MACHINES & LABOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1930, Page 3

MACHINES & LABOUR

GREAT MODERN PROBLEM

A striking report on the subject of ‘‘Modem Machinery and Old Age” lias ueen made to the industrial commissioner of New York btate by the superintendent of the employment bureau ai Rochester.

"Modern machinery anu age limits are,” it is stated, ‘‘barring men, and women—particularly men—from employment so rapidly, that we cannot xeep pace with uiem. something nnufi he done, or ; we are headou lor an even greater technical. efficiency at an unprecedented, numan cost.”

. One of the greatest problems which the bureau had to face was “the man or woiiK.n past oO yeais of age, out 01, a joo, wiio is mentally and physicially J *t. • Even with an intensive and persistent appeal for these people we .ire able to place only a small percentge of them. Of 3/0 applicants, 50 ypars old and pidjsr, we placed only i4O in jobs, and this only alter special efforts—often taxing the aged person to the job, accompanied by a representative or this office, where the man labelled unfft at 50 is given perinaneirt .or,, teyip.orary employment—/..ore oifen temporary;,then permanent —out ,<jl copsiqeration for, the einploymentjbureau rather.than on- the merits: oi uie applicant. ... ,

“Ajtodern ;piachine.ry is : an active cause, of this condition, for machinery and. labour .sayijng inventions ■ have ei-: human: hands; in .many- vocations for,;all time.;;,On. a ilocal--con-tract recently, ope steam shovel replaced; 300 hands li'Hi another: case jin electric unloading machine displaced 30, mqiij: live doing the. work -Of 30.: An automatic barrel,-tumbling machine replaced 140, 10 doing the work. No employer would admit that he would discharge a good employee; but they did admit that, owing to economic considerations, such as reorganisation, merger and particularly higher group) insurance premiuin schedules for this class—whether factory or office force—when they hire new men, other things being equal* they pick young men. This -is / true : of. pattern-making, machine (Shops, foundries,: and 'in Tact/ a maijoficy of .the basic /industries'. The limit ifoi’-skilled! woT-kers lis *SO years' and for- : utlski!fed .45 i.years: -With 'group' iiisur-: aiic-e .and private' pcrisioii : sykthms; the’ ' implication iOf skill and''speed all ftiilitate; against, the ‘older, 'worker,' particularly when he is seeking a'-jobyThe most ’• 1 mournful cases 'are-- ‘ those who 'havdigiveii) the best-years of their- lives to one concern, wandering iff -to look for work at-any.'wage/ ■'lf-discrimina-tidni .continues >at its present pac-e, soon : it will be i the jvoung. and strong who are*, at work, leaving those over 45, in accelerating numbers, to walk the streets.”