Evening star., 1930-12-07

decided TO ampliry and reinforce the
movement started q year ago, It was
found that many Of the States and
cities were already well organized, with
definite plans worked out, and that
many employers had likewise made
their own plans to take care Of their
idle employees. In short, communities
and industries were already accepting
their responsibilities and going forward
on their own account to handle this
problem Of unemployment.
Extraordinary Response.
The Committee Of the Cabinet and
the Emergency Committee under Col.
| Arthur Woods, the same efficient leader
who guided the relief activities in 1912.
have met with extraordinary re-
sponSe from the country. Reports
from every one Of the forty-eight States
and from hundreds of cities through
OUT the country show earnest, confident
| work already In progress. Nothing, I
Cnlnk, since 1917 and 1918 has been
quite so spontaneous, so courageous,
ana so unanimous. Not only are the
regular local relief organizations well
1ntegrated and more adequately
1nanced than in previous years, but
speclaI community committees are being
SET up to coordinate and unity the
| eHorCS OF various interests to remedy
tne situation. The municipalities them
serves are setting q fine example by
maintaining and increasing their work.
ing forces and offering emergency en-
PIoyment to the jobless. Within the
last lew days, Col. Woods has asked the
mayors Of the 1853 largest cities and
Cne Governors of States to report on The
number OF persons on public pay rolls
| reports received to date show that both
Gt1e cities and the States, instead OF
laying on men as Is usual at this sea-
son. actually increased working forces
from October to November. One hun
ored and eighty-four of the cities. not
ncIuolng any of the largest, which have
not YET replied, reported 200 Sal persons
On municipal pay rolls In November
q number which was per cent larger
tnan In October and nearly 12 per cent
sDoVe the total Of 187,5o0 In Noyem-
Reports already received from a few
u Cne states show similar tendency:
Ng Snght increase from October to
november OF this year and nearly per
cent more workers than at the same
tline last year. If these increases are
typical 1t Is estimated that increases in
puollc employment, at a time when an
uustrlaI workers have been reIeas sad
nave served to relieve the unenonlov9
menu situation to the extent OF 200 600
or more persons.
Cutting Red Tape.
Sttll more encouraging ts the evide,,e.
tnat many States and municinelities
are cutting red tape In getting started
on enlarged construction programs.
State and municipal long financ-
ing amounted to more than $157 O0O :
0OO IN October, an amount practically
oouole the September total and larger
tnan Tor any October In the last decade
view oono issues approved by voters at
recent elections were in excess of S40O. =
Uoo,uoO ana represent the largest No
date. 1' Se"i W
The authorities of many cities. and
otner local governments, moreover
reallze that there Is much needed wnrl
tnat can be undertaken without deIav
ana that can be pursued during Winter
months. The present appears to be a
favorable time to undertake community
house-clean1ng of various kinds such
as Cleaning streets, parks and other
PUBIC properties, improvement of traf-
nc signs so badly needed in many locali-
ties, removal Of distractions to view at
highway intersections and grade cross
lngs, construction of curb cut-backs
on arterial highways and pedestrian
sa1ety Islands and removal of street
obstructions. In addition there are
many Improvements of a more ex-
tensive character, such as widening of
streets and roads and removal of high
way grade crossings which can in many
cases be proftably undertaken during
the Winter. Moreover, these types of
work do not involve large expenditures
for material as they are of such char
acter that q large part Of the cost is
represented by labor.
l have not, perhaps sufficiently
stressed the great Importance of wide
spread efforts to provide part-tine en-
ployment in the homes and industries of
the community. The Emergency Com
mittee for Employment has reports
from tI al parts OF the country showing
the great interest In this type Of work
work which is not reflected in our ordi-
nary statistics Of employment, which
must total very substantial number
OF days OF activity and tidy sum in
the pay envelope. In organizing for
the distribution Of this type Of work
many cities have undertaken registra-
ton Of the unemployed and have estab-
lished central employment services
where the job and man are brought to-
gether.
NO-OpcEdIlOn necessary
Meeting an emergency Of this sort,
it must be realized, Is a joint undertak-
ing; one in which the Federal and local
governments, industry and labor or
CARNATIONS, and the community as a
whole must cooperate to a common
end-that of providing work for the
lobleSS and direct relief for those In dis
tress. The Federal Government has
exerted and Is exerting its every effort
to alleviate the present situation. di-
rectly through additional employment
afforded by its expanded construction
ana road-building program, and indi-
rectly through its influence in maintain
ing wage levels and preserving indus
trial peace and in accelerating and CO.
ordlnat1ng the Nationwide community
EFFORTS TO increase employment and
provide relief. I have every confidence
tnat our common. effort will be sue
cesS1ul in preventing the suffering
which has always characterized such
expressions in the past. Our innnne-
ulate problem is to carry on through
the coming Winter. AS for the future.
no person who Is familiar with the his.
tory OF our country can fail to appre-
clate the wisdom Of President Hooyer's
words, that our country is todav
stronger and richer in resources. in
equipment, in skill. than ever before
IN It's history. We are in an extraordi-
nary degree self-Sustaining, we will
Lead the march Of prosperity as wa
nave always done hitherto"
W. C. TIL Newa