The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-09-16
ARMY OF UNEMPLOYED
NOW Being REDUCED
Resumption Of Work In All
Lines Is Giving Hope
To Idle Men.

taking a census of the unemployed.
That census covers the men actually
out Of work through no fault of their
own in every. city of more than twen-
ty-five thousand inhabitants-231
cities in all.
1t will be completed Wednesday,
passed on to the President and used
in the forthcoming conference on I'M
employment. Reports from many in
dustries already are at hand. They
show:
THAT business is coming back
more rapidly than even optimists
thought it would.
THAT unemployme is decided
ly on the wane; that a steady trend
back to work in factories, mills and
mines is general.
3-That labor has liquidated large
| ly its wartime wage excess and that.
/ few more material cuts are in i'm
mediate prospect.
4-That the recent estimate by
James J. Davis. Secretary of Labor, of
more than five million as the size
of the army of the unemployed UNI
derstated the case but that the swing
( back to a general business revival has
| resulted in hundreds of thousands of
that army returning to the payrolls
during the past month.
5-That in almost every city of
the country nine business men out of
every ten have quit talking about
hard times and are feeling the first
effects OF returning prosperity
6-That buying orders for almost
everything the people Of the country
usually purchase are beginning to
seep over the barriers of the buyers
strike and that the full force of the
buying movement is expected soon.
Department Heads Pleased.
Labor officials making the survey
are cheered by the prospects. They !
have figures in hand which will show
that the number of unemployed will /
reach into the millions and hence do |
not minimize the unhappiness of the |
present; but they also have figures |
showing that the numbers are dlmin- !
ishing fast with indications THAT they |
will diminish still faster in the next !
thirty days.
Surface indications of the revival |
during the week include a sensational |
rise in the price of cotton; marked |
increase in production of iron. steel |
and coal. an apparent solution of |
some of the difficulties of the oil in
dustry; a bullsh stock market;
new high mark for the year in rail
road income and further strength
eniug Of the credit situation.
Tha Nationwide census of the idle
is a new thing. Heretofore the Labor
Department has issued a monthly
survey of employment showing the
number of men employed on the last
day of each month at LAPS identical
plants thruout the country. No
attempt was made to collect figures
showing the number of men idle.
Various communities. however nota-
bly, New York City, have compiled
their own unemployment surveys.
In New York the number of idle
was placed at half a million. The
figure is much too high, it is thought
at the Labor Department. 1t con
tains not only the number of men idle
through no fault of their own, but
the number of men on strike, OBJ
viously different conditions Of unem-
In one case the unem-
ployment is involuntary; in the other
optional.
The Governments census, if it can
be avoided, is not going to list a sim
gle worked out on strike. It's aim is
to show only the number of men who
are Involuntary idle.
In making the survey, the depart
ment's workers have obtained the (,
view of many business men. They
have reported that stocks are down !,
to rock bottom. Many firms are not Il
placing slzeable orders, however, on
the rising market Manufacturers,
good business, are add
ing TO their forces moderately. Six
months age the manufacturer with
only a few orders would have closed
down Now he is going ahead and
sending his statesmen out; and they
arr sending back orders.
Hat Mans Statement.
The manufacturer Of a nationally
known brand of mems hats, for in
stance, said today that he had only
enough actual orders on hand TO keep {
his plant going until October /. L
"Will you close down then?" he
was asked.
"Oh, no." he replied. I'm fact. We l
are taking ON few more men. We
have eaIas,npn. ont and we knoW that .