Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-11

trade. out goes the steady man OF 49, LOT
in spite of figures to the contrary given
by some large employers OF labor. the no.
ton holds that the man over 10 is a greater
| liability risk to his employer than the
younger man.
The next spoken to was a man who
looked in poor health. His wife and two
children were being cared for by an aunt
poor enough herself, while he searched for
work. A brass founder by trade. he had
been six years in his last employ when dis
missed.
''They told me they we're sorry to part
with me and some others, but they had to
as orders were slack. l am a trades union
man." he added, "and that's been my
curse.
Its like this. It I try to get some work
at my trade must not a k a job unless
they give me 60 a week. II I worked for
less l should lose all the benefits OF my
club, which / have paid these sixteen
years.
For the first twelve months l was out
the club allowed me four shillings a week;
row 1 get nothing, and | have been out
seventeen months. 1t it wasn't for the
insurance on my life I should have broken
with the union before this and probably
been at work now at my trade, though
on a smaller wage. l know others just in
the same fix"
This mans story is a very common one.
Unable TO get work at his trade union
wage, he must remain idle or lose the
benefit of years of insurance.
Specimen Piece of FlOtsam.
One of the most dilapidated looking
men in the whole crowd. his clothes a
mere anonymous bundle of rags held to-
gether with pins and string and his foot
gear nothing but wrappings of sackcloth'
was certainly a hopeless case. Neither a
drunkard nor unwilling to work, he con-
fessed that, to Judge from what possible
employers had told him, he was nothing
more or less than an encumbrance."
Four years ago he was in possession of
an inherited income of e2,5 800 a year. Find
ing it sufficient. he got into debt, tried
to recoup himself by specializing on the
Stock exchange and now found himself
destitute and helpless.
At midnight an officer Of the Church
army arrive and gave every man a slip
OF paper which was good for a bowl of
soup, with the proviso that he should do
a certain amount of work. A quarter OF an
hours walk brought the whole contigent
to the Church army tents. AS this lot ar
rived about 100 men were departing.
Throughout the twenty-four hours the
tents are filled with shifts of men, each
shift remaining three hours. On enter
ing each man receives a pint and a half
Of thick soup and a thick slice OF bread,
After eating this. they are put to saving
and chopping and tying up the small
bundles OF kindling wood that are uni
versally used in London.
AT the end OF the three hours each man
again receives the same quantity of food
he had on entering. and on going out gets
a ticket emitting him TO a bed for that
night in some lodging house,
In the number of unemployed whose lot
was followed on this particular night were
several Americans. They were men who
had either come over on a single ticket
with little or no money TO go on with on
their arrival or had crossed as cattlemen
and found themselves entirely without re-
sources and unable to get a passage back.
Two Relief rmies.
The Church Army. which is, OF course,
entirely supported by voluntary contribu-
tons. feeds about GOO men I'm this fashion
twice OF three times a day. The work dome
by the men helps to pay expenses, but the
deficit on each man aided amounts to