Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-30
FOUR PARTS TO PROGRAM.
Drive Being Held Up Until Accurate
Survey Can Be Completed.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Although the drive to reduce unem-
ployment can hardly get under way for
another fortnight because the effort
for the moment is to get an accurate
survey of the facts, enough has been
accomplished already by Col. Arthur
Woods to indicate the nature of the en-
tire movement.
There are four major divisions of the
activity encompassed by the Presi-
dents Emergency Committee. They
are:
/. Pressing for action on Government
work-Federal, State and municipal.
q Encouraging industrial corpora
lions to begin projects they have been
planning.
3. Stimulating the home-owner to
undertake repairs that are needed.
4. Setting up voluntary employment
agencies so that the jobless can more
easily find employment when there are
jobs seeking them.
Bonds Cause Delay.
In the first of these there has been
much delay due to the fact that Legis-
latures and city governments have not
obtained the necessary authority for
bond issues. In may cases, however,
plans have already been drawn and the
work may be done the instant approval
is obtained. Then there are several
examples of local governments which
have not even begun to make blue
prints or plans on necessary construc-
ton and it is believed this work can be
speeded up in anticipation of the grant
of authority.
With respect to industrial enterprises
,F
ton is complicated one due to the
fact that many companies would prefer
not to increase their bonded debt. If,
however, the bond market improved and
the rates of interest are low enough,
much of the industrial work will natural
ly find ready financing, especially by
those companies whose position Is well
assured, but where an undue amount
Of caution or hesitation has brought
about postponement. Last December
for instance, when the business survey
conference was called there was talk of
many projects of construction. The
Federal Government itself has not fol-
lowed up these possibilities before, but
the emergency committee, just created,
will endeavor to see what can be done
to start more industrial projects.
With respect to private repairs, the
thought is that a public psychology in
favor of making the improvements in
homes and Office buildings can be de-
veloped. This alone, while involving in
each case perhaps small amounts, may
make a vast difference in the number
Of people employed.
Agencies Lack ordination.
The question of setting up employ
ment agencies is perhaps one of the big
gest jobs the present committee can do.
The Federal Government has had good
deal of Experience with transfer OF
farm labor from one section of the
country to the other. but there is no
machinery comparable to it for the city
worker. The employment agencies are
not at all sufficient for an emergency
such as the present and there is a no
ticeable lack of coordination between
them. The Federal Covenant may
be able to set up a system of exchange
of information between cities which
might take care of many jobless, par
ticularly the unmarried men who have
dependent mothers or sisters. A survey
Of what can be done in this direction
is being made and detailed announce
ments are expected shortly.
The whole drive to reduce unem-
ployment has been undertaken in a most
comprehensive way by Col. Woods,
whose experience in previous unem-
ployment conferences, together with
his own forcefulnesS and driving
capacity, has created an atmosphere Of
confidence that at last something con-
structive is going to be done in ham
ding the unemployment problem.
If appropriations are necessary from
Congress, the present emergency COM
mittee will have developed its plan by
next December to such an extent that
definite recommendations can then be
made With the congressional election
out of the way the subject will be less
complicated with political issues or po-
litical influences, and the expectation is
that Congress will act early in Deem
Der on any emergency measures which
mission.
Copyright. is30)