The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-11-30
m old DAYS NATION
GRADUALLY RETURNS
n-;.ss and Wages Dropping to Pre-
War Basis. Many Mills Are
Working Part Time.
UNEMPLOYMENT is GROWING

UNEMPLOYMENT is GROWING
Tho rehabilitation, which has always
followed every war in which the Unit
ID States has participated, finds the
n.tion gradually assuming a pre-war
osnact Wages throughout the country
"Sp drooning. but the reduction is be-
az az offset by the lowering of prices
~ food clothing and other necesSaries
Of life.
Loe;s has furnished many rumors OF
1,,orisings" by the laboring class of
o " who were the first to be affect
ed by lowered wages. These rumors,
i is believed, were spread by persons
of boIshcvik tendencies. But, thus tar,
nothing has come from these rumors.
On the other hand, reductions in wage
scales have, in many cases, been vol
nntarv on the part of employees.
Prices of virtually all staple foods
show steady tendency to decline.
The nrice of flour and bread has taken
big drop. While the old time five
cent loaf of bread will probably not
reappear for some time, yet the price
Is nearing the pre-war level. In Pitts
hrrq the former ten-cent pound loaf is
now being sold for eight cents. Kan
cas- CITY bakers have announced ten
Der cent increase in the size of the
Ioaves of bread, the second such in
crease during the last few weeks. with
out an accompanying increase IN the
price,
The decline in the price of bread is
attributed directly to the drop in the
-four market. Flour has declined since
Tune So a barrel in the mills at Mime
apolis Wheat, however, still remains
almost a dollar higher than it was
when pound loaf of bread sold. for
nickel
Drop in Other Farm Products.
While wheat prices have taken de-
cded drop they haven't dropped near
W as far as other farm products. lax
ing the price figures assembled IN DC
tober as working basis it is shown
that wheat has had the least percent
age of fall. Wheat declined Is per cent
in price paid to the farmer. Corn has
dropped SO per cent, oats 40, rye 81,
barley 46 and potatoes 68 per cent.
Food prices in hotels and restaurants
are slowly dropping, in many cases
this action being brought about by
the work of fair price commissions.
The American Stores company, which
operates a chain of 400 grocery and
meat stores in Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Delaware, is selling at
cost its entire stock of food stuffs, in
yvntoried at $8,500,000. This move IS
made to enable the company to go
INTO the open market and purchase
huge supplies of merchandise at a fig
ure which will put the stores on per-
manent price basis, so far as possible.
Wages Take Tumble.
A survey of the labor situation in
every section of the country shows
unemployment is increasing generally,
though, with few exceptions, the sit
uation is not yet acute. The greatest
number of idle are in the clothing and
textile industries, one reason being
that these lines are so centralized that
kthe workers are not easily absorbed
Unto other lines. Railroads, too, are
Having off men throughout the eastern
8 divisions
4 Clothing and textile workers III New
n England have suffered from the slump
Pin wages and many are working but
1.-TWO or three days a week. Others have
8accepted wage reductions Of from III
Ito 20 per cent rather than have the
mills close down AS a result OF the
slackening of the textile industry. due
largely to the refusal OF the public to
any longer pay the high prices OF
clothing and underwear, the prices OF
sthese articles have taken a tumble, I'M
derwear having dropped from Is to
MSS per cent, while clothing, especially
Ain mems lines, shows similar reduc~
#tions.
Cut Own Wages.
ID The employees of the Danville River
Mills, of Danville, Va, voluntarily cut
their own wages rs per cent, effective
+ Nov g. Boot and shoe makers OF On
#cnnati withdrew their demand tor
#more money and agreed to work on
the present scale.
Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit, Mich,
Akron, O., and Toledo, O., are centers
(which have been hard hit by the lay
8ing off of men, and thousands OF these
men are now vending their way cast
Ward in hope of securing employment
.&ot some kind.
The Pennsylvania railroad system
has laid off several thousand men, an
anouncing that this is a permanent re-
duction in force and not temporary
ay-otf. The New York Central has
also laid off hundreds of men during
the last few weeks, and the example
ot these two big lines is being follow
ed by several of the smaller eastern
lines
KENTUCKY is IN