New-York tribune., 1921-09-27
Harding Opens Meeting
and Says He Opposes
Relief Which Seeks a
Tonic From Treasury
World Waits for
Solution i'm u. s.
Hoover Wants Obstacles
to Business Removed:
Public Hearings To-day
From the Tribuns's WASHINGTON Burea,

From the Tribune's WasHinoton Burenu
WASHINGTON, Sept 26.-The ma
cnlnery OF government moved to-day
against the emergency of national un-
employment confronting the country.
The President of the United States.
two of his Cabinet members and q
notable gathering, including the best
business, industrial and labor brains
OF the country, convened to study the
situation and make recommendations
for relief. The President. in speech.
warned against relief (which seeks
tonic from the public treasury" He
declared that "there ought to be work
for everybody in the United States
who chooses to work."
President Harding insisted that "our
condition at home and our place in the
world depend on everybody going to
work and pursuing it with that pa
trlotism and devotion which make for
fortunate and happy people" He
foresaw the extension of the results
OF this conference to all nations.
Public Welfare Affected
Oecretary OF commerce Hoover said
that in calling the conference the
PRESIDENT hoped to mobilize the sense
OF service in our people to the solu-
tlon OF problem that not only COM
mands our sympathies, but is cf pri-
mary necessity to public welfare.
Outlining the part which the con-
ference must play, the Secretary sug-
gested that ways be found to remove
the obstacles preventing business re-
covery, as "the only real and lasting
remedy for unemployment is employ
ment"
Secretary Of Labor Davis was pres
ent, but made no address on the OPEN
ing day.
This mornings session was devoted
entirely to an outline of the aims of
the conference by the President and
Secretary Hoover. This afternoon the
organization committee, of which
Henry N. Robinson is chairman, met
and recQpiptehd eds4Ia number. of sub
cominittees. On these committees
pers, veteran president of the American
Federation Of Labor, is named to only
one committee, that Of emergency
measures by manufacturers. 1t is un-
derstood that Mr.. Gompers preferred
serving on only one committee, that he
might devote his entire time to the
functions of that group.
Seeks to Reassure Country
The conference will, in short. trv to
reassure the country in regard to the
unemployment situation. The initial
effort will be directed to meeting the
emergency needs of the unemployment
situation. AT. the same time COM
prehensive study of the situation will
be made to ascertain the facts in re-
gard to lack of work. 1t was decided
that in order to meet the emergency
in the shortest possible way the con-
ference will be organized into twelve
small committees.
Estimates of the number of un-
employed vary from 100000 to
6,5OO,000, and the members Of the con-
terence feel that reliable information
as TO the extent, geographical distribu-
tion and industrial distribution is i'm
put into effect.
equipped to handle the subject as
signed to it, and is small enough to
operate with speed. Each committee is
to originate, study and recommend
practical measures for meeting the
emergency. After the emergency meas
ures are formulated and the collection
of statistics is completed the confer
ence will be regrouped on October 5
into committees whose function will be
to recommend permanent measures to
keep unemployment at minimum.
Public hearings will commence to-
morrow morning and will continue
every day this week, at the same time
that the work of the small specialized
committees is progressing. These hear
ings, it is hoped, will result in a clear
sizing up of the situation.
Secretary Hoover and big business
men, a noted example being Charles M.
Schwab, have for a long time doubted
the accuracy of all unemployment csti-
mates. Mr.. Schwab told a friend TODAY
that he believed the emergency unem-
ployed to approximate not more than
2 100000. The statistics of unemplov-
ment will be aired at to-morrow's first
public hearing. Experts from the Bu-
reau, of Labor will present figures. A
number of witnesses have asked ner-
mission to be heard. Among them is
Harry D. Jacobs, president Of the ex-
Service Mems Employment Bureau. who
Continued page six)