Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-01
Editorial Digest
Unemployment and It's Remedy.

| At time when editorial columns
speak of the army OF unemploy-
ment" and.news" columns carry stories
of closing plants, decreased labor
soup kitchens. the report just made
by the federal employment service
does not reassure the press. as
whole. A number Of papers take the
| position that an analysis of the en-
ployment services figure OF nearly
three and a half million unemployed
will show that it makes no allowance
for redistribution. and is. conse..
| quently, merely an. enumeration OF
those who have been dropped from
during the year. But the press. on
the whole, is inclined to view the un-
employment situation seriously. ana
many writers point to the action or
the Pennsylvania and other railroads
| as possible way of meeting what
| threatens to develop into crisis.
Already "the unemployment prob
lem is keeping the whole country
awake nights" according to the Flint
(Mich.) Journal Independently, and
republican,, while it does not believe
that 1.-THE present level of unemploy-
ment will continue indefinitely,
warns that so long as the condition
obtains it presents zone of the most
pressing of our domestic Problems
| fort and happiness of hundreds or
thousands of American citizens"
Serious as the present situation is
| admitted to be, it is regarded by most
| writer's as a passing phase, caused by
normal reimbursement from war pros
perity. Some view it more specihcal-
| ~ as the result of the buyers strike
which in the nature of things cannot
continue Indefinitely. The Richmond
| (Va.) News-Leader independent DEM
fY1E
| duction will not be resumed on an
adequate scale until the public decides
| to buy more goods
| The New York Herald independently
| feels that ''the country has seen the
| worst of the readjustment,' and that
| while unemployment figures are ad-
! mttedly "grewsome. they DO not,
| thank heaven, spell the doom OF
| American industry and business. But
| to the Baltimore American (republt-
CAM the fact that crowds of men In
that city want work badly enough
| to form in line on the chance Of get
| ting it," suggests the fear that bust.
ness readjustment and .defatioh OF
wages must after all all come by
| way Of the bread line, method that
oil wish to see avoided
| The news dispatch from Toledo that
| soup kitchens have been opened in
! that city to relieve acute distress re-
| sulting from unemployment has pro-
| duced som ething like gasp OF aston
| ishment from editorial writer's, to
| {democratic) it has "a strange sound
| in this land of teeming plenty. Of tre-
mendous resources. of pridetul moral
| impulses"
| Discussing the contention that peri
DDS of unemployment should be re-
lieved through the construction of
| public works, the Spokane (Wash.)
| okesman- Review independent re-
| publican) believes that lit is certainly
| to the advantage of society and makes
| for the stability Of the state when
| governmental authorities do what 1
| ever may prove to be within their
| power to supply willing but voorhees,
| workers with work"
But the situation can be met
| through private as well as public mi
! tiative, it is pointed out, and the
| method proposed by the Pennsylvania
railroad and other large employers
| indicates the way, in the opinion of
| many writers. In presenting to it's
! employees "the alternative of accept
| ing a reduction to five days a week in
reduction in weekly income. Or Of 20
per cent Of the whole losing their
Jobs entirely" the New York World
| fdemocratic) feels that the Pennsyl-
vania has found better way than
"the older methods. of meeting a SINH
lar situation Of business depression"
The Seattle Union-Record (labor) rec
| ommends the f1ve-day scheme or lay
offs for definite period to the work.
| ers. since under such system you
aren't haunted by worry"
A large number of industrial con-
| Germs. according to the Brooklyn Ea-
gle Independent denocrat) have al
ready put into operation the idea Of
voluntary lay-offs for one week or
two weeks to avoid discharging men,"
Now with the plan proposed by the
railroads they may come to the uni
| form five-day week notion