Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-10-20

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20.-You
may not be in a position to offer a
regular job 20 anyone. but neverthe-
less you can do your share toward
helping the unemployed.
You can do this by having done
now work that must be done some
time. If the front porch or the
barn needs a coat of paint, If the
furnace needs fixing, if you contem-
plate building a chicken house or
laying a sidewalk, if your premises
need cleaning up-have it done now.
Even to have you hair cut or your
shoes shined when you can well af-
ford it and might otherwise neglect
it. is to add something to the sum
total of work.
This is the plea of Colonel Arthur
Woods of New York, who is chair
man of the Committee on Civic
Community and Emergency Meas
ures of the Unemployment Confer
| ence. His job is to find immediate
ways of placing people in industr
while the conference make a thor
ough study of the situation. ana
especially to help in municipal and
other community efforts to solve
the problem.
His work has just begun. He Is
getting in touch with the mayor OF
every city in the United States hav-
ing a population of $4,000 or more
with the exception of some cities
which have already tackled the
problem with such energy and skill
that they are obviously not in need
of any help.
Cities Doing Good Work.
The number Of cities which are
| already doing good work is consid-
cradle, and will evidently grow.
That, in fact, is the striking feature
of the situation. The country is
carrying the unemployed on It's
conscience in a way that is wholly
unprecedented. There have been
many worse spells of unemployment
in the history of this country than
the present one. The usual attitude
toward them in the past has been
TO ignore them. The theory has
been that if you do not talk or write
about hard times, they will disap-
pear. Bury your head in the sands
of optimism and you are safe. This
ostrich-like attitude has suddenly
disappeared. The unemployment
| problem is a leading feature of news
and conversation. The country seems
suddenly to have awakened to tht
fact that a man who wants to WORK
and is able to work, but can find nj
york to do. is a political and eco
nomic liability which the country
cannot afford. He is proof positive
! that the social machine does no
function we'll. He is at once the
strongest argument of the agitator
and his most receptive auditor.
The Woods committee aims to ac'
! as a clearing house for information
as TO how the unemployment prob
lem may be met by communities
Portland. Oregan, for example, i
solving it's unemployment problem
with great satisfaction. In this a
in other cities charity and waste ar
frowned upon. Portland announce
that one of its objects is to max
soup kitchens unnecessary. Afte
all, SOUP kitchens andN bread line
are a confession of failure.
The Portland committee also an
nounces, as one of it's purposes. U
keep employers from taking advah
tage of the situation to reduc
wages. -.
Portland has one committee t
urge the undertaking of as niue
public work as possible. Anothe
handles the industrial phase or IN
problem, and urges industry to d
as much construction work as pos
sible. IL also s~olicits the h~ousehold
er to provide odd jobs. There Is
speciai director for the employmen
Of women. For the floating popula
ton a wood yard has been estaohsn
ed which will produce and seh cor
word. A municipal rock pile VIII o
operated for those who refuse l
work.
No Unemployment Allowed;
So if YOU don't want to work, ooh
go to Portland.
Colonel Woods also is oea
in the nation at large the undertaF
ing of as much public work as POI
sible. He does not advocate ths
either states, cities, Industrial COZ
Germs or individuals have work doI
merely for the purpose or aitoroln
Jobs. That is waste. He
that in case of cities and states, woi
, for which appropriations nave a
ready been made should be unne
, taken at once. Work ordinarily dol
! only in the summer. as is the ca
with much street and other munle
: pal work. should be continued
long as the weather permits. II
Individual should look about 4
things that need to be done, ar
have them done now,