Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-18

Veto Of the Wagner employment ex-
change bill by President Hoover has
been productive of much discussion, in
view of the demands that have been
made in recent months on the existing
system of aiding employment. The veto
suggestion that it would disrupt the
present methods is both afnrmed and
denied. Those who uphold the Presi-
dent do so largely on the ground that
improved in the next Congress. OPP
ponents of the Executive hold that the
delay is detrimental.
1t Is agreed by the Baltimore Sun
that sit is essentially longtime rath-
er than an emergency measure" and
that "deferment Of its passage to the
next Congress, where it will likely be-
come law over the Presidents veto,
probably will not change the immediate
course of events In any decisive way"
The Sun adds: Among the economic
objections are that 1t is questionable
extension Of the system of Federal
batting of the States, and sets up q
considerable amount Of expensive ma
chinery which past experience has not
given much reason to believe would get
very far in meeting the basic employ
ment difficulties of the country. The
President, however, does not address
himself Squarely to many of the i'm
portant realities in the case, nor does
he respect the processes of representa-
tive government by waiting until Con-
gress has adjourned to give the coup de
grace to a long considered and ex-
tensively debated measure, in which he
has taken a most active interests"
THE present situation cannot be
helped, but on the other hand the work
would be retarded" declares the
Charleston CIV. Va) Daily Mail, "by
displacing a present operating system
with one which cannot instantly be put
into effect. That President Hoover is
not insensible to the need of a better
system, if one can be devised, is shown
in his effort, IN conjunction with Sec
rotary of Labor Doak, to frame a meas
ure which will be more effective than
that proposed by Mr.. Wagner and one
which at the same time will not require
SO long a period in which to be made
effective"
Gazette, IF ther is to be any criticism
of the PresiF IS action in rejecting
this third unemployment relief measure,
it mi be based on his failure to stress
his main objection more strongly while
Congress was still in session. It is con-
celvable," scys that paper, that the
lawmakers Nigh have made so e ar
rangement for continuing the Federal
employment sc y, until such time as
the new plan could have been placed in
full operation" The Gazette suggests
that perhaps the President did not feel
that the matter was of sufficient i'm
p; lance to justify any vigorous inter-
vention in the affairs of the legislative
branch"
The objection to the BILL" according
to the Chicago Daily News, was not
the - on for Federal-State .o-op-
Grafton in maintaining employment bu-
reaus, but the provision abolishing the
existing Federal employment service.
The latter feature, as the President was
advised by the Attorney General and
TT Secretary of Labor, would have
been seriously detrimental to the unem-
ployed. Organization of the new serv-
ice would have required many months,
If not -earS, since the various State
legislatures would have had to be con-
suited and State appropriations OBJ
tanned from them Thus the Wagner
plan not only would have been COM
pie -, ineffective in the present emer-
gency but would have wiped out abruptly
a service demonstrably valuable to la
Dor. The ext &c service finds jobs at
the rate Of 100000 year. It r 2in-
tains special divisions for the benefit
C --rmers and wa veterans
"Mr Hoover has acted wisely" main
tainS the San Antonio Express Nothing
will be lost by deferring final action,
while experts pursue the subject further
The present Federal employment serv-
ice has built up efficient fact-finding
ScrappiAg that labor of
some years previously would be mad
visable." Quoting Senator Wagner's