Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-27
Abolish Unemployment.

O Job Is the Utopia OF today. For the
purpose of abolishing unemployment in
the United States, a Nationwide organi-
cation has just been launched at the
Institute of Politics. conducted at Will
Jamestown, Mass. It Is to be known as
the PLANNED Prosperity League" or the
Prosperity Reserve League" and stand
ing sponsor for the movement is Dr.
william T. Foster, author of many books
dealing with the problems of unemploy-
ment. DR.. Foster lays emphasis upon
needs of systematic planning by Fed
eral. State and municipal governments
for the construction Of public works.
When private employment in the coun-
try or in the State or city, is slack. the
planned construction of public works
can be tapped much as an emergency
reservoir of water may be used when the
ordinary water supply has been depleted
by dry weather.
There Is nothing especially new in the
proposal. 1t was suggested by q spokes-
man for President Hoover months ago
Similar proposals were made by the po-
litical parties in Great Britain during
the campaign not long ago, which
brought the Labor party into power in
that country. The fact remains. how
ever, that such q plan has never yet
been tried out on a big scale In any
country. The employment Of labor in
this country has depended upon the
seasons, upon war or peace, upon the
establishment of new industries or upon
the shutting down of old. Man and
woman workers have been In effect mere
pawnS In the economic struggles of the
country. When hard times rolled around,
thousands and millions of workers lost
their jobs, In boom times employment has
been general. Employment has flowed
and ebbed without any general plan to
keep human beings at work, happy and
well fed. Even today, with the United
States at peak Of material prosperity,
there is too great unemployment In many
localities. The question whether the
world owes any man or woman q living
has been argued since time immemo-
rial. Whether the world has such q
debt to human beings really matters
little. But certainly organized society
and q Government 'of the people, by
the people and for the people" should
have an interest in this matter. Every
man and woman who wishes to work
should have an opportunity to find a
Job he or she can fill, and every man or
woman who does not wish to work
should be compelled to do his or her
share in making q livelihood. The
safety-valve system of Government work
now advanced commends itself to an in
telligent and sympathetic hearing. In
this country, fortunately, individual effort
and industry are the rule. But there is
no reason why they should not be sup
plemented by well devised and well
organized system Of public work, which
can be called upon to supply the unem-
ployed at times when private industry Is
turning of man and woman workers.
Here In the United States periods Of
great unemployment have been rare.
The march Of Coxey's army on Wash
ington is only hazy memory. for ex-
ample. The country, because Of Its
great resources, developing industry and
its comparatively sparse population, has
provided work for all, including
an army Of newcomers constantly ar
irving at its ports and borders. All
classes of society in America have
worked" It was years ago that scion
Of British aristocracy complained to an
American girl that you do not have .
leisure class such as We have" Her
prompt response was: "Oh. yes. But
we call them tramps." .
More and more throughout the world
the necessity Of work, Of production and
industry has become manifest. It has
become workaday world and the hap:
pier therefor. The proposals for an or
ganized curb of unemployment are
in line with the more systematic
and scientific methods the moderns have
of dealing with all their problems.