Evening star., 1949-04-17


fore layofsS OF permanent workers
the work week must be shortened
TO IS hours 50, or. IN few cases
20 as little rs "a hours.
Action or the other front Sill
be 10 press for Government inter
yenuon. Broadened social sscar-
ity legislation. Aberalised aaern~
ployment compensation. and es-
panded public works are but n
few OF the steps contemplated an-
der this heading
LaooT leaders do not expect the
unemployment trend 10 become
serious this year bat some Are
concerned about the spots In the
industrial fabric where ntsemploS~
ment is already quite sci iiolss, and
view them as ssmptomat}e oi =
condition which. ieIt uneheS kta
could reach major proportions
A curious thlng about The pres"
ent picture is that more people
have jobs than ever before al this
time OF the year So es5 600 IN
March, the most recent month ior
which figures are available Al
the same time, more people are
unemployed now than IN any year
since le4c-3.ie7 600 in March,
Labor Force Growing
Net additions 10 the labor force
on the basis OF prewar experience,
we're expected TO be about 500 ,0oo
a year. That is. the number OF
new persons seeking work Was eA-
pected To exceed the number with
drawing from the labor force be
cause of age. disability or death
by that figure,
But actually. the labor force
grew last year by i.loo 600, This
unexpected increment. the Fed
eral Reserve Board notes in its
current bulletin. consists largely
of women under 20 and over IS
Women in these groups have en-
tered the labor force at a rate
which more than offsets the less
than normal additions OF women
within the 2o-to-35-sear age
group,
Whether the more than eA-
pected net additions ito the labor
force, reflect the ready availa-
bility OF job opportunities and the
pressure OF higher living costs on
family budgets or some more per-
manent change In the labor mar
ket Is q matter Of debate. the
bulletin adds.
Murray Blames Imitation
As Phil Murray. president OF the
CIO. said recently after a White
House visit:
1T Is perfectly clear that pres
ent levels OF unemployment re-
suited from the imitation we tried
to avoid by the maintenance OF
controls In ls46. At that time We
pointed TO the fact that increasing
prices and soaring profits would
create the kind OF distortions In
our economy whereby industry
would price itself out OF the mar
ket, demand would fall of. pro-
duetion would drop and unem-
ployment would result"
John L. Lewis. $50. .oo0-a-ycat
president OF the United Mine
Workers. told them In their con-
vention last October there were
signs OF a diminishing market fof
coal, and added:
so, next year. in l949. or al any
other time. when evil days come
upon this industry. you will find
the United Mine Workers OF
America moving in. and II there
are only three days work in this
industry. we viii all have the
three days work. ~ we are
going TO starve In this industry at
any time. we Will just all starvs
together
The miners. getting ready nov
for negotiations for a new con-
tract TO replace one expiring June
30, have been warned 70 tighten
their belts against the prospect
they may be called out on strike
The union is expected To ask.
among other things. that the work
week be reduced from 20 hours TO
IS. with no reduction In take
home pay. Trustees of the miners
welfare fund have just reduced
the retirement age from 81 10 so
tn another effort TO reduce the
labor force.
Shorter Week for AFL
William Green, president Of the
American Federation Of Labor
said recently that the AL would
seek shorter hours Of work and
higher hourly rates of pay II un-
employment became widespread
II there should be Q depression. he
added. labor would seek the 30
hour week. as IL did In the depres-
sion Of the i93os. but at the mo-
ment. he said AL economists are
not particularly worried about the
Unemployment picture.
They were . little disturbed, "
Mr.. Green said. about the rise In
Unemployment. but we're inclined
to look on II as temporary. For
the next year or two. he thought.
our program for aiding Europe
and continued high domestic de-
mand would sustain production
and employment.
Among the important factors In
which the present situation off,
fers from tiiAt which led to the
Of the 1905 are the
growth of organized LABOR and the
development Of whole ner phi
nsopi1y of Government responsi-
bilify for the maintenance Of en-
piOyment opportunities and the
support Of purchasing po~er
through the various social sectiriiy
programs.
There are more than Eve times
n many labor union members sauw
- ttssrs xr~rH IN fa3fB--0b0sts lE-E