Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-18

fact that we have had far longer
period of stability in industry and COM
merce and the far greater security OF
employment than ever before in our
history.
Public Works Programs.
In my speech of acceptance I out
lined our national programs of pros
pective public works, including the de-
velopment of water resources. public
roads, and the construction OF public
buildings. In that speech pointed out
that these projects would require up
wards of one billion dollars within the
next four years. I there recommended
that, so far as practicable. this work
should be carried on in such way as
to take up the slack of occasional I'M
employment While the judicious ar
rangement of government construction
work can aid in wiping out the unem-
ployment caused by seasonal variations
in business activity, the Federal Gov
eminent can do more. The Department
of Labor should be authorized to under
take the collection of regular statistics
upon seasonal and other unemploy-
ment We must have this fundamental
information for further attack upon
this problem, from the further solution
of which will come still greater sta
bility and prosperity in the world OF
employer and employe.
We have gained enormously IN Ell
ficiency in our whole economic ma
chinery in the past seven years.
cannot take the time to recite to you
the extraordinary evidence OF this, l
hesitate to express 1t statistically lest
appear to eXaggerate. Taken as
whole we have swelled our production
on a quantity basis by nearly 30 per
cent. Parallel with it wages have risen
and the prices of manufactured goods
have fallen.
I have heard voices raised in pro-
test that the effect of these activities
is to destroy employment. This Is
re-ecfo of a century ago. AS mat
ter of fact we have gone through an
extraordinary industrial revolution in
seven years and we do not ind any
such unemployment as would be I'M
piled by these protests. There are lndl-
vidual cases of unemployment In THESE
shifts, but wise policies and co-opera-
ton with industry have rendered them
but momentary. The reasons why no
dangers lie in store are simple enough.
AS we transfer the burden from the
back of men to machines we increase
the wages of workers. We increase
their buying power. We create a de-
mand for new commodities and new
services BY the energies and capital
which we have released through IN
creased efficiency of the older industries
we have been able to expand other
industries, and to create new ones to
further employment, and to supply new
additions to the comfort OF every nome.
From here and other causes we see
a great expansion in the automobile IN
dustry, in telephones and electric ngnus.
In seven years we have seen the radio
industry emerge from few hundred
thousand to hundreds of millions in its
product. We have seen the aeroplane
industry develop from almost nothing
seven years ago. to a most potent IN
dustry today Due to increased effl-
cheney hundreds of thousands OF men
and women have been transferred from
the factories to our expanding insurance
and banking to take care OF enlarged
savings, other hundreds of thousands
have been transferred to our filling sta
tions. our garages, our hotels and our
restaurants. We have in this period seen
half million families find occupation
in increased export of goods, and, above
all. we have seen an increase OF nearly
two million youths taken largely from
in institutions of education. This is
proof of real progress. 1t is the road to
further progress. 1t is the road 10
abolition of poverty.
I have already stated the position of
the Republican party in positive sup
port of free collective bargaining. 1
have stated that it is necessary to i'm
pose restrictions on the excessive use
of injunctionS.3 1t is my desire and the
desire of every good citizen to amelio-
rate the cause of industrial conflict, to
build toward that true cooperation
which must be the foundation of COM
mon action for the common welfare.
The first requisite to less conflict is full
employment. BY full employment we
are steadily reducing conflict and loss.
Employer and Employe.
The whole relationship between en-
ployer and employee has shown great
improvement in these past seven years.
During these years there has been
revolution through shifting Of basic
ideas on the part of both business and
labor. The large majority of both
sides today willingly accept the funda-
mental principle that the highest pos
sibls wages are the road to increased
consumption of goods and thereby to
prosperity. Both accept the funda-
mental fact that greater efficiency.
larger application of mechanical de-
vices, and full personal effort are the
road to cheaper costs, lower prices and
thus again to wider consumption and
larger production of goods. Both dis
card the ancient contention that labor
Is an economic commodity. Both
realize that labor is entitled to particle
patton in the benefits of increased eff
cheney by increased wage. either directly
or through the decrease in living costs.
Both have joined In repelling socialism,
and other subverSive' movements.
He would be a rash man who would
state that we are finally entering the
industrial millennium. but there is a
great ray of hope that America is find
ing herself on the road to a solution
of the greatest of all her problems.
That problem is to adjust our economic
system to our social ideals. We are
making progress towards social peace