Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-21
FATHER PENN SMILES
A HAPPY SMILE THIS
CHRISTMAS SEASON
Work Is Plentiful, Bread Line
Disappears and Few, Except
Beggars, Are With
out Jobs
ONLY 10000 NEED HELP
Individual Cases of Misery Are Re-
lieved by Generosity of Thankful
Workers

Father Penn, with his pockets lined
with suficlent money to take him COM
fortably through the holiday season,
views the arrival of Christmas with
more cheer and optimism than was the
case last year.
For there are thousands now working
in the City Of Brotherly Love who were
jobless with the coming Of the holidays
last year: thousands to whom Santa
Claus came in the guise of the proverbial
wolf, and who had a hard enough time
either to buy or get Christmas dinner
for the family, let alone toys for the
liddies.
But 1t is different this year. Factories
that were working only during the
regular hours last year are working over
time, and those plants that were on part
time are resuming their regular stand
ard, and few skilled workmen are seek
ing jobs and the number Of unskilled or
semi-sklled jobless has been reduced to
three-fourths.
That means that 10000 Cperhaps more
or perhaps have as many, the estimates
vary will need to be cared for next Sat
urday by Philadelphans who are able and
more than willing TO help the unfortunate:
But the significance of just how well on
this city Is this Christmas is shown by
the fact that the Inasmuch Mission has
abolished its bread line for the reason, as
the superintendent, George Long, puts 1t,
There isn't any use for one" Not only
that but the mission is receiving more
calls for labor than 1t can FILL The 300 or
more men who are living there all have
good Jobs.
BREAD LINE Is GONE.
One year ago the great number of Job
less caused Mrs. George w. Childs Drexel
to establish bread line Mt the Inasmuch
Mission. by which hundreds were daily
given something to eat (some admittedly
lived by means OF this); one year ago the
Emergency Aid Committee, realizing the
condition, met II squarely and spent $500
600 improving things; one year ago Frank
lin Square. pulse of the stream of unem-
ployed, was dotted at night with horde
OF men doing on the benches with news
papers to protect them from the cold.
The Emergency Aid Committee is fair
iy busy, only through broadening the
scope of its activities. while Franklin
Square, except for the theatrical people
coming and going, looks as deserted as
the Phillies baseball park in the middle
of January
True there are still beggars. But this
condition, officials of the charity organi-
cations explain, is always with us. The
mendicants are included in the Jobless;
some of them are skilled in trades and
COulu get u JOu bIlu EeuuCS NHc
of unemployed II they would let booze"
alone. For 1t has been said that IL all
the 10000 jobess men were skilled work.
men the majority of them would be
working hard and drawing good money
in their pay envelopes.
SOME PITIABLE CASES
Those cases of the persons without Jobs
are just as bad as they were last year
individually. but collectively they fall
short of last years misery, in that there
are fewer people out of work. In Ken
sington some charity organizations report
the same number Of applications for free
Christmas dinners as there was last year,
but the average throughout town is less,
much less. Charles s. Calwell, president
of the Corn Exchange National Bank.
places the Kensington condition partially
to the lack of dyestuffs. which are neces-
sary to keep the mills humming.
The appeal of the jobless l per cent.
here Is being answered by the other 80
per cent, and has been for the last few
weeks. So, after the plum pudding has
been eaten, Father Penn may lean back
and smoke a cigar with the satisfaction
that comes only from having done a kind
act, and having done 1t thoroughly.