The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-08
MANY OUT OF WORK.
THE LABOR CONDITIONS ARE
MOST DISTRESSING.
Thousands Of Wage Farmers Are
Thrown Out Of Employment iy
Distressed Industrial Conditions.

Thrown Out Of Employment 10y
Distressed Industrial Conditions.
A Washington Dispatch says the
most serious problem now confront.
ing the country is the unprecedented
number of idle work people in every
city Of any considerable size through
out the land. In New York alone,
according to the latest statistics,
nearly 100000 are without employ
ment and with no visible NEAL of
support except what comes through a
precarious sort of charity.
OF this number owe 100000 are
reported as. belonging IL the various
labor organizations the rest being
nonunion work people. The condi-
ton of the laboring class Is almost
if not quite, as bad in Chicago
Not a city, in fact, either in the
Northern or Central Western states
is exempt from this anomalous state
Of things. Even In the extreme
Northwest there Is a surplus Of IN
employed labor.
Efforts have been made to relieve
the city of New York Of its congested
idle working people, but SO far all
efforts have proven futile. Recently
the editor of the Christian Herald
sent letters to the governors of over
twenty states inquiring If 1t would
be possible to replace unskilled with
skilled labor, and saying that he
could supply two thousand skilled
laborers at a moments notice. With
out a single exception, the governors
replied to his letters to the effect
that their states have more idle work
ing people Of their own than they
could provide with employment.
The situation Is frightful, and con-
sidering the enormous crops made
last year and the vast wealth OF the
country, 1t Is strangely anomalous.
Added to this general impression In
the business world, by which a mil
lion and a half of work people have
been thrown out Of employment, Is
the fact that the cost Of living has
not decreased to any appreciate ex-
tent. Such a condition of things
would seem to be prophetic of a reign
Of terror.
No work and hunger that cannot
be appeased by honest toll make peo-
pie desperate. They are ripe for re-
volution Of for anything that will
keep the wolf Of starvation from their
doors. And yet nothing Is being
done to relieve the situation. The
thouble Is, what can be done? All
that we can say is that it's a pity the
innocent b ave to suffer for the wrong
doing Of the guilty.
Business heretofore conducted I'M
properly, If not dishonesty, IN lts
return to honest channels of output
and trade has left these unemployed
stranded and with nothing to staVe
off starvation. They are the suffer-
ers, n OF those who by devious and
dishonest methods were responsible
for the panic that has wrought such
widespread ruin. .
The South being an agricultural
country, is fortunately exempt IT. a
large measu from this dreadful con-
dition of labor glut, although IN the
larger cities we have more unemploy-
ed D eople that they care to see. IL Is
possible that the farmers or the
South, who at this time OF the year
need help, could relieve to some ex-
tent the congestion In other sections
Of the country. But the greatest dlr-
aculty in the way would be the fact
that the great majority of the unem-
ployed are artisans of one calling or
another and know probably nothing
about farm work.