Evening star., 1933-04-14
Huge Bond Issue for Public
Works Urged by Leaders
of Labor.
MINIMUM SCALE OF PAY
REGARDED AS FEASIBLE
Conference at White House Extends
Beyond Scope of Organized
Workers.

A dcuble-bladed attack on deflation
will be made soon by President Roose-
welt with moves to preserve wage scales
and provide new jobs.
The President listened sympathetically
last night to proposals Of American
labcr for huge public works construc-
tion program, involving a bond issue of
four to six billions, and including a
minimum wage clause in the prospective
shorter work week legislation.
Besides considering these propositions,
Mr.. Roosevelt is looking hopefully to his
recommendations now before Congress
to ease the debt burden on agriculture
and small home owners as forward steps
in the reconstruction program, now
aimed more definitely at checking defla-
ticn.
Believes Law Feasible"
The President has virtually completed
a plan for bond issue of several bill
lions to finance new public construction.
He was represented last night as ready
to consider a Federal minimum wage
scale in the impending legislation to
spread work by shorter hours.
Miss Frances Perkins, Secretary of
Labor, who accompanied the labor group
to the White House, said later she be-
leved a Federal minimum wage law
feasible"
Secretary Perkins, at her press con-
ference today, said adoption either by
the Federal or State governments of
minimum wage scale laws would be
forward step of extreme Importance"
in pulling the country out Of the eco
nomic depression.
She also; announced that as the result
Of her work on drafting an employment
program for Mr.. Roosevelt, 1t was pos
sible to start two to three billion
dollar public works program within five
months.
The cabinet official said she had SUBJ
mitted q suggestion to the House Labor
Committee on the steps the Federal
Government should take in regulating
wages She declined to discuss her
recommendation, explaining that COM
mittee members had requested 1t be
submitted in confidential form.
Not Monumental Type"
She expressed qualification of the
steps taken by the New York and Utah
Legislatures in regulating minimum
wage scales for women.
As to the huge public works program,
Miss Perkins outlines a wide range OF
Federal. State and municipal projects
which she described as mot of the
monumental type" She emphasized
that much Federal, State and local leg
islation and authorization would be
necessary to put in under way.
Miss Perkins listed water works, grade
crossing elimination and road building
at the head of the possibilities. but also
stressed slum clearance and the build
ing Of low-coSt homes.
She said the important thing 'is to
distribute the work to places where
there are pools of unemployment"
Federal public works, many Of them
In sparsely settled places she ex-
planned, do not drain the unemploy-
ment pools. Low-cost housing has al
ways proven not only self-liquidating
but a paying proposition"
The woman cabinet officer said she
had been deluged with plans from all
sections of the country to aid her IN
formulating recommendations for pub
lie works and other economic programs
Six Major Plans.
The six major plans were outlined
by her as follows:
/. A recommendation that the Fed
eral Government take over all indus
tries.
2. Granting of Federal subsidies to
private industries for the purpose of
obtaining realignment Of employment
and the limitations of profit, at least
for the period of the emergency.
3. Setting up Of industrial boards to
take over temporarily and act as arbi-
traitors between industries.
4. Suggestions, based on the perma-
nent future of the United States, Of
combining agriculture and labor. In
commenting on these suggestions she
said they were too far-reaching" and
could not be used Immediately to COPE
with the depression.
S. Variety of public works.
6. Barter plans.
General Stimulant.
Miss Perkins said the relief plans
must be attacked along many fronts,
closing in from q variety Of different
points.
The special value of a public works
program. she said, lay in the fact that
it utilized brick, concrete, steel and
such materials known as capital
goods" and prompted the purchase of
food and clothing of the type known
as consumers goods" at the same
time giving work to the contractors in
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