The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-29
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

| ME prospect we face at this holiday season
u is not too engaging or reassuring. It will
take more than q slight squirt in the business
index to >1scure the fact of around 10000 900
unemployed 1en and women and more persons
on the RELIEF oils than at any other time in the
history of the nation-some 20,000O00.
Yet all of this is quite unnecessary. If we
produced what we could with our present agri-
/ cultural resources, raw materials industrial
equipment and man power, every day might al
most literally be Christmas. This fact is we'll
brought out by DR.. Walter N. Polakov in the
New Republic in article on Potential
Plenty" he here reviews some of the major
findings of the important National Survey of
Potential Product Capacity
Even in the supposedly fat years of 1929
| the average American was living on what was
| by scientific and liberal standards, an "emer-
gency diet" In that year We were short some
80 000, 900 900 pounds of milk and consumed only
half as much fruit, poultry lean meats and
/ other items OF diet as the country should ha e
J been eat11s. We either went unfed or used rela-
lively inadequate substitutes for this deficiency
Likewise, with clothing, we used by no means
as much as even the most modest standards of
consumption would dictate. In 1929. the men
and boys of this country bought on the average
only one suit every other year, an overcoat once
in six years, and only three shirts a year Sim
| Harry, with American women, they purchased on
the average three dresses a year, a coat every
two and half years, and one suit every four
years. With respect to Shoes American men,
women and children bought on the average
three pairs in five years. Such representative
figures as these are enough to indicate how far
our actual consumption fell short of the reason
able needs of our people.
THE situation with respect to our housing is
l. equally deplorable. I'VE live in tenements
that defy all laws of decency and sanitation,
and rent renlodeled apartments after the
buildings have been abandoned as unfit by their
original owners" Yet we replace our obsolete
and unhealthy dwellings in prosperity years
only at the rate of is per cent, thus implying
that the average home is to be fit for habita-
ton for 70 years
Are these things necessary? Must Americans
be denied their reasonable needs because we are
unable to produce what we require? The answer
is ringing negative. Dr. Polakov points out
that I'VE can turn out 100000 mems suits in
stead of $4,000 000 81 100000 overcoats instead
of 100000; 396OOOOOO shirts instead of rs
100000. AS for women'S wear we could manu-
facture $4,000 900 coats instead of 100000 and
532OOO,O00 dresses and frocks instead of 2O6-
100000. Concerning hosiery our productive ca
paclty is well in excess of one billion pairs We
can manufacture 530O0OOO0 pairs of shoes
whereas we did make only 360,0O0000"
The situation with respect to housing is lust
as optimistic as that with respect to clothing if
we put our existing plant to work Our cement
mills can turn out 374 per cent more building
material than in 1929; our window glass plants
Is per cent more, and our structural steel out
put could be increased IT'S per cent. This would
enable us to build 1,555OOO new homes each
year.
1hEW1SE, our agricultural resources if
II properly planned, overhauled and readiJst
ca could enable every American to eniov a lib
eral diet while at the same time producing
SUFFICIENT income to the farmers SO that this
large class IN our population could buy the man
utactured goods they need
The record with respect to necessary human
services is today no more aliuTiiig witt, one bed
OUT OF every five vacant in our hospitals only
haI1 the people who need hospital attention can
get IN even for the use of charity wards With
respect 10 education, highly expert and reason
aoie autnorltleS have estimated the total desir
aoie educational budget of the country at
Sdd'OOOOOOOOO. But in 1929 we spent onIy 81 723
UUU'OOO Tor education. Since then we have fred
teachers right and left and cut our educational
BUDGETS IN scandalOus fashion.
such cold, but eloquent facts as these oo,,
SCIIuVe more OF challenge to the profit svstnn,
Chan a truckload of radical propaganda No
economic system, capitalistic or COnono11nietic
can De justified if it fails to feed cot,a shelter
nea! and educate the people when it has the
equipment and resources to do so.