de-
spite tremendous gains made by the
union, were not big enough to permit
savings to tide them over for six
months period.
The city of Detroit, according to re-
ports, needs bus drivers, machinists,
accountants, engineering aids and
other workers, but it is willing only
to pay wages lower than the scales
established by the United Auto Work
ers (CIO) in the auto plants. Men
with many years seniority are not
going to jeopardize that seniority for
the sake of breaking down wage
scales.
That these men want to work and
want to contribute their best to the
production Of war goods is evidenced
by the fact that the training program
in Detroit is crowded. About $1,000
workers are now being trained In the
public schools of that city for skilled
or semi-skilled jobs.
New York city is another place
that has been hard hit because in
dustrial moguls were anxious to
squeeze the last ounce of profits from
their existing businesses before un-
dergoing the changes necessary to
work at capacity on war production.
In New York, according to esti-
mates, the number of unemployed has
risen to 100000, gain of more than
1919 since the 1871 low at the end
Of September. The number regis
tered with the employment service
in that city has grown from 100000
at the end of September to 312,425
at the end Of the year.
The most striking increase has been
among statesmen, auto statesmen in
particular. Many of the statesmen, 1t
IS reported, were earning from $1,000
o $4,000 year and a few of them
nave gotten jobs In defense industries
Is inspectors. Most of them, how
ever, are still looking.
Even in such cities as Cleveland,
where the factories are diversified
md the curtailment of civilian goods
production was less drastic, unem-
)loyment is slowly rising. The fac
DRY employment index there was
-34.3 in November, an all-time high
which compared with 1929 figure Of
IL. For December the figure had |
dumped to 1903, the first stable de-
rease in % months.
Reports from Illinois say about 49,
100 to 10000 workers have been |
brown out Of work due to material
hortages while the Buick airplane |
'ant at Melrose Park, ILL.,, estimates 1t |
will require 10000 more workers with
n the next six months.
These reports, from business I
ources, probably underestimate the |
ituation. They give an indication,
owever, Of what is happening.
Plans are being made for an appro-
riation of s300,OO0,00 to tide the dis
laced workers over the period of UNI
Employment. The s300,000,000 will |
ONE from the treasury of the u. S.
ather than from the $1,856, 100000
rofits made by 500 companies in the
rst nine months of 1941. These
rofits represent a 449o increase over
ne same period in 1910.
There is little solace in being able
} say 81 told you SO" but, at least,
ibor should by now be recognized
8 having the foresight that many
managers of industry and officials of
he government lack.