New-York tribune., 1918-11-21
Wav Labor Board Plans
to Start Huge Public
Projects at Once
Unemployment Is
To Be Avoided
Congress To Be Asked for
Large Sums for Big
improvements
By Theodore NJ. Knappen
T-1buns Warrington Buyscp


T--bune Warrington Buyscp
WASHINGTON. Nov. 20.-The War
Labor Policies Board has now become
. peace policies board and has set out
20 realize the determination Of Ameri-
can labor as represented by Samuel
Gompers to resist air efforts to length
en- the day or shorten the pay of the
workingman consequent upon the COM
ing Of peace.
DR.. Frankfurter and his associates,
however, realize that mere announce
ment by Mr.. Gompers or anybody else
that the short day and the long pay are
going to stick are mere verbal dehances
unless the economic foundation can be
provided. II there are more men than
Jobs and more production than con-
sumption then there is going to be COM
petition for the attenuated payroll and
the elongated job.
A graphic illustration Of this fact
has already appeared in the shipyards.
The efficiency of the workers at Hog
Island has increased 20 per cent since
the armlstice was declared.
One day of fear that a good Job
might be lost accomplished more than
all the cxhortations, patriotic appeals
comp i've stunts and uplift work Of
a ye From now on ships will be
built ster than they were built dur
ing the war, for with the end of the
war has come the belief that there will
soon be more man than Jobs around
shipyards.
Five Objectlves Sought
The War Labor Policies Board
recognizes that wages come out OF
wealth production and that the only
chance there is for keeping them up tc
their present level is to crowd produc'
tion and industrial activity to the
limit So it has laid down FIVE objec.
tives for the public policy designed tc
meet the reimbursement period without
aerious disturbances. These are:
First-Avoidance Of large volume
Of unemployment.
standards.
Third-Avoidance OF falling of
20 serious extent Of rates Of
wages.
Fourth-Maintenanc Of production
at high level.
Fifth-Removal Of possibility OF
business depression.
The first great step toward the at
Sainment of these ends is to be tn
Immediate inauguration Of public work
on q great scale by the Federal gov
ernment. The administration is now a
work on an appropriation scheme 70
starting river and harbor work, ma
tional highroads and reclamation prof
ecta on an ambitious scale. This pro
Rrsmme will be laid before Congress
after it meets in Its second session i
December, and every effort will
made to secure prompt action. Ever
ordinary government project from il
rigation to lighthouses that was hel
up or slowed down on account Of tn
war will be- resumed, and Congress wi
be asked to authorize new projects o
vast scale.
Irrigation Work to Start
secretary Lane says that irrigatio
projects already surveyed, planned an
q
work the minute Congress presses th
Treasury button.
Moreover. the moment Congress- act
on this colossal scheme for the rec
iamation of arid, wet and cut-ove
iands he can put another half millio
10 work
a national highways programme hs
been outlined on such a magnlficer
scale that the mere mention OF il bt
fore the war would have been prs
sump,ivs evidence of insanity. Exter
Uon OF inland waterways is to be az
voaafsd as indispensable to the solutio
Of tho nations inland transport prot
lem.
Tbs railways are to be urged I
~eut loose" at once, as asked by til
Btssl men. with orders for steel an
equipment
Public Work To Be Resumed
The second part of the programn
consists Of an appeal to all the state
counties and municipalities to resun
frnrn I'd lafalrz all tha r..hiiA .uosi< II.