The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-27
l5,OOQ,OOO PEOPLE
 SAID TO DEPEND
 ON REICH ALMS
Unemployment In Ger many Brings Variety Of
 Suggested Remedies
By FERDINAND JAIN. ( Copyright 1924, For The Age-Herald)


 BERLIN, April 26.-Germany's un- employment problem, though showing signs of improvement. is appalling to labor, industry and officialdom alike.
 Labor Minister Brauns estimate that there are 5,000O00 unemployed, tells only part of the story, for statisticians figure that this represents a total of 15,000,000 thrown on the state for support. In other words, one-fourth of Germany's populace is dependent on state support, if these figures, are ac- cepted as true.
 The socialist point of view, as ex- plained by Robert Schmidt. former min ister of economy, is theoretically very simple. He declares that the employers were spoiled by their huge profits dur ing the imitation period, and that for eign markets were lost, simply beca use the industrialists did not think it worth while, to work win little profit there, while big gains were to be made else where without effort. -.s
 Want Markets Regained
 His conclusion therefore is, that the industrialists should part with their easy profits in order to keep their works going and in the meantime re- sume their pre-war methods of close calculat tion and careful propaganda ir order to regain the lost markets which would yield work for all.
 The employers. on their side claim to know no such simple remedy. They declare that unemploy ment is only an inevitable concomitant phenomenon of the recovery crisis.
 Freidrich Minoux. the ex-chief of Hugo Shines enterprises. is credited with the cynical remark that 100000 German workers would actually have to starve to death, before the economic life of the country could recover.
 Whether Stinnes himself held this brutal view is doubtful. At any rate he never expressed it. His son, the younger Hugo Shines, told an interviewer from his fathers newspaper the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. that the only is-, sue was 'intensification of the nation al economy mentioning especially the means of communication. Young Stinnes further alluded to the ten hour day, another pet idea or his father. as, a means of overcoming the unemploy ment crisis.
 Suggests Consolidation
 Doctor Koettgfen. the head of the Siemens Schuckert works, thinks that the total production uf the country ought to be strictly. organized as one body. in order to avoid wasteful com petition and to secure cheaper produc- tion costs. This resIves the so-called "planful economy" an idea. which was fervently advocated three years ago by Eon Moelleldorff. state secretary in the economic ministry. when the above mentioned Robert Schmidt held that post. Although corresponding to a fundamental maxist idea. the proposi- tion at that time was rejected even by the majority of the socialists. Koettgen further holds that the building trade should be revived all the more as there is a greaf shortage of dwellings the world market.
 A very liberal view is held by Ernest Won Dorsig, the head of the renowned Dorsig works. He admonishes his fel- low-employers, rather to work without profit, than to dismiss their old staff of skilled workmen. He points out that the crisis was to be expected and that it will be overcome one day, when skilled hands will be badly wanted again. Besides he advocates an in- tensification of work. although he warns employers not to disregard the workmen's feelings
 Another scheme is discussed in the papers by, an unnamed author, who proposes large public works, for which, he believes. foreign loan might be obtained without grrdt difficulty. as the foreign creditors would not have to fear that their money would be used to compete with their own interests in the world market