Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-01
DOAK TO DISCUSS
LABOR IN FORUM
Speech July 4 Will Be Last
Until Series Is Resumed
in Fall.

Inc NdLlOndl Vi uAll, ohSCo
by The washington Star and broadcast
over a coast-to-coast network Of the Co
lumbia Broadcasting System, will sus-
pend for the Summer months following
the July 4 program. With the excep-
ton Of a brief period during the last
congressional elections. the feature has
been on the air weekly without inter-
ruption for nearly two and half years
and has won a place of appeal and
educational merit never before achieved
by a single radio program.
william N. Doak, Secretary Of Labor
speaking in the cabinet series. will close
both the forum and that outstanding
series on the evening Of the Fourth
He will speak from $50 to 9 O'Clock,
Eastern standard time $3.50 to 10
O'Clock, Eastern daylight saving time),
on THE Labor Department and EN-
ployment." The forum will resume It's
place on the air early In September.
Inaugurated In 1929.
The National Radio Forum was in
augurated the first week In March, 1929.
Since that time 1t has established itself
as an institution of far-reaching educa-
tional value. The time on the air mas
been donated by the Columbia Broad
casting system In the interests OF the
listening public and statesmen have
found it q much-needed medium by
which their problems, their points OF
view and their arguments have gone
directly to the public. 1t has been
primarily O means Of giving the public
the background" of events in talks by
those individuals directly concerned In
those events. The people, therefore,
have learned more about the problems
Of their Government.
That the listening public has been
receptive and interested in the Forum
programs has been proven conclusively
by the thousands of letters which have
been received from every section OF the
country. Further, struggling members
of the minority on the questions OF the
day have found the Forum open to
them In the same degree as those sup
porting the majority opinion. The
Forums non-partiSan quality is one OF
the chief reasons for its popularity.
1881 High Point in Broadcast.
The first half Of 1881, by virtue Of
the many pressing problems Of Gov
eminent which arose during that time,
has marked the. high point in the
Forums service to the Nation. Unem-
ployment struck the land. A blighting
drought ravaged the farm lands Of the
Nation from coast to coast and from
Canada to Mexico. Violent repercuS-
sions were heard in Congress. Through
these troublesome times, the Forum
served the public. The people Of the
United States, entitled to know what
thir representatives in Congress thought
of these questions, had only to turn to
the Forum for authoritative information.
Political questions are never quiet.
During this period. however, these prob
lens were particularly to the fore. The
latent controversy around direct pri-
maries famed. Both sides were pre-
sented in the Forum. The same was
true of other questions as they arose.
President Hoover's views as to apph-
cation Of relief to suffering farmers
spurred debates in Congress. In the
Forum, Senator Joseph T. Robinson,
Democratic leader of the Senate, told
"Why the United States Government
Should Help the Drought Sufferers"
A week later Representative Louis G..
Cramton, Republican, of Michigan, told
why the Unemployment and Drought
Relief Work Should Be Carried on
Through Voluntary Contribution"
Gives Reasons for Veto.
Thousands believed President Hoover
should nave signed the Wagner unem-
ployment bill. Speaking in the Forum,
Secretary Doak, who speaks the second
time this year in the Forum when he
delivers his Fourth Of July address,
gave President Hoover's reasons for his
pocket veto Of the Wagner unemploy-
inent bill" Two weeks later Senator
Robert r. Wagner. Democrat, Of New
York, author of the vetoed bill, spoke
on 1.-The need for further unemployment
legislation These are but illustrations
of the Forum policy. Every great issue
confronting the country. likewise has
been debated as 1t arose.
Ten weeks ago the cabinet series,
which ends Saturday, was begun. Never
before had such a thing been under
taken. The members Of the cabinet,
second only IN importance IN the execu-
tive branch Of the Government to the
President, frequently had spoken indi-
vidually in the Forum, but never as a
group. The Government was under
general heavy FIRE because Of the de-
preston and kindred economic issues and
the people were asking, what is being
done about it?p The Forum supplied the
answer with the cabinet series.
The Forum will resume in the Fall
with q series of speeches of national
and international Importance. Interna-
tional complications directly affecting
the American public seem in the ofiing
Is result Of the world aspect of the
depression. The. Forum seems destined
to take On ah International sienifcance.