Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-25
The Dole in England
Villagers Complain That System Encourages Ldziness.
Others Consider 1t as
Necessary Evil
Necessary Evil.

estimated that there were about five
per cent abuses Of the dole. This off,
cial had a gloomy outlook for the future
on the boot and shoe industry and eX-
pressed his opinion that there was
permanent surplus OF labor In the in
dustry.
Illustrative of this while we were
there an incident Of a young man
18 years of age came up. At the
age of IA he had gone into the
factory; after years OF steady work
he was out and since November had not
spent an hour in any employment. This
is only one case of the many in exist
ence in the town of Northampton. 1t
applies not only to Juvenile labor but
even more to the adult skilled artisan.
At Coventry, a few miles further on,
where the motor car industry has es-
tablished a population of over 100000,
the government had built an impress
sive new public building from which to
administer the dole Its dignifled pres
ence encouraged the Ca that the dole
system is now recognized national in
stitution.
Produces Calmness in Masses.
The Labor Exchange employed a
large personnel. counted 40 clerks
at the long counters waiting upon
QAACiI1pEOyGU, UOJll lllSAl SNA0 WSAAASAAi
who had come to register the fact that
they were on the unemployed list and
ent=sled by virtue of the registration to
the unemployed benefit.
Across the street Communist orator
was haranguing an audience, urging
them to join the Unemployed Workers
Movement He called them comrades
and workers" I noticed that most of
the men who listened to him had their
hor IN 411a{r
Undoubtedly the dole has produced
calmnesS in the masses. No one seems
to be looking for trouble. The parks
are filled with good-natured crowds all
day, wearing a sort of holiday air. I've
gone frequently to Hyde Park. where
open air oratory makes this noted spot
the very lung Of London. Most of the
orators were discussing religion.
Birmingham, which was orr objective
for the day, is, in industrial impor-
lance. next to London. 1t had popu-
the Labor Exchange told us ofhand
that there were $4,000 on the dole!
Later. upon consulting his register, he
found that it had grown since he last
loked at the figure to $4,000. The list
includes 10000 women. This large La
Dor Exchange has three branches, one
of which is devoted to women under the
management of woman civil service
office. The clerical force necessary to
administer the dole In Birmingham is
around five hundred.
The central exchange is housed in a
large building several stories high,
which was small-arms factory during
the war. In spite of the $4,000 unem-
ployed, who were paid of every week. it
probably cost the government not less
| than it did during the war.
The manager of the exchange was
very proud of the thoroughnesS with
which the many departments of activity
in the building were carrying forward
the administrative work. He referred
to it as great machine" and spoke
with considerable satisfaction of the
fact that plans had been drawn up and
approved by the Ministry of Labor for
| a permanent new building which would
enable them to carry on their work
with lone hundred per cent efficiency
and dispatch" This civil service off,
Ger had no thought of the dole as a
| temporary emergency measure. In his
mind it has become a permanent addi-
ton to the national services. The new
| building is to be a model. showing the
neatness and dispatch with which the
unemployed may be given their doles.
| In addition to the administration of
| the dole, which is the major work at
| the Labor Exchange. a service of dis
| tinct value is rendered in bringing the
employer and the laborer in touch with
! each other in much the same fashion
| as does the Labor Exchange at home.
Cinema Shows Filled.
| Undoubtedly the dole for the unem-
/ ployed produces an appearance of nor
mality in this great industrial COM
munity. Aside from the Labor Ex-
changes, where men and women wait
in long queues to get upon the register,
there are no crowds. The shops seem
| to be doing good business. The pub
| lie houses and the cinema shows are
! filled in the afternoons.
have made it practice to ask in
| dividuals in the street and various stores