The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-09-24
UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE AUCTION BLOCK.

The latest development in social service has anspred in
Boston few days obess stripped to he waist after
the custom of the placed the auction
block Boston Commons and auconed off to the highest bid
der.
Shorn lambs of unemployment" their auctioneer Urban
Ledoux called them Ledoux phanthropc worker who recent
lily opened the church Of the unemployed in the west end led
group of so to the Common to bring home he sad to the
pie of Boston their stories of human misery just William
ago. 1t prove that his charges parasitic oaters
but instead good citizens out Of job that he put some of them
Ledouxs efforts to get his rewarded
the r VINO stood up or a none ne went aa 70
week two while they sought employment Their leader said
however that he considered he had succeeded in bringing their
plight and the honesty Of their purpose to the public attention
and he announced that the auction be daily event to be
continued at least for the remainder of the month
Ledoux and his men, box lunches in hand to the Com
from the West End headquarters where he has fed hun
called for volunteers stand at auction prepared to work for
the highest bidders Eight stepped out two of
ayed well the heels Each asked how
long he had been out of work and without food and shelter
One mans that ne had not worked for
Another had eaten only twice week in six months of unepo
James Ferris 25 years old an outstanding man
had served four years the army called to the block the
ws and ne while nedouR directed Wen Through the ca
themes to show the extent Of his muscular development Bids
This of the you used during the What will
you do with him now? How much will you bid for this mans
services for week. order that he may sheer
the acuoneer asked made but when they called
those who had them had slipped away Ferris then
dog was brought to the block He was knocked down
SIS with the condition accepted the successful bidder that he
be returned to the Church of the unemployed its mascot
Joseph Mitchell, Negro then called His shoes were
without oes and his clothing ragged Replying to Ledoux
questions he said he had been without food for days at time in
the six months he had been out of job.
There bid for his services and the auconeer called
the crowd to pledge him food and shelter for week.
There those who have spoken avoab of the plan of
edouX there those who have what they term
reminder of the most infamous system which damned
America 1t fact however that the spectacular methods of
this latest beneacto of the unemployed has stimulated the char
of the Boston favored to the extent that caring
the unemployed will be such problem during the winter
The auctoneer found jobs for his but he did awaken
the spirit of sympathy.
Such consideration brings to the point of realizing that
after ALL the variability of the fixed laws of supply and demand
they apply to labor is small indeed.
Jobs be made where there need of work
The cutting off of markets foreign and domestic makes for
such stagnaon America suffering with the result
that than three million of her workers unemployed
1t might also be said truthfuy that this unemployment is
the direct result of the And the occasion of the Boston
auction block might well reminder that wars have
and will exact their toll from the of men,
These and their families in facing unemployment are
paying for the great The will be less true of the
children of these who future will be
taxed though innocent to for the participation in carnage OF
their ancestors.
The world may be safer for democracy result of the
just closed but puy few of its inhabitants yet realize it,