Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-07
Fighting Idleness and the Dole.

The President enlists what should be
his most powerful ally in the ~aght
against the impending thresSs of Fed
eral dole" this Winter wher1ole calls
upon the leaders OF the United States
Chamber of Commerce. Their response
is encouraging. Julius H. Barnes and
Silas H. Strawn, chairman of the board
and president, respectively of the ma
tional body, report that survey OF
the situation is under way and that
its findings will be ready for the Presi-
dent the first of next month. Both
of them are of the opinion that, as Mr..
Strawn puts it, there will be more
kinds of legislation for the siole than
England or Germany ever heard Of
unless there is very real and concrete
plan for dealing with the situation
ready and working by the time Con-
gress meets.
That is perfectly true. And what is
more, II there is no such plan, the
initiation of a dole or Of Federal aid
in other forms and under other names
is inevitable.
II the organized wealth and indus
trial leadership of the Nation, as rep
resented in the United States Chamber
of Commerce, are dead set against the
dole, as they should be, it lies within
their power to prevent it. Despite the
expected campaign maneuverings of the
coming Winter and the political cap
italization of an unprecedented amount
Of hardship and suffering, the fact re-
mains that the best way to lessen the
demand upon the Federal Government
for aid is to make such aid available
without the financial help of the Fed
eral Government. There are enough
surveys now in progress to assure a
fairly accurate appraisal Of the problem
before Winter sets in. If as much
energy is thrown into the organization
Of private relief as is now being spent
upon surveys OF the need for relief, the
victory against vicious system Of
Federal aid, to end no one knows where,
will be complete.
But the time is rapidly approaching
when the demand will be for action,
not plans or surveys. And II one judges
the situation correctly, 1.-The time has
already passed for the issuance Of such
statements as that which has just come
from the Presidents Emergency Com
mittee for Employment. outlining a
Nationwide campaign to urge Ameri-
can youth to continue in school rather
than seek employment in competition
with responsible heads Of families.
During an abnormal time like this, "
says the statement, 'the dangers Of
idleness for young people sim in the
habit-forming age must be frankly
reckoned with. Even more than in
times of prosperity should we appreciate
the need for school attendance. Young
people should not be handicapped IN
obtaining an education because of the
serious unemployment conditions.
If the aim Of the movement is to
base a Nationwide propaganda against
child labor on economic instead Of
upon humanitarian grounds, and to
free the million or more children under
fifteen years of age from the gainful
toll that keeps them from school and
increases the unemployment among
adults, well and good. More power to
the campaignl
But TO base the campaign upon the
dangers OF idleness for young people
still In the habit forming age" and to
seek to remove such dangers by urging
them to go to school is pointless. Chill
dren will be kept out of school as long
as there are employers who can law
fully hire them dirt cheap, and as l11g
as the economic situation demands their
enlistment In the ranks of bread win
ners. And it would be more intelligent
to emphasize the dangers Of idleness for
adults past the habit-forming age with
hungry mouths to feed and denied the
right to earn living because their jobs
are filled by children.