Evening star., 1960-12-25
JOBLESs
Continued From First Page

4oOo OH TIC CaO!S, EdlQ MT.
Smith.
The baskets will cost the
union $1,000. There were 200
more requests for baskets than
could be paid for from the fund.
In the basement Of q school
q few blocks away. Milton r.
Meats, supervisor Of the sur
plus food program, was handing
out dried beans, flour, dried
milk, dried eggs. corn meal,
rice and lard.
Mr.. Meats has given out 227
tons Of surplus food furnished
by the Department of Agricul-
ture this year.
A woman who said she had
q heart operation six months
ago came in to pick up her
dole packages. Her hands were
cracked open from the cold.
Her husband is a railroad
brakeman but has been out of
work for Is months. They owe
$500 for the operation and have
three children 5 to 8 years old.
NJ. Meats said $500 WASH
iHgton County residents are
getting Government food pack
ages this month. That's $500
more than in December q year
ago.
At the union office, a fur
loughed aircraft worker told the
union leader that he is living
OF the money he had been set
ting aside for 10 years for his
13-year-old sons college edu-
cation.
And at the Department of
Employment Security, Director
Matthew ]. White looked over
four long lines Of people watt
ing for their unemployment
checks.
This is q sad thing" said
Mr.. White. 1--WE seen men break
down when their unemployment
Insurance runs out. We can't
ind jobs for them. The Jobs
aren't here. From 1850 to SO
we had an average 480 workers
unemployed here; now we have
5.500-that's II per cent Of the
labor force"
There were 3,348 drawing
unemployment insurance last
week, 800 more than at the
same time last year. Forty per
cent Of them are former air
craft workers. Approximately
47 per cent are over IS years
old. Mr.. White said.
- Mr.. Youngblood. who has
exhausted his unemployment
benefits, is in the over As
bracket.
1--WE been everywhere" he
said. "They don't want people
my age. I'm healthy! I can
work hard, but there's not even
Jobs for the young people"
Mr.. Youngblood Is one Of
about 5000 workers who have
been laid of at Fairchild since
1855. He worked there for more
than eight years before he was
furloughed in March, 1859.
In the shipping department,
where he was classified as a
crater-packer, Mr.. Youngblood
drew about $50 a week take
home pay. He estimates he has
earned less than $1,000 at odd
jobs since he was laid Oh. He
said he couldn't make it" If he
didn't get some help from rela-
tiveS.
While her husband was paint
ing the fire engine, Mrs. Young
blood was fixing dried beans
and salt pork for supper for
themselves and a 16-year-old
grandson they are rearing.
The boy, q high school junior,
plans to join the Air Force
when he graduates. Some 1000
high school students graduate
annually in Washington County,
Of whom about Is per cent go
to college and the remainder
60 into the labor market.
Mr.. White estimated that
1900 Washington County work.
ers are committing to jobs in
other areas, some Of them driv-
ing hundreds Of miles during
the week or coming home on
week ends.
What's the answer to Wash
ington County's economic prob
lens? For the moment, Gov
ernment contracts for Fairchild
is the almost unanimous an
swer.
Washington County has Q
diversity Of small factories, and
most Of them are doing all
tight. But Fairchild was the big
employer and it's UP against it
Fairchild has been a victim
Of the switch to jets. Pro-
peller-driven craft, even the
much-heralded F-27 prophet
which Fairchild was stalking itl
hopes on, are not in demand
The aircraft firm employed
more than 10000 workers sew.
eral years ago. That's a biz
chunk of the labor force in &
county Of about 10000.
Employment at the plant de.
clined to about 1900 by the
beginning Of 1858, but the can
collation. Of a Goose missile
contract that year by the Fed
eral Government was a major
blow. Employment now is dowr
to nearly 1000.
The plant now has a research
contract on an Army missile
1t is hopeful Of getting a con
tract to put the missile intc
production.
Sherman Fairchild, founde,
of the corporation, came II
Hagerstown few weeks agC
In a management shakeup. Hi
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