South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-08


to-? They are held In the vice grip Of |
the bag Of poverty or Imprisoned in |
the castle Of the Giant Despair
NO, the problem OF the unemploy- |
ed is "a many sided problem. IL Isl a
social problem and upon its proper
solution hangs the future veal or woe |
OF society. It-fs an economic problem |
and our free institutions must stand !
or fall as we do or do not solve IL
correctly. tt is a religious problem
and the church OF the living God
must be in the vanguard OF those who
are trying TO bring to it her best
thought and effort.
I'm the study Of the question OF the
unemployed. the subject falls into
three very natural divisions:
THE unemployed; 2-The cause
OF their unemployment The sOlu-
ton for the problem.
Problem Always Present.
1.-THE problem Of the unem-
ployed. The class and the problem
Of the unemployed presents one of
the most serious phases of all mod
ern social life. And while the present
winter has been perhaps the most
serious crisis the unemployed problem
has ever presented, yet IL can hardly
I be considered exceptional. Look back
through the perspective of 20 years
and you viii see a gradual increase OF
the great army of men out of work
+ There are many phases of the problem
that render it a menace.
1.-THE size of the army.
"In January. 1915, Chicago had
10000 emplOyable men out of work.
1 Cleveland had $4,000 and New York
. i'm December, 1914, had $4,000. 1t is
I a conservative statement to affirm that
perhaps there were 100000 men
/ continuously out of work in the win
/ ter just past, who were willing and
anxious to work, while the best sta
/ tisticians declare that even in 1900
/ there were no less than six and half
/ million men out Of employment from
two to l. months of the year. Their
/ willingness TO work when there was
no work TO do is seen in the statement
/ of Walter Lind Sears. who achieved
4 great success in the management of
( the bureau Of the unemployed IL
! Massachusetts. He was engaged by
( New York city TO direct is bureau of
employment. He opene@ he doors in
New York Nov. IS, las. he first day
there were $500 ap-ica is and only
270 found positions. Nj. Sears de-
| clared that he never saw finer spec1-
mems Of men-they were not home
less down and cutters" out of over
10000 persons sheltered at the New
York municipal lodging house in Feb
I ruary of 1914, there were men from
practically every calling and trade,
carpenters. farmers, sailors, painters.
| pOrters, clerks, etc, etc. One must
see that when there are million con-
/ tinuOusly out of employment and six
and a half million out of employment
from two TO 2 months in a single
year. that problems of the gravest ma
! ture must arise. Problems which de-
mand the most intelligent and serious
consideration of which we are capable.
Men Want Work.
First there are humane consider
atoms touching the home. Men who
are skilled. intelligent and industrious
| desire to be active. The preservation
of their own home and self respect
demands that they shall have employ
| ment steady and at a just wage. Again
they have those dependent upon them
| wives and children who must have
food and clothing commensurate with
what necessity demands and social
J self-respect requires. With what hui
initiation and sorrow must a man who
has tramped all day vainly seeking
work return To his cottage at night
and TO all inquiries of his wife and
children answer mo work today!"
Secondly, there is the great ques-
ton of economic waste All must ad-
NIT that our civilization will grow and
/ human society be strengthened in
proportion as the greatest number Of
]
values. We speak of the great waste
Of the European war. Have we ever
considered the enormous waste of the
vast army of the unemployed? II the
figures are correct that in one year,
six and one-half million men were un-
employed for from two to II months,
the loss at $40 per week would be
more than one billion dollars in wages
alone. And If We estimate mans crea-
tive power at two and one-half times
his wage, two and one-half billion is
lost in wealth produced. But his en-
forced idleness not only means a loss
to his own physical, mental and moral
life. il means an increase of crime
through enforced idleness; it means
enormous expenditures for enforced
charities. To have a great unem-
ployed class means a burning Of the
l candle Of our national wealth at both
ends.
Peril TO Institutions
Finally. wrapt up in the problem
OF the unemployed is n great peril
10 our institutions as they are now
| ordered. Nothing will insure the
overthrow Of our political life as now
organized as the ever increasing class
I of our unemployed You will have a
/ difficult time 10 convince men of the
Justice of our present social and pO-
litical system. that shuts the gates Of
/ employ ent to lnoSe VINO are Wiling
TO work. No soil. is so prolific to the
growth of socialism and the overthrow
FOf private property than years Of in
dustrial depression. In reality there
7 can be no objection to the motto OF
socialism, From each according TO his
ability; to each according To his
need, although we may disagree &c
how ii is to be realized. Surely there
can be no elemental justice that denies
10 man q full use of his abilities and
that withholds from him and his own
life's necessities, Of good clothing anC
shelter The growth of the socialist
vote from 1000 in 1855 to S9S, 600 il
1912 is significant, but far more
r.rf1io,re than socialism is that al