AGRICULTURAL RELIEF 
647 
Mr. AsweLL. The only man who has mentioned politi 
this table is my friend, Ketcham. politics around 
Mr. Fort. Nobody has mentioned it, but you talked about it. 
Mr. KercHAM. Let me put in one question. 
Mr. KincHELOE. If it is pinching you too hard, go ahead; yes. It 
vill, perhaps, give you relief. ’ 
Mr. Warrace. Mr. Ketcham, let me sav that I am going to stick 
to the economic question; I am not in politics. 
Mr. Kercaanm. I am not going to ask political questions. You 
made a statement that at the present time vou thought that 40 per 
rent of the potential labor power was idle? 
Mr. Warvace. I think it is. 
Mr. Kercaam. Will you please tell us when conditions are normal 
what is the percentage of potential power that is employed? 
Mr. Warrace. I will sav 80 per cent; it does not run over 80 per 
cent. 
Mr. KETcHAM. 
Mr. WarvLace., 
Mr. Kercuam. Will you please tell the committee also in that 
connection how the seasonal situations develop from one year to the 
other, having in mind this particular season, and possibly the idea 
that this is a four-year presidential period. 
Mr. AsweLL. Leave out about the presidential year. 
Mr. Warrace. I would say that it makes but very little difference. 
Some men are employed in the winter for instance in the mining 
industry. The mining industry is supposed to be fully employed 
in winter because people need fire. You know the condition of the 
miners; I do not have to explain that to vou; 250,000 miners are out 
of employment. We would not care a thing for that, if there were 
250,000 other places open to them. But as a matter of fact what is 
true of the miners is true to-day of the building trades. It is true 
of the textile trades; it is true of the metal trades. They are the 
basic industries. It is likewise true of the automobile industry, a 
new industry; it is true of the radio industry, a brand-new industry. 
Mr. Kercuam. To what extent do you think improvements in 
machinery and increased efficiency and the like of that makes con- 
tribution to the increased unemployment? 
Mr. WaLrack. I ascribe it practically all to that, with this addi- 
tion, that the miners’ wages have not been raised commensurate 
with their added per capita productiveness. 
Mr. Kercuam. Their index is 228 now. 
Mr. WaLLace. In productiveness? 
Mr. KErcHaM. No; 228 in their wage level. oo 
Mr. WaLtace. Oh, we have not found it so. I will tell you, it 1s 
like comparing a flour’ with pepper. They say there 1s twice as 
much flour because there is only four times as much pepper, hence 
it 1s three times as much. It is too much pepper, vou know. 
Mr. Krrcnam. Compare those in contrast with agriculture, for 
instance; for instance labor is 228 and agriculture 127. 
Mr. WarLace. That is too much of a difference, I will admit that. 
Mr. Kincueroe. If Mr. Ketcham is through now, I will proceed 
2 little further. I am not talking about politics, either. You are 
talkine about economics. are vou not?