New-York tribune., 1919-01-24
Public Works Boom
Urged To Give Jobs
To Returned Troops
Secretary of Labor Wilson
Asks Cities and States to
Hasten All improvements
Delayed During War

WASHINGTON. Jan. 30. - Public
works of all kinds that Will give en-
ployment to men demobilized from the
army and from the war Industries
should be put under way at once as a
reconstruction measure. according to
Secretary of Labor William g. Wilson
VINO, IN statement outlining his views
on this subject points out that not
only VIII the transition from wartim 9
conditions to peace basis be facil-
tated thereby, but that q work of great
permanent value to the nation VIII be
accomplished
States, cities, towns, in fact all gov
ernnental divisions, ought now, he be-
heves, to make up for the reduced
construction due to the war The gov
ernment's obligation to provide en-
ploymcnt for the returning soldiers and
the necessity for many forms of i'm
provement in municipal and state
equipment rendered such programme
essential at this time, he holds.
Wages to Stay High
The Secretary's statement follows:
Il am of the opinion that from the
time we restore ourselves to our normal
postwar activities, the demand for
peace-tlmc production Will be so great
that there viii not be the remote : t
possibility cf securing any reduction in
basis. feel, further, that the manu-
facturer who fails to take into consid-
Grafton the prospects OF the future and
who, in hope of securing a cheaper
labor or cheaper raw material, does not
bulid up his organization and maintain
1T during the possibly brief period of
readJustment, will be handicapped in
securing his share OF the business af-
terward, because he win be handi-
capped through lack of working forces
in his factory.
at therefore seems to me that the
situation resolves itself into taking
term between our ccasing war activi-
ties and the time when we have as
sumed our natural postwar activities
Not Time for Delay
with the attitude Of mind that |
have expressed as existing on the part
Of some manufacturers relative to
waiting for lowering in the prices of
raw material and the price of labor, it
may be that the restoration Of indus
try will not take place as rapidly as
the dcmobiization takes place We are
not sure of that.
There ought to be provision made
for reservoir that would absorb the
demobilized workers and the dcmobi
lized soldiers not in doing The things
which there is no need to have done,
but in doing the things that ought to
be done that are valuable for peace
time purposes-a reservoir that will
take care Of them for the brief period
between their dismissal from the army
or the dismissal from the war indus
frio Io !, H. Il
the natural postwar industrial activi-
ties
"The Department Of Agriculture is
taking steps 10 accomplish part OF that
purpose in the matter of road improve
ment, highway improvements, on the
theory Congress has acted on in the
past, that for military purposes and
for postal routes roads are necessary
all over the country Where men are
employed in road building they do not
have TO be taken from their oAn home
communities to engage in the work.
The Department OF Agriculture, there
fore, has asked, On is about to ask,
for an increased appropriation which
will enable it. III cooperation with the
respective states, to engage in a nation
wide project Of road building that viii
absorb, if need be, some of those work
ers temporarily, until industry resumes
It's natural course.
Wants Cities to Act
During the period of the war. by
virtue Of the shortage of workmen,
there has been little or no municipal
activity in building operations, in park
extensions, in sewage extension, water
works, or any other of tha public
utilities. They have been delayed and
postponed because Of the shortage of
man power and because OF the inability
TO finance We are suggesting. through
the Department Of Labor. to the various
municipalities throughout the country,
the advisabilty of their rcsuming these
activities at as early date as possible.
"WheNever it is possible to utilize
public means, wherever it is possible
TO undertake public work, or things
that are valuable for pcacc~timc pur-
poses, it should be undertaken as
promptly as possible. 1t may not be
needed, but it ought to be provided SO
that it can be utilized if it is needed.
Warns Against Waste
Personally. am opposed TO tho
creation of work solely for the purpose
Of giving employment to somebody.
look upon that as being so much waste :;
wasted Intelligence, wasted energy and
waste of material. But the same argu-
ment cannot be made against employ
ing labor for useful purposes. and this
should always be borne in mind, that,
if you have millions of men out Of en-
ployment and by virtue of their being
out cf employment, unable to supply
food and clothing and shelter for their
families. they are going 20 insist upon
the opportunity Of earning a livelihood
81 am not one Of those who take the
ground that a country or d govern
ment owes every man living. But all
governments, all organized society, are
man created. and, consequently. more
or less artificial because of the re-
strictions that must of necessity be I'M
posed for the purpose of enabling us
to live in harmony with each other. And
because of those restrictions men have
not always the opportunity Of working
for themselves. and | am one Of those
who believe that all good governments
will see to it that every man has the
opportunity to earn a living. In other
words. the government does not owe
him a living, but it owes him the op-
portunity to earn living