Evening star., 1952-02-06
ome close to taking up the slack

iceIefaClng numDef-each week are
running out of savings. unemploy-
Iment compensation and other eco
|nomic cushions" which had
separated them from real want.
Aside from this human problem,
there is something else Of irnpor-
ltance involved in the Detroit sit
Iuation. It is preservation of the
Nations capacity to make things.
And rs per cent Of that manufac-
turing capacity-for peace or war
is right in the Detroit area or
mot far away. It is wasting away.
as its all important ingredient,
Imanpower, drifts away seeking
employment.
What About Tomorrow?
But the real seriousness of the
work problem Of Detroit and
other automotive centers is not
today's situation. but what it
might be tomorrow, a few weeks
or months from now.
Present estimates put the num-
ber of unemployed in the Detroit
area at los, 900, or To per cent Of
the total work force. The total of
jobleSs in December was 121, 900,
when many auto workers were laid
OF because of model changes. Of
|flcials said this decline in unem-
|ployment has no significance in
that it reflects the normal fiuctua-
tion Of employment as new model
ears begin to flow from assembly
lines in volume.
The number Of unemployed in
all Of Michigan is placed at TO-
600 Walter p. Reuther, president
of the CIOt United Automobile
Workers, said there are 100000
out Of work, in the whole auto
industry, both In and out Of Mich
|igan. The Detroit and Michigan
figures reflect total unemployment,
but a vast majority are auto
workers.
These figures would not show
the total number Of auto industry
layoffs. Workers of little or no
seniority were laid of in the early
parts of last. year. Some have
found work IA other area indus
tries: many others have left in
search Of a living elsewhere.
46% Production Cut.
In the present quarter-year
(January through March) the in
dustry will sproduce about / mil
lion cars and 250,000 trucks, a
reduction 0f. Is per cent under
first-half 1850 levels.
For the April through June
quarter, the Government has al
lotted the industry enough copper
and aluminium. the two Scarcest
metals, to build only 100000 cars
and 200. 900 trucks. However, the
industry was told it would be per-
mitted to make $4,000 cars in
the quarter year, If it can do so
by stretching inventories and
using substitutes for copper and
aluminium.
c. E. Wilson, president of Cen
Eefal Motors. likens this situation
to the Biblical story of the chill
dren Of Israel, who were ordered
by the Egyptians to make bricks
without straw.
r IT nausd trouble 5000 years
ago" he said. bitterly. land it is
causing trouble now"
II seems certain that additional
quantities Of aluminium will be
given the.auto industry, along with
other civilian industries. as q re-
suit Of reduced aircraft produc-
ton schedules In the next year.
But the auto makers still would
face q bricks without straw" sit
uation on copper.
$4,000 Estimate for March.
Max Horton of the Michigan
Employment Security Commission
says that, if car production is re-
duced to 100000 per quarter. 1t
will raise long-term unemployment
in the Detroit area to about 1885,
900 by March. In addition, fur
ther short-term layoffs may be
expected, adding as many as SO, 1000
to the unemployed totals for pc
riods of one to three weeks.
A total of 100000 persons in
Michigan. $4,000 in the Detroit
area-about double the figures of
a year ago-are now receiving un-
employment compensation. New
claims are coming in at a rate of
about 10000 a week. In Decem-
Der, Michigan paid out $6,266, 900
to the unemployed.
In December and January, more
than 1900 persons exhausted
their 20-week compensation pay
ments, and the rate of Eek
hausts" Is increasing weekly.
Tomorrow: The long road to
relief rolls. s'