Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-18
ARMY OF JOBLESS
CRYING FOR BREAD
IN CITY STREETS
Number of Unemployed Es-
timated at I60,000-Mis-
sions and Police Stations
Filled.

mot day passes" said President Ul-
rich, of the Central Labor Union, today,
but that organized labor in this city is
called upon to consider the needs OF
scores Of families of worthy, sober and
hard working members of our 12s sepa-
rate organizations. Never in the history
OF Philadelphia have conditions among
wage-earners been so bad as they are
now
Never before. to my knowledge, have
30 many employment stamps been
Issued at the headquarters OF the many
unions as are being issued now. These
stamps exempt members in good stand
ing, who are without employment ond
unable to meet their monthly dues. from
Ing, who are without employment and
have a surplus above the actual needs Of
their families.
"a conservative estimate made by the
heads of the many unions places the
total number of wage-earners without
Jobs in this city at 100000. This is a
much smaller total than the number OF
men who are actually dependent upon
charity for the necessities of life. There
are many who will not work, aid they
are the bane of the decent down-and-out
man. who will be only too glad to work
IL he can get work"
The Inasmuch Mission. which has the
greatest capacity in the city and there
fore Is doing the greatest work, housed
500 men last night on the floor of the
basement and accommodated 212 other
men in rooms or in the general dormi-
tory. Superintendent Long last night
turned away more than 300 rnen who had
not the price of n room but were worthy.
MISSIONS CROWDED.
The Salvation Army, with its six halls,
two hotels and employment agency, ac-
commodities about 800 men a night and
charges only as little as possible. Galilee
Mission has capacity of % men and
there is never n vacant bed or space on
the floor after o'clock at night. The
Whosoever Mission, of Germantown, is
swamped every night and there seems
according to Superintendent Mcintyre, no
end to the demands. The Volunteers OF
America have about three times as many
applications every night than they can
accommodate.
Mission workers say that three-fourths
Of the men who come to the missions are
family men who are fortunate enough to
have found some placeSof refuge for their
wives and little folk and ask only an op-
portunity to make an honest penny hero
and there to keep themselves alive and
help their dependents along.
A significant feature of the present con-
dition Is the character of the men who
form the great majority of the mission
patrons The frowsy, solled and unkempt
man. who in ordinary times makes
up the majority of the patrons, is now
outnumbered by the clean and Industrious
looking man, who first asks for work, and,
when he gets It, performs 1t efficiently
and gracefully.
MANY STRANDED sEAMEN.
At the seamen's missions stranded men
of all nations spend the long days at the
expense of the seamen's organizations.
There are reported to be In this port 100
foreign sailors. discharged from interned
vessels in this and other ports. Many Of
these have been brought to this country
by false tales OF chances of employment
in the larger cities.
A group OF business men. who have
studied tho conditions for q month or
more, estimate that there are in this city
and its envrons q quarter OF million
men out of work. Many of these men are
on half or one-third time. It is estimated
that two men on half-time equal one man
with no work at all. Alba B. Johnson,
president of the Baldwin Locomotive
Works, speaking before the Finance Com
mIttee of Councils, said that his company
is now paying out 60 per cent. less in
wages than 1t did In 1918. because OF lack
of work