Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-22
MAN OUT OF WORK
GIVES HIS VIEWS ON
CAUSE OF IDLENESS
Says Rich Man
ufacturers Here Employ
Labor in Other Places to
Save Expenses.

John f. Tobln, blacksmith, is out OF
work. He is president Of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Blacksmlths and
Helpers. Today he had no hesitation in
stating Just why he Is out of work. He
said:
"The rich people of Philadelphia are
directly responsible not only for the fact
that there are 1GOO blacksmiths out of
employment in Philadelphia. but as we'll
that they are so mserably off. If the
bluebloods whose wives and daughters
head these relief committees and get
their names in the newspapers dozen
times n day and shine in society and the
churches as being devoted to charity
talk about us workngmen being consld-
cred by them as their fellow-humam
beings, would run their mills and fac
tories part time, say four days week,
making nonperishable goods. they could
and would relieve the situation.
Men with millions won't do that,
though. They won't turn n wheel, but
keep the plants closed down and let the
thousands starve and conspire toward the
continuance of the depression.
Il know the situation in this city, and
l know that there are some hundreds of
mills that could be operated prohtably on
part time. DO that and the bread lines
will dwindle away like smoke. Keep up
present conditions and the bread lines
will get longer and longer.
1.-THE worst offense against the welfare
Of their own city aad its wage-earners
is the custom of some of the makers of
machinery, practically all of them, TO
have many of the parts of their machines
manufactured at small towns up the
State where the hours of work are from
II to 13 hours a day and the wages Sl.75
n day. Figure 1t out: $l0.5O a week for
Is hours work, S41 for a month of four
weeks. and 1916 year.
Metal workers In this city cannot COM
pete with that sort of labor. But there
are several mills in Philadelphia that
make just the castings and parts that
these country mills turn out. But are
they running these days? They are all
closed down, because the rich owners of
the big mills that use the parts and as
semble their machines will not pay a
penny or two more, buy homemade ma
terias and help the high-class laboring
man of Philadelphia keep the wolf from
the door.
II say that the people who selfshly and
deliberately contribute toward this fam
inc of work and food ought to be shown
up and condemned for the benefit of the
nation"
Tobin made this statement in answer
to the query why so many metal workers
are out of work He believes the situa-
tion hopeless for good many months.
Angus Mcleod, a Scotsman, who has
been working in shipyards hereabouts
but is driving one of the begging wagons
at the Galilee Mission. in answering the
same question, said:
81 worked at the shipyards at Spar
rows Point until the job was finished.
The boss was satisfied with me and was
a good friend of mine. Just before the
job was finished he told me that better
look for a new job because there wouldn't
be any more work for he didn't know how
long / tried the Cramp yards and the
New York Company, but was told they
were laying off their best men and didn't
expect to take on any more maybe until
after the war.
when l wasn't earning anything /
couldn't send any money to my wife and
two children in Aberdeen, so l came here
where I can get bit to eat and do some
thing to pay for it,