The Washington herald., 1922-01-08

were blacks. and most of them had
mover seen a machine before. Reg
ular machinists. for the most part.
had gone to other cities, taking a
chance. Those still working had
been reduced from so cents during
the war to 81 cents today. They
were being furloughed. two weeks
on and two weeks of, to give work
to more men. In the other depart
ments men had three weeks on and
one week off.
But over on the East Side, the
negro section, hundreds of men
were lying around unemployed.
Their women had gone North isto
domestic work, or were making
pickles. pies and cakes and beg
ging people to buy them att the
door. For. that matter the whites
were doing that, too. Joe Mackey,
a molder-he and his wife both
were making doughnuts and taking
them from door to door.
swell. yes, / am a union man."
This in response to questioning.
NO. the yards don't recognize the
union. Never did. But they don't
discharge the union men. Fergu-
son (the president of the company
say IL 20 pOuys anu we
have a grievapce committee; meets
regular once a month. and we can
take complaints up there.
''Sure, there's lots thinks they're
going to lose their jobs IL the
Hughes plan goes through, but, I
tell You, the thinking workers be-
lieve disarmament's the thing"
Hilton Village, wartime town
built by the United States Housing
Corporation, lies about four miles
from the center of Newport News.
The car. on which ] paid a 7-cent
fare, followed the outskirts of the
Chesapeake and Ohio yards. where
line after line of freight cars Law
filled with coal, and not a workman
about. \ few blocks beyond the
shipyards the car crossed the city
line and another 'fare-a scent one
was collected. To the right sof
the track were government ware
houses used for stores during the
war. Twenty-four of them set IN
the midst of great concrete yards.
They were locked. Beyond was un-
broken wood, with autumn leaves
still hanging.
Even Churches Affected.
Inc village Is on the James
River; 4S5 houses, a schoolhouse and
block of shops. The 4S5 families
built four churches during the war,
all Protestant. There were Catho-
lie residents. but they paid their
IL cents carfare to Newp6ft News
for their devotions. Each house had
its yard and. during the war, each
had its chickens and It's quota or
children.
At the first block I was impressed
with the number of well built
houses, of good design, yet with no
curtains at the windows and no
smoke coming out of the chimneys.
Then 1 began to count. Five houses
occupied. four vacant. Four houses
occupied, three vacant. Three houses
occupied. five vacant.
A woman came down the street
In the sunshine, with her two chill
dren. Under her arm was an empty
dish. She had just come from a
church where a bazaar was in
progress.
Too bad the people put their
money into all these churches. Now
what are they going to do"
The word they" struck me.
Don't you live here?" I inquired.
"Oh, yes; were here as long as
he keeps his job"
He" was an electric welder. The
little family had come from Roa-
noke during the war. They had a
siX-roomed house for which they
had paid $50, but the rent had
twice been reduced and now they
paid only s26.
The woman talked on in reply to
questions:
Food costs 20 per cent more here
than at Newport News. Always did
ands still does-meat, dry groceries
and vegetables. Seems the govern
ment couldn't regulate that. It's
gone down some now like the rent:
but his wages have dropped from
sl.O5 to 6S cents since last January,
and it isn't nearly so easy to make
out as II used to be- OF course,
the whole village is emptying out.
People going back to where they
came from or to their relatives.
Yes. we have entertainments in the
schOolhouse and at the churches
but nobody fixes up. for they all
expect to leave any time. -. He
thinks the yard will close. They
are trying to get a job there now
but they have to bid So awfully
low. Yes, indeed, Wen 20 back
to Roanoke"
vacant Houses Everywhere.
From Hilton, northwest of the
shipyards. I crossed over to the
southeast side of the town. back
from the coal piers, to the old Sec
ton which is the negro quarter
street after street of little old
frame houses with porches. and un-
paved roads between. Here, too,
were vacant houses-I counted sew
en- in single block. On every
corner or at the edges of the un-
paved walks by the cutters stood
negroes, usually alone, hands in
their pockets.
\ negro of perhaps As or so years
crossed the street. He was heavily
buiit, OF big frame. muscular. 1
walked with him to his house
three rooms, more or less empty.
save for a straight-backed chair or
two, bed, table and cots. He
paid SlS rent. The wife was dead
vi mis- five sons. two had worked
In the yards but had had no iobs
Tor months. The man had been a
drlller in shipyards. but had been
laid on since June. He did NOT
complain. He managed to pick up
some change occasionally, he said,
But the neighbors told me he had
no idea where his next meal was
coming from.
we should have saved. but we
uiun the man leaned heavily
against the rotting' pillar of the
porch. We thought it was going
10 last. l reckon. Ne. we've moth
IN. And the rest is all like us