SOUTH CAROLINA. In South Carolina most industrial plants are operating full time, while the present building program in the larger cities will take care of most of the unemployed skilled workmen. Employment for the remainder of the winter is fairly good, there being at the present time a slight surplus of unskilled labor, which, it is expected, will decrease after the first of the year. SOUTH DAKOTA. Conditions in South Dakota are about as usual for this time of the year. A surplus of all kinds of labor, though not very large at the present time. The ice harvest will afford about six weeks' relief to the common-labor surplus. which has been materially added to due to the necessary suspending of building operations. TENNESSEE. Present conditions in this State are only fair. Industries have slackened up somewhat owing to the holiday season, which has precipitated more unemployment. People are generally optimistic and the outlook for the winter is good, with every prospect for plenty of work after the 1st of January. TEXAS. The outlook for the winter months in Texas from the point of view of employment is regarded as good. It is estimated that there are approximately 500 men still out at Denison, Tex., due to the railroad controversy, which as yet has not been settled, while general labor conditions for the State are improved. A notable feature is a strong "back to the farm" movement, which is the case throughout this State. Little unemployment exists. VIRGINIA. Employment situation in Virginia shows a decline in the building trades and large unemployment in the coal mines, which is due to lack of cars. Factory employment is normal, but not strong enough to absorb other unemployment, which indicates a surplus of workers during the winter. WASHINGTON. In this State weather and customary seasonal closing affects farming, lumber, logging, building, highway, and power projects, resulting in about 6,000 being the maximum unemployed. The outlook for the winter is considered good when it is known that there is every prospect for rapid absorption of those unemployed beginning in March. There is no need for extraordinary measures to relieve possible distress. A year ago there was considerable hardship among the 20,000 unemployed from September to March. WEST VIRGINIA. Reports from West Virginia on the employment situation are not encouraging. Considerable unemployment exists, though not to an alarming degree. Coal mines in the State are only working about three days a week, and are filled up with men, a number of mines being congested. The outlook for the winter with these facts known, however, is considered fair. WISCONSIN. Conditions existing in Wisconsin from the point of view of employment are considered good when compared with this period a year ago. Highway construction, paper mills, stone quarries, and brick mills are curtailing their forces somewhat. The outlook for the winter months is not so bad, there being only a slight surplus of common labor, while in the other lines of endeavor the supply equals the demand. WYOMING, Coal mining and the oil fields principal employers at this time of the year. The outlook for the winter months is very poor, in view of the fact that mines are only working half time and the seasonal suspension of development work covering a large area of oil fields is now on. REPORT OF FARM LABOR BUREAU HEADQUARTERS, KANSAS CITY, MO. A hurried survey of the immediate activities of the Farm Labor Bureau disclosed a robust condition existing at this time of the year for this kind of labor. Placement from November 15 to December 15 exceeded the same period of last year by 20 per cent. This is considered exceptionally good, as these two months, with December and January, are the lighest of the year in farm labor placements, as this season precludes much agricultural activity. Another feature to be borne in mind is the fact that the applicants at this time of the year are most undesirable, having no farm training or experience, being mere drifters seeking stop-over jobs. There is still a small demand for corn huskers in certain sections of the West, but the call is gradually abating as the gathering in of the crop nears completion. Farm placements for the next 60 days will naturally be light. The Farm Labor Bureau during this time will engage in tabulating the year's activities, bringing the various records to date, checking up on acreages sown to small grains, and estimating probable production of other seasonal crops, corresponding with commercial and farm organizations as well as individuals relative to next season's activities and the contemplated labor needs, as well as investigating labor conditions in the various parts of the territory which this bureau covers. STATEMENT OF MR. JAMES E. FARBER, SECRETARY OF THE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION OF FLINT, MICH. The CHAIRMAN. Have you ever appeared before this committee? The CHAIRMAN. You were formerly in the Immigration Service? The CHAIRMAN. Where were you stationed? Mr. FARBER. Port Huron, Mich. The CHAIRMAN. Have you a statement which you desire to make? Mr. FARBER. I have letters I would like to introduce and a few telegrams in connection with the labor situation in the State of Michigan. I am a member of the National Industrial Council and National Conference of State Manufacturers' Associations. I first want to call your attention to a telegram received from the commissioner of labor of the State of Michigan, which reads as follows: "Shortage of common labor in lumber and metal mining acute. Almost im possible to secure men for the lumber industry. Other trades in fair condition." The CHAIRMAN. What is the pay of common labor in the lumber industry in Michigan? Mr. FARBER. From 40 to 50 cents. The CHAIRMAN. An hour? Mr. FARBER. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And how many hours a day? Mr. FARBER. Nine hours a day. The CHAIRMAN. You have not yet come to an eight-hour day? Mr. FARBER. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Do you think that has anything to do with the shortage of labor? Mr. FARBER. No, it has not. There is not any labor available in the State of Michigan. The CHAIRMAN. Would it make any difference in the lumber industry if the hours are nine hours in Michigan and eight hours in Oregon and Washington? Mr. FARBER. I do not believe it would, because a man is always looking for overtime. I suppose everybody is familiar with the fact that the automobile industry has greatly increased its production, and that industry has been drawing labor from the mining industry and the farming industry. The CHAIRMAN. They have an eight-hour day and pay larger wages? The CHAIRMAN. Has your association given any thought to what the automobile industry is going to do in its output in the next year? Mr. FARBER. We understand the prospects are excellent for the coming year; in fact, the Chevrolet people are working toward a production of 2,000 cars a day during the coming year and the Buick Motor Co. is aiming for 1,000 cars a day. The CHAIRMAN. At that rate it will not take very long before all people who can possibly buy an automobile will be supplied with one. Mr. FARBER. They are selling them and people are waiting for deliveries. The CHAIRMAN. Are not the banks complaining and fearing that we will have hard times in a year or so owing to the large amount of credit tied up in the purchase of automobiles? Mr. FARBER. I am not familiar with that. The CHAIRMAN. You have not made a study of that phase of it? Mr. FARBER. I have not. The CHAIRMAN. I think that would be a good thing for the association to enter into. Mr. FARBER. The General Motors Co. is financing its own dealers and also its customers. Mr. RAKER. Is not the used-car business almost equal to the manufacturers' business now? Mr. FARBER. No; not quite. I have a great many letters from different concerns, as well as telegrams, which I would like to insert in the record. (Said letters and telegrams follow:) Mr. W. W. POOLE, MUSKEGON, MICH., December 29, 1922. Muskegon Employers' Association, Muskegon, Mich. DEAR SIR: In regard to the conditions in our plant of common labor: While we are experiencing no particular difficulty at present in getting common labor. we anticipate a very acute shortage of common labor in the spring when the labor we now have working for us, that ordinarily work on the near-by farms in the summer and on construction work, leave to go back to their regular occupations. It is my firm belief that industry as a whole is going to be very badly crippled for the lack of common labor unless the Dillingham restricted act is amended so as to allow a larger number of aliens come into the country. As industry depends almost wholly on immigration to supply the demand for common labor and gets its semiskilled mechanics by advancing the common labor, and from American-born labor, practically the only source of common labor is through immigration. I hope that some amendment to this act may be made whereby aliens may be selected at the port of embarkation. DEAR SIR: In reply to your recent inquiry regarding labor conditions, will say that of course you know we are largely employers of female labor and up to the present time have had a fairly sufficient supply. However, we recognize thoroughly well that with the coming of spring and the increased demand for male labor that many of the industries are going to repeat the experiences of the war and replace men labor with female labor. As you know, we are manufacturers of staple goods. By this I mean ladies' and children's cheap-priced underwear, the larger percentage of which is consumed by the laboring public. We can not help but feel that the coming spring is going to produce a decided shortage in labor for us on account of the above-mentioned reasons. A large percentage of the females who leave us and are attracted by foundry and machine-shop work return in time, as they find the work is too strenuous and the majority of them are unable to stand it. However, the higher prices that the automobile industries are able to pay creates a very large turnover in our plant, which of course is expensive and raises the cost of production. While I am thoroughly in sympathy with an immigration law, I believe that the one on the statute books at the present time has not a sufficient amount of elasticity. I feel that American industry is capable of consuming a much larger number of immigrants, and I think it is absolutely necessary, if Ameri can industry is to grow and compete with foreign industries, that it is essential that a larger supply of labor be furnished. I do not believe this is particularly a matter of wage, but it is a matter of production; and as we all know large production means small cost as to general expense and overhead, even on a fair wage basis, it is necessary for our local industries to have the necessary labor to run at maximum production. I would appreciate very much your bringing in front of the proper authorities our opinion in this matter, as we feel that it is very vital in the success of our business. DEAR MR. POOLE: I am writing this letter to you with the idea of bringing to your attention the seriousness of the labor situation in this city and with the hope that you will have it presented before the coming hearing at Washington on the question of immigration. Since we started to pick up from the slump of 1921 we have been very seriously and continuously handicapped on account of the shortage of labor. We have done everything which we feel we can do in order to secure this labor and have had men on the road continuously covering the small towns in farming communities to secure it. We have also found it necessary to advertise very extensively. What labor we have been able to recoup comes almost entirely from two sources-first, the farming community, and, second, other manufacturing plants. I think you will agree that neither of these sources should be drawn upon to furnish our labor supply. In spite of the fact that we have made strenuous efforts to secure labor, we were unable to secure a sufficient supply. Since the peak of last summer we have laid off practically no men at this plant. We now face the increasing spring automobile business with practically no supply of labor to draw on and with the expectation that our labor force will be decreased rather than increased on account of the fact that some of our men will be enticed away to other jobs, and a certain proportion of the farmers which we have brought in will, no doubt, return again to the farm. We appreciate the necessity of having certain restrictions on immigration, and this letter is not written with the idea of eliminating these resrictions but rather that they be modified in such a way as to permit our industries to replenish their present depleted labor ranks. Yours very truly, CONTINENTAL MOTORS CORPORATION, CAMPBELL, WYANT & CANNON FOUNDRY CO., Mr. W. W. POOLE, Secretary Muskegon Employers' Association, Muskegon, Mich. DEAR MR. POOLE: Referring to our conversation upon the subject of possible labor shortage early next year: We are planning on a very heavy schedule, commencing about February 1, and we are much concerned about being able to secure the necessary labor. As you know, we will place our new foundry in operation about this time, which will practically double our capacity, and this, together with the present shortage, will mean that we will want close to 1,000 men should our production reach the point we anticipate. During 1922 we had great difficulty in getting foundry labor of the right kind. We imported into Muskegon during the year approximately 1,000 men, but were only able to use and hold a very small percentage of this total. This condition is ascribed almost entirely to the scarcity of able-bodied men suitable for common foundry labor. 29018-23-SER 5-c-11 As discussed with you, we are strongly of the opinion that our present immigration law is generally defective in principle and application. We are not getting enough desirable immigrants, nor are they of the right type. As you know, we sent a representative to New York to make a personal investigation of this matter and to ascertain if it were possible for us to secure some foreign labor upon arrival at New York. His report was very illuminating as to the poor quality of labor coming in and that the percentage allowed each country was being taken up greatly by the admission of women and children; what male labor was arriving was of the poorest quality. It appears that the one solution is to carefully select the immigrants at the point of embarkation and provide for sufficient number of able-bodied men as will be required by our industrial growth. The figures I have before me show that there have been more able-bodied men going out of the country by far than there have been arriving, and this certainly spells disaster for our large industrial establishments. Yours very truly, W. W. POOLE, F. E. MCKEE, Vice President. MUSKEGON, MICH., December 30, 1922. Secretary Muskegon Employers' Association, Muskegon, Mich. DEAR SIR: Further in relation to our conversation of this morning: It is our belief, particularly in view of the steadily decreasing supply of common labor available to our various industries, that some decided change in the Dillingham restricted immigrtion law should be made at an early date. If present conditions continue, we foresee an unprecedented shortage of common labor, with resultant increases in costs, which will affect all of our people. It is our belief that a revision of the law, increasing the annual percentage of entries, with restrictions and examinations at the port of embarkation. would vastly improve the situation, and that this should be brought about at the earliest moment possible. Very truly yours, THE PISTON RING CO., Secretary-Treasurer. MUSKEGON, MICH., December 30, 1922. GENTLEMEN: As the writer did not talk with your representative yesterday regarding the so-called Dillingham immigration bill, we are not in position, perhaps, to touch upon the points desired. However, in a general way, will state that if the object of the employers association is for a modification of the existing immigration laws, we are heartily in accord with such changes as will provide for a larger number than the existing 3 per cent quota, but selective restrictions should be imposed on a more liberal number to insure so far as possible against an influx of undesirables. It is well known in the iron and steel trade that the foundry is not attractive to the American boy, and recruits must be obtained from the immigrants of southern and central Europe who for generations have been schooled in the laborious work necessary for the production of iron and steel. If this letter will be of any assistance to you, we shall be pleased to lend our aid so far as possible. DEAR SIR: In reply to your inquiry regarding the common-labor situation, we have the following to say: 66 The term common labor as applied to foundries means a somewhat dif ferent type than is generally understood by that term, for the reason that only a limited percentage of common labor can and will work in a foundry. For quite a number of years the foundries have been obliged to recruit their common |