The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-11
BY LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

Nation, q summary Of the replies to which ap-
peared in that magazine March II. In response
to the question as to whether there had been
say change in the unemployment SITUATION since
last December. some Sc mayors replied tnaC
there had been no change-tn other words, u
was lust as bad as in December; 81 reported
a slight improvement; and 80 said that the
situation had become worse instead OF oetVer'
Six replied that there had been sharp increase
in the number OF unemployed workers Frac-
tically al the cities reporting drop in uneu-
oloyment- were small ones while those reporting
increases were the large industrial centers
Such cities as Dayton, Detroit, and Cincinnati
reported that the situation was worse Note
that these we're mayors neutrality-suspicious. po-
hticians.. each eager to make things appear as
rosy as possible in his own city,
out of more than a hundred mayors who
responded to this Nation QUESTIONABLE, less uaall
half declared that private charity was rendering
any kind of relief Most Of them admit that
the private agencies have raised lnsuttlclenI
funds and that the funds that have been raised
are being quickly used up.
Even In january (New York Times, January
76, 1881 it was reported that 100 out OF l4s
cities had abandoned their bread lines ana soup
kitchens Other more indlvlduanzed forms
of relief were said to have been substituted for
AAASS@-+- N@--
charity agencies organized the relief" IN SUCH
q vrav that the workers starye IN less con"
snScuoljs manner than on bread lines. How
ever, there was doubtless some distributor OF
food to homes through the usual charity nachin-
ery. community chests, and other welfare oodles'
At that time there we're said to be between
90 and 100 bread lines in New York City
A11e,, r. Burns. director of the National Asso-
cation of Community Chests and Councils, is
authority for the statement that If relief cares
for one per cent Of the wages loss, 1t Is dong
well"
And the number being fed or even asking
for aid has little relation to the number tha5.
are really close to starvation For as the social
workers usually explain, with pride for Alaef.
lean individualsna," not until starvation Is Just
around the corner does the average unemployed
family swallow its pride and ask for AID
As to the amount Of relief that comes from
,or;vate charity as opposed to public funds not
more than 25 per cent actually comes from
charity. Something over rs per cent OF reheI
is coming from the public treasury, Burns ao-
rnits In other words. it has come in response
tn the pressure Of the hunger n1archers ana
others who have protested to town cou1lcns ana
county authorities. CThe states have done al
yoost nothing and the federal government ap-
solutely nothing9 -.-..
The o,ir1jors among the peltare workers seems
In be that private charity has failed IN spite Oh
the community chests raising this year llIoli
mora than they did last year ana t!iaO ~ "
unable to assume any further oohsd V4oIio'
Furthermore the city treasures IN many oas''
are deuleted due to the fall in real estate CaAa ,
tor due to the depression. IL Is CoiVe No.
therefore, that the only possible source oi Iulilo
3s federal either through bono ISSUES Vi
Increased taxation Of the rich'
relief has never been anything Ike Wna1
could he called adequate" A survey OF the
sitrstior, Is 50 New York State cities by the
r4overnor's Commission on Unemployment Proe-
1en,. showed that public relief is generatiy IN
ADEQUATE to the needs of the recipient ana Is
,,s,,aIlv limited to small food orders averaging
about four dollars week regardless OF tfle SIZE
Of the family (Survey, Feb. l5' l93lo
New York City
ztost of the $4,000 men and women on the
,..vro1ls of the Prosser Con1n1ittee-whlch raised
about 100000 partly by taking 1t out OF en-
nloved- workers pay envelopes-wlll not De en-
n1oyed after April 8. Thousands have areaoy
been dropped And the 1000 needy neaos Oh
families who have been working IN tle PdlAs
three davs week will also be out Of jobs at the
$50 +,r3e unless the state Legislature author
4-es q. s1o0oepoo appropriation by the city for
sirnateria1. labor supplies. and contracts IhlS
.nr,ronriatior even if authorized can apparently
rot ts made by the City Board OF Estimate De
fore April 10. And the most optimistic reports
cav that even If passed this would mean only
the gradual absorption" OF those now pelng
laid off.
Most conservative estimates still figure az leas1
ESQ 900 unemployed in New York City represent
ing a. monthly wage loss of about s6OOoo'ooo'
rven the social reformists demand minimum
n. s56ooeeo month to give RELIEF 10 those
facing starvation All sources OF 'rehet nave
,,rovided only a little over 100000 IN any one
month and a lot of this has gone for overhead
On March / even the Police Commissioner
admitted that the demand for relief was con-
tinuallv on the increase. The Mayors committee
mas sf that time giving food to $1,000 families
using the police department to distribute It,
Buffalo
give thousand men employed under the er1er-
oancv proqrana as laborers during the last three
months we're laid off April /. A fund OF s75oOOo'
snnropriated by the city has been practcally
exhausted. Forty-five cents an hour was the
rate Maid these men while they were employed
hv the city. Even the relief given by both
,rivate and public agencies reached less IMAM
half of the family heads who were out OF jobs
In Buffalo.
Chicago
Chicago raised about 100000 partly forced
ont of workers who still had jobs but the presl-
dent of the United Charities OF that city an
,,ouncsd march le): Chicago faces a greater
crisis in meeting unemployment than at any
time during the long period OF unemployment. =