The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-03-20


THURSDAY. MARCH 90 1919.
RECONSTRUCTION AND HYsTERIA.
The determination Of Pensacolians to maintain
an employment bureau is splendid evidence of
that practical patriotism which has actuated this
community from the declaration of hostilities
to the present time. Through the filibustering
of Republican members Of the United States con-
gress, many important measures failed of passage
and many appropriations went by the board.
It is imperative that the employment service
be maintained and it's continuation is far more
important, since the signing of the armistice,
than prior to the close of hostilities.
John 3. Densmore, director general of the en-
ployment service, has issued an appeal to gov
errors and mayors throughout the country, urg-
ing them to maintain the activities of the various
branch bureaus, two thousand of which now
in existence.
I In his appeal Mr. Densmore says: 1.-THE work
cf assisting soldiers and sailors and war workers
to Suitable employment must be continued at all
cests. The unemployment area is spreading, and
il means rialsinsurance 70 the town or city
which takes over an employment office which
rauss be necessarily dropped by the employment
service through lack of funds.
Aside from sentimental and patriotic consid
to airy community to carry on this necessary
work, for It is the misery caused by widespread
unemployment that breeds social unrest.
Colonel Arthur Woods. formerly police COM
missioner # New York. will head the organized
efforts of The Council of National Defense
which is working out cooperative employment
program, in conjunction with the concurrence
of the secretaries of war and labor.
At the same time it was pointed out by Sec
rotary Wilson at the recent White House confer
ence, where governors and mayors gathered TO
discuss the problems of reconstruction, that we
have today actually less unemployment than IN
normal times. He said:
There has been great deal of hysteria in
connection with reconstruction.
I'VE are passing through exactly the same
kind of an atmosphere that we passed through
Immediately following our entrance into the
world war.
Even in busy times we have about million
unemployed Our reports now indicate an un-
employment of about $4,000 from the districts
our reports cover. We about half the
country. Double the figure AMI you have only
100000
eve are short in our normal supply of
labor between 3,OOO,O 900 and 100000 men.
So it would seem that what the nation has to
fear, and Pensacola as part of the nation, is
We want good strong employment bureau
which will bring together the employer and the
employee. We want this now, as reconstruc-
ton measure, and we shall probably want it for
some months to come.
We have good, able, well-balanced men back
of this movement, and in this Pensacola is for
tunate. There is no need Of hysteria in regard
to the labor problem here, as long the agitator
is kept in the background and the problem is
treated in and sensible way.
The secretary of labor declares that the strikes
at Seattle, Patterson and elsewhere were not
economic disturbances, but were the outcome
of a deliberate attempt made to incite political
revolution and establish Soviet form of gov
eminent 1t failed because the Department of
Labor has been fighting that spirit for two
years. The soil was not fertile for the Soviet |
seed. The secretary of labor predicts decade
of industrial activity in which the false phios-
ophy CT Bolshevism will be lost and forgotten.