Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22
FULL LABOR FACTS
SLAMONT'S PLAN
Estimates Based on Periodic
Surveys to Be Published
Regardless of Trend.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Although the Department of Com
merce estimate showing more than six
million unemployed is by no means
pleasing, Secretary Lamont has de-
termined that the public shall have the
benefit of the facts. no matter what in
ferences may b. drawn.
Ever since the depression began
there have been two conflicting schools
of thought-those who believed I'M
pleasant news should be suppressed in
the interests of better morale and pub
lie psychology and those who felt that
to erase suspicion and skepticism and
for the building up of morale all the
facts should be published.
The pressure upon the administra-
ton from time to time has been po-
litical, particularly preceding last Au-
tumns elections, when it was sought to
convey the belief that the depression
was temporary Now, however, with
Congress out of the way and with the
Government departments, especially
the permanent personnel, feeling more
or less FESTIVE under criticism, it may
be said that a change in policy has
been developed by Mr. Lamont in his
announcements about the special CEN
SuS.
Want Better Understanding.
From time to time a special census
will be taken again and the public will
be given the facts. Certainly the relief
agencies observed a slackening of eff
fort and contributions the moment OPP
timistic news about the business situa-
ton was proclaimed.
From now on the public will be given
the figures on unemployment so that
the responsibilities of the States and
cities in providing relief funds may be
shared by the general public with a
better understanding of what is needed.
Mr.. Lamont'S statement is couched
in phrases of restraint and caution and
there is no prophecy as to the future.
Indeed, while there Is q reference to
the change in figures since last Janu-
airy, it Is described as "a slight but I'M
miStakable improvement"
The fact that there are approximate
ly six million persons unemployed and
that di'~,eSs is being kept at the mini
mum is tribute to the splendid work
of the relief agencies and the gen.
crosby of the American people. There
Is no way, of course, Of comparing the
latest census with other data on I'M
employment, though it will be recalled
that during the Harding administration
and the depression of 1921 the COM
monty published estimate of those I'M
employed was In excess Of five million.
shiftless and transient groups amount
to at least a million persons, so that
the net change today as compared with
1921 would seem to be about million
really unemployed.
Must ReabSOrb 5000, 900.
The task of industry is to reahsorb
5, 000,0 600 persons out Of the 6,000,0 00
Some experts have figured 1t out that
IL, he I'D
and foreign trade generally would ac-
count for at least 100000 persons.
The plans of the Department of
Commerce are to take what is known
as a sample census every few months
The latest figures are, Of course. based
upon an actual survey involving the
larger industrial and commercial CEN
tiers, but when this Is compared with
the complete census Of year ago in
the same cities definite increase is
noted, so that by studying the figures
Of q year ago and those obtained in
January, the Department of Commerce
feels its estimate Of 6,050.000 can be-
relied upon. This Is an increase over
the 2,429, 062 as reported last April, as
Stunning that the percentage Of increase
in unemployment has been as great in
the rural areas and in the smaller
cities as In the larger cities. This sig
nificant sentence, however, appears in
the departments summary:
eff, as has been reported, there has
been a movement of unemployed per-
sons to the larger cities, it can be con-
cluded that the total number of jobless
Is somewhat less than the estimated
$3.50, 900 for the country as a whole"
But the Government departments are
not going to sugar-coat the figures, but
are to give out the truth whether it
helps or hurts.
(Copyright, 1879