The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-24
HOW ONE CITY SOLVES
UNEMPLOYMENT
BY GEORGE |. BAKER
Mayor of Portland, Ore.

"dJOT OF T0TLiaHug OICs
PORTLAND, Ore. = Unemployment
is a disease, an unhealthy condition
which nobody wants. Being undesira-
Bile. it can be eliminated to very
great extent by concerted effort. on
the part of people of a city. This is
the theory Portland has worked on in
the last six or eight years, with the
result that we have avoided serious
trouble.
To lay down any set rules for meet
ing an unemployment problem is i'm
possible because conditions differ in
different localities mad conditions diff
fer in the same locality from year to
year.
In the great northwest, where lum-
bering is one of the principal indus
tries the winter months force logging
camps to close. with a resultant in
flux of worlSmen to the cities. Our
problem, therefore, is one of seasonal
unemployment.
Nine persons out of ten have civic
pride, and nine out OF. ten are in sym
pathy with any movement which
means the relief of a condition where
people are in need and especially when
there are children involved. It is from
this basic fact that Portland has
worked in its fights against unem-
ployment.
We have found that when there is
actual suffering it is not a difficult
task:
To get employers of labor to pro-
vide additional work, such as repairs,
increased productions. etc, which or
dinarily would be done in the summer
months.
To get home owners and residents
to provide work cleaning Easements.
yards and doing other kinds of work
which can be done in winter as well
as in summer
To get city, county, state and other
governmental agencies to concentrate
on public improvements in the winter
rather than in the summer.
To get industries to divide employ
ment among a great number of people.
thereby not combining the unemploy-
ment to a certain few.
Public Support.
To meet an unemployment problem
requires first the support of the pub
lie. With this support it is easy to
devise schemes for providing employ
ment enough to prevent actual suffer-
ing.
On several occasions we have aug
mented the general campaign along
these lines by the establishment of
camps where men are employed cut
ting cordwood for fuel and in reclaim
ing old furniture. shoes. clothing, etc.
These things are started usually to
provide employment for single men
and men of the floating population"
type.
The other work is held for our peo-
pie and people with families. The
emergencyt work is on the basis of the
labor being performed for board and
room while a living wage is paid fer
the work performed by those with
dependents.
Won't Work" Class.
We also have the won't work" class
to deal with. This is handled by a mu-
nfcipal rock pile operated in conjunc-
ton with the police department This
is essential to the general unemloy-
ment machinery.
Portland does no boast Of her ability
to meet unemployment. on the con-
trary we warn the world that we have
the problem and that this is not the
place to come in search Of work in the
winter time.
We make an effort to take care
OF our own people, and have succeeded
in this for the last six or eight years,
but 1t is only when conditions become
very serious that We make an effort
to take care of the winter visitor who
comes here seeking employment. We
advise him to stay where he is.