Evening star., 1933-06-15
Jobs FOR 4 MILLION
BY FALL IS GOAL
Federal Board Already at
Work, Although Measure
' Has Not Yet Been Signed.

OCUODeE Is Lac ain VI tLlc rCuciol All
dustrial Control Board, Brig. Gen. Hugh
S. johnson, the administrator of the
newly created emergency agency. an
nounced today.
Johnson's announcement followed q
report by Secretary of Labor Perkins
showing the month Of May has brought
remarkable increases In factory pay rolls
and employment-the biggest single
menth's Jump since January, 1928,
10 years ago.
Miss Perkins said her departments
statisticians reported pay rolls were up
lis per cent for the month and en-
ployment 48 per cent, the difference
showing increased wage rates or work.
ing time for those employed.
The industrial control administrator
said figures collected by his staff showed
industry, under the sweeping national
recovery law he will administer, should
be able to employ 100000 men by
Fall.
Jobs for Another Million.
In addition, he said the Governments
public works program is confidently ex-'
pected to produce jobs for another
million.
In the absence of official Government
statistics, there being no facilities for
the compilation of unemployed ngures
throughout the service, the estimate OF
the American Federation of Labor is
accepted in Government circles as the
nearest representation to -Jobless con-
ditions. The federation's peak unem-
", March
were 12,300,000.
In an address last night before q
meeting of State relief officials, john
son described the business recovery
measure as an adventure, but asserted
that with cooperation on the part OF
owners of industrial plants the goal
should be realized.
The purpose of the control ADMIN
istration will be to increase purchas-
ing power by the raising of aggregate
wages and aggregate profits. IL
will soon follow the necessity for higher
prices. and. while the hope Will be 10
hold these off as long as possible. tney
will be permitted when the necessity
becomes plain.
Curves Are Parallel.
In normal times the curves Of pro-
duction and buying power travel almost
parallel, but when depression comes the
buying power falls faster than produc-
tion. The basic theory of the recovery
measure is to bring the downward sweep
of the purchasing curve back across the
production curve.
To accomplish this officials plan to
insist that while increasing wages and
shortening the work week the higher
costs be ftyuntranslated for the present
into higher merchandising costs. In re-
turn for the 1essening of the Sherman
antitrust law to permit trade agree
ments industry viii be asked to carry
for time some of the load OF increased
costs until buying power Is stimulated.
The Industrial control board is stu
unofficial, since President Roosevelt
does not plan to sign the BILL 1t was
said In official quarters until adjourn
ment of Congress. However, the john
son outfit is now driving simultaneously
toward early. trade agreements within
industry to bring higher wages and
haavy disbursements through its public
works section to stir purchasing power.
Many Signs Of Activity.
Locally, there are many signs Of ac-
tiHty in connection with the boards
organization. Anticipating operation Of
industries have their representatives
here seeking information or ready to
submit trade agreements. Also the
headquarters Of the organization, 10
Gated in the Commerce Department
Building, are being beseiged by persons
seeking Jobs.
With clerks from the departments
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce forming the personnel nucleus,
the organization has provided work for
a number of persons heretofore not con-
nected with the Government service.
But this Is all voluntary, since no Jobs
have been officially created and all are
laboring in the hopes of employment
later
johnson, with the aid. Of corps Of
economists, students of labor. and in
dustrialists, is devoting himself particu-
1arly to bringing industry together
soon in the trade agreements. Col.
George r. Spaulding, one Of the Army
Engineering Corps experts, who Is slated
to administer the public works section
under johnson, is now whipping to-
gether tentative plans.
Going to Interior Department.
Col. Spauldings office is also located
in the Commerce Department Building
for the time being. However, OFF,
cials said this section would be trans
ferred to the Interior Department
Building as soon as possible. 1t Is
understood that the plan Of this office
is to start work on 1000 or more prof.
ects by the latter part Of next month.
The space allotted to the recovery
group has been in q state OF noisy
hustle for the last few days. The ad-
ministrator forecast order would be
brought soon. Upon his orders and
as the result of the organization being
a semi official bureau, members OF the
staff firmly decline to answer ques-
tions Of the most simple type.
Delegation after delegation from vart-
Gus sections troop through the Offices
proposing construction projects. only to
be told the board is not yet function
ing officially. Publicity also has been
barred until the organization is placed
upon an official status.
Recovery from Bank Holiday.
Secretary Perkins, In making public
the employment figures, said they
should not be interpreted as meaning
the course out of the industrial crisis
OF the past years was clear
"A portion of the advance in May
should. as was the case in April, be
regarded as recovery from the pre-
cipitate decline in employment pay
rolls following the bank holiday in
early March
purchasing power Is still consid-
erably below that needed to take care
of cumulative increase in production
and therefore points to the essence of
:he Sroblem which has characterized
the whole course Of the depression.
1T is significant that the increase in
wages paid exceeded substantially the
increase in the number of persons en-
ployed. This means that the rise in
the volume Of business experienced
iurirR the month of May, 1888. has
resulted in an increase in earnings OF
those workers already on the pay
rolls Of manufactures"