The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-02-06
ION This
!: Occasion
Just q few thoughts by the Editor
on things Material and Immaterial.

I:
In a uninterrupted circular entitled,
ely Miners Voice" circulated anony-
mously one night the fore part of the
week. the miners of Ely are advised
to join the hunger march at Hibbing
on February 10, on which day bill
will be introduced in Congress to fur
nish Workers Unemployed Insurance
of SIS per month and SIS for each child.
The circular is issued by the Young
Communist League and the Communist
party The paper also advises the I'M
employed workers to make demand
for the $4,000 in the city treasury.
According to the Voice, which has no
editor-at least his name Is not at
tached-the unemployment situation in
Ely is very acute.
This is news to the majority of Ely
citizens. The bank statements OF last
month show an appreciable increase
in the saving deposits of Ely people
and a decrease in checking deposits.
The larger number of saving deposits
are maintained by the laboring man
who has stipulated wage and gets 1t
at regular intervals. The checking de-
posits are from business men who pay
accounts with checks and their de-
posts vary from few dollars right
after pay days to nothing-and in
many cases an overdraft or note-a
few days later. The laborer gets his
money regularly and is permitted by
this to budget his expenditures in such
amounts as to allow a slight addition
to the saving deposit. The business
man has all his worldly possessions on
the shelves or invested in real estate
and if he cannot sell his goods or
property, he is broke.
We have investigated some Of the
statements made in the Voice and find
them highly exaggerated. We have
also investigated somewhat as to the
makeup of the Young Communist
party in Ely and find that large part
of those who could be located, did not
want a Job and were living on the dol
lars their fathers were bringing home.
We do not believe that the unemploy-
ment situation in Ely is more than
normal. It is true that the Pioneer
is working on five day schedule and
the Zenith on four day schedule a
week. The corporations found this
method far more satisfactory than lay
ing off men. Wages were not cut.
The men also preferred this method
rather than lay-of for part OF
their number. The market for steel is
expected to perk up before spring and
this will also perk up the mining OF
iron ore.
We would be pleased if some one in
q position to know would tell us
exactly how the unemployment STU
alton stands. A few weeks ago we
printed an item asking laborers from
other mining towns who might be lured
here by the glowing accounts of travel
ing statesmen and others that ELY was
the best town on the ranges" to stay
where they were. This was done to
protect our laboring men. Ire larger
portion of our laboring people are home
owners and taxpayers. These deserve
all the protection they can get. We
were afraid that the same condition
might arise here that has affected sev-
eral other towns. One in particular is
brought to mind in connection with this
statement. The town had twenty
thousand population and only employ
ment during the summer for eight
thousand. Winter employment only
cared for about 5000 and 5000 were
considered floaters who went to other
places for jobs or organized unemp.oy-
ment parades. There are some who
would rather patrcuiZe the bread line
than get work of any other nature ard
try and feed themselves.
However, if there is no work there
must be bread lines. The unemployed
should be listed and catalogued. Those
deserving of jobs will be taken care
of sufficiently to keep the wolf from
the door Those who are only agita-
tors, reputably paid by Russian slush
fund to stir up strife and class hatred
in this country, should be weeded cut.
There is no room in America for this
kind of propaganda and Russia should
be prevented from circulating such
dope. If there is hunger and want
here, these can be brought to the at
tention of the local chapter of the
American Red Gross who will do all
in their power to help the same as
they are doing in the drought stricken
sections where thousands are being fed
daily by this noble organization. The
city council are not moronS and will
do what is right if actualities and not
generalities are presented. They will
even 60 so far as to use the $4,000 in
the treasury. if necessary.
The trouble with statements as made
In the Voice is that there is nobody
behind it who is sufficiently interested
to sign his or her name to the docu-
ment. Anonymous writer's and pro-
pagandists are the bane of society
Just like the scandal monger. No
credit is given for the good deeds of
the world The finest character can
be wrecked with the insidious aspers-
ions There is no recourse. The
scandal monger hides behind an
anonymous communication. It looks
very much to us as if someone on the
Mesaba range is jealous of Ely and is
IN or or