Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-25
Lowering Pay Will Not
Increase Employment
TO the Editor Of The star:

10 the EDITOR OF The star:
With reference to Mr.. Stewards letter
in recent issue of The Star in which
he suggests cut of one-sixth in the
salaries of all Government clerks to be
used to provide employment for those
out of work.
theoretically this sounds good, and
have no doubt that the Govern
ment clerks would accept 1t and pinch
along with reduced salary II it can be
made clear to them that it would bet
| ter present conditions-in fact, good
| ly percentage of those clerks spend q
considerable sum annually in succoring
| the less fortunate around them. Show
me q composite Of the Government
clerks and I'll show you true type Of
Americanism, generosity and patriotism
IA group that viii not shirk any re-
sponsibility.
Will Mr.. Stewart, or any one else who
cares, inform us where, when and at
what he will put the unemployed at
! work? 1t is conceded that the Govern
ment construction plan can use only
one-fifth of the estimated idle because
of the nature of the work that requires
certain fitness for and knowledge
thereof. To illustrate, will cite three
efforts along this line: A citizen placed
an addition to his home. Two OF them
were not sufficiently interested to look
the job over, two others did look it over
and one submitted bid Of three times
and the other two times as much as 1t
was worth. The owner asked the Com
mittee for the Unemployed for men;
they reported sending several; only two
came and as yet neither has made any
move to take hold of the Job. This
was not q case of money, as the owner
vas to finance it. Second case: A wom-
an asked several parties to submit bids
to construct garage; failing to get
bid from any Of them she gave it up for
the present Third case: An owner
was starting to NOW his lawn: An able
bodied man asked for job; he was
directed to NOW the lawn. He asked,
Must the terraces be mown?" He was
informed that that was a part Of the
work. With the remark, TOO hard
work." he walked away.
Do not the above cited facts suggest
that it is not shortage of work, but
shortage of disposition on the part OF
too many of the unemployed to accept
and do, as best they can, the work Of
Tered to them? Does it not indicate
that q considerable percentage OF the
idle are so from choice and not from
necessity? Does it not point to a very
difficult task to find work suitable to
and acceptable to them?
The present economic conditions can
not be due TO money shortage, III Idct,
there is too much money in big bundles.
rhe Government can command lirnitless
money, evidenced by the recent oversub-
scription of per cent bonds. Is 1t not
case of shortage of courage on the
part of business and money interests ag-.
gravated by an apparent disposition OF
the unemployed to cooperate and each
accumulated by an overadvertising OF
calamity which appears to be used by all
political parties to advance personal am
billions with little or no regard for the
public interest? If only portion OF
the foregoing be conceded, Is 1t not
logical to assume that money deducted
from the clerks salaries will inevitably
find its way through the Treasury into
the strong boxes of the big holdings,
practically put out of circulation. thus
depriving the clerks of the purchasing
power so essential to business and man
ufacturing existence, leaving their de-
pendents and beneficiaries without the
support and succor now obtaining,
spreading loss and suffering over ire
mendous1y increased area?
G. w. IRVING.