Evening star., 1932-11-23
AT. or |. APPEALS
( FOR RELIEF FUNDS
HoIdS Moral Fortitude of Ma
+. ton Endangered by En-
g ployment Crisis.

accompanying O warning that Eve
IRE losing something more valuable
than gold-the vitality and moral forti-
hide Of our people" Nationwide ap-
peal for relief funds was made today
by the American Federation of Labor
30 combat "the greatest unemployment
crisis Of all times"
"Our relief bill this year." the fed
Grafton said in its November survey of
business, will be in hundreds of mil
Lions of dollars"
"Yet," it added, although many
have given generously and public funds
have been taxed exhaustively, relief for
our millions of unemployed has been
ut starvation levels"
Expect 12,700,00o Jobless.
Labor said that if the number out
of work increases by even the normal
seasonal amount, 12.700,000 will be un-
employed by January. 1t also estimated
that already nearly one-third of all
our wage and snall-salaried workers
are deprived of chance to earn
living"
The basis for the assertion that relief
was now at starvation level" was the
reports compiled, the report said, by
the Agriculture and Labor Departments.
At the last report, relief allowances in
the United States we're averaging $1919
a month per family, or less than S480
a week. Government agencies have
set from $3.50 to $40 as minimum
emergency budget for food alone for
o family Of five.
''Relief appeals this year are more
urgent than ever" Labor asserted. "Yet
the relief roll cannot replace the pay
roll. Two months of normal business
this Fall-September and October
added $186,000,000 to workers pay en-
velopes, more than 10 months relief
payments by 384 agencies in ITO cities.
Our great task is to start industry pro-
ducing, to put men to work to supply
their own needs, to get living standards
back to normal.
Prices Again Drop.
when business started upward this
Fall, revival did not continue. Since
October, industrial activity has been
slackening, prices are moving downward
again, freight shipment on railroads
have declined, declines in electric power
production show that factory operation
is slowing down, and recently stock
prices too have started downward.
"A few cheering reports suggest that
business is not likely to return to last
Summers low level-steel orders are
increasing with the demand for new
machinery encouraged by reconstruction
committees and with the slight gain
in automobile production. But the post
ponement OF sustained forward move
ment shows that something is still hold
ing business back. Credit for business
is still shrinking; banks are wary in
lending, business men hesitate long
time projects.
In citing the change in the value of
the dollar since 1929, the 1929 dollar
today being worth S1.51 for goods and
S2.77 for grain, labor cited the farmers
case of having to raise three times as
much to pay the 81 COO debt contracted
in 1929.
Likewise" the federation said, "the
textile manufacturer can get only So
cents yard for cloth which brought a
dollar in 1929, and he must sell twice
as much goods to pay on his debt.
Workers are still struggling under in |
stallment debts of 1929, which must be |
paid out of reduced wages. Thus debts
in MANY cases are doubled or even
trebled in terms of the work necessary
to repay them. With prices and in
comes still declining, it is no wonder
that farmer manufacturer and work.
er alike hesitate to buy on credit and
take on new debt burdens"
3e,000,000 Jobless in World.
In commenting on worldwide mem-
ployment, the report estimated there
were 30,000,030 parsons without work
and in addition millions more are
working such short schedules that their
income provides only the barest of
pittance."
Counting these millions and the
families dependent on them, world un-
employment has reduced to poverty as
many persons as the entire population
of the United States" Labor asserted.
The report observed that every year
Of depression has added 5000, 900 per-
sons to the army of unemployed in II
countries. The number out of work III
September was the largest in the United
States, 10,900.000 Germany was Sec
ond with 5,261 600. and Great Britain
third with 2,946,000.
I'm every country" the report said
In conclusion, there is deep feeling
of revolt against situation that denies
workers chance to earn living. The
worldwide crisis in our economic order
calls for consideration of those essen
tial principles which are its corner
stone"