New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-04
URGES CITY TO GIVE
WORK TO WORTHLESS
Set Them Making Things
They Need Themselves,
Saws MeSerOle.

"The solution Of the unemployment
problem lies i'm the employment OF the
UNEMPLOYED" declared Darwin j. Mese-
role. chairman Of the Brooklyn Unem-
plovment Committee. last night before
the East Side Forum. at Public School
60. Hester and Essex SITS. lie added
that the city and the state should do
it. and said that the ultimate remedy,
in his opinion, lay in socialism.
"Here in New York this winter ne
said, 1--WE must put the thousands oil
unemployed to work providing things
they themselves need Supporting them
by charity and in idleness IS useless.
What we need is 10 give them a chance
TO support themselves.
81 have q great deal OF faith in the
MAYORS committee, of which Judge FL
bert II. Gary is chairman, TO do Just
that. Do not be afraid OF changes IN
the existing order of things. Every
step in the worlds progress was made
that way. We want TO inaugurate city
and state employment as the next step
in change Of existing conditions.
The speaker said he estimated the
number Of unemployed in the city at
100000 practically one-hfth OF the
population. What the nations out-ot-
work statistics were he was unable to
ascertain. he stated, because the De
partment of Labor had not compiled an
estimate.
an response to letter ] wrote ask
ing for such figures" Mr.. Meserole
said. came a reply saying that such
study was under consideration, but that
limited appropriation Of money made
il impossible. Three days later Con-
gress passed bill for three new bat
tleships to cost S15, 100000, which, IN
the light Of recent events, may be sent
TO the bottom in ten minutes by a sim
gle submarine"
Asked if he thought anything would
result from the investigation of the
MAYORS committee unless great public
pressure was brought to bear, Mr..
Meserole said ne hoped and believed
there would, but public pressure might
be of some good. He also urged the
unemployed TO organize, not for the
purpose of violent demonstration, but
for their own sake and the sake OF
other unemployed persons IN other
cities.
Mrs. j. p. Warbasse, a member Of
the Brooklyn Unemployment Commit
tee. said there were two methods OF
dealing with the problem. the Western
and Eastrn ways. In the East, she
declared. they engaged a number of
statistcians and gathered much data
and let it go at that, while the western
method was TO take care OF men out OF
work and find them employment. She
advocated an infusion of Western ways
into the work in the East
Questions from the audience were
hurled at the :qeakers at the close of
the meeting. An Endorsement of the eff
forts of in Mayors committee was
passed after lengthy discussion. One
dissenting voice in the gallery opposed
il. because Judge Gary was one of the
reasons for unemployment"
Sunday night another conference on
unemployment will be held, at which
the speakers will be Professor Henry
r. Seager. Of Columbia University;
John b. Andrews, secretary Of the
American Association on Unomploy-
ment, and Howard Brldstreet. of Mayor
Mitche's unemployment committee.
A tour Of the city, under the guild
ance Of Bowcry habitues who are down
and out because they cannot find work,
will be made this week by Mayor
Mitchels Committee on Unemployment.
In the lower East Side there are more
than 10000 men anxious 20 become
self-supporting, il is said, but who are
. uHADlt " Ntl4 Aiitll iduOis NOiulAlOUN
among them will be pointed out to the
Mayors committee. Judge Ebert H..
Gary is chairman.
Announcement OF the proposed ac-
sich was made yesterday. following a
conference which took place on Satur-
day between Henry Bruere. City
Chamberlain and secretary Of the un-
employment organization; Howard
Bradstreet. another member; Father
W. j. Rafter. of the Holy Name Mis-
sion. at 319 Bowery. and JEFF" Davis,
/ known as "thc King of the Hobos." IL
was held on the Bowery
Church Plea for Jobless.
Tn day on which Judge Gary and his
! fellow committeeman Will tour the East
Side has not been announced.
A statement was issued by the inter
church unemployment committee OF
the New York Federation of Churches