Evening star., 1932-02-09

way Of exception to the general pro-
visions of the Federal highway act. that
the funds which We now propose to
make available may be expended upon
| highways, streets or bridges within the
limits of municipalities.
1t is obvious that the soundness OF
this proposed step, which is nothing
more than making presently effective q
policy already declared and established
in Federal law, will be strenuously at
tackled from two opposite directions. 1t
will be contended that the expenditure
of S375,000.00O. even spread over pc
riod of 18 months will be an impossible
strain upon the resources OF the Fed
eral Treasury, and that 1t will be dlnl-
cult for the Government even by the
sale of bonds to realize the funds nee
! eSsary to carry out the program now
| proposed. 1t may well be admitted that
a deficit in the operations of the Fed
eral Government is to be deplored and
/ that at the present time it is sufficiently
d. difficult. even with the greatest economy.
| to avoid a subst deficit. 1t should
! be remembered, however. that there is
a sound distinction between expendi-
! lures for current expenses OF Govern
ment, on the one hand and on the
other hand expenditures for capita i'm
provements. such as the highway pro-
| gram contemplates.
Regarded as Assets.
The present method of bookkeeping
at the Treasury is such that the stated
deficit will be enhanced by the amount
| spent upon the proposed road pro-
| gram. But the conSoling fact remains
| that, however the Treasury books may
be kept, the highways constructed will
remain as valuable asset to the peo-
/ pie for many years after their cost
may have been written off by the
! Treasury
Some will, of course. urge that it is
eXtravagant and waSteful to perform
at this time work which is not urgently
required and by SO doing increase the
! national debt, which the taxpayers
must ultimately pay. 1t seems a Suf-
ficient answer to call attention to the
| plain fact that whatever bonds may
| be sold will be bought and held within
! the limits of our own country, and
| from the point of view of national
wealth it is but a bookkeeping trans
action to note that the Government
is indebted to certain Of its citizens
who hold its bonds; whereas nothing
can be more WcSteful than to hold In
! idleneSS millions Of capable and willing
workers whose lost time can never be
recovered. This wastefulneSs of work
erS' time is far more than an economic
loss; it must result in such dishearten-
ment and impairment of self-respect as
to constitute a real and irreparable
moral loss to the Nation.
| To the extent that We succeed In
| justifying the increase of the public
debt at this time to provide employ
ment on public works, we expose our
selves to the opposite criticism, namely
| that the amount proposed to be eX-
pended will not be sufficient to provide
employment for any considerable pro-
portion of those who need it. 1t is nc
| doubt true that the expenditure oi
| S375, 100000 will not be sufficient, OF
| itself, to provide employment for al
who are unemployed. Yet there car
be no doubt that it will be solution
! of the difficulty for many OF those now
| idle and no one can say how great
may be the indirect benefits growing
out of the increased purchasing power
| and moral encouragement Of those who
will be directly employed on the pro-
posed works 1t is impractical to dream
| of ending our unemployment crisis BY
any one measure. yet that should moi
cause us to fail in showing the courage
! to do whatever will be substantially
! helpful
There are limits to the possibility Of
planning the expenditure of vast sums
On public works and it would seem
the part of wisdom to test the prac'
| ticability as well as the economic e1.
feet of the expenditure of s375, 100000
before committing ourselves to any
! larger program which might unduly
! strain the already difficult position o.
| the Federal Treasury.
! Predicts Big Benefits.
The provision of considerable
amount of employment either on puont
works, or in any other manner o.
course, relieves meaSurably the neces-
sitv for charitable relief to the hungry
and destitute. 1t will diminish tn'
number of those needing relief, not only
by the number actually securing EN-
ployment, but will take out OF ina
class also their immediate families and
to some extent other relatives, as wei
as those whose business will naturallJ
be improved by the increased spending
power of those employed. But we can
not hope that any such program VIII
relieve the necessity fer an unpre
cedented amount of help to the NEEDY
for many months to come. BY NJ
means all of the unemployed have ,ye
reached the stage of requiring charitable
relief. and so the provision of additiona
employment may avert the necessity