The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-06-08
Government to "Enumerate" the Unemployed

FER considerable jockeying during which the proposal
was considerably kicked about and stepped the lower
of congress by vote 189 to 1873 has finally permitted
the enumeration of the number of unemployed IN the country
be made part Of the national census in May, 1880
The capitalist government isn't much concerned with the
unemployed except when they demonstrate in the streets IN
their Then the police are called out Herbert Hoover
as head the department of commerce. moment OF
the night day. could tell just how many toothpicks
hats existed in the land But James j. Davis the sec
rotary of labor knows how many obess workers
walking the Streets those part time unemployed. He
makes his to suit the convenience OF the admnsra
ton to which he belongs Reliable unemployment statistics
have been kept capitalist party campaign promises
They did not exist at all Now 1t seems that by single
majority statistics to be taken by order OF the
lower house of congress- although the proposition may yet
be killed in the senate.
Since the is to be taken by henchmen of the
iast parties they of course be manipulated by Pres
ident Hoover he efficiency engineer of Imperialism to suit
the purposes Of the employers It will be difficult to read
much truth into them.
One view of growing unemployment in this country
presented to the National Electric Light Association
tion now meeting Atlantic City, by j. R. Howard past
president of the American Farm Bureau Federation who
pointed out that threequarers of million workers are being
forced to turn empoyments annually by the increase
the of mechanical power in this country He stated
that 100000 being replaced on the farms each year
by mechanical energy while than 100000 driven
from the various industries.
Howard pointed out that this raises the question of the
development the United States of lines of business
result of scientific discoveries mechanical application
which will provide labor for these three quarters of million
workers dsempyed annually But he did not point out that
this possible
The prices that the poor farmer gets for his products
from the food spectators does not enable him to moorze
his land his wife to indulge in lighting fixtures percolat
and electric curling irons included in the Atlantic City
exhibition Instead he is pushed into the class of bankrupt
landess and becomes part of that 100000 drifting
nuay into the already overrowded cities while the bonanza
farms of big growers increase in size and efficiency develop
mechanizaon and hire increasing number of hands,
cusively agricultural workers.
Our Communist Party has continually pointed out that it
this increasing and efficient of mechanical energy
that is gradually developing the permanent army of the
employed in the United States factor in the increasing
rehabilitation of the American working class The socaed
industries automobiles chemicals, radio rayon (artca
s arplane certainly do not absorb the disemployed Nor
there industries in prospect that will do this.
Statistics carefully taken by the national
machinery in May, 1929 could throw considerable light
this development of American capitalism Perhaps
be possible read something worthwhile into the figures
taken by government most interested in hiding their real
meaning The Communist Interpretation will put the problem
as it confronts the working class