its peak around 1920, as I believe the textile employment in New Hampshire did.

Following a 9-month strike in 1922, the decline of the Amoskeag Co. began and it closed its gates in December of 1935.

Just prior to World War II, textile employment was down somewhere near the level it is now. It rose about 50 percent, up to 1947, but as of today, textile employment in all New Hampshire is slightly less than it was in the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. alone in 1922, when it then employed about half of all those who were working in the State as a whole in the textiles.

Senator PASTORE. Are you going to give us an overall figure of the decline?

Mr. DARLING. Yes, I was shortly, sir. New Hampshire can be grateful though, for the textile employment losses have been substantially replaced by electronic products industry. This was not, however, a very happy type of transition, for while new industry is welcomed, the transition was difficult for many workers, particularly with regard to older trained workers in the textile industry as you well know. And it is possible these again I think will show in the figures that can be provided to you at least that the employment in newer industries has been perhaps less helpful to the wage earner, so called, perhaps more to women than the original textile industry. Senator, I have avoided figures, and I am not to give them now, but I will say that the employment trends in New Hampshire are to be given to you by another witness, Mr. Charles Griffin, the director of the department of employment security. But I would have you understand that the textile industry is still our second most important industry in the State and in an industrial State employs upward of 16 percent of our people.

Thus, we appreciate the dedicated efforts of this committee and Senator Cotton's leadership in attacking the problems of the textile industry. We hope that its efforts will result in constructive contribution to revitalize the textile industry in New Hampshire and in the rest of this country for, of course, food, shelter, and clothing are the three staples needed by human beings and it would seem we could build our industry to supply the clothing part of it in this country.

Thank you, Senator.

Senator PASTORE. Our next witness is Mr. Charles Griffin, director of the Department of Employment Security for the State of New Hampshire.

STATEMENT OF CHARLES GRIFFIN, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY FOR THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Mr. GRIFFIN. Honorable Senator and members of the committee. I am Charles Griffin, director of the Department of Employment Security for the State of New Hampshire. I welcome this opportunity to present to a committee of the United States Senate searching the ills of the textile industry, figures relating to the effect such causes have on employment in this State.

It is not my intention to go into the reasons for the decline in employment over the years, as New Hampshire has experienced it, nor is it my intention to suggest remedies for curing any situation

which seems to demand your attention. My sole object is to review with you the impact which the changes the industry has gone through, have had upon our job economy.

The textile industry in New Hampshire has been a proud segment of our social and economic growth. It is safe to say that we cherish the traditions that the great Amoskeag enterprise has left us. And we in New England, especially, make an all-out effort to retain all that those traditions stand for, initiative, know-how, development, growth, prominence. The textile industry, for us, has been the number one occupation in our State for generations and remained so up to the early 1930's when Amoskeag was liquidated. Since then substantial and noticeable changes have taken place. Textiles now make up our second largest industry and, if we are to judge from the trend, can even fall lower than this.

I have herewith for your consideration a chart which graphically presents the trend industry wise by months for the years 1947-58 along with statistical tabulations based on data which our section on research and analysis has compiled.

Senator PASTORE. Each of them will be made part of the record. (The matter referred to is as follows:)

1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958