The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-26
CHICAGO HARD hit
By THE WAR WORK
Two Hundred Thousand
Men Have Left That
Center.
BY &C. RODGERS,


Il is a mighty good thing Cor Chi
cago that the census bureau isn't out
gathering population statistics nov.
Fer Chicago, second Of American cit
les, each day sees It's citizens pack
their trunks and stream eastward and
sOutheastward.
Chicago is being depopulated"
cried The Chicago Tribune. And Chi
cago business men are worrying.
Charles A. Munrow, Illinois direc
tor OF the L. s labor reserve. says
more than $4,000 Chicago men have
quit the big city by the lake 10 worn
in eastern and southern war indus
tries, shipyards. munition factories.
coal mines, and other Hun.deieating
establishments. Within three months
5000 men have been sent 10 the gov.
ernment's high explosives plant In
West Virginia. The employment ser
vice will take az least 50 900 more men
out Of Chicago within the next six
weeks
Il is estimated that Chicago will
lose over 100000 workers. mostly men,
this year. II they remain permanent
II the, will send for their families and
thus reduce Chicago's population w a
million or so. Should the diam ex-
,and over the next two years, and II
wqy y the war lasts. Chicoso's 1920
coreus figure may entltle her 10 third
place in the list. Philadelphia. doomed
by the war, going into second.
This populatiLn loss does not take
into consideration Chicago boys who
have gone into army or navy, but only
workers who have left the city for
employment elsewhere.
In one small section Of Chicago
survey made showed 5000 vacant flats,
500 unOccupied houses and 1900
rooms for rent. other parts Of the
city have about the same proportion
OF vacant dwelling places This has
had the effect OF reducing rentals,
and now II is possible 10 get cheaper
flats and houses in Chicago than In
any other large city east OF the Mis-
sisslppi.
Chlcago's dwindling population Is
due 10 ChiCago's lack OF war Work.
Other cities, east and south, are filled
with men and women working on war
orders: Chicago has few OF these.
Outside OF the stockyards district lit
tie war work is being done. And, too,
excepting the meat packers, war prot
its are insignificant. Chicagos popu-
lation has headed toward the cities
where profits are being cornered and
wages are high.
So il is that Chicago Ia now setting
into motion a somewhat belated pro
gram Of war effort The federal gov
eminent is 10 be besieged with pleas
entreaties and pressuer to send war
factories to Chicago. Munition plants,
and what else the government may
want in war orders, are desired by the
Illinois Manufacturers Association.
That's how war - without war
work-can depress a city'S directory.
The other side--how It can initiate
it's found down in a Tennessee corn
field and an Alabama cotton patch.
When this year dawned Jackson
VILE. Tenn. wes a well cultivated corn
field. Then the government substitut
ed powder for corn, and instead OF 4
few hundred bushels Of the latter will
make 100000 pounds Of the former.
Today Jacksonville has $4,000 homes
where three corn cribs stood, and over
$4,000 men, women and children travel
over paved streets, ride in electric
cars and earn big wages.
Also, there's Sheffield. Ala. On
January /. 1918. that was one mans
cotton patch. Two tenant families
lived on II and a dozen people had a
hard time making a living. Now Shelf
field has 10000 population, street cars
miles OF paved streets, suburbs, and a
young army OF real estate experts are
selling subdivisions so fast that the
street naming bureau can't keep up
with them. The governments nitrate
] plant did all this.
When Chlcago's million has gone
maybe therell be enough good farming
land near Michigan boulevard TO grow
quite a few bushels Of corn. and be
Ing grown near the feeding pens OF
the stOckyards, will be worth more
than II raised in Tennessee or Ala
bama. Chicago yet may become a fine
little agricultural Center