Evening star., 1933-06-25
Rate by Mail-Payabie in Advance.
MARYLAND and virginia,
The Great Employer.

The Federal Government ID AaS' pAe-
pairing to do its share toward bringing
EMPLOYMENT TO the unemployed. The
plans for the operation Of the puoic
works program, for which Congress has
appropriated $4,000 ooo. 900, are taking
shape and already there has been an
allotment of $4o0,ooo.ooo to be used
in highway development throughout the
States. in the District Of Columbia and IN
the Territories. In addition s135, 900, 600
has been allocated to be used Tor con-
struction work at Army posts. Rules
have been adopted relating to employ
ment on highway construction. IN the
regulations provision is made Tor
thirty-hour work week, for minimum
wage, and for the use OF human laoor
in place of machines where consistent
with sound economy" Preference must
be given to former service men with
dependents, to bona fide residents OF
the districts in which the work is car
ried on and to residents OF the States
where the work is located, in the order
named. The plan is designed to give
the maximum employment at wages
that are fair and capable Of providing
a living, and at the same time the
problem of a national highway system
is not overlooked The funds for the
road work will become available July 1.
The administration Offices of the pub
lie works program have received scores
of requests for allotment OF funds Tor
many different kinds of projects in the
several States and Territories. These
proposals are not to be passed upon
formally, however, until the directors
for the individual States have been
appointed. According to present plans,
these appointments wil be delayed
until after President Roosevelt returns
from his vacation. In the meantime,
with the aid of the Senators and Rep
resentatives from the various States,
the public works administration is as
sembling If it has not completed the
task already, lists of men available for
dS obdtC 0AC CSSOlS. AASSA
the State directors or administrators
have been appointed, the requests for
allotments Of money for projects within
their States will be turned over to
them and it is expected that the State
administrators will have the deciding
voice.
The Governments public works pro-
gram represents the contribution Of the
American people through their Govern
nent to the solution of the unemploy-
ment problem. It is a contribution by
the public because the bills for these
public works, including both labor and
material, must come out Of the pockets
OF the people. There has been much
argument regarding the efficacy Of this
attempted cure Of unemployment. The
time for argument has passed. The
experiment is under way. The elected
representatives of the people have de-
creed that huge sum of money is to
be expended for public works. That
the experiment will be beneficial Is
necessarily the hope of the people.
Fortunately, President Roosevelt in
sisted that the public works bill should
provide additional taxes to finance the
program, demanding an additional
s22o, 100000 year for that purpose.
To undertake such vast expenditure
leaving the American people to pay at
some future date, and pay through the
nose in all probability, would have been
disastrous. 1t may be that as the other
attack upon unemployment through the
stimulation of private industry gets
more and more under way the Gov
ernment will not feel called upon to
expend the total $4,000 000, 900 now
appropriated for public works Certain
u If jobs can be provided in private
industry an immediate halt should be
called upon Government expenditures
for public works initiated primarily to
give employment. The pressure, how
ever for continuance Of such spending
will persist from the various political
divisions, for public works expenditures
have long been considered as plums.
President Roosevelt has the direction
within his hands however. He can call
a halt II it becomes necessary
Chile will ship beer to the U. S. A. !;