Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1910 — MEN ARE HUNTING WORK [ARTICLE]

MEN ARE HUNTING WORK

Former Employes of Automobile Concerns Now Idle. That the automobile demand is falling off’ to considerable extent is evidenced by the fact that several makes of machines can now be bought for several hundred dollars less than they could a few months ago. The greatly increased output this season by reason of dozens of new factories having been established and the doubling of the capacity of nearly all the old plants, together with the fact that there has been a falling off in the demand, no doubt because of most everybody' w'ho was able to buy having done so, is having its effect, and it will not be surprising if machines that have been selling for SI,OOO to $1,200 Can be bought next season for SSOO to S6OO, or about what they should be sold for.

The Indianapolis News says that within the last five days 250 persons, until recently employed in automobile factories in that city, have applied to the free employment bureau in the office of the state statistician for employment. Most of the applicants were men who had been employed at work which required more or less skill and were listed as skilled laborers.

The bureau, says the News, was not in position to supply work for the applicants except in a few cases. Since the factories have begun to lay off men the men hive been taking up the jobs for laborers offered over the city and , the list of vacancies for laborers in the hands of the bureau clerk has dwindled considerably. One automobile factory is taking on a few men, it is reported by the bureau, but virtually all the others are cutting down their forces. According to the story told by the men seeking work there is hope that some of them will be taken back in September. A year ago the factories w r ere all away behind on orders; now', it is reported, one can go to almost any salesroom and bring a machine away with him and at a big reduction in price of the most

i of them, although an effort is bej ing made by the makers of the i more popular machines to keep up the old prices. The fact is, it [is reported, all the agencies are overstocked, and with the prospects of no better demand ahead, they are endeavoring to unload before winter set’s in.