Evening star., 1933-02-05
BY FLORA G.. ORR.

:, F. by the year 1945, 40 men with machines.
working 8 hours day days per
week. can produce much as 100 men
accomplished in the same length of time
in 1915. where is dear old Prosperity Cor
ner and Increased Purchasing Power?
This isn't riddle with catch in 1t. Neither
Is it just simple little mathematical problem 1t
seems. For labor leaders, engineers, employers,
statisticians and statesmen are worrying their
brains over this question night and day.
Theoretical science also steps in at this point
and soothingly remarks that scientific research
and the development of machines should not be
made the symbol of the workngman's despair.
Because states the savant, the fruits OF research
properly distributed will bring happiness to all
mankind in the end.
1T is wealth. not poverty which is depress-
ing and crushing the United States" declares
another wing of the progressive school 81
thought. The community must organize to
control the machine age or it will consume us
in of the most Senseless hoocausts OF
history
and many are busy attacking findings of
that group of engineers in New York. directed
BY Howard Scott which has labeled itself
"Technocracy," and which has just about con-
cluded that we must organize on new social
and economic basis, with unit energy as our
yardstck instead of the price system
with the necessity of making profits. and
since profits are dependent upon quantity of
goods brought into existence, it is easy to zee
how we come to have overproduction and chaos.
This group of technologists has predicted
that within two more years, if we drift along as
we have been going, we shall have 20,0O0,0OO
unemployed instead of the estimated 12OO0,-
900 Of today 1t predicts, furthermore, that
unless We abondon our present economic sys-
tenn we are headed for catastrophe
Senator Robert Wagner of New York, leader
In unemployment relief legislation, is convinced,
however, that there is no need to organize a
new social and economic system. The one we
have, he maintains, is plenty good enough, II
we will but solve the problem of distribution
Of wealth.
Senator Wagner has several features in his
program to accomplish this end. The 30-hour
week, distributing employment and granting the
universal leisure which should be available to
all under machine age-these are but part
Of his plan he says.
The absolute elimination of child labor max
ing sure that children are kept In the schools
until they are II or 18 at least; unemployment
insurance old-age pensions; these are other
parts of his set-up which he considers very
important
uTHERE are 100000 children at work to-
day" he states. "The big bulk of them
are 16 and IT. but one third are less than 16,
and 235 900 are between 10 and 13-mere in
fants. Their work is displacing that Of the
adult family provider and is in every sense,
q social and economic loss.
UNFRAMED as these kids will be few years
hence, and uneducated they will be the first to
feel the shock of the next depression, big or
comparatively small
Old age pensions 50 economical when
compared to the cost of maintaining poor farms
and asylums says Wagner, that it seems strange
there should be any opposition to them. Like
wise, the removal of the aged from the ranks
Of industrial workers will leave more work
available for those of active years
T was young Senator in the New York
NH I G,rk