The border vidette., 1930-12-06
OHIO PLAN FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
RELIEF OUTLINED

| Sm6ll0SL uCtaIlS. 10 T0Sult5 DC
complished in the speeding ur
of public works and the stimula
ton of private industry have
| been such that it is felt that
publication Of the methods em.
ployed may provide suggestions
to authorities in other states who
are striving toward similar ends.
The organization set up in Ohio
resulted from a painstaking stud y
of all factors in that State direct
~ related to employ ment. AS
State, county. and the municipal
governments each have juridiction
over a wide variety of public
works, it is essential that in the
organizing program each OF these
governments units, be given due
consideration.
When President Hoover issued
his call last November for co.
operation of State governments
in the employment emergency,
the governor of Ohio as q first
step Immediately called into con.
ference heads of all State depart
ments, and plans we're at once
formulated to speed up construc
ton projects coming under State
jurisdiction. At the same time
mayors of large cities in the
State were urged to follow the
same course in connection with
municipal projects and to the
Governor the amount of work
which could be put under con
tract without delay.
The third. and perhaps the
most important step. was the or.
ganizaticn for the differentccnnt
les for unemployment relief
purposes. This was accomplish
ed by utilizing the services Of
nine State wide organizations.
representing industrial manage
ment, labor, agriculture and com
merce. Two members of each of
these organizations were appoint
ed by the Governor to form q
temporary State committee on
unemployment for the definite
purpore of organizing temporary
county committees. Each of the
organizations represented on the
State committee was asked to ap
point in each county some one to
serve as q memb Der of temporary
county committee. The county
committee having been organized
they we're asked to assume res.
possibility for two things: First,
stimulating private industry and
enterprises, and second, promot
ing the speeding up and exten.
sion of public works. The first
meeting of the county commit.
tees were attended by represent.
atives of the State Department
of Industrial Relations, men
thoroughly familiar with labor
conditions in their respective dis.
tricts. These State represent.
atives pointed out to the county
Committees the various sources
of informations available and
urged them to give close atten.
ton to such construction projects
as roads, bridges. sanitary and
water improvements. water and
sewer systems and similar enter.
prises.
Referring to the work of these
county committees, the report
declares that in the opinion of
Ohio State officials, these are
more effective in medium-sized
industrial centers than in either
the larger or smaller communi
ties.
In summing up the results &C
complished, the report indicates
that the major efforts of both
State and county committees
were devoted to getting planned
projects and improvements start
ed with the least possible delay.
Throughout the State road con
struction and repairs and build
ing projects were speeded up to
a marked degree.
In the field of private industry
the report shows that through
the efforts of the committees,
many employers adopted the pc
licy of staggering" employ
ment, allowing each man tc
work 10 or Is days during 9
month. Thus the whole force
was given part time employ
ment, and many men were pro