Evening star., 1921-10-03
MAY AID jOBLESS
THROUGH Federal
HIGHWAY PROGRAM
Effort Will Be Made for In
creased Appropriation
for Road Work.
WOULD CREATE POSITIONS
FOR MANY UNEMPLOYED
Other Cities Putting Into Effect
Proposals Of Conference to
Relieve Situation.

To help relieve the unemployment
situation, an effort Is being made to
have the conferes representing the
House and Senate on the federal aid
road bill increase the proposed appro-
priation to $15o.0Oo. 900. Something
definite regarding the probability OF
such an increase is expected to develop
today. The legislative committee Of
the good roads association is in session
in Washington today. Several members
of the conference on the federal aid bill
are in favor of the proposed increase.
The bill as passed blythe House carried
an appropriation of s100. 900. 900. The
Senate cut this appropriation to
$75. 900. 600.
Prominent republican leaders as well
as democratic members Of the roads
committee are strongly in favor of the
proposed increase. One of the most
crease is Representative Robinson of
Kentucky. republican eonferee.
Opposed by Dunn.
Representative Thomas ]. Dunn of
New York, chairman of the House
committee. who is one of the con-
ferees, has always been opposed to
federal aid appropriation and when
tinuing good road building his esti-
mate was that only $3o,o0o.00O should
have been allowed.
Definite organization by mayors
and municipal authorities of enler-
gency measures for relieving the un-
employment situation is the next step
in the program for immediate re-
lief of the unemployed, in the opin-
ion of Secretary Hoover. chairman
Of the Presidents conference on un-
employment.
In a formal statement today the
Commerce Secretary said employers
and business men. relief associations,
state and federal agencies cannot
surround the problem systematically
until. the mayors have established
strong emergency organizations with
the municipalities behind them" Mr..
Hegyeg4Bdded that the unemployment
conference is anxious to know what
steps are abeias taxepsin sthesyarious
cities and to have the views Qf on
cials for ,fufthers constrncttEe R3AnA s
Other CitfeS Act. S s
Two cities-Boston and Cleveland
have already taken steps to put into
full action the community organiza-
tion plan suggested to the national
unemployment conference. >, Mayor
Peters of Boston. who is q member OF
the conference, telegraphed Secretary
Hoover that an emergency committee
is now being selected and is expectd
to begin functioning immediately.
Mayor Fitzgerald of Cleveland said
he had called a meeting of the local
committee on unemployment for We'd
nesday to act on the suggestions. Of
the unemployment conference for inn
mediate relief. He added that he
wished a copy of the complete COM
mittee report for presentation at the
meeting. Mr.. Hoover said he had
been informed unoff1cially that au-
thorities in Portland, Ore, and Mil
waukee, Wis, had proceeded along
the same line.
Bond Issue Considered.
Subcommittees of the conference
had under consideration today ad-
visibility of federal bond issue to
create q fund for making loans to
aid municipal public works in years
of depression.
Such a proposal has been suggested
to the conference as part of a plan
for a permanent employment policy
which would prepare against bad
years. Loans to municipalities would
be made by the federal government
under the plan only upon proof of
national unemployment and indus
trial depression. as shown by indus
trial and Unemployment statistics and
upon proof of the soundness and
utility of specific public works pro-
posed. The suggestion has been made
that the interest rate for loans to
municipalities should be not less than
that paid by the federal government.