ABSTRACT
The direct influence exerted by newspapers over the political thinking and acting of their readers is not easy to trace, but one fact is worthy of note: the unemployed did not speak in stereotypes; they relied on personal experiences for illustrative materials. Before Relief, only 14 of the 40 Protestant families were vitally interested in religion, and unemployment failed to shake this group. The Workers' Alliance offered the unemployed an opportunity for political action. As regards politics, there was only a shade of difference between the Private and the Relief groups. Open to all families on Relief upon payment of small monthly dues, this Communist-led organization acted as a pressure group to secure better treatment for the unemployed. Less than 10 per cent belonged to the local Democratic club; only 5 per cent were members during the period of their unemployment. The problem of unemployment, however, is too big for any one man to solve.".
