Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-27
Talk by MeSeroIe Is Also
Feature of Unemployed
Conference Broadcast.
PRESIDENT OF LEAGUE
SUGGESTS TWO PLANS
Hour Reduction, With Wage In
crease and Expansion of Public
Works, Are Recommended.

up unemployment reserves" in times
OF prosperity, Senator Robert F. Wag-
ner OF New York told the National Con-
ference on Unemployment this after
noon at the Hamilton Hotel.
Corporations long ago have learned
how to accumulate reserves in profitabh
years in order to pay dividends to
stockholders during slack periods" no
declared. Every business executiv.
knows that he must set aside a reserve
70 take care of depreciation of his ma.
chinery.
why cannot we have a similar re
serve 10 take care Of the wages of the
men VINO must be temporarily laid off?
IN most States workmen must be in.
Sured against loss arising from injury
Why can't We insure the worker,
idlenesS?
There is no doubt in my mind tina,
sooner than most Of us anticiuate ",
SnaL insure oar workers against un.
employment. We shall learn to treat it
as business risk We shall real
ne mat the idleness of the men and
women who are ready and willing n
work is part of the general cost of run
nlng our high-speed civilization: that
II must not be an individual burden"
senator Wagner's address was part
OF a program broadcast over a Nation
Wide network of the National Broad
casting Co. Other speakers on the pro-
gram were Edward Eyre Hunt, secretary
OF the Presidents Emergency Commit
zee on employment; Darwin j. Meserole,
president OF the National Unemplov-
ment League, and Otto T. Mallery of
Ine industrial relations department
Fnlaoelphla Chamber of Commerce,
New Machines Held DisIOcatinx.
Senator Wagner called attention To
DIl ne recently introduced Ito encour-
ase establishment OF reserves or insur-
ance against unemployment" and Il
works FAe
we must recognize that even the
maximum amount OF sterilization. both
PUBIC and private, will not entireIv
eliminate forced unemployment. the
New York Senator stated. "The in
vention OF new machines, changes in
iashlon, foreign disturbances will con-
ness.
only when we shall have adopted
this entire program Of sterilization
and insurance shall we be in a posi-
tion TO declare that we have SubStan-
TALLY strengthened the sense of se-
curity Of our people. Even then we
shall not sit back contented. We must
reach out to bring under control the
Worldwide forces that have In the
past caused economic upheaval.
Peace Considered Necessary.
THAT involves formulation of tariff
policies that promote rather than hin
der trade. It calls for International
financial policies that further rather
than retard the rehabilitation of Eu-
rope. 1t means that We must establish
peace upon an indeStructible founda-
ton. Only in peaceful and TRANQUIL
world can be enjoy economic stability
and widespread prosperity"
Mr.. Hunt declared that unemploy-
ment prevention Is more promising
than unemployment amelioration and
advocated long-range planning of pub
lie works as help in Stabilizing labor
Unemployment is problem with moral
as well as economic aspects, he said,
and President Hoover is leading the
attack on it from both grounds.
Public construction, he asserted, is
a factor, but only one factor. in
amelioration of unemployment. It
cannot, alone. take up the whole slack,
he stated. Long-range planning and
budgeting are the essence of control
of public works in depressions, he ex-
planned.
Mr.. MeSerole suggested two steps
to relieve unemployment permanently.
The first step, he said, is reduction of
the hours of labor and increase of
wages to approximate the increased
power of production through efficiency
of machinery and management. The
second step Is an extensive expansion
of Federal, State and municipal public
works "in order to absorb the labor
displaced by the breakdown of private
industry"
Creation of a Federal employment
sterilization board such as proposed
by Senator Wagner, and conStitu-
tional amendment providing for credit
reserves for States and cities In time OF
unemployment were favored by Mr..
Mallery.
Unemployment insurance was debated
before the conference this morning by
Prof John r. Commons of Wisconsin
University who said he favored "unen-
ployment reserves" and John E. Edger-
ton, president of the National ASsocia-
ton Of Manufacturers, who opposed the
insurance plan. DR.. A E. Suffern Of
the Federal Council of Churches gave a
research report analyZing unemploy-
ment insurance laws in IL other coun-
tries and indicating that the same
principles may be as well applied to the
United States
Closing Session Tonight.
The conference is being held under
the joint auspices of the social action
National Catholic Welfare
Conference; Social Service Commission,
Federal Council of Churches, and So
cial Justice Commission, Central Con-
ference of American Rabbis.
The closing session will be dinner
at 6 o'clock this evening. to be adj
dressed on Moral and Ethical Implica-
lions" by Rev. Harry F. Ward of Union
Seminary, New York; Rev.
DR.. John A. Ryan, director of the social
action department of the Catholic or
and Rabbi Edward l.. Israel,
chairman of the Jewish Social Justice
Commission.
Higher wages and shorter hours were
advocated last night by John p. Frey of
the American Federation of Labor.
George Soule, editor of the New Re-
public, said business cycles could be
avoided by proper planning.