Evening star., 1933-04-07
Cure for Unemployment.

Dead wood" in the executive depart
ments is to be cut out. The appro-
priations made by the last Congress
are not to be followed and actual ex-
penditures must fall hundreds Of mil
lions of dollars below the total pro-
vided in the appropriation laws. These
are the latest reports Of what the Bud
get Bureau, with the backing Of the
Roosevelt administration, is planning.
Entire bureaus and some Of the Gov
ernment agencies are to wiped out.
Reorganizations are not sufficient They
will not make 1t possible to cause. It
is said, suficient reduction Of ex-
penditure so that the Government may
balance its budget.
The first step Of the Roosevelt admin
istration in the way Of economy was to
bring about . fifteen per cent cut in the
pay Of all federal, employees, civil and
military. This has piled $106, 1000 900
upon the $4,000, 900 saving made by
the furlough plan under the Hoover ad-
ministration. Among the departments
which are to be hardest hit In reduc-
tions Of activities and loss Of personnel
are the Post once Department, slated
to be cut 800, ,ooo, 900; the Department
Of Commerce. 10000. 900; the Depart
ment Of Agriculture, $7s,sl4.ooo, and
the Department Of the Interior, $29.-
100000. It is said that the real purpose
Of the administration Is to curtail gov
ernmental expenditures by billion dol
lars in the coming fiscal year.
All this Is done In the name Of econ
omy and the credit Of the United States.
At the same time it is proposed to make
available $500. .ooo. 900 to be paid directly
by the Government to the States for
relief Of unemployment and destitution
"A veritable Federal dole. And, further,
1t Is proposed to use the unexpended
and unpledged balances for public
works. amounting to $4,000. 900, to
place unemployed men in camps and
have them carry on the work Of re-
forestation and Hood control In widely
separated areas Of the country. In ad-
dition there Is to be brought into opera
tion . farm relief plan that seems to
indicate the need Of the employment
Of many persons by the Government If
1t Is to be put into actual operation.
The wisdom Of cutting down Federal
expenditures on the one hand and in
creasing them on the other Is oues-
tionable. It resembles . mere juggling
OF figures. At the same time the
plan separates from the Government
service men and women who have given
the best years Of their lives to that
service, while at the same time launch
ing Federal dole and experiments in
labor camps and farm relief which
may prove anything but successful.
If the purpose of the administration
is to bring back employment to the
great mass of American workers it ap-
pears that its cure, in part, for unem-
ployment is more unemployment. This
may be sound, but as a cure its value
has yet to be demonstrated. II 1t is
necessary to balance the budget-and
that is generally admitted to be the
fact-the Federal Government might
have brought this about by the i'm
position of a small manufacturers ex-
else tax, and with certain governmental
economies which still would have not
made 1t necessary to dismiss many
thousands Of employees. The increase
in the unemployment. made by gov
ernmental action, may not be laughed
off. The added wage cut now ordered
| by the administration has been a signal
to employers throughout the country to
make still further cuts in the pay of
their workers, q signal which is being
followed.
What becomes OF the purchasing
power of the American people under
such a program? How are prices Of
commodities to be increased? Yet in
creased prices is the plea Of the
economists, who say that only by
raising prices can prosperity return
Who will remain to purchase COM
modities at increased prices?