Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-20
THE UNEMPLOYED
Are Not So Numerous as in 1914 Says
Secretary Davis

Are Not So Numerous as in 1914 Says
Secretary Davis
Those who are disturbed over the
5,735, 900 unemployed Of today, over
look that in 1914 there were 100000
out. of work, larger percentage Of
whom are men and actual bread win
ners than in the present unemployed,
Secretary Davis said last week in a
statement
while we have our unemployed,
let us not forget the 100000 who
are still at work." the statement said.
"a further encouraging fact is that
$500, ,O0O, 900 is now available about the
country in the form of bonds already
issued or appropriated by the state,
county and municipal governments
for public works."
Positive signs Of business recovery
have been furnished by the commits
sioner Of labor statistics, Secretary
Davis declared, adding:
Some of these signs have an aspect
of their own. 1 put them out for
others to interpret as they please. But
one must haye his head very much in
the air, these days, not to notice the
growing prevalence of silk hosiery,
and the use Of silks in general"
1.-The statement lad been constant
ly made, in the news and in the edi-
tor.ial columns Of newspapers, that
the Department Of Labor reported D.
1885, 900 men being out Of work. The
Department of Labor has reported no
such thing, 1t did report that accord
ing 20 the best available estimate that
could be made: there are 5,735,000 few.
er men, women and children on the
payrolls than were in March, 1920.
There is a difference with dis
tinction. 1t is a very different matter.
from saying that there are 5,7S5,000
men unemployed.
Must Not Stick Heads in Sand
Nothing is to be gained by stick
ing our heads in the sand and ignor-
ing the gravity of the present unem-
ployrnent situation. Neither do we
profit by distorting the facts and ex-
aggerating the figures estimated. Here
is one salient fact to be kept in mind
probably not more than a third OF
these 5.735.000 are the principal bread
winners of the family.
Taking all the families of the Uni
ted States, there are, on the average
over two bread winners to every fam
lily. If one of these bread winners Is
unemployed, it seriously cripples, but
it does not necessarily impoverish the
family. Mind you, / am not saying
that there is not at this time consid-
erable actual suffering among our peo-
pie, nor that this winter may not bring
more suffering unless something intel
Ggent and effective is done to relieve
the situation. / am simply calling at
tention to the fact that while unem-
ployment today is a grave matter
there are nevertheless about ten or
twelve millions of people at work.
And comparatively few families have
had the only bread winners put out Of
job.
Our problem here at home is all
the harder to solve because it Is, not
by any manner of means our prob
lem alone"
Labor Department Helping.
Discussing efforts to relieve the sit
uation, Secretary Davis said that the
employment service of the Department
of Labor was doing all it could do to
place workers in positions.
During the harvest" he explained,
"it sent between $1,000 and $4,000 men
to the farms and kept moving them
as the harvest season moved north
ward.
The employment service is at
present taking care Of the threshing
and corn curing situation wherever
additional men are needed for this
purpose.
Cotton and woolen goods already
show signs of recovery, and there Is
scarcely a plant In the country turn
ing out silk hosiery that is not work.
ing at full or over time. Silk fabrics
are on the move. These things speak
for themselves and may be speaking
the same language as the figures show
ing that more garages than houses
nave been built in recent months.
Shoe factories seem to be working for
the most part on fancy nigh priced
womens shoes. The demand for these
will come when the railroads and the
factories are started on a more going
scale when the more staple grades of
shoes for men will come into larger
demand. That cannot be long delayed.
The situation begins to brighten"
- The Charleston city board of
health has passed a regulation re-