The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-03
GOVERNMENT WORK
FOR UNEMPLOYED
Nation wide Construction Plan
Is Suggested by Secretary
Wilson.
WILL SPEND 5000, 600, 600
Much Trouble Due to Hystcria
and Failure of Business
to Adjust
Itself.
WILL SPEND $1,000, 600, 600

Washington. Feb. "a nation vide
construction program involving an ex-
peaditure IF not TO exceed three bill
lions of dollars FOR needed road, water
way, railroad and building work would
provide buffer employment for dis
charged soldiers and sailors and re-
leased war workers sufficient to tide
the country over a period OF threatened
Industrial unrest, in opinion of depart
rent of labor officials.
Secretary OF Labor Wilson told mem
bers OF congress last week that If buff
fer employ ment' were provided for men
released from military service and war
Industries FOR the next six months in
dustry would have time TO get back
INTO its normal swing" and the country
could look forward to decade of un-
naralielcd prosperity. Otherwise, there
would be Industrial and social unrest.
he predicted. that might become so
serious as to require the employment OF
force
Department OF labor officials take
hope ful view of the situation and are
BILE is due to hysteria and the failure
ot business to adjus, itself to postwar
conditions.
1T seems 10 be-" said Franklin r
Miller. director OF the division OF pub
lie works and construction develop
lnRut OF the iApoI department.. th1l the
trouble now lis in buying--ro one is
buying. The reason is they are stag
gcred by the decrease purchasing
power Of the dollar.
Building materials have gone up 50
per cent and some commodities as much
as 1870 per cent. There are two ways
of decreasing this: either by decreasing
consumption and bringing the country
into a state of inertia where there IL
no business for anybody. or by increas-
ing production. OF course the labor
department stands for increased pro-
duction. for only In that way can the
commodities of life be made more
readily available and employment pro-
vided.
THE building situation is one phase
Of the matter. As we are now three
to FIVE billion dollars short OF struc-
ture We would have had but tor the
war, must make up this shortage
before we can keep up with production.
"Take school buildings for instance.
A partial survey OF the country shows
more than 500 school buildings esti-
mated to cost $so00o.0oo which were
needed but were not built because Of
the war. Prompt provision should be
made for this work to be done. because
| the school facilities are needed and II
win provide employment for many
workers
/ w men We euhcfcu tH& WAT Tue tIeaS-
ury department. had plans made and
| sites selected for zoo new buildings. to
have cost something like 100000
This Is work that could he started at
once True the buildings will cost
more now. because Of increased cost Of
materials. but congress ought to appfo-
pirate money At once to cover the In
creased cost so that the work can begin
Immediately. Better 30 far as labor ia
concerned. to appropriate $4,000, 00o
for something we can do At once than
appropriate $100.000,000 for something
.'0f course we have idle labor be :
cause IL IL because people are not buy
ing for the reason that every fellow
thinks the other fellow is getting too
rrueh for his stun. ! believe II wise
10 adopt buying policy. one that Is
!, reasonable and conservative. but not
have everybody saying. we don't want
anything