Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-12
SLACK WORK HELD
DETR|MENT TO u. S.
Can Company Official De-
cIares Unemployment Is
Blot on Industry.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

3, Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September &c. G..
Conway, chairman of the board of the
Continental Can Co. like Henry Ford,
next to war hates unemployment
most"
Enforced unemp.cr-io1t is a blot
> on our industrial era" scid ,Ir. Conway
> in discussing the subjec.. 1t mounts
rapidly during periods of industrial in
activity or depression. Lack of any
permanent or definite plan for quickly
absorbing labor released at such times
results in untold hardsllips and prolongs
the period of depression.
ITO continue to use such labor in the
production of goods when demand has
fallen off would further disrupt the
economic balance. Why not devise some
: plan to divert this excess OF labor tenn
porarily into other channels not pro-
ducing goods for consumption?"
If purchasing power can be created
: without increasing the amount of goods
on hand, business recovery can be very
! would Immediately decrease.
u asked Mr.. Conway to enlarge his
: views on this subject of just how pur-
; chasing power could be increased with
n out corresponding increase in produc-
2 ton.
Corporation Practices.
'I do not claim to be an economist.
and I may be preaching unorthodoX
> views. But when successful corpora
/, ton curtails production or closes down
: plant temporarily, it usually takes
: advantage of the opportunity to put
20 the plant in f1rst-class order. thus
: getting ready for the next period of
active production he began.
. IF this is sound for business, isn't
1t equally as sound for cities, counties,
States and the Federal Government TO
have an occasional cleanup campaign.
particularly during periods OF depres-
sion?
zone needs only to view American
cities from a train window, the harbors
from an incoming steamer or the
countryside from an automobile, to be
convinced of the need OF such a pro-
gram. Let every city clean up It's
alleys. water fronts and dumps; every
county its roads, culverts and county
buildings and every State its highways,
buildings. bridges. etc.
Put the planning of this work under
some agency of the Federal Govern
ment. such as the Army, with Its
wealth of engineering and executive
ability. Let the Government CO.
Aoperate with the cities. counties ana
States in this work. Make the wages
= would be offered TO keep men away
from industry when industry can use
such a program could be quickly set
in motion and would supplement the
bigger plans, which take more time 10
materiaiiZe.
n 'aNo plan is a cure all, but this plan
has the possibilities of employing
+ larger number of people at living
wage who otherwise might be unem- |
Moved. At the same time putting nun |
dreds of thousands of people TO work IN
: this way would not add to the produc-
ton Of more goods, but would add ma
terially to the total purchasing power i
Property Values.
Property values would benefit, our |
national pride would be enhanced and !
the valley of depression would be leveied |
out.
Certainly the people of the United
States should not rest until they can
say to every healthy man in this richest
country in the world. At such
place and at such wage, you can OBJ !
tain work. The wages are lower than |
you have been used to and the kind OF J
work may not be that which you de- /
sire, but, until industry can reabsorb |
you, we can at least offer you this,
Then it is really a working dole !
that you suggest?"
THAT'S exactly what it is" was his
reply
C. C. Conway, So, was born at Oak !
Park, Ill, and began his business career |
in the w W. Kimball Co. of Chicago.
He became president of the Continental
Can Co. four years ago, and its pro-
gram of expansion since that time has
been largely due to his personal efforts.
In addition to his work in this company,
he is a director of the United States
Rubber Co, the Sicily Oil Co., the
, Manufacturers Trust Co. and others.
4 Outside of business hours, his chief
4 interests lie in aviation.
4 Surprised at Pessimism.
Lord Melchett, British finanoisr,
Il world figure in nickel, coal and chemi-
/, Gals. stands amazed at the business
4 pessimism in the United States.
/, III bet in another year or so you
/, will have forgotten all about these awful
b hard times you talk about so much
inow," said the British leader just before
esailing for England this week.
No business can run at top speed Tor
lever No industry can expect to main
lltain 100 per cent capacity, no more
than any man can run all the time.
Adjustments are bound to occur. In
dustry must have time to rest, and
catch up in health, too.
| Copyright $780, by North American News
l paper Alliance
a