The Owosso times., 1919-04-25
LABOR DEPARTMENT
CONFESSES

Washington, April 22.-The Repub-
lican Publicity Association, through
its President, Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
Jr., today gave out the following
statement from it's Washington Head
quarters:
apparently the Department of La
Dor has at last been driven from its
pessimistic policy of predicting un-
employment, and has been forced to
in normal times of business activity.
Impelled by the desire to secure re-
newal of its enormous appropriations
for a Government Employment Ser
vice, the Department has been regu-
larly issuing depressing accounts of
unemployment conditions. The falsity
of the representation was demonstra-
ted by compilation of statistics from
the advertising columns of the daily
papers, from which it was shown that
advertisements for Help Wanted ex-
ceeded advertisements for Positions
Wanted in the proportion of five to
one.
Confronted by this evidence Of it's
guilt, the Department of Labor now
admits that late figures show that
there are at the present time zoe, 1000
less unemployed than there are under
normal conditions during industrial
activity And every observing man
knew that this condition existed weeks
before the Department of Labor ad-
mitted it. In almost every city and
village there has been difficulty in get
ting help for either steady jobs or for
the odd jobs constantly presented in
every community. 1t is true that in
a very few centers where the War De-
partment foolishly demobilized large
numbers of men without warning,
there has been temporary unemploy-
ment, but at the same time there was
far greater lack of help in other COM
munities.
Undoubtedly, the dismal forebodings
of the Department of Labor on the
subject of unemployment have had a
tendency to retard restoration of nor
NAL conditions. The weekly presenta-
ton of figures telling of unemploy-
ment could not do otherwise than
create the impression that the coun.
try would be slow in resumption of
normal purchase activity. With this
picture in their minds, merchants
would not buy new stocks, manufac-
turers would not increase their output
no line of business would extend its
operations. If there is to be an army
of unemployed, there must be an army
of non-purchasers, and enterprise j.:
discouraged by prospects of poor
markets. Delay in restoration of nor
NAL industrial activity may be attribu-
ted to the Department of Labor rs
much as to the uncertainty incident io
delay in arriving at peace treaty in
Paris. Predictions of industrial chaos
in America have been as depressing as
the predictions of world-chaos if the
league of nations be not adopted. Pic
lures of industrial chaos were design
ed to force an enormous appropriation
for the Employment Service. What
was the real purpose of the pictures
of world-chaos if the league be moi
adopted, is yet to be disclosed.
"The belated admission of the De.
partment of Labor that it has beer
misleading the country should not be
accepted as a sufficient atonement fol-
it's sins. Congress should insist upor
reorganization of the Department, and
the installation of men who have
broader views of their duty to the
country. Failing reorganization, ap.
preparations for the maintenance OF
the Department should be curtailec
or discontinued. The country has 9
right to expect help, rather than hin.
drance and encouragement, from 8
Department for the maintenance OF
which the people contribute millions
of dollars annually"