Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-10
NUMBER Of IDLE
MEN IS GROWING
FEWER DAILY IS
EXPERTS CLAIM.
Army Of Unemployed Is
DWindIing More Rapidly
Than Anticipated, Accord
Ing to Data Collected,
REVIVAL OF INDUSTRY
is PROVIDING JOBS
No Soup Houses viii Be
Opened This Winter Ex-
Cept in Two or Three
Large Cities, Prediction,
(BY HARDEN COLFAX.)
Especial Dispatch TO Morning JournaD
Copyright 1921 by Albuquerque JournaD

Copyright 1921 by Albuquerque JOurnal)
Washington, Oct. 9.-Washing-
ton has been somewhat fearful of
the coming winter and what it
might bring to and from an army
of millions of unemployed men,
but its fears are passing with the
quickening of prosperity. The
army of the idle is dwindling more
rapidly than anticipated. according
to reports from many sections, and
while there are possibly two or
three millions still unemployed, 4,
the general situation is becoming
so much better that for the first
time in months officials here feel
that it is rapidly being taken in
hand and that winter holds few
terrors.
Situation Looks Healthier.
"The situation was full of grave
possibilities three or four months
ago." says j. B. Densmore, director
general of employment during the
Wilson administration, "but it
looks healthier now. Three or four
months ago we worried over the
outlook. Four or five million idle
men, with families suffering for
the necessities of life and with
of time to ponder over
their troubles constitute force
which warrants grave considera-
ton. 1t received such considera-
ton.
"Now, however, the situation
has changed. There are far fewer
idle men than there were last July.
Thousands of men who could not
find jobs then are finding then1
now. They are going back to WORK
every day There are it Is trues
a good many men yet to find en-
but the problem is less
acute. The chances are that they
will nearly all find work before
real winter sets in, although many
of them will have only part time
work and probably most of them
will go back at wage reductions.
Il have been following the fig
ures closely and I do not believe
there will be necessity for opening
a single soup house in the United
States this winter, with the pos
sible exception of two or three
of the larger cities. New York,
Chicago, Philade!phla--that prob
ably will represent the total and it
may not be necessary even there.
Large cities. however. always have
a floating population of idle and
even in the most prosperous times
free food will find lines of men
for it."
Many Back TO Their Jobs.
Reports from almost every Sec
ton to the government depart
ments and to the scores of national
trades associations quartered here
show that the revival of industry,
while not of boom proportions. has
drawn tens of thousands Of work
ers back to their jobs during the
past thirty days. The railroads
probably have taken 10000 men
to their rolls and ready to add tens
Of thousands more, they state. as
soon as congress makes available
funds due them. Prospect for the
passage of such legislation is eX-
cellent, once the tax bill gets out
Of the way.
Building construction is looking
up. The men back at work in that
number a good many
more than last summer.
The lumber industry. in certain
sections, is booming to such extent
that running full time, mills are
many weeks behind with orders.
Coal mining is coming back to rec
ognizable proportions and men who
were working two days week last
summer are now working three
and four. In some favored fields
mines are going full time with am
pie orders ahead.
Textiles Take the Lead.
Iron and steel are picking up.
Furnaces long idle are being blown
IN, a few each month but enough
to swell the production figures
Manufacturing centers
report genuine revival of many
ines, of which textiles, now going
1t approximately full blast, takes
he lead.
In the army of the idle the agi-
.ator has been busy during the
summer. There are reports in the
of justice. gathered by
he Investigators In some OF the
chief centers. such as Pittsburgh.
which, indicates that the agitator
has made converts and that there
1as been some growth of radical
doctrines among the ranks OF the
1t was the growth
,f such sentiment-the expression
IF men feeling the pinch of idle
less--that worried administration
eaders last summer.
Fears Are Vanishing.
For a time it seemed as IL the
'adical and irresponsible had
planted productive leaven among
.hese millions of men with moth
ng but time on their hands. There
we're real forebodings of what a
bleak winter might bring. But
,uch fears are vanishing In the
smoke Of mills and factories gone
pack to work.
President Harding's unemploy-
nent conference has pleased the
administration nightly by the
PRACTICAL t-ork it has started in
many communities to which the
dea, apparently had not occurred
If taking care of their own lin-
The work is now gath
ring momentum. It is adding It's
(Continued on Page Two.)