Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-02
THREE TO FIVE MILLION J0BLESS IN US.
ESTIMATE EXPERTS AND LABOR LEADERS
GENERAL TREND TOWARD LOWER WAGES
Big Percentage of Those Without Work in
Eastern and Central States-Believed Peak
in Unemployment Has Been r cached
west and South Only Slightly Affected -
Tendency in East to Resist Wage Cuts
MILLIONS JOBLESS

Chicago, April 30-Slightly more
than 100000 men were unemployed in
~ states of the Union when May day
was ushered in Sunday, according to
estimates gives to The Associated
Press by Government, Labor, State
and Industrial officials.
large percentage of those who are
unable to obtain work are in the big
industrial sections of the Eastern and
Central States, included in these 10
states from which unemployed fig
ures could be obtained, but reports
from the other 90 states where fig
ures were unobtaina BILE, all show that
unemployment exists and the esti-
mated unemployment of the country,
made by experts including labor lead
crs, range from 100000 to 100000.
Reports of much unemployment
show up from New York, Illinois,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan,
Wisconsin and Ohio, while practically
every state east of the Mississippi
River and north of the Mason and
Dixon line is seriously affected by the
wave that has swept over the coun-
try during the last year. The reports
Indicate that the situation in these
more densely populated states is
growing more acute daily.
The report of the United States gov
crnment employment service showed
that on January first of this year the
leading cities of the country with q
population of 32,560,953 had a total of
lS02,755 unemployed and subsequent
bulletins issued by this service indi-
cate that this number has increased
somewhat in these cities during the
last four months.
While the unemployment extends
to the West and South, yet in the re-
ports from the former a decided tone
of optimism prevails for resumption
of business activity that would speed
lily do away with the unemployment,
while in the South the situation does
not appear to be of a serious nature
and reports state that when the
agricultural work is in full swing the
surplus of labor will be small.
New York City. Philadelphia, Chi
cago, Detroit and Cleveland stand out
as the centers of the unemployment
wave.
In the country's largest city, re-
ports from experts indicate that ap-
proximately 100000 men and women
are out Of work. On January l, this
year the government estimated that
,a43 were unemployed in Gotham
and this has been increased during
the four months according to the
monthly bulletins of the Industrial
service.
The remainder Of the state however
has not gone unscathed by any means
for the reports from Albany show
that 1854 900 of the states 100000 fac
tory workers including New York
City are unemployed. Other New
York state cities report unemployed
on about the same scale.
The United States Employment SER
vice figures for Illinois shows a some
what like condition. While $4,000 were
unemployed in the city of Chicago in
January, yet the rate of increase in
the last four months would indicate
that this has been increased to more
than 100000 by today. In the state OF
Illinois however, the figures move up
ward. The government puts them
this way: On January /, 1921 these
same firms employed 539,31S, showing
a reduction during that year of A.
0S7 Chicago firms were included in
this survey. No figures for the next
four months on these concerns, is CIV
en- but an estimate based on 1O7 con-
Germs. each employing more than 500
men or women, show a decrease IN
employment of about per cent. on
April l, as compared with January !,
1921
Pennsylvania probably ranks next
with an estimated number of unem-
ployed placed at 100000 by the State
Bureau of Employment. Members of
the Philadelphia Chamber of Com
Continued on Pace 4ECoI. ~