The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-06
NEA Service Writer

Washington.-One thing about Hoover commissions is that they don't get out of hand. They remain Hoover commissions to the end.
 The history of the Woods unem- ployment committed, appointed in connection with the great problem of joblessness, has been somewhat l analogous to that of the Wicker sham commission. created primarily as a means of dealing with the trou- hlesome prohibition issue.
 Mir Hoover's enemies are found | charging that both were established only as political smokescreens ana that the president subsequently, ur- dertook to manipulate them for po- | litica1 purposes. MT Hoover's friends reply that only a mans enemies would say things like that.
 But it's fact that both commit tees did some good work and that the presidents choice of personnel is conceded to have been. admirable. In each case, however, a chairman was picked who could be depended upon not to embarrass the admins tration.
 Chairman George w. Wickersham,
 
 House, managed to bring out a dry set of recommendations from his commission despite the decision of seven of II members that prohibi- tion was a flop.
 Woods, Dissatisfied, Quits
 Chairman Arthur Woods of the unemployment committee kept on doing his best without a murmur until he felt forced to resign be- cause, with his powers restricted at the outset, his data was suppressed and his recommendations ignored. Six other officers of the committee stepped out at the same time. indi- eating the more or less general dis satisfaction which existed. But 1t was all very quiet and orderly and no one accompanied his withdrawal with any cracks at the administra- ton.
 Nevertheless, the bitterness which seethed within the Wickersham commission at what was termed White House interference was dupli- cated in the ranks of the unemploy- ment committee and its staff. The unemployment group consisted main- Iy of experts in their line who in- sisted that something ought to be done about unemployment by the federal government besides exhort- ing everyone else to do something about 1t. It is understood that Woods, who takes the 9unemploy- ment, problem quite seriously, was anxious to resign last December, op- pressed b va feeling of futility. Early this year a member of the committee attacked the administra- ticn's inaction before small, select group at a private dinnersin a Wash ington club. Woods himself is said to have assured members of the committee that although courtesy to the president demanded gthat they hold their tongues while still serv- ing, there was no reason why they shouldn't speak their minds after re- tirement, using any information they had acquired here. r. Sidc-Step Comparisons
 In the last few weeks all that was heard from Woods was occasional announcements of large sums being devoted to construction in the coun- try. These were conspicuously un- accompanied by comparative figures for similar periods last year. The department of commerce's bureau of public construction had surveyed new government construction few months ago and. despite all the bal iHnoO tnere had been about that sort or thing as federal effort to reduce unemployment. the result was with held by White House order. The building permit figures for 297 cities for March showed an actual de- crease of 11.S per cent in construc- ton as compared with March. 193O.
 Woods is said to have recommend : ed to the president a large federal appropriation for highway construc- ton. the Wagner employment ex- change bill which the president ve- toed. $40.000. 900 army barracks repair program, bringing up to date the agriculture departments refor- estation program and distribution of garden seed to miners and other un- employed persons. He also believed that the country should be permitted tn know the seriousness of it's un- employment situation.fi
 Thus far the only member of tI,e committee to squawk openly lat President Hoover's attitude has been I Frank Bane. who was vice-chairman until he resigned with Woods and 4 others. Bane, commissioner of pub- He welfare in Virginia, was talking IInot to the country, hut to his own sort Of folks at the Mhrylnlld State I Icnnference Of Soci1I Work and he
 drought and pneinpioyl asnf rellel