With the army captivating men from the labor force and with migration reduced to a dribble, joblessness disappeared and wages rose. And however the cost of living ascended, the wartime economic bang created unparalleled opportunities. Deprived groups, predominantly southern blacks, traveled to factory jobs in northern cities. Wilson made the National War Labor Board, controlled by former President Taft and Frank P. Walsh, a noticeable lawyer, to resolve labor arguments and avoid strikes. Union association rose expressively during the war.