Milford chronicle., 1920-12-03
CALLS FOR HELP CHIEFLY
FROM MEN OUT OF WORK
THE SALVATION ARMY, SUNDAY BREAK
FAST MISSION, Y. M. C. A., ALL
HAVE WAITING LIST.


Applications for work and for as
sistance from the poor of Wilmington
are becoming more frequent, accord
ing to Adjutant Arthur Cook and Ad-
Jutant Gorham, of the Salvation Army
During the strenuous times of the
war these dropped off to almost moth
ing, it was said, as work was so plen-
tiful that any man or woman able to
do anything at all could find employ
ment. and at wages that would per-
nit sufficient earnings to last for a
considerable period after only short
time of work.
With the adjustment of business
conditions after the war period, many
of the people not accustomed to look
ing ahead are beginning to feel pinch
ed, Salvation Army officer say, and re-
quests for assistance are coming in
quite often.
There is no rush of these, the Off
cials said but the requests are COM
ing in in such numbers that it is no
ticeable and in sharp contrast to con-
ditions for the past few years. The
Industrial Home of the Salvation Ar
my. at Second and French streets,
WhAti Bttn 6ANtAAA9 hetAARNAkA ~
inability to obtain people to do the
work, has revived considerably. and
there is evidence that the activities
about the place will be considerable
this year, and vastly greater than for
a number of years past.
The number of application for pO-
sitions of different nature from men
and women of Wilmington has been
large also. These applications are taxi
en- and investigated and the applicant
given work as it comes in. For the
past few weeks a number of persons
have been taken care of through the
army, it is said, and provisions are
being made for taking care of more
persons as the winter season progress
ses.
Wards Want Work
According to officials of the Sunday
Breakfast Mission most of the appli-
cations for assistance come from re-
spectacle men. They are mechanics
or other trained and skilled wOrkmen
who have been thrown out of work by
the recent shutdowns of business con-
Germs in Wilmington and in the vicin-
ity.
These men are coming in at the
rate of three or four day, asking ii
there is any information of positions
or of any sort of work that can be
done to provide enough to keep the
wolf from the door"
According to George A. Elkins, of
the Sunday Breakfast Mission, the old
buns" who used to loaf about the
mission have gone apparently for good
with the establishment of prohibition.
Apparently most of these men failed
to work because their bodies were
weakened by excessive drinking, and
when they had earned a little money
they went on spree" and spent it
all.
Mr. Elkins said that he knew per-
sonally of a large number of these
former "bums." some of them well
known in Wilmington and other places |
who had stopped drinking and were !
working constantly, saving their mon |
ey and putting it in the bank.
Even the Y NJ. c. A. has received |
numerous applications from men out |
of work to assist in locating some
thing to do. Most of the applicants |
appear to be of the better class OF
workmen, apparently mechanics, who
have failed to take advantage of high
wages and save enough to get them by
the rainy day"
Most of the men applying for as
sistanee are strangers, all authorities
state, that is, they are men who came
apparently from other cities attract
ed by the work going on. and stayed
until the shut down. Most of them
come for a short stay, obtain bed
or overnight and go on the next NOR
ling, not to be seen again.