The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-06
While Millions Suffer

White House statements imply that the unemploy
nent crisis is under control thanks to the federal
building program and the employment Of almost two
thirds of million jobless workers in the last four
months.
We wish that administration propaganda were true
1t is not. It is as misleading as the White House
statements on the Wickersham prohibition report and
earlier dsproved Hoover statements on the extent of
unemployment and duration of the depression.
At the beginning Of the depression Hoover
nounced on Oct 25, 1929. that business was a
sound and prosperous basis" He said on March
1880, that all the evidences indicate that the worst
effects of the crash upon employment will have been
passed within the next sixty days" Since then he
has continued to minimize the seriousness of the Sit
uation. Last winter he prevented congress from
extending unemployment relief.
Now we face a more terrible winter. Again the
administration busy spreading It's false propaganda
OF security to block emergency session Of congress
or adequate unemployment relief when the regular
session opens in December
The latest White House propaganda tries to sell
the idea that the federal building program is taking
up much unemployment slack. that the federal en-
ployment service is taking up much more slack. and
that the remaining jobless be cared for by pri
vate charity On all three counts the White House is
refuted by facts.
First. the federal building program. If it had been
pushed more vigorously, doubtless it would have
served brake on the runaway depression. Bet at
the end of almost two years only fty-seven OF the
75a construction projects have been completed repre-
senting only $25OooOo0 of the total $453o0ooO0 avail
able For we'll over half the projects and over half
the total funds. the architect plans have not even
been completed the contracts let. To depend upon
this small and limping program to meet next winters
emergency would be suicidal.
Second, the federal employment service When
Hoover broke his repeated pledges to that reform and
vetoed the Wagner employment service bill. public
protest forced him to dress up the useless old fed
eral employment service. Now the White House
hands out statement of the alleged achievement
of that service In capital letters to influence the
quick press summaries of the report it states:
Total employment placements from April ! to
july 81 1881 6S86S9." Presumably the public viii
accept the inference that this federal agency has
been largely responsible for reducing the army of the
unemployed by almost two-thirds of million within
four months
But buried in the report one discovers that most
Of these placements were made by state agencies
and only $4,000 jobs supplied by the federal service
OF course even that figure is splendid-if it means
anything
Were those jobs real jobs, or were they one-hour
Jobs or one-day jobs one-month jobs? The adj
minstration refuses to Were those jobs fairly
steady farm factory work actually obtained by the
federal agency, does that figure simply cover the
number of temporary harvest hands listed as federal
achievement because of harvest posters put up in
some country postofnce The administration refuses
TO answer
But the refusal Of the administration to admit
that its employment service figures are deceptive to
hs extent that they imply reduction OF unemplcg-