Evening star., 1928-04-02

Newspaper comment indicates accept
ance by the public OF the view that the
report of the United States Department
OF Labor on existing unemployment
shows q better condition than had been
rumored unofficially Nevertheless, the
record of 1,874. $50 idle workers Is recog-
niZed as presenting situation which
should be faced and dealt with frankly.
LAS Commissioner Stewart of the Bu-
reau OF Labor Statistics points out.
says the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,
"a substantial part of the unemploy-
ment results from the abandonment Of
old lines OF production or from the in
crease of labor saving devices. For
neither of these Is there any direct re-
lief, but the continuing prosperity of the
country in general must be relied upon
to create new demands or greater de-
mand for continuing product until the
present slack in the labor supply shall
be fully taken up"
The New York Herald Tribunte argues
that progress in industry where II has
been as revolutionary as that of the last
few years in the United States has in
evitably been accompanied by some lag
in the redistribution Of labor But" the
Tribune adds. any one who deliber-
ately or unwittingly confuses such a
circumstance with the phenomena of
unemployment and hard times is guilty
Of nothing less than mental sabotage"
The Department Of Labor'S reports, ;"
according TO the Kansas City Star. ARE
encouraging. A prospect of more work
is seen in various directions as Spring
advances. Officials of the department
do not attempt to show there is no un-
employment or that there has been none
in the last Winter. But 1t is emphasized
that accounts of the conditions have
been exaggerated and that undue alarm
has been created thereby. An
improvement in the steel and motor
vehicle industries has been noted, to-
gether with q better demand for farm
labor. Road work. Federal building.
municipal and other public construction
will be increasing with the warm
weather. It hardly can be expected
that labor win be provided in all cases
where IL Is needed. But change for
the better Is the important conSidera-
ton
Flood control. settlement OF the coal
strike and putting the coal industry on
q sound economic basis and stimulation
of foreign trade" in the opinion OF the
Waterbury Republican. ARE among the
essentials as preventiveS OF unemploy-
ment In the future. The speeding up
OF public works programs is the obvious
immediate palliative"
Reference to the fact that certain
publ, utility corporations have pledged
themselves To start the expenditure OF
some $i26. 600. 900 In Philadelphia TO re-
lieve the unemployment in thaG city" Is
made by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
with the added comment: Prof Irving
Fisher suggests to the financierS of the
country that they stimulate with ade-
quate credits the industries In the dis
trictS affected by the coal crisis, giying
work to the unemployed and helping
business generally through adding 60
the effective demand for goods and
services Thus 1t rests with the huSi-
ness leaders and the people themselves
To restore conditions of prosperity. The
optimistic and helpful attitude is the
only one for the situation. But CHEEKY
words alone will not be enough. There
will have Ia be deeds such aS those re-
ferred 10 on the part Of public and
utility corporations. and rs proposed by
Prof, Fisher"
What appears from the figures rs
given out at Washington and IN other
quarters" rs interpreted by the New
AWk 1hiltNs II dlNt VIC nave ScNh tkkc
worst of the problem for some time to
come. Secretary Davis notes an up-
ward trend of employment, The Ameri-
can Federation Of Lahog's figures fcx
February show no increase In unenaplcy~
ment over the preceding month, The
coming Of warm weather will help"
while the rough approximation thus
arrived at" declares the New York
World. falls short Of the A,OO0, 900 re-
ported as unemployed by certain unaff-
cial agencies, 1t Still reveals situation
which Secretary Davis admits Is serious,
II means that III proportion to popula~
ton unemployment has become about
as widespread here aS Il nov Is IN
Great Britain, Fortunately. with the
advent of Spring and the seasonal up
turn In industrial activity, conditions
are beginning to show signs OF Improve
ment, but the problem Is by no means
solved"
"n is interesting 70 note the analysis