Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-19
Employment Conditions.


United States are the subject of dis
cussion before the Senate commerce
committee, which has under considera-
ton bills offered by Senator Wagner
of New York to aid in preventing un-
employment One of Senator Wagner's
measures looks to the creation of re-
search bureau in the Department of
Labor to collect data on unemployment
There should be the fullest possible in
formation regarding employment condi-
tons in this country at all times. Sena-
tor Wagner has proposed also that a
great Federal employment system be
built up to aid in keeping labor en-
ployed, and that money be set aside
each year for the development of pub
Lie works in times of depression, when
many men may be out of work.
The New York Senator while declaring
the employment situation in this coun-
try today is serious and has never been
more serious. admitted that President
Hoover's conferences with leaders of in
dustry. labor and agriculture last Fall
had served to prevent mass hysteria."
That is one of the main purposes for
which the conferences were called. Had
"mass hysteria" developed last Fall and
this Winter. the conditions in this
country would have been infinitely
worse. Senator Wagner demanded alb
solute frankness in dealing with en-
ployment conditions when conditions
were anywhere near normal.
Frankness and a constant painting
Of employment conditions in the black
est light, however, are not necessarily
synonymous. 1t is true that there has
been heavy unemployment during the
Winter months. But els also true that
with the approach Of Spring conditions
are showing improvement. The admin
istration has been criticized on the
ground that it has put forward opti-
nnistic opinions regarding conditions.
The statements of the administration,
however, have been largely in response
to repeated attacks by its opponents
who have endeavored to show unem-
ployment conditions at their worst and
who have predicted more evil conditions
TO come. It is quite true that it is
impossible to place men in jobs merely
by asserting that there are jobs which
do not exist. But IL is also true that
by a constant reiteration of prophecies
of business depression it is possible to
bring on mass hysteria" and reduce
the number of jobs open to employment
Senator Wagner has been student
Of employment conditions. He has
been interested In legislation to stem
unemployment IN times of depression
and he is earnestly advocating such
legislation. He is entirely sincere in
what he is seeking to do. He halls
from the greatest city in the world. a
city in which millions are employed,
and where bread lines are found every
Winter, due in part to seasonal I'M
employment. His efforts to better con-
ditions are worthy of hearty support.
The Department of Labor, however, has
been and is at work collecting data and
aiding in every way it can to bring
employment back to normal. The Pres
ident has taken lead sin the effort to
stem depression. They are entitled TO
commentator for what they have done,
not criticism. Yet with q political
campaign coming on there are plenty to
rise and paint conditions as black as
possible. This may be good politics,
but it is not calculated to aid the work.
ing man. 1t is one thing to ventilate
q condition in order to improve it and
another to shout criticism from the
house tops merely to gain political adj
vantage.