Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-09
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y, COLLINS.

depression, or should the Government
consider mainly its own need of the new
buildings. to save rentals to private,
owners of buildings and to enhance de-
partment efficiency?
4 -
In spite of the doles in England-or
perhaps partly because of that system
of alternating the distress Of the I'M
employed by government aid-ths sit
uation there has not improved in the
last five years. There are according to
official reports. 100000 unemployed
wage earners today in England, aside
from striking miners.
The percentage of unemployed among
insured working people in England av-
eraged in 1924, for the whole year, 1914
per cent; for 1925, 1t was 1l.3 per cent;
for 1926. 12.5 per cent; 1927, down to
81 per cent, and through 1928, 1913
per cent That is the outstanding issue
there in the present political campaign.
The Liberal party. headed by Lloyd
George, promises, If elected, to put into
effect schemes of work, which," they
declare, they can put Immediately into
operation---work of kind that Is not
merely useful in itself, but essential to
the well-being of the nation" THE
work put in hand" they promise, will
reduce the terrible figures of the work.
less In the course of single year, to
normal proportions, and will, when COM
pleted. enrich the nation. and equip it
Tor competing successfully with Its
rivals in the business of the world"
Even without that extra employment
through. public works, as pledged, by
Lloyd George. the government is
habitually expanding about 100000 900
$3.50 1000, 000) year in doleS to the
JobleSS OF the $4,000 900 workers covered
by the unemployment insurance act
and even the employed receive but a
fraction of Americas scale of wages.
In the United States we have some
2S,O00,O00 wage carriers, so II our Gov
eminent were in the hands of Lloyd
George, in place of the party of Pro-
lection to Home Industry, we should be
supporting our jobleSs to the number OF
at least 100000 or 4,000, 900 with a
tax-raised dole to the amount of about
5000 100000 or 100000, 600 a year. In
place OF that condition. the American
policy Is to find prosperous home in
dustry and to develop foreign as well as
domestic markets for the products OF
our laborers. skilled and unskilled. The
prosperity of the home market is
counted as 10 times the Importance of
our possible export market.
X
In bulletin published for March,
1929, by the Department of Labor it is
stated. Employment increased 08 per
cent in March. 1929, as compared with
February, and pay rolls increased / per
cent. as shown by reports made 70 the
Bureau of Labor Statistics"
This report is based upon data from
l2l5l manufacturing establishments,
1870 public utilities enterprises, and va
rious other branches Of industry and
business, to a total of 27425 establish
mentS. In all of these branches, except
mining. an increase of business and en-
ployment is manifested. 1t covered
100000 employees (about a quarter of
all wage earnerS in America. whose
wages Appropriated $185. 900 900 a week
so it is a fair cross section" Of thu in
dustrial trend for the whole country.
Furthermore. "the level of employ
ment in manufacturing in March, 1929
was SO per cent higher than in March,
1928, and pay rolls were 81 per cent
higher" So the wage Garner is get
ting more than an equal benefit from
the increased activity Of business
In 1l8 establishments of 81 manufac-
turing industries, wages of $4,000 en-
ployes are I'll per cent higher than a
year ego. For peace time our his
tory has no precedent Of present wage
prosperity.
In 9.5O3 establishments, in 81 indus
tries. there was 80 per cent of q full
normal force Of employees, who were
working (through March) 90 per cent of
full time. Surely, the country Is close to
normalcy! When have INDUSTRIAL con-