Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-01-10

ually declined with each generation,
on account of laws, economic adjust
ments and public sentiment. Too fire.
quently this reduction, so necessary to
readjustment, has been gradually
granted.
Whatever arguments and sophistry
may now be presented to establish the
improved assertion that machines Gre
ate new wants and absorb displaced
labor, the undeniable and unacceptable
fact confronts us today that machines
have not absorbed their displaced
workers 1t Is difficult to convince IL
million unemployed, perhaps IL million
partially unemployed and millions of
their helpless dependents, that such a
theory is correct. Especially Is this
true, when all about them they see
life'S first neceSsities-food, clothing
and shelter-rotting before their very
eyes, as they cry out in helpless be-
wilderment and hopeless want.
Mr.. william Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor, who has
spent his life in aiding the men and
women who toll, testified last week be-
fore a Senate committee considering
my bill for shorter work week and a
shorter work day. He stated that his
close touch with conditions and his
studies have convinced him that ad-
vanced, scientific labor-saving devices
make 1t impossible for America to hope
that all her people can ever again be
employed unless the work week and
work day are shortened.
willard Saw Unemployment.
AS far back as 1881, Mr.. Daniel VIII
lard, president of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, and who Is recognized
as one of the outstanding railroad ex-
ecutives of the Nation, said this: 1--WE
have a productive capacity in every
this wealth that we have in such ex-
and uses, and the problem is what to
do with it: where can we get rid of all
this wealth that we have in such err
cess? y the fact Is we have SO much
of everything that that, in a way, is
responsible for our troubles. After all,
see only one real problem, and that is
unemployment. If we were not so well
supplied with everything, our men would
all be busy making the things that are
needed. But we have already got so
many things more than we can use
that seemingly we do not need the
work of several million men now I'M
employed"
It will be noted that Mr.. Willard
said that seemingly we do not need
the work of several million men now
unemployed" OF course, this means
we do not need the work of these sew
eral million men If we continue to use
machines and continue the present
work week and work day
1t is startling fact that in 1929,
the very year that marked the topmost
peak of our so-called prosperity,
2 ,40o, 900 people were unemployed. In
the factories of the land between 1918
and 1929 production increased AZ per
cent with a reduced working force of
more than a half million, white the
actual work week only declined from
So to so hours. Even now, with the
distressing evidence of widespread I'M
employment on all sides, we find in
many instances that work hours ac-
tually increased since this depression
began.
Average Work Week.
The average work week per individ-
ual in the wooden and worsted indus
try in 1880 was 49.6 hours. In 1882
the work week was sos hours. The
average work week in Southern mills
was 536 hours in 1880 and 55.7 hours
Al 10oE' Lie dfCldSS WOik WctkS Vi
several industries in different localities
were these:
Card tenders, Vermont ..... ST. hours
Loom flxers, South. ..... SGT hours
Loom fixers, New jersey. 58.7 hours
Weavers, South .... 81 hours
Weavers (women), N. Jersey. 58.3 hours
In open pit mines workers average
from 56.4 hours to "a hours. Mr.. Will
liam Green testified last week that the
adoption of a five-day work week and
five-hour work day in industry would
employ more than one-half of our
total unemployed. 1t is impossible to
estimate the effect OF such an employ
ment on the workers or the Nation.
1t would bring hope to millions now
in despair; release a purchasing power
that would call for the operation of
factory, mine and industry throughout
the Nation. It would bring a new de-
mand for the products of both farm
and factory, and, best Of all, it would
show that America still believes that
government should be operated for the
many instead of for the favored few.
One thing is clear in all the tumult
Of conflicting views and clashing the
ories-our people will not permit the
starvation Of these unemployed mil
lions. Two courses are open to pre-
vent this. 1t will not stand delay. In
some way they should be given a
chance to earn an honest living by
work. Failing this we must broaden,
expand and probably perpetuate a sys-
TEN of public care. We are now I'M
mistakably at the crossroads, where we
must choose between the evils Of a
dole system and some method of sup
plying work for our people.
\ Solution Proposed.
Timidity of action; failure to face
the unacceptable facts; clinging tena-
ciously to theories that sarye men,
women and children, are all inconsiSt-
ent with American ideals and Amer
lean hopes. Clarity of vision; willing
ness to see, and boldness in action on
the part of our people and their rep
resentatives can alone avert the dis
aster of growing misery and singing
poverty, in the midst of abundance
and plenty. I admit without hesita-
ton that my plan would decrease the
profits Of capital and would increase
the aggregate wages of labor, and the
total income of the American farmer
My own belief is that the major con-
tributing cause to our present d.
lemma is that labor has been under
paid and capital has been overpaid
Our present lack of trade comes be-
cause of decrease of customers OF
two classes-foreign and domestic. Our
| foreign trade has been curtailed by
reason of troubles abroad and our high
! tariffs that have discouraged foreign
trade While I favor reduction in
these high tariffs, shall not discuss
| that tonight.
The largest group OF customers Of