Evening journal., 1915-01-22

ccuulDuung It's discarded poles. In ],
Oregon a hardware and steel COM /
pany has donated the tools needed \
for land clearing project carried /
on by private contract through 1
citizens unemployment committee
Civic organizations and private
individuals have as yet done most in
the present crisis. They have oper-
ated sewing rooms as emergency
measures for unemployed women,
notably in New York. Philadelphia,
Cincinnati. and Buffalo. They have
begun wood piles for men and have
established work rooms where Red
Cross bandages and supplies are pre-
pared. They have supplied shelter
by getting the use of vacant build
ings, old laundries, auditoriums, etc,
and securing their equipment by
private donations In one place the
temporary use of vacant houses has
been secured for unemployed girls.
In several places bundle days have
been advertised old clothes are coll
lectcd in large quantities; a consid-
cradle number of women are given
work in repairing them, after which
they are given TO the most destitute |
( of the neighborhOOd or the city. Men |
or organizations with money to in |
vest have lent il to the city when /
4 the city's funds would not permit |
public works. In Davenport Ia, |
] private employers formed an En-
plCyment Association and had some |
grading work done, the workers be- |
ing chosen through the city employ !
ment bureau. Loan funds have been
/ proposed by local organizations or
citizens. the funds to be open, after
/ investigation, 10 the skilled unem-
plOyed workmen of the neighborhood.
/ Nickel funds to which every citizen
Is urged to contribute a nickel for
immediate relief. have been begun;
soup houses, coffee stands and bread
lines, have of course been begun in
many places And they are needed
, One of the most notable services rem
dered this winter by private Organi-
cations committees or individuals has
been in correlating the work of all
the official bodies and relief agen-
cies in their community.
Churches are busy. The New
York Federation of Churches has is-
sued definite suggestions as to how
individual churches may find odd
, jobs for the unemployed in their
neighborhoOd, may reach the unem-
ployed through their children in the
public schools, and may in other ways
take some definite action at once. In
\ Memphis, Dallas, Boston. and Lynn
\ the churches are also acting in
body. In Memphis, all churches are
i used as registries. and the church
4 hnu fl l.. -.
\ fer the unemployed.
Il Government acts slowly. Cities
have proposed public works and
A talked of bond issues all fall. but in
a very few, if any. cities are public
a works under way upon a large
4 enough scale to draw off any consid-
4 cradle number of the unemployed
Now York. urged on by the Mayors
\ Committee on Unemployment and the
Citizens Union. is just considering
whether the millions of dollars al
q ready appropriated for public i'm
provements can be made to serve
Z the present crisis or whether bonds
y can be issued for the purpose. Chi
cago has for months been talking
\ about its vast lake front project-but
the public work IL has as yet provided
4 Is on very small scale Boston
y is waiting to make recommendations
II to the Legislature Philadelphia has
& fer months debated. and is still de-
: batting, possible loan of $1,000, 900
Z for work for the unemployed, but
I is most directly concerned with argu-
Z ments as TO how $4,000 apprOpri-
! ated for immediate relief should be
expended. Some Of the smaller
4 cities have done better especially in
4 keeping up repair work or in having
Z small jobs done FO~ instance. one
4 Park Commissioner is giving work
a 10 unemployed women in making mp
4 bathing suits for use in the munich
q pal baths next summer Coroners are
4 saving jurymen's jobs for the unem-
4 ployed. A few cities are giving work
z to be paid for in money or food as
4 the man prefers-and are buying
8 food comparatively so that the cost
4 to the workman may be as low as
II possible. But in general, municipal
81 action for the relief of unemploy-
i mont has been in far too many places
a talked in conferences.
"A few States are trying to gall
n vanize State employment exchanges
n into action, and are establishing new
81 branches. Legislatures in many
81 states have just begun their sessions
a In Massachusetts. California. and Il
q is to be hoped elsewhere, they will
be asked to act pr ,mptly on defnit,
n recommendations to put through lans
II clearing projects, road work etc II
n short, the states are yet to be hearJ
M from.
n 80 also is the Federal govern
ment-so far as the main thing. work
is concerned. II has. to be sure, il
q other ways taken a hand in the pre-
n sent crisis; besides opening its farr
n bureaus in various sections, it j
"a opening employment bureaus for il
II discharged soldiers. And. now i
E New York, it is opening a part Of tn
& Ellis Island buildings to house tn
Il unemployed.
"But hundreds of thousands of I'M
IA employed men need TO be az wor
M on the irrigation. road. and othe
* projects needed by the nation an