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Unemployment in Santa Fe does not fluctuate as rapidly as in the counties to the north. This county is less affected by layoffs at Los Alamos than is Espanola, and Santa Fe has few lumbering layoffs. Its larger manufacturing firms are year-round food processing, printing, and clothing manufacture. Unemployment often doubles at the end of the tourist season, following Labor Day. Colfax-Employment by major industry

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In 1950 over 600 people were employed in coal mining in Colfax County having been reduced from several thousand workers a few years before. The last big mine closed in 1953 and coal-mining employment dropped to less than 100. It was expected that the town of Raton would have a real depression after the mine closings but other industries were less affected than expected. Service employment increased especially during the racing season. Lumbering continues to be the largest segment of manufacturing. Raton now has a small electronics manufacturing firm.

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Taos County is another area where workers may be recruited at any time of the year. The summer tourist business causes jobs to increase in trade and service establishments for several months. Lumbering is also at its peak in the third quarter of each year.

Socorro-Employment by major industry

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Increased activity in manganese and uranium mining in Socorro County has caused covered employment to increase in recent months but there remains an oversupply of wokers in the county and city of Socorro. Trade and service industries in Socorro vary little seasonally as Highway No. 85 is used year round. Socorro County has lost about 500 in population since 1950.

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Mora County has steadily decreased in population since 1950. The 1950 Census showed population of 8,720. The bureau of business research of the University of New Mexico estimated 1955 population at 6,500. Manufacturing employment as reported is all in lumbering.

Mr. STEWART E. MCCLURE,

STATE OF NEW MEXICO,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Santa Fe, February 27, 1956.

Staff Director, Labor Committee, Senate Labor Subcommittee,
Senate Building, Washington, D. C.

DEAR MR. MCCLURE: It has come to my notice that your committee is making a survey of depressed areas. Our correspondent, Helene Monberg, mentions in her column this week your committee. I am sending you a copy of our paper of the 23d, giving a report by director Ralph L. Edgel of the bureau of business research of the University of New Mexico.

You may note that our per capita income for Taos County is $648. This county has no State or Federal institutions or installations to help our economic situation.

A survey team was here last summer with the idea of the possibility of an airbase, but so far no report has come from the Pentagon. Another help for 73437-56-pt. 2——35

this community would be a radar station; I saw in the papers that Texas recently got one. Since we are only 30 miles from Los Alamos it would seem such station is necessary in the area.

We have about 600 men working outside the State, due to a lack of work leaving their families, which average 7 to the family. It is estimated an unemployment figure of 500.

I hope this information will be of assistance to you, I remain,

Yours sincerely,

EDWARD C. CABOT.

P. S. A copy of this letter was sent to Mr. Everette MacIntyre, House Small Business Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D. C.

[For El Crepusculo, Taos County, N. Mex., February 23, 1956]

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TAOS COUNTY INCOME STUDY COMPLETED

Ralph L. Edgel, director of the bureau of business research, University of New Mexico, has pointed out the survey on county income recently completed "is the most comprehensive income study ever attempted here."

Edgel says that most existing Federal and private income studies tend to concentrate on the larger cities, and that it is the duty of the university's burea of business research to get the actual data on each county to show the real needs and opportunities throughout the State.

"One nationally recognized source of income data provides income estimates on the basis of where the dollars are spent. This, of course, emphasizes the areas that have big trade centers," Mr. Edgel says. "Our study reports income at the source, and we feel that this is a better indicator of potential business." The complete study-with breakdowns of income by industrial source in each county-will be published later this year. This month's summary article, written by Vicente T. Ximenes of the bureau's research staff, has these significant highlights:

1. The total of all personal income received annually in New Mexico has increased more than fourfold since 1940.

In 1954,

2. Per capita income in New Mexico has tripled since 1940. Fifteen years ago, it was about $400 for every man, woman, and child in the State. per capita income for the State as a whole reached $1,473.

3. Growth of income has been greatest in areas where Atomic Energy Commission projects and military installations have been established. Per capita income ranges from $2,636 in Los Alamos down to $513 in neighboring Rio Arriba County.

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Senator DOUGLAS. There will be inserted at this point two letters from the Taos (N. Mex.) Chamber of Commerce.

Senator DENNIS CHAVEZ,

Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.

TAOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
Taos, N. Mex., January 31, 1956.

DEAR SENATOR CHAVEZ: We have another situation to call to your attention which we consider to be very urgent. We would like to have Taos County included in the hearings of the Senate Labor Subcommittee, investigating certain so-called depressed areas in northern New Mexico.

As you know, we have a chronic problem of underemployment and unemployment existing in our county, and, as a result, a large number of persons on relief rolls. Many of these are wage earners who are ready to work when work is obtainable. Every year great numbers of head of families and young people are forced to go to other States or other sections of New Mexico to seek seasonal employment to eke out the income from submarginal farms, or to have any income at all.

At the January meeting of the Taos County Economic Development Committee, which is sponsored by the chamber of commerce, Mrs. Mary Martinez, director of the County Department of Public Welfare, stated that there were 1,154 cases who received aid in December 1955, and that 1,530 cases, covering some 4,576 persons, had received surplus commodities during that month. She estimated that 600 of these cases represented families having unemployed wage earners. At this same meeting Jesse Vigil, the county director of the New Mexico Employment Security Commission, advised that the county population had decreased from 17,146 in 1950, to 14,800 in 1954. In 1950 the labor force was 4,211, and in 1955 the registered labor force was 3,635, with the county's weekly wage averaging $41.67. This condition has come about because our people, most of them homeowners, have been forced to leave their homes in order to obtain work to support their families or themselves, and this, we believe, makes us eligible

to ask to be included in the hearings and investigations of Senator Douglas' committee. We are writing him, and also reminding our other congressiona delegates of our communities' needs and shall be most grateful if you can give the matter your immediate consideration.

Please accept our sincere thanks for your courteous attention to our many queries and requests.

Cordially yours,

(Mrs.) RUTH G. FISH, Secretary...

Senator PAUL DOUGLAS,

Chairman, Senate Labor Subcommittee,

TAOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
Taos, N. Mex., January 31, 1956.

Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SENATOR DOUGLAS : We are writing to our congressional delegation to ask them to refer Taos County to your subcommittee for consideration at the bearings regarding the so-called depressed areas in northern New Mexico. Perhaps you may be interested in a brief statement of our situation in advance of their approach.

We have a population listed in the 1950 census at 17,146, with the 1954 count, 14,800. Our Department of Public Welfare gave assistance to 1.154 cases in December of 1955, and, during that month, 1,530 cases, covering 4,576 persons received surplus commodities. The welfare director estimated that these cases represented some 600 families having unemployed wage earners.

The loss of the 2,346 persons as shown by the census count is a very significant figure to our newly organized Taos County Economic Development Committee, as most of these people are homeowners who have been forced to leave in order to find work which will enable them to support their famines or themselves. This fact offers us startling evidence of our community's need for stabilization of employment. At the January meeting of the EDC the cour ty director of the State Employment Security Commission pointed out that in 1950 the registered labor force was 4,211, and in December 1955, the registrations covered 3,635 persons, with the weekly wage averaging $41.67. This matter is of grave concern to us, and we are calling your attention to it in the hope that woy may see fit to include our county in the hearings and investigation of your subcommittee, which, we understand, will be held in the immediate future.

Very sincerely yours,

(Mrs.) RUTH G. FISH, Secretary. Senator DOUGLAS. We are very glad to have with us today a distinguished member of the House of Representatives, Congressman Wayne L. Hays of the 18th Ohio district.

Mr. HAYS. I have a prepared statement. And Mr. Cerf from my office will give you copies.

STATEMENT OF HON. WAYNE L. HAYS, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE 18TH DISTRICT OF OHIO

Mr. HAYS. Mr. Chairman, and Senator Neely, before I make my comments, I first wish to identify Mr. Walton Gillespie on my left. who is the executive secretary of the board of trade of Bellaire, Ohio, who is here and whom you have invited to speak before you today. Mr. Gillespie is extremely familiar with the situation which he is going to discuss before you.

On behalf of myself and the 18th Congressional District of Ohio, please accept our gratitude for your interest in the severe economie problems of our district. We think that Senator Douglas and his distinguished colleagues are performing a vital national service by educating themselves, the Senate, and the American public on the awesome fact that this country is experiencing today some 130 serious depressions in as many areas with this trend ever on an upward swing.

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