Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-25
STRIVING To RESUME
Disparity Between Losses and
Insurance Payments.
BALTIMORE PROBLEMS
TO CARE FOR 5000 IDLE WORKING
PEOPLE.
Many Families Seek Assistance-Busi-
ness Houses Reducing Their Forces
Army Of Unemployed.

BALTIMORE. Md, February 25.-The full
magnitude of the conf1agrarion is jusc be-
ginning to be felt by the business interests
of the city. While all the merchants were
agreed that the loss was tremendous, an
adequate appreciation of the real extent OF
the disaster did not begin to make itself
felt until a general assumptions of business
was undertaken.
Though nearly all the larger business con-
Germs that were burned out are STRIVING to
resume. host of smaller ones, whose life
depended upon the prosperity of the large
concerns, have gone out of business. The
great disparity between the ire loss and
the amount of insurance to be- paid tells a
story of loss that some one will have to
bear.
A vast sum of insurance money is being
brought into the city, but ii is not regard ed
by business men as anywhere near the sum
required to put the commercial community
back into the place occupied before the
fire.
Eight Thousand Idle.
The 5000 male wage-earners who the
fire made idle these business men point
out, must be gotten work Of some kind or
they will be compelled to seek work out
side of the city.
According to Jacob G. Schonfarber, as
sistant labor statistician, between that and
10000 were thrown out of work by the fire.
Estimating that four persons ina family
were dependent upon these, ne thinks that
about $4,000 persons were affected in some
way. About $50 salesmen. clerks, etc,
have filed applications for work with the
labor bureau. For these people Mr..
Schonfarber said, it is very hard to obtain
employment. He added this morning:
''They are not fitted for laboring, and
business houses that are resuming bus-
ness don't need any help. In fact, they
are cutting down their usual forces.
Cutting Down Working Forces.
TN order to obtain near as possible
the exact number of persons made idle by
the fire. we are sending to all business
houses blank form, whicE when filled
out. will reveal how many persons they
employed before the fire. ansl how many
they now use.
From replies far recei, there has
been a general cutting down Gf the forces
by business houses. 1t may be that later
they will increase their force to the size
before the fire. but that will depend wholly
upon business expansion. The names of
persons thrown out of employment by the
fire we are furnishing to the citizens relief
committee for such aid as these persons
may require.
The great trouble with these sufferers is
that they cannot be put at laboring work
They have held Office positions, and the
general contraction of business has cut
down the demand.
Resumption of Building.
"A resumption at once of building opera
tons might benefit these people indirectly.
AT all events, building operations will put
to work thousands now idle and thus reduce
the strain upon the others. Activity in the
building trades will develop other lines of
work and thus procure employment for
Others"
Michael ]. Howe secretary ef the building
section of the Federation of Labor, said he
looks forward to an unprecedented activity
in all trades.
It's going to be great year for all me-
chanics," said he. There will be an abund-
ance of work for all local men and for
great many that will doubtless come from
neghboring cities. AS soon as building op-
erations are begun you will find that there
will be a great scarcity of mechanics. Ev-
erybody will want to build at once While
plenty of work for the trades will reflect it
self in all lines of business, I fear the great
army of clerks, statesmen, etc, will have to
suffer until there is a great expansion in
business. There has been a great contrac-
ton IN all business lines, and this paralysis,
l fear, will continue for some time. Yet the
prospects of great activity in the trades
cannot but have beneficial effect on the
whole community"
300 Families Seek Asst stance.
Since the fire about 300 families have ap-
piled for aid to the Charity Organization
Society.
''The most acute Distress said Secre-
tary Walter s. Ufford, is among the clerks
who worked for small salaries These peo-
pie don't want to accept charity in the
form of dollars and cents. They want
work.
But l cannot see how positions are to-
be secured for them. Contraction of busi-
ness is compelling the BUSINESS houses to
keep down their forces, much less augment
them.
The demand upon the charity organiza-
tion, 1t is feared, will increase In the weeks
to come. host of business houses that
undertook to retain all their employees are
now compelled by a general contraction of
business to reduce their forces. AS an in
stance, the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
has laid off a big army of it's clerks that
were formerly employed in the central
building. Calvert and Baltimore streets.
Quite number of them may be put on
again later when the office Affairs have
been straightent out.