Evening star., 1934-10-25

| whelming majority Of unemployed
| Americans. who are now walking the
streets and receiving private or public
relief, would infinitely prefer to work.
We can take a vast army of these un-
employed out into healthful surround
| ings. We can eliminate to some ex-
tent at least the threat that enforced
idlenesS brings to spiritual and moral
stability. 1t is not a panacea for all
| the unemployment, but it is an essen
tial step in this emergency"
First Camp in Virginia.
The first man enrolled for C. c. c.
work was selected by the Labor De-
partment April 6, 1888, and enrolled
by the War Department April 7. Ten
days later the first camp was estab-
lished in the George Washington Ma
tional Forest in Virginia. By July Is
the C. c. C. program was in full swing.
Moving at speed that eclipsed World
War mobilization records, the Labor
Department selected and the War De-
partment enrolled and transported
100000 men to forest camps. These
men were enrolled for six months,
their enrolment to expire October l,
1888.
Before the end of July, 1888, the au-
thorized strength of the forest camps
was increased to include 14,86l In
dians. Since that time, $4,000 young
men from the drought States and
small number of war veterans as well
as 2,377 residents Of Hawaii, Alaska
and Puerto Rico have been added to
the C. c. c. personnel. AS of today,
the total authorized strength OF the
forest camps is 100000. OF this num-
ber, 80 per cent are young men, 10 per
cent war veterans and the balance
local experienced woodsmen and In
dams. The number of camps main
tanned in operation is 1,728. While
camps are operated In every State OF
the Union, the States with large tim
bered holdings have, for the most part,
the largest number of camps.
Camps Kept at Maximum.
Since the enrolment was COM
pleted in July, 1888, the camps have
been maintained at close to maximum
strength by a system of replacements
which provides for filling all vacancies
every three months. The men are
normally enrolled for six-month work
periods.
When emergency conservation
work was authorized, the President
appointed an Advisory Council to
serve with me as director for the pur-
pose of carefully planning and devel-
oping the new venture. A very ser1-
Gus responsibility rested on this
group, which was composed OF rep
resentatives from the Department Of
Labor, the War Department, the
Department of Agriculture and the
Department of the Interior.
The general program has been to
have the young men selected by the
representatives of the Labor Depart
ment and certified to the War De-
partment for proper physical exam
ination. While in the work camps,
the enrollees are under the control
of Army officers in charge of the
c. c. c. camps. The technical, for
estry, park and construction per-
sonnel of the Department OF the In
terror and the Department OF Agri-
culture supervise all the work done
in the forests and parks and has
charge of the boys while they are at
work.
Work 40 Hours . Week.
The men Of the forest camps work
on a 40-hour week, five-day basis.
In return for the hours they spend
at work, they are given security, shell
ter, food, clothing, chance at an
education and a pay envelope suffi-
GENTLY large to enable them to con-