Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-29
The Ten.Point Program.


OF all the committees Of the Presi.
dents Organization on Unemployment
relief. that one to which was assigned
the task of reporting on plans anc
Suggestions" was given one Of the
toughest nuts to crack. For the de-
preston has been marked by an over
production Of plans and suggestions
They have become drug on the mar
ket. their very number contributing
10 4 hopeless maze that for the time
being has obscured any definite OBJ
jective. The business Of selecting from
the countless plans some tangible pro-
gram to which the Nation might COM
NIT itself for united effort has been
far from simple. The committee,
headed by Harry A. Wheeler Of Chi
aago. Is TO be congratulated on the
program that II presents 20 the Nation.
rt Is a program, firSt, that is based
En- q candid statement of fact. The
most earnest wish Of all the people
OF our country Is for revival Of
business that will speed up industry.
insure employment Of now idle work.
eFs, stabilize commodity and security
values and open gradually expanding
work opportunity. While it may be
true that final complete recovery from
the depression must await removal of
adverse world conditions. 1t is certain
that we delay recovery by passiyely
accepting our relation to the interna-
tlonal situation and in failing TO make
q concerted, determined effort 70 cor
rect domestic conditions"
AS q self-contained Nation I'VE have
within our own boundaries the ele-
mental factors for recovery" Our ma
tional wealth is greater than our pre-
war wealth and greater than 1t would
have been under any normal increase
between l9l4-lsSl" The volume Of
our domestic business in comparison
with export trade places us in posi-
ton to develop internally q construc-
tive recovery II we grasp the oppor-
tlinity which still Is ours"
with snch conditions favoring US as
. Nation 1t the start, what must We do
70 apply them adyantageously? One
might summarize the committees ten
point program rs an admonition to put
- much effort into recovering from
TIE depression a. we now apply in
taking about It.
There must be more spending. The
American people must be brought to
realize that by restricting purchases TO
bare necessities at this time they are
further decreasing the volume OF busi-
neSs and spreading the catastrophe
they so attempt 10 avert" There is no
need for anything but normal buying.
Even normal buying. however, Is con-
tingent upon individual confidence OF
continued employment and every effort
must be made by employers to assure
continued employment. VI Is The sober
Judgment of this committee that as .
fandamental to All OF the aids which
may be hereafter suggested, the unity
ing Of public interest and sentiment in
this action IN absolutely imperative"
But there IS something needed besides
psychology, and this the committee
names as a further extension Of credit.
enc other action viii so materially
influence public confidence through i'm
naediately opening new sources of
employment, and thus give impetus to
resumption Of normal buying, as will
further adequate steps to unfreeze
credit" The committee points to the
immediate success of the National Credit
Corporation as having fulfilled this need
tn part But 1t ielSe%es a new credit
pool should be formed to rediseount
secondary classes Of paper concluding
that the very existence Of such a poo
would justify local banks to reopen lines
Of credit and correspondent banks to
rediscount the resulting papers" In
the meantime the committee recon-
mends that banks should assume more
liberal and encouraging attitude towarc
credit requirements OF average custom.
@s.
Work should be spread by private
employers and in the public service
e. the Nation, State. county and city
~ setting up well considered program
Of giving work to those who most neec
n: the various public works programs
held In sbeyance. should be under.
taken; communities should undertake
scientific apprafsals Of employment
conditions 70 show what hel6S are bein;
Aeglected and q real effort should b,
made 10 establish liaiSon between tn
us'ban and rural communities tina
would provide for organized transfe
et some Of the city's excess OF uneTn
ployed 70 the farms, where they woul,
~ paid nominal wages and receiv
their board and keep.
such 9 program. followed through
would bring about an immediate i'm
provement OF conditions. But IN
mere formulation OF the program
emily half the job. There must be tn
VIII TO work ii out. it is SUBMITS
% the people of the Nation for tn
action that they alone can take