Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-02
w @ R K L ESS M E N
HOW GERMANY DEALS WITH THE
UNEMPLOYED.
One of the Few Matters Which the
Central Government Leaves to the
Towns and Rural Districts.

The attitude of the most enlightened
minds in Germany toward the problems
raised by tee unemployed is best expressed
in Prof. Shanz's words, Unemployment is
the terrible curse or our working classes,
who thereby incur the danger of material
and moral ruin. Most of us are kept in
straight paths by regular employment and
regular income; we get into by-paths as
soon as this regularity is interrupted and
want knocks at our gates"
The treatment of the unemployed in Ger
many is one of those few social questions
which still remain practically untouched by
the governments of the different states; in
fact, it is usually regarded as matter in
which governments are interested only in
an indirect way. The question il is felt
must be met by the communities, the
gemeinden. in towns and rural districts,
and does not properly come under the i'm
mediate cogniZance of the central govern
ment Besides, il is doubtful whether the
communities are yet sufficiently alive to
the Importance of providing for the unem-
ployed. There Is certainly uniform
course of action. Hamburg, for example,
purSueS an entirely different policy from
Stuttgart, and the rural districts on the
Rhine treat their unemployed on altogether
separate lines from the practice pursued.
say, in East Prussia.
Victims of Circumstances.
AS late as fifteen years ago no German
community thought of any other trea tment
than that prescribed by the poor law Yet
in this short space of time the support and
care of the unemployed on rational lines
enters into the budget of nearly every ur-
ban and rural community of Importance
throughout the empire 1t is now racog-
niZed that the unemployed do not want
charity any more than they want bread
and circuses. They want work, and, as
DR.. HintZe says TO provide this work is the
urgent duty of society. The unemployed
are the victims. for most part, of the eco
nomc development of the country.
1t is difficult to obtain any reliable statis-
tics giving the number of unemployed in
Germany in any given year; but do not
think j am far from the truth when l place
the average number of winter unemployed
at close on one million. In bad years 1t
probably exceeds this number. In good
years it may fall to half million. The
average number of the summer unemployed
ought not to exceed 100000. By far the
greater majority of the winter unemployed
belong to the building trades and their de-
pendent industries. This is a rule in all
countries where the carrying on of these
trades depends on the weather. Unem-
ployed masons, bricklayers, carpenters. etc.,
constitute quite 80 per cent OF the entire
number, and they are out of work for
period ranging from sixty to seventy days.
Diverse Remedial Measures.
methods employed by German communities
In dealing with the unemployed. The rich
and important city of Frankfurt on Main
has elaborated very careful conditions
which ii imposes on all unemployed to
whom it gives work. In the first place, the
candidate for employment must have his
home in Frankfurt. He must be the sup
porter of a family. For six previous months
he must have had constant work within
the community, and must not be in receipt
of any provision from the poor funds.
Darmstadt and Mulhausen make 1t a con-
dition that the unemployed IL they are to
receive work, must not be out of employ
ment by their own fault, and large num-
Der of other towns add strikes as occasions
for excluding those seeking work from COM
munal employment. Several communities
seek to divide the unemployed into several
classes, according to character, antecedents
willingness to work, and so on, graduating
the work to each class and the remunera-
ton we'll Elberfeld takes up position
against the unemployable. 1t makes 1t a
condition that all candidates for work shall
be physically sound, and Charlottenburg
and Karlsruhe add that they shall not be
tramps or Jail birds. In general these sum
up the conditions usually imposed with the
single exception of sex. In hardly any COM
munity Is there provision made for the en-
ployment of out-of- work women
Equally interesting to note is the nature
of the work provided by the communities
Digging Is In general favor In all towns
There are urdiHs 10 uiS, tracts OF idnu 10
level, etc. The making of roads and new
streets employ a large, number. Then We
have stone-breaking, housekeeping, load
ing sand and gravel. repairs Of waterworks,
the laying of public parks and gardens. the
sanitation of unhealthy streets. and where
private enterprise fails the building of
houses for the poor. In rural districts the
works mostly engaged in are the planting
of waste districts with trees. the drainage
of swamp lands, building dams against in
undations, the making of canals, the puri-
flying and deepening of rivers and streams.
A large number OF the more populous CEN
tiers control several factories. Care is taken
that orders are given by municipalities to
these factories, not when work Is most
easily obtained. but when work is scarce
and badly paid.