The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-09
River and Harbor Improve
ment Would Care for
The Unemployed.
ADMINISTRATION
GREATLY AROUSED
Chief Concern of Govern
nent to Keep Idlers From
Congregating in the Cities
internal Improvement is
the Remedy.
Special to The Journal

Washington, April S.-The armies
of unemployed men in the larger
cities of the country are giving the
administration much conern. me
effect of the recent panic is being
felt Many mills and mines closed
down. and although these are slowly
beginning TO resume operations
there still is a lack of confidence
that is not conducive to complete
resumption OF activities. Aside from
the suffering found among these I'M
employed artisans and laborers,
There is the dangerous political ef-
f~u on various presidential booms.
This feature is causing more than
little anxiety in certain quarters.
John Ellis. of Boston, who came
here as the chosen spokesman of
convention said to have represented
tens of thousands of idle men, has
held conferences with President
Roosevelt. He urges that the govern
ment appropriate s109. 0e0.0 200 for the
Improvement of rivers and harbors,
the work thus provided for to be
given to those who are without en-
ployment.
His plan is said to have met with
some favor at the White House. The
president has more than once, and in
eaphaftc Language expressed his en-
. +siC- SgfIUQthJ Win thC lrOAANs VI Shc
Ma tional Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress. which mould commit the gov
ernmen. to an annual appropriation
for rivers and harbOrs work of not
less than $50 900 200 a year. But to
appropriate s10G. 900 900 and employ
1t in taking care of men inexperienced
in engineering work would be the
height of folly.
WORK FOR THOUSANDS.
To- oafv, r.afy, 81
policy of waterways Improvement,
there is little doubt that hundreds of
thousands of men otherwise unprO-
vided with work could be cared for.
Such government expenditures would
spell the death of the soup kitchen.
1t would also increase the national
prosperity by providing a new sys-
TEN OF transportation and celebrating
the means of communication between
the different sections of the coun-
try.
The chief concern of the govern
meSt is to get the incoming hordes OF
wouId-be citizens away from the
cities. Instances have been brought
TO the attention of the immigration
authorities where male aliens who
came to the United States with the
intention of working on the farms
SfaYe settled down in the cities in
which they landed. put their women
to work as servants and gradually
have slipped into a life of idleness.
AS an example of how far this
mas gone, there recently was landed
On Galveston, according to the rec
ords. seventy-one sturdy foreigners
who had been brought over, express
1y for the purpose of giving them
employment in the cotton fields of
Texas. Not one of them has left
Galveston. They have found work
there, enough TO enable them to exist
with some comfort and they dechne
40 so into the country and take
chances.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.
If the government were prosecuting
steady campaign OF internal i'm
provement, with adequate funds pro-
vided by congress, the problem of
getting the Immigrants away from
the big cities and their DANGEROUS in
fuences would be practically solved.
1t would furnish work for men who
naturally would drift to the farms
and into other occupations in the
smallest towns. where they could live
clean lives and in time become use
ful citizens.
Such a policy would go far toward
solving another problem that is oc-
casioning the government grave con-
Germ. 1t would break up or remove
the conditions that encourage new
corners TO join hands with the anar-
chists and socialists. Neither anar-
rhy nor socialism ever thrived under
the blue sky or developed in the con-
tentment that comes of honest toll