Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-27
BY SAUL PETIT
Associated Press star writer

LOUISVILLE. Ky.-The recess
sion. the real recession. is not so
much a national statistic or q ma
tional argument as 1t is a man like
Don Crane. He now keeps house
while his wife works and his pride
suffers more than he can say.
Or it's a woman like Iva Carter,
who last year earned $50 q week
as a skilled worker and now picks
up so cents an hour, when she
can. as q baby sitter.
Or it's Ely Fisher. who lost his
car and his freezer and. in q sense,
his family.
Or Denzil Poole. now working
go hours q week to earn what he
used to earn In 40.
Or Vernon Melcher. up to his
ears in monthly payments. deter
mined never to buy on time again.
Or Ray Werner, who hopes to
pick up an ice cream route at
age 66.
A recession is these and many
other people. but it is not a whole
country or a whole town or most
of either. And that is the strange
thing about it. The recession is
grim island in a sea Of prosperity.
The recession is a minority OF
people, purchasing power gone or
crippled. surrounded by high
prices.
More Hamburger
The recession is not people
starving but people eating more
hamburger than steak, more ba-
con than pork chops. 1t is chill
dren getting more clothes than
toys on their birthdays.
The recession is not stark trag-
edy, coming suddenly and without
warning, in a long, seemingly end
less wave of good times.
Louisville is a recession city
statistically; its unemployment is
relatively high. Almost one out Of
10 is jobless. But looking at the
city. you see the nine. not the
one. You see the crowds at the
sports events and shiny, long cars
in the streets and people shopping
in the stores and new houses
going up while some others are
being foreclosed.
Statistics: Total labor force in
Louisville metropolitan area
100000. Unemployed 28,700. Per-
centage unemployed 9.5. Last year
that percentage was 6.5; in 1854.
5.4; in 1851, 2.6. The ratio Of UNI
employment is now higher than
any time since the State ONCE of
Economic Security began making
unemployment compensation pay
ments in 1889.
At peak employment late in
1856 and early last year. the Cen
eral Electric appliance plant here
employed 1880. 1t now employs
10000. The Ford assembly plant
employed $500. now employs
$500. International Harvester also
has laid of in Louisville as have
many smaller firms.
Bankruptcies, $50 in 1857. high
est since 1881; department store
sales, January / through March
% down per cent over same pc
Rod last year; free school lunches
served in February, 1858, a daily
average Of 1896 as compared 10
1,725 in the same month last year.
Some Of the statistics may be
argued, explained, rationalized by
town boosters. Thus you will hear
about the bad winter weather in
connection with reduced construc-
ton and shrunken retail sales.
One factory speaks more Of "attri-
ton" than unemployment. An
other refused to admit 1t lays off
employees; it burroughs" them.
The People Remoin
But they can't argue away the
people, the separate human be-
ings, behind the statistics:
Tall, thin, Don Crane, q, stalk
ing through his four-room house.
II walk from the front door to
the back door. I fool around in the
yard. Yesterday ! washed the win
dows Just to kill time. I try not
TO think but ] find myself think
ing, will I ever get job againp
I've tried everything, even fill
ing stations No jobs. Just ask
for work. not what the pay is, not
any more. I'll take anything. So