The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-21
$4,000 OUT OF
WORK IN CITY,
REPORT SHOWS
Employment Gain by Next
Winter Doubted by
David Liggett.
DETAILS FUND SPENDING
Tells RotarianS of Great
Effort to Relieve Job
Situation.

~OA~N N%-~~S AAA~@A@E%OJ AAACAAI UAAA ~
improved next winter and belief
that it has restored many values in
humanity, was expressed to Indian
apolis Rotarians in the Claypool
at noon today by David Liggett,
executive secretary of the Com
munity Fund, speaking on How
Indianapolis Has Met the Unem-
ployment Situation"
Liggett detailed application of
relief fund; to suffering in this
city, and summarized the fight of
several agencies, public and private,
to provide support for thousands in
the city thrown out Of their Jobs
by the business depression subse-
quent to the stock market panic late
in 1929.
In March, he said, 30,826 persons.
or 1877 per cent of employable per-
sons in the city, were out of work.
The highest figure, he related, was
reached in January this year, when
1924 were without work.
Must Keep Up Morale
I'VE may, happily, by next win
ter have turned the corner and he
well toward a business revival,
However, no one can be certain of
this optimistic forecast. The his
tory of such periods of depression
is that they last for three years, as
far as public relief expenditures is
concerned" Lggett declared.
Families that slip through for
two years may slip through the ice
the third winter The holding I'D
OF the morale of the unemployed
through periods of depression is as
vital to their future as the supply
OF their immediate material needs
Praising the various relief agen-
cles for their cooperation in the
battle against starvation, Liggett
said:
Perhaps out of the privation OF
this present experience we will be
able to catch a glimpse of some re-
suits in better citizenship and finer
community spirit, which will add to
our, assurance that we live in no
mean CITY,"
Cites Records of Society
Liggett outlined report of Stats
tics gathering organizations to show
that the condition was nation and
worldwide, with relief in 1890 two
and one-half times in excess Of that
In 1929, and five times that Of 1929
in 1881.
Citing records of the Family We'll
fare Society as an example of the
manner in which relief agencies
were engulfed with the problems,
Liggett said that in January this
year II per cent of relief cases were
due to unemployment, while in 1929
only 36 per cent were attributable
to that cause.
He traced relief expenditures of
Center township to show how they
had increased. In November, 1929.
the township spent $3.50 for relief.
and in February, 1881, It spent
100000. While in the nation the
average proportion between public
and private relief agencies was 10
per cent for the former and 30 per
cent for the latter, the Community
Fund here was maintaining 40 per
cent of the relief.
Outlines Great Effort
He told the Rotarians how tran
silent men had been cared for here
by the Salvation Army, Wheeler City
Rescue Mission, Volunteers of
America and Travellers Aid Society
and then launched into description
OF the most serious effort in Indi-
annapolis to overcome the unemploy-
ment dilemma.
After studying a similar plan in
Cincinnati, the Community Fund
and Indianapolis Foundation, to-
gether with city officials, organized
the commission for stabilizing en-
ployment, out Of which grew the
emergency work committee, with a
fund Of $56,500, out Of which SAC. 900
has been paid in wages on a made
work program.
In this program, Liggett said:
For the first time in the history
Of local public relief the taxpayer is
getting his money back, in terms of
improvements Of the physical prop
critics in the city and county"
Only 5000 Get Aid
No longer, however, will Iabore-s
be paid money. Center township
has made up three types Of baskets,
which will be wages Of workmen in
accordance with the size Of their
family. A maximum of 1000 men
working three days a week Is pos
sible under that plan, Liggett said.
Previously only TOO men could be
cared for.
Probably not more than 5000
people have received relief in In
dianapolis." he said. The remain
der are making out in some other
fashion"
Closing with explanation Of CO.
operation Of the city park board in
employing needy men, and descrip-
ton Of the Community Funds ef-
forts, Liggett said:
"As a result of our common and
cooperative efforts to handle this
problem We have, happily. had the
most far-flung cooperation thai
has characterized civic and social