The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-01-10

Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau.)
Inquiries made in a number. of our
larger cities as regards emergency winter
distress and the measures that are being
taken to meet 1t show an increase oil ap-
plications to charitable societies varying
from 30 to 100 per cent over the same
period last year, though last winter was
not normal one. In one city inquired
OF, however. there was an increase of
of the country. The largest Washington
Industry, legislation, is not seriously af-
fected by hard times. Washington re-
ports novel cause of unemployment
which many social workers would like
to see aggravated. Employees have lost
Providing Real Work
their work in nearly 100 saloons, closed
by the operation of a new license law.
1t is an encouraging advance over any
other period of Industrial hardship that.
in most cities which have made appro-
priations with the emergency in view. ac-
ton has taken the form of providing
real work at real wages Philadelphia is
the only large city that has voted money
for emergency relief only. City money
to the amount of $4,000 is to be disbursed
there by the emergency aid committees
CtIIliHltltc VI WOHicti vi 6diiACu VI i6iioiiy
for war relief work. Philadelphians have
made no successful attempt as yet to in
crease the number of men employed upon
needed public improvements. The leading
secular charities of the city have urged
the extension of public work and have
re fused to act as distributors Of the city s
substitute relief fund.
Chicago's public policy presents con-
trast That city is not only holding pub
lie works employees on for three or four
months longer than usual, but Is doing
extra park development work, extra
street widening, and extra school con-
neutrality-suspicious., that is, which were to
have been built next spring have been
begun now. Chicago social workers and
certain of her public officials are also
using their influence to persuade larger
employers of labor to begin projected
work sooner than had been 1ntenneo
The new Union station, for instance, was
to have been started in March, but a
special committee is urging an earlier
start.
In New York city, Mayor Mitchell has
appointed a committee which rs now pro-
ceeding along the lines of plan care
fully drawn by City Chamberlain Bruere
This covers both emergency relier-With
continuance of work already contracted
for on public Improvements as part of
the programme-and long range study Of
LHetH0uS whereby suHeIHpiOy itleut may W
prevented in the future.
Pushing Public improvements
In quite group of cities the social
workers have made special study OF
the public moneys already appropriated
for public work but unused. Pittsburg
Is now spending. In this way, 100000 In
public work that might not, otherwise
have been underway. A delegation rep
resenting the leading family rehabilita-
re po1f
the mayor an extra appropriation for
street cleaning, and $4,000 has been voted
for this purpose.
Recommendations such as these have
usually been accompanied by the sug-
gestion that the work be given to
residents and heads of families and
that the choice of workers be In strict
accord with the principles of business
efficiency.
In Minneapolis mayors committee
secured increased city work and new
work at sewer buildings. In addition
the park board turned over to the As
ISOLATED Charities, for the employment
of men whose families were in dis
tress, the task of clearing a strip of
lowland soon to be flooded by the
building of dam in the Mississippi.
There were no commercial bids for the
clearing; 1t Will improve the city's APP
pearance and sanitation. and the work
itself is interesting--a thing which can
not be said of most task work.
Next to furnishing additional public
employment under good work condi-
tions the most important service, prob
ably, that city or state can render
at time like this Is to apply science
and brains to the disorganized business
of finding employment But In most
cities the development Of public en-
p1oyment bureaus Is coming too slowly
to affect this winters situation. the
emergency has given this form OF serv-
ice a new stimulus however.
Homeless Wanderers
Nothing demoralizes a local unem-
ployment and relief situation In any
city more completely than the crowd
| ing in of homeless wanderers for WHOM
no special provision has been planned.
The municipality can do much to steady
this situation by. providing separate
care and work test for the homeless.
| st. Louis reports reopened municipal
lodging house: Bunalo q special con-
ference with officials to close the po-
| lice stations to dodgers and to increase
the right kind OF accommodation pre-
vided for them by the county lodging
| house. where there are baths and thu
| individualized service that can be rem
dered by social workers. Chicago has
given recognition to the need of such
service by adding quite large staff
| lodging house equipment.
All Of the foregoing-public work,
employment exchanges, decent and dis
ciplinary care Of the homeless-are ex-
smples OF the things the government
can do at time like this. Examples
| of public action. of a sort considered
unwise by relief experts, are few in the
cities reporting Pittsburg's mayor ar
ranged a bundle day and encouraged
the collection of 10 carloads Of cloth
ing for the poor; and Philadelphia's
emphasis upon the nonconstructive
side OF q grave situation has already
been mentioned.
But what Of private effort Z Conspic-
uous, AZ good sign Of the times. II
the circular letter Of the Minneapo1fi
Civic and Commerce association aelklnl
all employers, large and small. to d.
two things: ~ To consider carefully
whether 1t 10 not possible to keep. a..
cry employe at work throughedk thu
winter, and urging this a. = Civic re
sponsihility. "a To decreRse work. 4
decreased output II anX!absoluto ne
Il cessity, by diminishing me number o
houru work per day ther than -