Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-25
BIG PARADE OF UNEMPLOYED
American Workman Writes Impression, Of
London Demonstration.
coNTRAsTtp WITH CONDITIONS At HOME
Points Out that ~ Men who Were
workins Were Better on No such
Spectacle would Have
Been Possible.

An American workman who witnessed the
procession Of 1900 Of London's half-strnv-
ing unemployed through the streets OF the
West End sends TO the New York Sun the
following impressions OF this painful
feature OF metropolitan life:
Today I had the somewhat rare oppor-
tunity for an American mechanic Of seeing
the army OF unemployed of London on
their. shall we say, annual parade. Where
lives the man who has not read about these
ever and anon occurring pilgrimsges to the /
West End7
As watch the marcherp my thoughts ny |
back to America and it's toilers and dwell |
on the parades and demonstrations l have |
taken part in myself. My memory reverts |
10 the wars we waged for better conditions |
and the hardships It entailed upon US.
But. and here brighten up, so far we
have not been compelled to march out in |
search OF bread and pity, and In spite OF
all disclaimers. what else does this appeal
amount to? when did go out It was
mostly to show our teeth. Our grievances
seem very small indeed. when look back
and try TO remember what they were.
am not forgetting that distance lends
enchantment to the view and that We
apt TO ignore past sufterings. But in
this moment America looms up in my eyes
as Gods own country and l thank my
stars for knowing II as do. In our worst
days our appearance never suggested the
poverty and hopeless misery OF these fell
lowe.
Features of the Parade.
= The parade itself? Well, there is not a
great deal to say about It, Young men
81 and old men and middle aged men, all
poor looking and starved looking, and
mostly small and decrepit. But for one
do not attach so much Importance to the
question of size some people do. The
strongest. toughest and all round service
able man is little man. Anybody that
knows anything about hard work will SUBJ
scribe to that.
A few blackcoated fellows we're in the
line: they are not called workers here;
why cannot fathom; they are clerks more
or less. And l could not help rejecting
they would form quite army them
selves should they see fit to expose their
plight.
One has only 10 see the miscellaneous
crowds study the newspaper advertise
ments to realize what a big percentage OF
that class are idle from time to time. The
bulk OF the marchers was made up of
that particular aversion of mine. the man
in corduroy or moeskin or whatever it
is, with a dinky cap and trousers tied up
with strings below the knees.
can never that OUTFIT without be-
ing reminded Of all sorts of miserable
things pubs and warehouses; and doles
and what not. why a man should want to
dishgure himself in that way is beyond
my understanding.
The saddest feature of the parade was
the large contingent Of boys and young
fellows in the line Things must be worse
than bad when they out of work. They
are cheap, you know.
4 Disheartening Spectacle.
suppose to the majority of people there
Is nothing more disheartenng than the
sight OF great army OF unemployed like
this one. But. although it may be from
sheer love OF being perverse cannot feel
that way.
Ny sympathies go with the poor devils
that are working. II they were little
better OFF, we would never hear of these
misery exhibitions and subscriptions and
soup kitchens.
The workers would take care OF theii
own poor II they were not so confoundedlS
poor themselves. That is putting it in ar
indigestible form. l suppose, but what
mean is this:
d. The workers of merry England who d.
work in a hopeless, poverty stricken
condition. their existence is so precariou
that the least misstep will put them in tn
same boat as their marching fellows
Judging from observations since coming I
England a short time ago, / consider tn
English workingman's condition worse tina
the continental though nominalIy he Is bel
ter paid.
After looking into the circumstances G
the workers in Germany, Russia and Sws
den l cannot conscentiously record the
status as favorable. according to America
standards, for they cannot save anything
but they secure and they enjoy life.
Whether 1t is the frugality and abili;
to make a little go long way that give
the peoples of these countries their az
vantage l am not prepared to say. Thei
probably is something in that, and IL $
praise is due the women, who woi
ders when It comes to work and manag
ment
But credit is due the employers for col
irving to give their men, il not big wage
practically steady employment. And thu
IS 7rhRt counts IN the long run.
ON- thing faat struck me as very favO
able was that very few were outside
sick and other benefit societies. l dou
the English as rule have much In tn
line to fall back upon.
Causes Pointed 0at.
Oae need not see much of the worke
here TO realize that they furnish the wor
example OF hand to mouth existence. 4
their buying is done through hawkers al
costers When things flourish they b'
the best; at other times the worst will i
| am not advocating a credit system
shops But In the FIRST place, II peoI
trade regularly in one place they becoT
known and are trusted when necessaI
IL Is a good thing to be known In 9th
places than the pawnshops. In the seco
place it is an injustice TO shopkeepsrs a
property owners TO allow this hawking.
The iniquitous system of housing
London deserves a chapter itself In Il
letter | will merely give an idea OF
hardship II entails.
The workman IL either householder
lodger. II he possibly can he will re
house, partly OH speculation and par
for some advantages il brings. Sometiu
me is able TO re-let, sometimes not. Sol
Of his tenants run away without payi
and others stay without paying and &
pay. Very often. indeed. has has TO pay
whole rent. a matter OF from IS to IS al
lings a week out OF his income OF 50
the best OF times. The Continental bio
buildings may not be ideal places to 1
in. but they are preferable to the social
Landau cottage in its present form