Evening star., 1932-10-02
REICH ADOPTS 3 PLANS
TO RELIEVE UNEMPLOYED
Germany, Confronted With Problem of
Five Million Jobless, Hits on New
and Promising Schemes.

the worker retains the right to apply
for government aid after his voluntary
enlistment is completed. AS rule only
such work as manifestly could not be
undertaken without voluntary labor
and state aid is authorized.
For land settlement the state even
extends the scope Of its financing, max
ing allowances for as long as 40 weeks
for each voluntary worker under Is
years of age.
Trade Unions Fight System.
While themselves opposing in prin-
ciple even the idea Of voluntary labor"
at what they call starvation wages"
the trade unions have the whole hearted
support Of both the Left and Center
parties in the Reichstag in their fight
against the Brownshirts drive for com
pulsory labor They recognize that
there are 100000 unemployed workers
in Germany under the age of 25 years
and 10000 900 under 81, most of the
latter never having had regular work,
and that voluntary labor is admittedly
means OF resisting the demoralizing
effects of continued unemployment
among young persons, but they see the
system as threatening the economic
and legal status Of the working class
and as an attack against general labor
conditions
The back to the land" movement,
and the establishment of families Of the
unemployed on suburban tracts is prov
ing successful far beyond earlier ex-
pectations. Results of the past year
indicate the permanency of the scheme,
as most of the workers who have mi
grated from industrial centers manifest
determinatio1 not to leave their
nevly-establishes homes even after the
crisis Is over.
Since last Ocrober. when by legis-
lative decree, this first suburban agri-
cultural settlement was established, the
government has spent 5000 900 marks
on the movement. More than $1,000
small suburban farms have been estab-
lished, each with dwelling house, and
90, 900 workers allotmentS have been
provided. Since preference is given to
large families five is the average) the
number of persons who have been
established on the land exceeds 500. 900.
An even larger number is awaiting
similar opportunities.
According to NJ. Saassen. federal
commissioner. who has turned over the
direction of land settlement to the MIN
lister of Labor, the results thus far
should be considered only as the first
stage of vast settlement campaign,
which must be continued for years to
come In order to sensibly improve the
workers living conditions, particularly
in respect to housing. Furthermore.
workers families which are established
on the land are more or less perma-
nently withdrawn from the already
over-crowded labor market.
Juveniles Trained.
;rL
gratifying results is the vocational
training courses for juveniles" These
are now held in all parts Of Germany.
More than 100000 unemployed juveniles
under "a years of age, 80 per cent Of
whom were women and girls, took ad-
| vantage OF them the past year, While
the obvious motive Is to maintain and
develop vocational knowledge. among
young people, deeper and more serious
one IS TO preserve a will 10 work and 70
facilitate employment. Statistics COM
piled. by eight state employment Offices
snow that out of a total of $4,000
pupils, $500 attended courses in agri-
cultural practices, $4,000 courses in
salaried positions CLERKS, bookkeepers,
office workers., 59,500 courses in the
various manual crafts and "a 500 (wom-
EN- courses in domestic economy. The
other $4,000 took up diversified sub
lectS ranging all the way from hair
dressing to painting and designing.
Although the government contributes
largely to the support of these schools.
the Federal Employment Exchange and
Unemployment Insurance Institute ex-
pending 100000 marks on them this
year, employers, workers organizations.
sectarian bodies and young peoples as
sociations also are cooperating effec-
| lively
/ All three schemes above mentioned
nave an eye upon the future and will
De continued by the government when
unemployment begins to resume normal
proportions. In Germany particularly.
Where mechaniZation and rationaliza-
tlon In industry are making great
strides. economists and officials predict
an over supply of manual labor in the
future. The big problem is to make
these workers self supporting and pro-
ductlve units of the social structure
Numerous temporary remedies for un-
employment have been tried, such as
shorter working hours. rotation Of
snlfts. enforced vacations etc. but
tnese are recognized as mere paIliatiyes
Unemployment insurance also is ad
mlttedly temporary expedient and
valuable in normal times. Only in .
complete reorganization of the social
ano industrial structure will permanent
relief be found, it is believed.