The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-03
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN, Director.
Washington, D. Q.
HOW YOU CAN HELP THE UN-
EMPLOYED,

may not be in a position to offer a
regular job to anyone. but neverthe-
| less you can do your share toward
helping the unemployed.
You can do this by having done
now work that must be done some
time. If the front porch or the barn
needs a coat of paint, if the furnace
needs fixing, if you contemplate
| building a chicken house or laying a
sidewalk, il your premises need clean
ing up-have- it done now. Even to
! have your hair cut or your shoes
and might otherwise neglect it, is to
| add something to the sum total of
work
yThis is the plea of Colonel Arthur
| Woods of New York, who is chairman
of the committee on civic, community
employment conference. His job is
| to find immediate ways of placing
people in industry while the confer
ence makes a thoro study of the sit
uation, and especially<to help in NUM-
cipal and other community efforts to
solve the problem.
His work has just begun. He is
getting in touch with the mayor of
every city in the United States having
a population of 1000 or more, with
the exception of some cities, which
have already tackled the problem
with such energy and skill that they
are obviously not in need of any help.
Cities Doing Good Work.
The number of cities which are al
ready doing good work is considerable,
ant, will evidently grow. That, in fact,
! is the striking feature of the situation.
The country is carrying the unem-
plOyed on its conscience in a way that
is wholly unprecedented. There have
been many worse spells of unemploy-
ment in the history of this country
than the present dne. The usual at
titude toward them in the past has
been to ignore them. The theory has
been that if you do not talk or write
about hard times. they will disappear.
Bury your head in the sands of opti-
mism and you are safe. This ostrich
like attitude has suddenly disappeared.
The unemployment problem is a lead
ing feature of news and conversation.
The country seems suddenly to have
awakened to the fact that a man who
wants to work and is able to work,
but can find no work to do, is a po-
liticaI and economic liability which the
country cannot afford. He is proof
positive that the social machine does
not function well. He is at once the
strongest argument of the agitator,
and his most receptive auditor.
The Woods committee aims to act
as a clearing house for information as
to how the unemployment problem
may be met by communities. Port
land Ore, for example, is solving its
unemployment problem with great
satisfaction. In this as in other cities
charity and waste are frowned upon
Portland announces that one of its
objects is to make soup kitchens I'M
necessary. After all, soup kitchens
and bread lines are a confession or
failure.
The Portland committee also an
nounces, as one of its purposes, to
keep employers from taking adHan-
| tage of the situation to reduce wages.
Portland has one committee to urge
the undertaking of as much pubhc
work as possible. Another handles
the industrial phase of the problem,
and urges industry to do as much con-
struction work as possible. 1t also
| solicits the householder to provide the
odd jobs There is a special director
for the employment of women: For
the floating population WOOD yard
| has been established which will pro-
duce and. sell cord wood. municipal
rock pile will be operated for those
| who refuse to work
No Unemployment Allowed.
So if you don't want to work, don't
go to Portland.
Colonel Woods also is advocating
in the nation at large the undertak-
| ing of as much public work as pos
sibIe He does not advocate that
either states, cities, industrial con-
Germs or individuals have work done
merely for the purpose of affordlng
| jobs. That is waste. He advocates
| that in the case of cities and states,
work for which appropriations have
already been made should be under
taken at once. Work ordinarily done
only in the summer, as is the case
| with much street and other municipal
| work, should be continued as long as
| -, lixrid a
should look about for things that need
/ to be done. and have them done now.
The unemployment situation al
\ ready shows marked signs of improve
ment, but the fact should not be over
' looked that many men are still en-
/ ployed in the harvest fields who will
| soon be out of jobs. The real test
of the country's ability to keep it's
man power employed will come this
| winter.
The correspondence Of Colonel
| Woods with the various mayors re-
veals the fact that much might be ac-
| complished if a method could be
worked out for shifting men to where
they are needed. For example, from
| towns in the cotton belt comes word
that not only is there no unemp1oy-
ment. but more cotton pickers are ur-
gently needed. Grand Rapids, Michi-
| gan,4needS furniture upholsterers. The
list might be heightened.
This doubtless is one of the national
! phases of the problem which the COR
! ference will deal with in due course.
The Woods committee wants it under
stood that the conference is not try
! ing merely to pass the buck to the
cities. National measures will be got
under way in due course But it does
! believe that the solution of the prob
lem undoubtedly begins in the cities.
They are the ones who must do the
emergency work.
| Hooroo Matthew a don,s