AMERICA'S WORKLESS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 184, 29 April 1908, Page 7

AMERICA'S WORKLESS.

6V ; THREE MILLION. /, BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPVUIGKT New York, April fl. The !'Daily Telegraph's" New York correspondent says that, on a moderate estimate, .-there are throe million unemployed in the United States. • ' 1 The Socialist' leaders state that there are Pour million out of work, despito the fact that six hundred thousand persons have left the States since last October.- ■ , ; ONE-QUARTER UNEMPLOYED. " I am afraid," writes the New York corres: pondent of " The Times," under date February 9, "that if statistics may be relied upon, the labour of the country will find it more important to obtain work than to obtain legislation. In New. York the number of union men out of work has increased -from 12 per cent., last year at this, season to '34 per cent.-. In the case of over 90 per cent, of those idle it is reported that lack of work is the cause. There are some hopeful signs in other industrial centres, but on a conservative estimate, taking the, Country throughout, from one-quarter to one-third-of thoso usually employed in all'trades and industries are at the present moment laid 'uflu'The gravity of the traffic situation on the railways, in addition to (ho number of hands laid oil, is characterised by an unusual number of idle cars and locomotives, and by a heavy drop in railway revenues last December. .Last year at f this' time the railways were more thajf 150,000 cars short, and such was the demand that' Bills wero introduced in Congress to compel railways to furnish sufficient rolling stock; To-day 350,000 idle freight cars stand empty., called by petty enemies of the President 'Teddy boar cars.' This tells its Anvil story." ; President Roosevelt lately stirred the country, by a, letter, to tho liiter-Stute • Commerce requesting" an- investigation; into the labour conditions affecting the railway employees', and the possiblo reduction of' their wages. Opinions differ as to. the' wisdom of the letter, but it is said that American railway? aro facing conditions in which they must oithcr reduce the number of employed or cut wages."