The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-07-12
HOW ITALY HELPS
HER UNI: EMPLOYED
Great CONSTRUCTION Work Being
Carried Out by the Opera
del Combattenti.
BILLIONS OF LIRE ARE PAID
Policy ContcmpIates Using Money as
investment to Benefit the State
Retaining Marsh Land
Roads and Railways Built.

Rome.-In spite Of the low state OF
national finance Italy is attempting tt
carry out a broad program for the
relief of war veterans and the unem.
ployed by means of land reclamation
and other public works.
Italy deals with it's problem of war
veterans through the Opera Nazionale
del Combattenti, organized in Decem.
Der, 1917, with an initial capital OF
3OO,OOO,OOO lire, of which the govern
ment contributed 25O,OOO, 900. The
opera has a social section for voca
tional training and placing, a financial
section. for providing credit to indi-
vfdual soldiers or cooperative groups,
and an agricultural section, which
concentrates on land reclamation.
Relief for Unemployed.
The general unemployment problem
continues to be taken seriously by the
government, although there is no fear
now of revolutionary outbreaks as the
result of the lack Of work. In the last
few weeks the number of unemployed
has decreased slightly, but there are
still more than half a million men out
of work. Arrangements are almost
completed for starting the public
works authorized last August for the
relief of the situation, but at the
the app0rtioning of funds and
the increase of the amount of work to
he undertaken is occupying the cham
Der of deputies. The public works
appropriation is the parliamentary
pork barrel of the country.
Signor Riccio, minister of public
works, is attempting to hold the bal
ance between the deputies competing
for appointments and to protect the
national budget from being swamped
with more projects than it can stand.
He stated in the chamber the other
day that in the first three months of
this year there has already been paid
out for labor on public works 1,300.-
100000 lire, as against 258, zoo, 900 in
the whole year of 1914. He added
that although the minister of finance
had authorized the expenditure Of
5000, 100000 more for public labor
this year. he @sH -a+ see where the
money was coming from.
The grave depression in the metal
!urgical districts of Milan and Turin
is threatening to throw more men on
the streets, and as usual the condi-
tlon of unemployment III the province
of Emilia is widespread.
The situation in Emilia is typical Of
the sort of problem italian state off
Gals have to face. For the last 20
years the province has been greatly
overpopulated, but the surplus citi-
zens have refused to emigate. There
is therefore a chronic floating popu-
lation of day laborers who practically
are a charge on the state.
Plans OF Reclamation.
The governments policy of public
is a sound one in that the
money spent constitutes an invest
which in future years will more
than pay for Itself. Instead of pro-
busy work. the ministry is
carrying out a far-sighted scheme for
the transformation of malarial marsh
into fertile territory. Since
1860 the government has obtained
more than 339, 100000 lire in plus
salne from its reclaimed lands. For
work the government spent 81
lire for reclaiming 394,O27
acres, and private cOnsortiums spent
IN equal amount, but recovered 1914.
)27 acres. This year the government
appropriated S0,OO0,0 900 lire for.
reclamation of land in eight provinces
work began in March.
Other projects of the government
re equally constructive. Roads and
are being built in Sicily and
Salabria, and in the latter province
he government is building artificial
axes to store water for the hydro
lectric plants in the Sila plateau.
part of the country being dry,
irrigation and not draining is the
'roblem, and the government has of
cred to help local irrigation consor-
by paying one-third OF the cost
f irrigation projects CT benefit to the
hole country.