The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-09-19
MAYOR TO HIRE
 AGENT TO GET
 JOBS FOR NEEDY
Unemployment Bureau to Be Establis h e d at
 Once in City Hall

Continued from rage One) persons having work to give out and all persons wanting it.
 MT. Faulkner's recommendations were supported by his fellow con- mitteemen.
 Hand Instead of Machine
 MT. Scott called attention to the desirability of keeping unemployed work available to as many persons as possible by making it hand, in- stead of machine, labor and by eliminating the purchase of ma terials. This proposal was re- ceived with favor. He suggested that consideration should be giv- en the idea of hiring unemployed persons to cut timber for fuel, and he ventured the opinion that many residents of the city would be glad to help the situation by buying and burning wood for cooking and heating purposes. Such plan may be considered by city authorities and the employment agent when the employment bureau gets into operation.
 Mayor to Employ Agent
 The Council unanimously passed a motion authorizing the mayor to hire an employment agent, leaving to the mayors judgment the matter of the agents salary
 The Council decided to defer consideration of an increase in taxes. Other means of providing funds for the unemploy ent were suggested by Councilman Wal lis S. George.
 He set forth that the Mayor and the councilmen were agreed that the present policy of paying for cement sidewalks and paved streets from the general fund should be charged to the improvement dis trict plan whereby most of the cost of such improvements would be borne by the benefited property.
 The general fund, he explained, could not under the legal tax lim- it of 20 mills, make all the inn provements desired by residents and he stated that property owners in various parts of the city would be willing to form improvement dis tricts and lay sidewalks and pave streets at their own expense.
 Work for Unemployed
 If the district improvement plan were adopted it would result in street work that would take up some of tn unemployment.
 But before the present policy could be altered, he argued, prop erty owners who have already been benefited by sidewalks and Street improvements and who had av- vanced a part of the cost with the understanding that it would be refunded to them by the city should now assume share of the original outlay. They can do this by releasing their claims against the city for refunds. 9
 These refund claims are held by property on the paved part of Third Street, on Front Street from Seward Street to Main Street and on Lower Franklin Street from the Alaskan Hotel to the City Dock.
 Agree to Relinquish
 MT. Shattuck and MT. Connors, who advanced money for street inn provements in front of their prop critics informed the Council they would relinquish their refund claims.
 Councilman George was of the opinion that most if not all of the property owners having such claims would relinquish them when it was explained that the general fund, which is created by general taxes, would not be made to bear the cost of future cement side walks and paved streets, but that benefited property owners would pay for such Improvements.
 He and Mayor Judson will can- vass the situation Monday.
 S5,0OO Is Invested
 If the city does not have to make these refunds, which total almost $5,000, the treasury will have available that amount im- mediately for unemployment proj- ects.
 The refund saving, the desired improvement district street work and the prosecution of sewer bet terments and extensions, for which a special fund is now on hand, might obviate the necessity of an increase in taxes.
 In summing up the situation, the Mayor assured the Chamber Con- mittee that the city would proceed at once with efforts to solve, with federal and territorial cooperation, the unemployment problem; and that the manner of replenishing the treasury for present outlaws