Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1908 — SHADES OF OLD ALF Mc-COY! [ARTICLE]

SHADES OF OLD ALF McCOY!

The following clippings are taken from an Indianapolis republican paper and must be accepted as correct by republican readers at least, and shows that “business depression” and “soup houses” sometimes are features of a republican administration: Chioago, January 10. —A canvass of the labor situation in Chicago reveals the faot that there are in the oity 138,940 idle working people. There are normally 50,000 men out of work at this season of the year, namely, those whose employment ceases in the winter time, so that the number of men idle ns a result of business depression is 88,950. The above figures are given as excessive of the normal number of working people idle at this season or the year. They do not inolude seasonable occupations such as cement workers and trades entirely dependent upon weather conditions. Nor do they include in the numbers given the drifting element of labor .that finds one line of work in the summer aud another in the winter season. The class of common laborers rendered idle is included in the following figures:

Under the care of the Salvation Army, 25,000 single men and 1,200 families; housed at the municipal lodgings, 15,000, and in the cheap lodging-houses, 25,000, a total of 76,200, exclusive of the wives and childreu of the heads of families being cared for. The capacity of the Salvation Army quarters, limited to eight buildings, is taxed beyond ability to care for those making application and other quarters are being opened.

Several of the ]O-cent lodginghouses were visited yesterday to ascertain the number of lodgers applying for accommodations. Every house visited reported that accommodations were engaged ahead, and it was not possible for a man to engage lodging later than 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

Cincinnati, January 10.—A parade of thousands of unemployed marched to the city hall vesterday afternoon, where a delegation held a conference with Mayor Markbreit and the city officials, it was represented to the mayor that the closing down of factories because of the money stringency had thrown thousands of men out of work, and that, suffering was widespread. The spokesman requested aid and work. The mayor informed them that steps had been taken to appropriate $20,000 for immediate relief. Arrangements have been made for opening bread depots, soup houses and shelter places.