The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-08-18

back. For no more money the relief dependent gets clothing and furniture, that he wasn't getting before.
 And commercial stores have lost no customers, for the relief dependents weren't customers anyway.
 That's only typical of the way it should work. There are many variations. And it is spreading rapidly. In scores of cities all over the country, projects have been launched that mean creation of 9 cooperative, non-profit in dustrial system among the unem- ployed themselves, to operate in- dependently of the field of pri- vate-profit industry-a sort of wheel within wheel"
 Several of these projects arc already under way and turning out goods. Ohio has on the point of production one of the most in- elusive. When it gets going this fall, unemployed people on relief will be turning out for their own use such things as mems suits, overcoats, women's dresses, white goods, shoes, stockings, furniture,
 
 many more articles on the list if the plan is extended.
 GOVERNMENT GIVES MONEY
 The projects are by no means uniform, as all are directly con- trolled under state and local aus pices.
 Sponsorship of the federal gov ernment through the federal emergency relief administration is indirect. It furnishes the money and it's blessing. The states and communities then go ahead. More than 150 cooperative en- terprises of the unemployed of this general type have been tab ulated, and their scope is shown 1 by the fact that in northern Ohio alone, Allen Schwab, industrial | engineer for the Ohio relief pro- duction units, Inc, expects to see 5000 otherwise unemployed men and women at work in these fac tories.
 Plans for production of 67,000 dozen pairs of stockings a year. at least 30,000 mems suits a year from one unit, and S0,000 plaiE chairs in this one district indicate the extent of the plans to help the unemployed to help them- selves.
 What Is all this going to do to private industry? Needless to say, every one of these produc- tion-relief projects which has started up has met brisk opposi- tion from manufacturers of the same sort of products.
 OPPOSITION AROUSED
 Cleveland clothing plant officials howled loudly when the plans were preached, and they were asked to cooperate by lending advice on the setup. But with more com plete explanation, their complaints subsided to a sort of half-con- vinced cooperation.
 In Massachusetts, a plan for the unemployed to make mattresses for themselves drew bitter fire. And it is said that republican cam paign managers are watching the development eagerly, ready to raise the cry of Socialism" Socialism it certainly is, up to point. Yet its sponsors deny that any of the goods produced will ever get on the commercial mar ket. They are strictly for use of the unemployed themselves.
 BOOSTS RAW MATERIAL SALE
 Hence, Schwalb believes, the market for commercial goods will not be cut, whereas the market for raw materials like cotton, wood and wool will be stimulated to the benefit of private industry. Schwalb indicated that the needs of the relief clients of Ohio, who make up one-sixth of the popula- ton, have been surveyed in regard | to the products which the "pro- duction relief' units intend to make. These products would be | distributed only to people holding relief cards.
 These production relief" units had their inspiration in the barter and scrip units which swept across the country in 1892. But the new units will be better organized and will have government money back of them.
 Production relief, starting off quietly and unobtrusively this fall, is the most revolutionary step yet taken to conquer depression, un- employment, relief, and bitter dis content.
 NET: How a typical "produc- tion relief' project was started in a decaying mill town not so far from the Massachusetts village where 15O years ago other Amer jeans opened fight for liberty. l