The New York herald., 1922-06-18
ALY HELPS
UNEMPLOYED
Construction Work
carried Out by the Opera
del COmbattenti.
ILLIONS OF LIRE PAID
Policy Contemplates Using
Money as Investment to
Benefit the State.
RECLAIMING MARSH LAND
Roads and Railways Built and
Lakes Made to Get Water
Power.

Special Correspondence to THE Nsw Yosx
HERALD.
New York Herald bureau,
Rome. june 3.
In spite of the low state of national
finance Italy is attempting to carry
out broad program for the relief
by means of land reclamation and
,ther public works.
Italy deals with it's problem of war
veterans through the Opera Nazionale
hel Combattenti. organized in Decem-
per, 1917, with an initial capital Of
Zoo. 0e0 lire, of which the Govern
nent contributed 250,000,000. The
DlOpera has a social section for voca-
tional training and placing, a financial
section for providing credit to- indi-
vtdual 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 million men out
OF work Arrangements are almost COM
pleted for starting the public works au-
thorized last August for the relief of the
situation, but at the moment the appor-
tioning of funds and the increase of the
amount of work to be undertaken Is
occupying the Chamber of Deputies. The
public works appropriation is the Par
liamentary pork barrel of the country.
Signor Riccio, Minister Of Public
Works. is attempting to hold the balance
between the Deputies competing for ap-
portionments and to protect the national
budget from being swamped with more
projects than II can stand. He stated IN
the Chamber the other day that In the
fist three months of this year
there has already been paid out for labor
on public works 1900, ,000.0 900 lire. as
against 25S,000. 900 in the whole year of
1914. He added that although the Min
lister of Finance had authorized the ex-
penditure of 5000, 900, 900 more for puo-
lie labor this year. he did not see where
the money was coming from.
EmiIia's Surplus Labor.
The grave depression In the metallur-
gical districts of Milan and Turin Is
threatening to throw more men on the
streets, and as usual the condition OF
unemployment in the province of Emilia
Is widespread.
The situation in Emilia Is typical OF
the sort of problem italian Stale ofhcfals
have to face. For the last twenty years
the province has been greatly overpopu-
lated. but the surplus citizens have re-
fused to emigrate. There Is therefore
chronic floating population of day labor
ers who practically are charge on tho
State.
These laborers were excellently or
ganized by the Socialists and were
therefore able to exert a powerful pres
sure on the Government to provide pub
lie works every years and to provide for
rotation of employment. so that every
hodv could be assured of few days
work in the week. For twenty years
the Government has dug into its pockets
70 keep the surplus labor of Emilia out
OF mischief.
when the Fascist organization began
70 smash Socialist branches In Emilia
and it's method of obtaining Jobs. NOW
they appropriated the unemployed army
n Is the Fascist who are demanding jobs
for the Emilia day laborers instead Of
the Socialists, but the situation itself is
unchanged.
Plans of RecIa ann tion.
The Governments policy of public
works Is a sound one In that the money
spent constitutes an investment which
IN future years will more than pay for
itself. Instead of providing busy
work" the Ministry is carrying out
far sighted scheme for the transforma-
ton of malarial marsh lands into fertile
territory. Since 1860 the Government
has obtained more than 339, 100000 lire
in Mus value from its reclaimed lands.
FOR this work the Government spent 3D.
7ss 3lO lire for reclaiming 394,0H acres.
and private consortiums spent an equal
amount. but recovered 394.027 acres
This year the Government has appro-
rriated so, ,000, 900 lire for reclamation OF
land in eight provinces and work begau
in March.
Other projects Of the Government are
equally constructive. Roads and rail-
ways are being built In Sicily and Gala
brla, and in the latter province the Cow
srnment is building artificial lakes to
store water for the hydroclectric plants
IN the Sila plateau. This part OF the
country being dry. irrigation and not
draining is the problem, and the Gov
arnment has offered to help local irriga-
tIon consortiums by paying one-third
~ the cost OF irrigation projects or
benefit to the whole country.
one OF the largest of these Irrigation
nroiects is now being planned In the
paduan Valley OF north Itsay, where
ZOO .on0 acres capable of Improvement by
irrigation have been mapped out by
Angelo Omodeo the irrigation expert of
italy. 1t is expected this work will
-. Enn n no npe tire
Active I'm Reconstruction.
The opera Nazionale del Combattenti
js very active In reconstructive work of
this sort. Its agricultural section IL i'm
povered by law to obtain crown grants
Of redeemable land and to contract for
public works and form agricultural &C.
operative associations to improve lands.
The Opera" now owns 100000 acres
crnnd and is experimenting this year In
Teasing It to cooperative societies and
nrivate veterans Some OF the land Is
being kept for development under the
direction of the opera" itself. Great
drainage works are being built. canals
constructed and pumping stations put up
by the veterans.
The financial section of the Opera
assists this work by loans. which are
granted through the various banks. So
. far the association has lent i37.000,00o
lire to individuals and fs,ooo.00o lire to
cooperative associations.