Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-10
A Good Beginning.

A good start mas Deen ulduS III vi
ganizing Washington for unemployment
relief this Winter. The Commissioners
have chosen an outstanding member OF
the community, Frederic A. Delano, as
chairman of the committee of citizens
to direct the work. Mr.. Delano has full
filled many important assignments In
public and private Office and with out
standing success. He possesses the con-
fidence of the city and the experience
that fits him for a difficult task. His
position as honorary president and one
of the prime movers in the Community
Chest naturally establishes a liaison
that will be valuable. Part of the re-
lief of unemployment lies in finding
work; an equally important task is the
provision of charity.
The value of capable organization to
cope with the problems anticipated this
Winter is that the groundwork may be
prepared in advance by suitable sur
vey of the extent of local ramifications
Of Nationwide employment. Washing
tonians should be told, frankly and
without fear, what the conditions are.
There are, of course, the immediate
problems accompanying an extraordi-
narily large floating" population; men
who drift from city to city without
definite hope of employment and look
ing for q meal and bed. Col. Grant
has come to the front with the old st.
James Hotel. building that can be
used to provide, under suitable super
vision, a temporary housing place for
the unfortunate drifters. 1t is not be-
lieved thst such expenses as heat and
light for this ancient hosiery viii be
dificult to meet The Volunteers of
America, q Nationwide charitable or
ganization, presumably has plans Of its
own in this connection, and the local
committee of Washingtonians will fisd
help from that quarter. In addition,
the Central Union Mission, Salvation
Army, the Municipal Lodging House
and other such agencies will be able to
care for the usual army of drifters, to-
gether with the recruits gathered under
the banner OF unemployment.
The more difncult task is the relief
Of suffering brought about by the in
ability Of resident breadwinners, with
dependent families, to find work. Wash
ington Is fortunate, in that the number
Of these Is relatively small. There are
no large industrial plants here, with
their slashed pay rolls and lay-offs, and
the city's largest employer, the Federal
Government, has an unusually large
pay roll because Of the census work.
Such facts may be considered without
minimizing the importance or the grav-
ity Of conditions in Washington. Much
can be done by organized effort to find
or to make work and select deserving
men for the jobs. One of the greatest
contributions to expect from the city,
as whole, is quick and generous sup
port of the Community Chest.
The proposal tentatively sounded by
DR.. Havenner of the Federation of
Citizens Associations, regarding $685.
100000 loan to the District from the
Federal Treasury, would, of course, re-
quire congressional sanction. But it
would be unfortunate to confuse the
important subject Of plunging the city
into debt with the problem Of ade-
quately dealing with temporary con-
d.tion Of acute depression and attend
ant unemployment. The expenditure of
such sum. wisely, Of course, and as
funds in addition to the normal appro-
priations. would require years. Before
the money could be even apportioned
among the various projects which it
might finance. it is reasonable to be-
lieve that employment conditions win
have improved.
The first thing on the program of
the Citizens Unemployment Commit
tee should be a careful outline of the
local problem.
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