The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-09-14
LESS UNEMPLOYMENT NOW THAN
THERE WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO
LSSTATEMENT OF SECRETARY
Davis Calls Attention To
Fact That 10000, 900
Men Are Employed
Regularly, and That the
Problem of Idleness Is
Not Nearly SO Bad AS
Some Persons Suppose

Washington, Sept 14-Those who
are disturbed over the 5.735, 900 un-
employed of today overlook that in
1914 there were 1000. 900 out of work.
Il larger percentage of whom were
men and actual bread winners than
in the present unemployed. Secretary
Davis said today in a statement
Declaring that the country has Just
passed through Il period when every
effort was made to induce women and
others who had not worked for wages
before to work and save starving
Europe. Secretary Davis said the
present unemployed included a great
number upon whose wages none is ac-
tually dependent
we have our unemployed Let us
not forget the l2,000,00O who are still
at work" the statement said. "A
further encouraging fact is that $780,
000000 is now available about the
country in the form of bonds already
issued or appropriated by the state.
county and municipal governments
Tor public works. Positive signs of
business recovery have been furnished
by the commissioner Of labor statis-
ties. Secretary Davis said. adding:
Some of these signs have an aspect
T Of their own. put them out for 9TH
erS 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 use Of silks in general"
The Actual Figures
"A stir was caused all over the
Senator Mccormick called for the &c
tual figures on current employment.
and these figures. as supplied by the
bureau of labor statistics in the de-
partment of labor, were found to be
5,135,000. These figures show the
best estimate available. but they need
to be read in relation 20 the situation
seven years ago and in the light of
conditions today.
The statement had been constantly
made in the news and the editorial
columns of the newspapers that the
department of labor reported 5,135,-
600 men out of work. The department
OF labor has reported no such thing
1t did report that according to the
best available estimate that could be
made there are 5,735. 900 fewer men.
women and children ON the payrolls
than there were in March. 1920 There
is IA difference with a distinction
Not All Breadwinners
Here is one salient fact to be kept
in mind-probably not more than a
third of these 5,735.000 are the prin-
cipal bread winners of the family
Taking all the families of the Unit
ed States. there are on the average,
over two breadwinners to every fam
, lily. If one of these bread winners
is unemployed, it seriously cripples.
but it does not necessarily impover-
ish the family. Mind you. | am not
saying that there is not at this time
considerable actual suffering among
our people; not that this winter may
not bring more suffering unless some
thing intelligent and effective is done
to relieve the situation | am simply
calling attention that while unem-
ployment today is a grave matter
there are, nevertheless. about 10 or
II millions of our people at work.
And comparatively few families have
had the only bread winners put out
of job Our problem here at home
is all the harder to solve because it
problem alone Unemployment is
world wide"
Discussing efforts to relieve the
situation, Secretary Davis said that
the unemployment department of the
department OF labop was doing all it
can to place laborerS in positions.
During the harvest" he explained
lit sent between $4,000 and 10000 men
to ha fsa Il
as the harvest season moved north
ward
THE unemployment service is at
present taking care of the threshing
and corn cutting situation wherever
men are needed for this purpose.
Cotton and woolen 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, high priced, women's shoes.
This may be accounted for by the fur.
ther fact that men now out of the
hardy forms of employment are not
shoe buyers. 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 That cannot be long de-
layed. That situation begins to
brighten.