The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-09-15
JOBLESS ON AUCTION BLOCK
"Shorn Lambs of Unemployment
Brought No Bids.

Boston, Sept. S.-Jobless men were
placed on the auction block on Bos
ton Common today. Stripped to the
waist after the custom OF the old
slave auctions, they declared their
willingness to work by standing be-
fore crowd OF thousands, offering
their services to the highest bidder.
&-Shorn- lambs-of- unemployment"
their auctioneer, Urban Ledoux.
called them. Ledoux, phianthropic
worker who recently opened the
church of the unemployed in the
West End, led a group of fifty to
the Common to bring home, he said
to the people OF Boston their stories
of human miscries, just as William
Lloyd Garrison pleaded for the slaves
on the same spot seventy years ago.
1t was to prove that his charges were
not parasitic floaters, but lnstea1
good citizens out of a job, that he
put some of them on the block, he
explained.
Ledoux's efforts to get work for
his men were not rewarded. OF the
three who stood up for bids none
went away to a job, although from
the crowd came pledges of help to
tide them over week Or two while
they sought employment. Their
leader said, however, that he consld-
cred he had succeeded in bringing
their plight and the honesty of their
purpose to public attention, and he
announced that the auction was to be
a daily event, to be continued at least
for the remainder of the month.
L.edoux and his men. box lunches
in hand. came to the Common from
the west end headquarters. where he
has fed hundreds in the last week.
While they munched their sandwiches
he called for volunteers to stand at
auction prepared to work for week
for the highest bidders. Eight men
stepped out, two of them World War
veterans, most of them in clothing
that was frayed and shoes well down
at the heels. Each was asked how
long he had been out of work with
out food and shelter.
One man had not worked Tor
wear. Another had eaten only twice
a week in six months of unemploy-
ment.
James Ferris. IS years old. an up.
standing man who said he had served
four years in the army. was called to
the block on the steps OF the Pare
man memorial bandstand re
stripped to the waist and while
Ledoux directed. went through the
army calisthenics to show the extent
of his muscular development. BIDS
were called for.
"This is one o! the men that you
used during the war. What will you
do with him now? How much will
YOU bid for this mans services for a
week in order that he may have food
and sheiter?" the auctioneer asked
Bids were made. but when they were
called those who had made them had
slipped away. Ferris was then de-
clared to be without bidder.
Baltimore, Sept. I2-Auctions of
the unemployed, which it was pro-
posed to start in Baltimore today,
will not be permitted by state and
city officials. they announced today.
Just as a crowd of jobless. seafaring
men were preparing to march from the
iiarbor front 70 hold q sale" on the
civ hzii pfzzz-
Governor Richie telephoned from
Annapolis forbidding the auction on
the ground that the auction would
violate the self respect of the work.
ingmsn.i
The Tines phone number is 81.
Get the habit Of calling up.