The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-10-17
"SUPPRESSI0 VERI.'
The " Journals" Failure to Describe
Free Trade Poverty.
EDITING A CABLE DESPATCH.
The Head wump Sees the Point and the
Young Man with the Blue Pencil
becomes More Careful-Starvation In
London.

One week ago to-day the NEWS COM
mented on the carelessness of the young
man who edits the excellent cable des-
patches of Frank White TO the New York
sun for use in the PROVIDENCE Journal.
He allowed to be printed couple Of para
graphs telling how the tin plate business
in Wales had been bowled over by the
Mckinley bill, and the News cautioned
him that the dyspeptic hypochondriac
who ofiiciates as head editorial wump for
the journal would be after his scalp, If
he wasn't less careful.
The News was right. The head wump
evidently did notice the slip about tin
plate, aud there must have been row
about it, for yesterdays Journal did not
contain the following despatch which we
quote. with the customary acknowledge
ments, from the sun:
LONDON, Oct. l5.--The great Death has been
devastating the Continent without mercy this
summer, but England must prepare for the
coming OF "a spectre only less terrible. A great
OF his coming are everywhere. Those whose
business ~ IL To aid others in fighting him say
that he has already gained foothoid in Lon
don. They explain tnat not for many years
until now has there been genuine distress in
the metropolis due To great commercial anu
economic causes. Poor ana destitute there
always are In large numbers, but their suffer-
ings for long time nave Deen due 10 individ-
ual and special causes. Thousands Of skilled
workmen in almost all trades are now idle
through no fault OF their own. The evil has
grown gradually. Attention has not been
called To IL by the sudden discharge of great
bodies of men. Working forces have been cut
down gradually, and the process Is still going
on. The docks are half deserted. The tex
tile, clothing and printing trades are dull al
most beyond precedent A larger proportion
OF men are idle in the snipbuilding, engineer
ing, and related trades than for many years.
The situation has been growing worse for iif-
teen months but IN September things took a
much sharper downward turn.
The Labor Bureau of the Board of Trade
makes gloomy report OF the situation. The
charitable agencies have for some time been
sounding the alarm. or the twenty-five chief
trades unions in London only two, in answer
TO inquiries, report trade as good. Nine con-
slider IL moderate. and eleven having the
greatest membership report II bad. That the
munger point has already been reached Is in-
dicated by such incidents as this:
took cab with luggage on top the other
day from Holborn TO Bayswater. Two men
followed the vehicle on foot almost the whole
distance, three miles, in hope of earning a few
pence by unloading the baggage. They ran
at brisk trot alongside, ana reached the
destination so much exhausted that they were
unable at first TO carry the trunks into the
house. Their weakness was so extreme and
the pallor OF their faces so unnatural after vio-
lent exercise that 4 questioned them. Both
said they had families and that they had not
tasted food that day. l believe they told the
truth. The incident of following n cab was
not singular. The army of unemployed is so
large that no cab bearing baggage drives
through the streets of Lonaon without being
followed by some poor fellow seeking "a lew
coins for food or perhaps drink.
IL Is apparent alreaIy that existing relief
machinery will not be adequate for the emer-
gency of tue coming winter.
The coroners have investigated several cases
of actual death by starvation in the last
month. Distress is sure To be acute and wide
spread and there will be many pitiful tales 10
make Christmas holiday more of sorrow
than that of gladness. The cause OF it all is
commercial rather than financial depression.
There is considerable Improvement visible in
financial affairs. Capital is becoming more
confident and venturesome, and the strictly
financial market is distinctly in better condi-
tion than a Jew months ago; out the CONNER
cial outlook Is not encouraging. There is rea-
son to fear that things will continue TO 20
from bad 10 worse Furthermore, the crop now
being harvested is, on the whole, the poorest
for half a century.
As cable tolls are s5 cents n word or SO.
the Journals young man must have blue
penciled out over 800 worth of good mat
ter to avoid hurting the feelings OF the
head editorial wumD's British friends,
and exposing the disastrous results of
free trade.