Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-26
nIRE(TOR CHOKES OFF
yyTC REPORTS MADE IN
BI,ANKENBURG REGIME
r;ilits, Resume on Unemployed
nd Patterson's Review of
Electric Company With
held From the Public
,.TEsMAN GIVES REASON

..,,or Datesman, of the Department
p,s,ro works. today declared he had
" f,utant,on of making public certain
Nt' lns.sensIve reports, compiled under the
.'m .,ar Of Mayor Blankenburg's Admin
tts,icn for free distribution, The re-
VA tbat have been suppressed after
~. nrlnted, are those compiled by
.ansh sh n Willis, Instructor in the Whar-
{ ~ school of the University of Pennsyl-
4 ..ala. on "The Unemployed IN Philadel-
\ N.sns and another by Prof. 70. M. Patter-
llA the Wharton School, on the finan.
( 4, S;storv of the Philadelphia Electric
. vspf1 vms@ director, who has received many
".,s for copies of the two reports,
I Z sV,5ne his reasons for their suppression
.ssjdi "These reports were compiled
W. ~ nv predecessor in office and / have
~, now They will not he made public,
4 y. nav do not apply to conditions today.
e.sss receive direct orders from Mayor
Elm the printed copies will never be dis
,s.srtsd I am not governed by the actions
v'su !, .nv former director and in my judg-
w.r, there is no necessity for making the
,,sorts in question public.
SEES "AD" SCHEME.
n sneaking of the report on the finan-
~ history of the Philadelphia Electric
c,rnany director Datesman said, THAT
-.aort Is aggressive and virtually decides
Ease that is now before the courts.
r,rtaIn persons are behind the agitation
= have il sent broadcast and they wish
.arertIsehent for themselves at the ex-
ssnse oflreputable business men of Phila-
deIphla."
IN giving his reason for suppressing the
,,oort on unemployment the Director said
No NtNN e. AEs,
,eauestIng them nor will they be made
pnblIc in any way. The figures were COM
slled A year ago and at n time when the
slly was furnishing S125,O0O for the relief
a persons out of work Such conditions
4, not exist today; we cannot get enough
men for city work. They will not work
M us when they can get 81 q day as la
Aorers. The publication of the report
would reflect upon Philadelphia and her
Industrial condition today.
u have heard nothing directly from
Nayor Smith relative to these reports. and
can see no reason why they should be
rIyen to the public at this or any other
lime.
you can say for me that the printed
copies now in my office will not be dis
bbuted until 1 receive orders to the con.
uary"
REQUESTS FOR COPIES.
Among those who have written Director
Datesman asking for copies of the reports
we're number of college professors and
Socal workers desirous of getting copies
% that they could be reprinted. Those in
terested say that the reports do not re-
feet upon Philadelphia as in the main the
report Of Mr.. Willis is a dissertation on
faulty Industrial conditions in general and
applicable at all times.
In his Introductory summary Mr.. Will
Its sets forth facts to show that he was
not discussing conditions of any time,
but for all times. In this connection he
says;
We know so little about unemployment
that 1t Is almost impossible to discuss 1t
lntelllgently. What little we do know
shows that 1t is not simply u problem
Of an acute Industrial crisis, but in many
Industries a normal condition of business,
pear IN and year out. This chronic un-
employment can be more affected by local
.norts than can the unemployment of
Industrial crises"
Mr.. Willis was chosen to make the
lnyestigation and compile a report at a
meeting OF business men of the city. 1t
vas held just previous to January 1,
1918, and was called by Mayor Blanken-
'urg who announced that he wished to
zee what steps might be taken to solve
ne unemployment problem in the city.
REASON FOR PROBE.
There existed at that time the position
y general Inspector in the Department of
'nolic Works. At the meeting it was de-
lded to fill the place by the appointment
] student of economies, qualified to
AIRY on an inquiry into every phase of
ne unemployment problem. Mr.. Willis
,as nnally chosen and upon receiving an
lgnt months leave of absence from the
sharton School gave his entire time to
ne compilation of the report that has
Gen withheld from the public