The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-09-16
NOW
LESS THAN IN 1874
DAVIS MAKES A
STATEMENT ON UNEMPLOY-
ED-SAYS NUMBER OVER
ESTIMATED, AND A GREAT
DEAL LESS THAN IN 1914.

| are dlSIuluSu OfSl ehS ct'cO3ONS ~
employed of today, overlook that in
1914 there were 100000 out OF
work a larger percentage of whom
were men and actual bread winners
than in the present unemployed, Sec
Eretary Davis said today, in state
ment.
"While we have our unemployed,
let US not forget the 100000 who
are still at work." The statement said
further encouraging fact is that
$5O0,000, 900 is now available about
fthe, country in the form. of bonds al
ready issued or appropriated by the
state, county and municipal govern.
ments for public works."
Positive signs of business recovery
have been furnished by the commits
sioner of labor statistics, Secretary
Davis declared.
"Some of these signs have an as
ipect Of their own. I put them out for
others to interpret as they please.
But one must have his head very
! much in the air, these" days, not to
notice the growing prevalence Of silk
hosiery; and .the:u of silks in gen.
eral.a 81. IA Il ;iF if5& 35s I 3ii =
"The:statetneht had been constant
ly made, in the news and editorial
columns Of newspapers, that the De-
Department Of Labor reported 5,735
men being: out of work. The De-
partment Of Labor has reported no
such thing. 1t did report, that accord
ing to the best available estimate
partment of labor reported 5,735,000
900 fewer men, women and children
on the payrolls than there were in
March, 1920. There is a difference
with distinction. It is very differ
ent matter from saying that there are
5,735, 900 men unemployed.
Nothing is to be gained by stick
ing our heads in the sand and ignor-
ing the gravity of the present unem-
ployment situation. Neither do we
profit by distorting the fact and ex-
aggerating the figures estimated. Here
is one salient fact to be kept in mind
probably not more than third of
these 5,735,000 are the principal
bread winners of the family.
"Taking all the families of the
United States there are on the aver
age, over two bread winners to every
family. If one of these bread win
ners is unemployed, it seriously Grip
pies, but it does not necessarily i'm
poverish the family. Mind you, I am
not saying that there is not at this
time considerable actual suffering
among our people, nor that this win
ter may not bring more suffering un-
less something intelligent and effec-
tive is done to relieve the situation.
Discussing efforts to relieve the
situation, Secretary Davis said that
the employment service Of the De-
partment of Labor was doing all it
could do to place workers in posi-
tions. .
During the harvest" he explained
"it sent between $4,000 and 10000
men to the farms and kept them NOV
ing as the harvest season moved
northward.
"The unemployment service is at
present taking care of the thrashing
and corn curing situation wherever
additional men are needed for this
purpose.
"Cotton and wooden goods already
show signs Of recovery, and there is
scarcely plant in the country turn
ing out silk hosiery that is not work
ing at full or overtime. Silk fabrics
are on the move. These things speak
for themselves and may be speaking
the same language as the figures
showing that more garages than
houses have been built in recent
months. Here is another fact with its
own significance. Shoe factories seem
to be working for the most part on
fancy higher-priced women's 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.