Evening star., 1925-12-27

comforts OF the home and in enjoy
ing life.
The automobile has been a great
temptation. and thousands are owned
by miners.
When the strike hit. the carefully
boarded funds went well for time.
They We're spent rather freely because
of the constant murmuring that the
strike would be a short one. Some of
those veterans of other days when
suspensions took, such a toll were
more cautious. But the passing of
the months has found the cash so
carefully saved being drained to it's
last penny.
Business DemoraIized.
Business is demoralized. The peo-
pie have no money. The limits or
credit have been exhausted long ago.
The banks cannot give further loans.
The business men have contributed
to the limit to help fellow townsmen.
Help must be found somewhere.
There was a time in other years
when no community in America had
a gayer or more pleasant Christmas.
Towns went in for celebrations.
Trees We're to be found in every win
dow and the holiday business reached
total that would be hard to equal in
any other section of the country.
Hundreds and hundreds of thousand
dollars worth of presents We're sent
back to the home countries. This
year there We're no celebrations.
Some miners struggled with IA wisp of
d tree here and there.
1t had the candles, it was bright and
CHEEKY, but Santa Claus failed TO call.
There were tears. and last years doll
or last years wagon was brought out
and used again in the makeshift of
Christmas Joy The children cannot
understand II, but the grim-faced
miners know the struggle and the
sorroWing mothers know only too well
the cost of the gigantic conflict be
tween labor and capital, one which
may mean even greater sufferings.
Free Food Is Served
The situation has become so serious
that the newspapers, school authori-
ties, political clubs, charitable organi-
cations. churches and various other
agencies have joined hands in a plea
TO help the sufferers. AT Shenandoah
more than 500 hungry children are
being fed at noon in the newly opened
children's welfare service room. and
efforts are now being made to serve
three meals day. The doing out Of
food TO children is being done through
Tickets were supplied first to children
who had had no breakfast. Frank
furterS beans bread and butter and
coffee are being served to the most
needy
Throughout the Shenandoah region
the condition is the same. Food,
clothing and coal are being taken TO
many families. Those families suffer
ing from want of heat are being cared
for through the help of the Philadel-
phi2a and Reading Coal and Iron Co,
whkh has offered to fill coal bins in
extreme cases. In the Scranton
Wilkes Barre zone. the outstanding
ca ses of distress are in the small min
ing communities apart from the large
cities.
At Dickson City. Peckville. Blakely,
Iermvn and even Carbondale many
families have been reported in want.
Investigators in the upper districts
have found that some families have
gone for two days without food.
At Duryea, Old Forge and Pittston
and throughout the lower district the
deprivation is reported just as great.
The miners have not had a pay day
since the middle of September.
Outside Work Scarce.
Many miners who have families are
trying TO get work, but there are not
nearly enough outside jobs 10 go
around. In Scranton relief stations
have been opened and much has been
done in the last few days through pub
lie cooperation TO aid the needy.
Rhys Powell, superintendent of
schools. acting on instructions from