Evening star., 1921-09-30
SERVICE CLUB TAKES WARTIME
ASPECT AS HUNDREDS SEEK JOB

Unemployment conditions Of sort
TO give all patriotic persons speciai
thought are much in evidence at the
Service Mems Club. 1904 street
northwest Established as conven-
ience to service men during the war,
it's activities have been continued and,
to a noticeable degree. changed, FOR
now hundreds of jobless former SOL
diers, sailors and marines utilize 1t as
headquarters and spend therein their
slender boards, If they are lucky
...-eSSS-:, IA have any. 1t is not char.
liable insnrus::,:,; charges for food
and accommodations are made, but
they are just high enough to clear
expenses. Both beds and food are
rom SOD to 700 service and ex-
service men visit this place each day.
OF these from fifth to fourth are
now in service and thereby are pc
yond the reach of want. OF the other
hundreds. although no exact statistics
are available. it is certain that a
large majority are out of employ
ment.
Under the supervision of P. D..
Mackey. a visitor to Washington who
is keely interested in unemployment
conditions. and in connection with the
visit here Of Urban Ledoux. the fre-
quenters of this club are asked to fill
out brief questionable, and when
reporter for The Star visited the
rooms today a tableful of men were
hard at it. The items are as follows:
Name. age. residence, occupation,
military service, how long without
work. how long without food. what
do you want. what do you recommend
and general experience.
John Does QuestiOnnaire.
Here is a sample taken from a sheaf
- l,- LA
Corp. John Doe: age. twenty one:
residence, Plattsburgh, N. Y: is a
painter by trade. He served in the
Medical Corps of the Army during the
war. where he gained valuable ex-
perience in many ways. He wrote
this morning that he had been out of
work for six months, had had no food
for three days and was willing to
work at anything" He also has had
some experience as machinist. His
recommendation is brief: Let the
rich furnish employment"
Another eX-Service man announces
that he has served in both the Army
and Navy. He is a chef by occupa-
tion and it would seem rather hard
lines that he has had mo proper or
regular food for six months" He says
he has wandered from town to town,
sleeping in box cars and suffering
other hardships. He recommends a
government cash bonus and employ
lneHl ny TIE VI lHOSc
without work
Most of these men are in their
early twenties. in the prime of phys
ical life. and either had trades before
they entered srvice or acquired such
an asset during their period in uni
form. Some give their addresses as
Washington; many have wandered
here to the capital of the country for
some reason not apparent. Among
the trades listed in the first sheaf of
completed questionnaires are: Chauf-
feur and automobile mechanic. brake
electrician, laborer shipping clerk
and steel chemist. Some live on what
they saved from their last job:
others are staked by "buddies" or
other friends. while others are taken
care of at the expense of the Red
Cross. which has a lien on their
compensation claims for that pur-
pose.
Men Marking Time.
These men are getting nowhere:
they the marking time" Mr.. Mackey
said this morning. Mr.. Mackey was
twenty years with the Carnegie Steel
Company. and for thirty years has
been associated with laboring men
and intensely interested in labor un-
rest and unemployment conditions.
He is now idle himself. he says.
Labor must come down in its de-
mands,' he said. "The railroads must
come down and other matters must
be readjusted. but the greatest neces-
sity of all is that the man who made
big money in wartime must now
open up must risk his accrued capl-
tai instead of keeping it tucked away.
and must, in the Lang run. take his
proporrfonate lossss9The waiting game
will get US nowhere. AS far back as
1911 / considered labor unrest the
\.
and this goes for 192fand goes more
strongly because there are involved
SO many thousands of men who risked
everything and sacrificed much to
fight for the country In which tney
now cannot find jobs"
Mrs. NJ P Todd. manager and owner
of Shepherds Hotel. 10th and E
streets, which adjoins the club, ad-