Evening star., 1932-10-14
Roosevelt on Relief Policy.

It would be interesting to know TO-
day whether the ten leading social
workers who propounded series Of
uusstions to Gov Roosevelt relating
to his views on some of the broader as
pects of unemployment relief policy are
satisfied with his answers. If they ex-
pected the Governor to propose any
thing specific or markedly different
from the present program Of dealing
With unemployment relief, the social
workers are disappointed. II they
hooed for the Governors approval OF
present policy, they should be eminently
satisfied.
The Governor, with President Hoover
and . coalition majority of the Senate,
at least. believes there is very real
responsibility upon the Federal Gov
ernment to aid the States and munich
palities If and when it becomes ap-
parent that States I'd communities are
unable to take care of the necessary
relief work" That is the guiding prin-
ciple underlying distribution OF the
$500 900 600 relief loan to the States
through the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation. 1t represents the alterna-
tive principle suggested by the White
House as substitute for the dlstrlbu-
ton Of this money, as originally written
into the relief bill. on the basis OF
pop,,Iation. 1t is the principle ad-
bered to because. as Gov. Roosevelt
phrases it. the primary duty rests on
the community, through local govern
ment and private agencies, to take care
of the relief of unemployment
The difficulty of maintaining this
principle, of course, is the compiexty
of conditions that must be considered
I'm determining when, in reality. it IS
"apparent" that the States and local
communities can no longer get along
without Federal aid. Gov. Roosevelt IS
Justly proud of the fact that his State
orsanized its resources to meet the
drains of unemployment relief. One
result Of such organization, that he did
not mention in his speech last night
was that up to this time New York has
not asked for any of the s30O.0oo, 900
Federal fund. BY way OF pointing a
contrast, Of which he did not avail
himself. he might have selected the ex-
ample of Pennsylvania and the dlfn-
culties encountered by Gov. Pinchot In
obtaining relief funds until he had been
able to demonstrate that his State had
exhausted its own resources. ana
while the Governor inserted a permis-
sible degree of politics into his speech
by taking the Federal Government,
which means the administration, to
task for not having its relief program
prepared as quickly - New YORK
States program was prepared, his
criticism is illogical according to his
own statement of principles. Had the
FEDERAL Government made available its
relief money before States had formu-
lated their own programs, would these
programs, such as they are, ever have
been made? Even if Gov. Roosevelt Is
not among them, there are plenty OF
Governors who would borrow to the
hilt from the Federal Government If
such borrowing would relieve them Of
the responsibility of raising these funds
themselves.
The Governor believes that Federal
aid should be extended to public works
and self-liquidating and essential enter
prises that are sound from the eco
nomic and financial point Of view" It
ts interesting to note that the Governor
does not advocate an immediate pro-
gram of post Office building in every
village and hamlet But while he says
IN perfect truth that there are two
ways of financing this Government aid,
by bond issue and from current
revenues, he Is eloquently silent on
third method-which is the mobiliza-
ton OF public credit to place 1t at the
service of trade, industry and finance
through the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation.
The Governor believes that unem-
ployment insurance should be made
compulsory through State laws. That
4 obviously desirable. II and when the
States enact their laws. He is com.
mendably frank in indorsing the Wag-
nx bill for Federally' co-ordinated
State employment bureaus, vetoed by
the President, and expresses belief,
shared by many others, that the bill
should have been enacted. He believes
m adequate protection for children, and
. minimum age limit Of sixteen for
child labor. He unfortunately fails to
commit himself as to the method OF
achieving this latter goal.
The Governor made q fine and NOV
Ing appeal to my fellow Americans
IN every other State" to contribute this
Winter to local relief needs. Irrespective
Of party or political ambitions, it Is an
appeal that must bring wide response
II suffering and distress are 70 be pre-
vented.
It might be that Mr.. insult could save
b little even out Of $4,000 year II his
travelling expenses were not so great.