The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-21

AE covering
all those getting relief.
About three out of every four
workers are unemployed or working
part time In the overwhelming
ma ority Of cases those still working
are not earning a living wage.
AS the depression increased in in
tensity, a large army of women and
children were thrown upon the la
Dor market in desperate efforts to
keep their homes from disintegrat-
ing. Normally, about one out of ev-
cry four or five persons in a COM
munity comprise the number Of
workers but in New Orleans almost
every other person is classed as a
worker. The Department of Labor
and the Association for Commerce
here estimates that there are 2o3, =
600 workers out Of New Orleans
population of 100000.
Since New Orleans has a little
under 10000 families, this means
that not only the normal bread
winner in the family is on the labor
market but at least one additional
person-either the wife or a child.
With unemployment increasing
despite the N.R.A. and government
work projects, the demands upon
the Community Chest, which con-
sists of IS different charity organ
izations, became greater in proper
ton as the ability of contributors
to donate became smaller.
Like a hurricane the depression
has pounded at our civilization,
flashing family circles and human
lives" the Community Chest cried
in desperate pleas to raise enough
money to cover last years needs;
but they were unable to raise their
quota. Some Of the affiliated relief
organizations in the Chest got only
40 per cent of the minimum they
estimated they would need. Frantic
appeals we're made, the newspapers
gave columns of front page space,
special stories, features, the radio
and the motion pictures we're uti-
lied but the people simply did not
have the money.
Our needs today" Julius Gold
man, director of the Community
Chest told me, are greater than
ever before but we haven't the
money and can't raise it. Since
January, 1881, we've had outside
money in here for relief. Our big
gest contributors have been unable
to equal their former sums; they,
too, have been hit hard.
From January, 1881, to March,
1882, employers taxed the workers s
per cent of their salaries until
finally the workers rebelled and
they had to stop that. Then the
city raised s750OOO by a bond issue,
In August, 1882, the RIG. gave
ten parishes here about sl,000,000
and since then, until May, 1888, our
relief expenditures was aided by
federal money. Now it is entirely
federal money"
In April. 1890, only a few months
after the crash only per cent of
the total population was out of
work. Nine months later. January,
1881, the percentage of unemploy-
ment had tripled Since these per-
centages were recorded no one has
troubled to keep figures Of the ire
mendous increase in unemployment
or how many new workers were
thrown upon the labor market by
the inability Of the family head to
get work or to earn a living wage if
he was working.
THE first to feel the brunt Of the
1 depression we're the unskilled
workers, especially the Negroes.
These we're thrown Immediately
upon the charity organizations. Re
lief figures show that though the
Negro in New Orleans comprises
only 26 per cent of the total popu-
lation, he gets 60 per cent of the
total charity relief-which simply
means that wherever possible