The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-02-27
BY DEXTER Nj. KEEZER
Times Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-There
is very large volume of unemploy-
ment in the United States at pres
enet. Except tor the jobless, this is
not an evidence of hard times. AL
though these are not boom days and
some industries are in bad shape,
the economic condition of the coun-
try is good and promises to become
much better during the coming
months.
If it is true that the country is
in good shape economically, what
accounts for the large army of I'M
employed? And what can be done
about it?
These questions, giving serious
concern to communities in virtu-
ally all parts of the country, will be
discussed in this and following ar
ticles.
Just how many people are unem-
ployed in the United States at pres
ent no one knows and there is no
machinery for finding out exactly.
Various estimates recently made
range from 100000 to 100000.
Estimates Vary
The Labor Bureau of New York,
which does economic research for
labor unions, places the total at
100000, but comedies that this is
little more than a careful guess.
At American Federation of Labor
headquarters the number of idle
wage workers is placed at 100000,
with somewhere near an equal num-
Der working only part time.
Various State industrial commits
sions have partial figures, which in
dictate that a reasonable guess of
the number of people unemployed
in the United States at present is
about 100000
1t is estimated that there are al
ways about a million working peo-
pie temporarily unemployed, NOV
ing from job to job, taking time
off or striking. That leaves about
100000 people-about 5 per cent of
the working population of the
country-who would like to be work
ing and cannot get jobs.
Conditions Improving
In spite of this very large volume
Of unemployment, the economic con-
dition of the country is good and
improving.
There was sharp slump in manu-
featuring and trade activity during
the last few months of 1927 but in
dustrial production for January of
this year showed an increase of
about per cent over December and
is decidedly on the upgrade.
In 1927. the year SO widely her
aided as one of "profitless prosper
ity," it is estimated by David Fri
day, we'll known economist, that
business profits aggregated about
$4,000 100000, only slightly less than
those of 1926, a record breaking year
of industrial activity. And the de-
partment of labor estimates that the
hourly wages of union laborers in
1927 we're about 2.5 per cent higher
than in 1926.
Wages, Sales Optimistic
With no two experts agreed on
what constitutes prosperity, there
is no possible way of proving that
the country is or is not prosperous
Certainly for the 100000, more or
less, who are beating the streets
looking for jobs, talk of prosperity
is a mockery.
But if such things as volume of
production, wages and profits and
sales are any guide, the country is
not suffering from any severe
economic depression.
Conditions could be very much
better. They always can, but for
those who are lucky enough to have
jobs these are far from hard
times"
If it is true that the economic
condition of the country is good,
how is it possible for the fact that
an army, comparable IN size to the
American 'EXpeditionary Force in
France, IS beating the streets of
cities and towns looking for jobs?
That question will oe considered
IN