The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-11
Increasing Unemployment and
Starvation--Decreasing Relief

among its 5000 applicants for bread and soup"
And now even the flop houses are to be closed
for lack Of support
Detroit
Although during January alone more than
100000 was spent out of the city budget for
some $4,000 families, there is no let-up in the
number of unemployed applying for relief. They
were about 500 families applying each day to
the Department of Public Welfare according to
recent estimates.
Those families that received relief" were get
ting only S. week on which to live-for fam
lily of tour-out Of which to pay for gas and
light as well as food.
There are close to 100000 jobless in the whole
city. Gwen the Department of Commerce found
175i000 jobless in Detroit or 25 per cent Of the
"gainfully employed" workers of the city, And
city departments continue to lay off workers.
Over 500 were recently laid off from the De-
partment Of Public Works and hundreds OF
others by the Department of Street Railways.
Philadelphia
Charity agencies still calling for help About
"a per cent of the workers out Of Jobs.
Cleveland
About 25 per cent of the workers out of Jobs
while the city does practically nothing in the
way of relief"
san Francisco
Latest report via Federated Press THE UNI
employment situation in the Bay District in
spite of promised relief, remains acute" The
apple sellers are being driven from the streets
(see later)
Pittsburgh
The city welfare department which spent
100000 III direct relief on 10000 families in
three months stopped relief when it ran out OF
money on January II. Applications we're then
being received at the rate of so day. Then
d plan" was devised to raise 100000, the en-
pIoyers and employed workers to give a days
pay roll. Only one-fourtll OF the amount has
been raised and recent reports say the plan is
flop.
Baltimore
When the city fell down completely on relief
a big drive" chiefly among employed workers
resulted in some 100000 going into a wholly
inadequate fund to meet the increasing need.
st. Louis
report from Federated Press, April /, says:
Having exhausted 100000 appropriated by
the city, the st. Louis citizens committee on
unemployment relief is campaigning for 100000
to continue its work. the first fund was
hausted April !. The committee sees no i'm
mediate let-up of unemployment Five thou
sand families are receiving constant aid.
The appeal is an indictment OF capitalism.
TN most cases." it says, through no fault of
their own men have been without work IL and
10 months They have held on to the last, using
their savings selling personal possessions to buy
food, moving to cheaper quarters. We find unx
REIMBURSEMENT, need for medical aid eviction
Children have been taken from school; people
who were once staunch, self-respecting citizens
are now in ragged clothes, thin because Of in
sufficient food, their morale completely broken"
The appeal estimates $1,000 st. Louis men are
without work and unable to find it.
San Francisco
The latest report from San Francisco is as
follows
1.-The sale of apples on the streets of San Fran
cisco by the unemployed will cease April 10
It is claimed that this is because of the di-
minishing number of those needing this means
of livelihood; the real reason. however is the
resentment OF downtown merchants who COM
plain that the pedders interfere with their bus
mess.
Employment conditions are better In San
Francisco than in most large cities of the coun-
try, but they are still very bad. An employ
ment bureau manager told the Federated Press
that he does not dare advertise the few jobs
that come in because he would be swsmped by
applicants"