The Washington times., 1930-03-05
REDS MOBILIZE
IN PROTEST Of F
IDLENESS
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put on the show are taken here
with a large grain Of salt.
Instead Of becoming unduly
alarmed or hySterical over the
scheduled demonstrations. Admin.
istration officials from President
Hoover down have turned their
attention to the more serious side
Of the situation - which ad-
mittedly is the growing unem-
ployment throughout the country.
Conference Considered
The cabinet discussed it rather
fully yesterday, and today it was
reported that President Hoover is
considering the advisability Of
summoning national conference
Of industrial heads and labor
leaders, similar in scope and
purpose to that held in 1921 when
unemployment became serious in
the first year Of the Harding
Administration. AS Secretary of
Commerce, Mr.. Hoover was chair
man of that conference.
The chief question mark in the
present situation, according to
administration leaders, is the un.
known extent of unemployment
today.
Estimates Of the workers now
jobleSs run all the way from
5000, 900 to 5000, 1000, but the
painful fact is that no one knows,
and the figures are all guesseS,
based upon scanty figures which
permit of certain deductions.
Secretary of Labor Davis, in
his statement replying to Senator
Wagner today, said the forth
coming decennial census would
show there are Sorae $4,000, ,OO0
wage earners in the country land
certainly 100000 Of them are
at work" That would set the
unemployed at 100000, which
most authorities agree is a very
low estimate. Some authoritie9
contend that 3,00O,O 900 represents
the normal unemployment in the
United States. even in good times
No Statistics Available
There is not a single Govern,
ment department or bureau in
Washington that is empowered or
equipped to keep unemployment
statistics. The Department of
Labor issues percentage estimates
of increases or decreases In EN-.
ployment, but these relate only
to certain industries and localities,
and not to the great mass Of
workers who are untabulated and
unchecked.
The Department Of Commerce
and the Federal Reserve Board
keep their fingers on the indus
trial pulse, but can only estimate
the number Of unemployed. The
American Federation Of Labor
can only estimate unemployment
as applied to union men. The
Federation now estimates 10 per
cent of unionized workers are un
employed.
If the 10 per cent of union un-
employment Is indicative of gen.
eral conditions, it would mean
approximately 5000 900 workers
UNEMPLOYED, But no one knows.
In his unemployment speech in
the Senate on Monday, Senator
Wagner CD Of New York. placed
responsibility for existing condi-
tionS on the administration.
Today, Secretary Davis de-
posted the bundle back on The
doorstep of Congress. Davis
criticised the Senate for delaying
the tariff and public buildings
bills, and asserted this delay has
contributed enormously to bust
ness uncertainty, resulting in I'm
employment.
NEW YORK. March 5 UN.SO
Communists, planning a huge un-
employment demonstration here
tomorrow, were warned by police
officials today they would not be
permitted to congregate in City
Hall Park, and any attempts to
march to the office of Mayor
Walker would be met with police
clubs"
Police Commissioner Whalen
advised the Red leaders they
would find ample space in Union
Square to stage any demonstra.
ton. He said all rioting and
lawleSSncss would be supprne~ d.
AS city officials and police pre-
pared to keep order at tomor.
rows demonstrations, they were
inclined to consider lightly receipt
of letter warning of a gigantic
bomb plot. Police said they
thought the letter was the work
of a crank.
It was signed Special Investi.
gator" and sent to Federal At.
torney Tuttle. The letter said
plans had been made to bomn
all large buildings in New York
and to assassinate leading Of
ficialS here and in Washington
Tuttle said he did not take the
letter seriously.
BERLIN, March 5 QN.S0.-
Despite widespread alarm in some