Evening star., 1923-11-08

Business is booming in the United
States, while England is paying mil
lions of pounds annually to support
the unemployed. The United States
has never been put to such straits as
to pension the idle. as England is
now doing, though there have been
periods when free "souphouses," tenn
porarily, have fed many thousands.
In Washington there Is noted turn
of labor conditions which may not
be encouraging for all classes at the
beginning of winter. In the Phila-
delphia district. according to official
reports, there is accumulating a sur
plus of common labor, and similar
reports come from many other regions
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
ocean.
Part of this accumulation Of idle
ness is due to seasonal conditions.
Building operations in the Capital are
slowing up, not only because Of win
ter (Which need not stop ordinary
construction in this climate), but
largely because of finances. 1t is
stated by men who are in a position
to know, but who do not want to be
quoted, that there exist now in Wash
ington nearly 1000 unrented apart
ments, whose rentals are generally
based upon cost of construction, at
present wages and high cost of ma
terials. These rentals appear too high
TO attract tenants. and so the apart
ments remain untenanted, while
thousands of families huddle in close
quarters in rented, furnished rooms
III is said that banks and loaning
companies are inclined to call In their
building loans on the unoccupied
buildings and that builders will be
urged TO lower their rentals to fill up
the idle apartments by December 1.
Ihere Is plenty Of money for mer-
chants, but hard money" for build
ing operations at present
X X X
There are various explanations from
experts as to why there is the present
slump in the demand for unskilled
labor; also various prophecies as to
what will break the seeming impasse
in apartment rentals. One of the most
prominent real estate firms advises
patience, for within about three weeks
Congress will be in session, and when
Congress is on hand it adds some
10000 to the population of Washington
How that will lower rental rates. how
ever, is not so clear, since values do
not fall with stimulated demand, but
IT will fill up the apartments, bring real
money TO the builders with which to
pay interest on their loans, which, in
turn, will satisfy the lenders, and prob
ably loosen the pursestrings for more
building operations and more employ
ment.
Without the approach Of Congress so
soon, the outlook for hundreds of idle
men during the winter and for many
idle homes would be serious, but under
the actual conditions there Is a feeling
that the situation will clear too soon
for worry.
In the face of the present labor con-
ditions. as above indicated, it seemed
especially remarkable to discover ex-
traordinary leniency on the part of
Secretary of Labor Davis this week in
his alleged sanctioning the admission of
a surplus of some 1900 immigrants
over the legal quotas from England and
some other countries. Press dispatches
from New York indicated that the Sec
retary had acted in behalf of human
ity," to avoid great hardships and even
tragedies which would have occurred if
he had ordered the 5000 to be deported.
Inquiry through the assistant secre-
the 5000 We're admitted, beyond the
legal quotas and how the situation this
month differed from conditions every
month, brought the frank explanation