Evening star., 1934-07-29
Campaign to Seek Employ
ment by D. C. individuals
and Firms.
$1,000 MINIMUM SET
AS CAMPAIGNS GOAL
Conference Will Attempt New
Cycle in Recovery Step by
Loosening Purse Strings.

The unemployment situation In
Washington appears to be at the
beginning of . new cycle tomorrow
afternoon.
There Is to be q meeting at the
District Building. on invitation Of
Commissioner George Z. Allen, OF
people chosen to begin a campaign
of loosening UP the purse strings Of
those who have money in the bank,
creating Jobs with the unleashed
money and filing the jobs with peo-
pie now on the relief rolls, receiving
weekly alIotments, designed merely TO
keep body and soul together.
Allen Is the District administrator
Of the Emergency Works Admins
tration and responsible for the
spending of Federal relief money
here. As District Commissioner he
shares with his colleagues RESPONSE
bility for the expenditure Of the re-
lief funds carried In the District ap-
propria ton bill. This relief bill comes
to some 100000 per annum, or
about Sl6 for each man, woman and
child In the District. II the 10000
families on the relief rolls are TO be
kept alive, this money must be spent
by some one, and the tenor of to-
morrow's meeting Is an attempt to
persuade private industry and private
individuals to absorb some Of the load
now paid for through taxes.
Completes 1881 Cycle.
II marks the completion OF O cycle
begun In 1891, when two years Of
depressed prices and lessening indus
trial activity had confronted the Dis
trict with q serious unemployment
problem. Then, as now, the Commis-
sioners summoned a meeting Of per-
sons believed capable Of stimulating
the absorption Of the unemployed into
productive jobs. The District Com
mittee on Employment was created
and 1t went 10 work with o vim. Foot
ball games, wrestling matches and
other contests were staged and the
proceeds turned over to the commits
tee. The Community Chest contrib
uted. George Adams, the energetic
secretary Of the committee, secured
the highways and the byways for jobs.
He even started q campaign TO ex-
terminate the rats and had his pic
ture taken for the papers In q silk
hat, evening clothes and q gold-head-
ed cane. spurring his pied pipers into
action.
But the task was too great and
with some forebodings the District
entered into Government relief on an
appropriation In 1892 Of $360,000. It
seemed staggering sum at the time,
but would be regarded as small
change today. Now, with the relief
bill continually mounting, Allen and
his cohorts In the relief administra-
ton here Is trying to break the log
jam and get employable persons EN-
ployed.
Goal Minimum Is $4,000.
He recently took week of to get
q first-hand look at the problem in
other cities and came back fired with
determination to do something. He
comedies that on the relief rolls there
are persons who viii never be en-
ployed again-the old, the lame, the
halt and the blind-in the economic
sense. But he estimates that $1,000
Of them could be employed, and
should be employed. He intends to
reach this goal If 1t Is humanity pos
sible
The approach will be to persuade
those who have money In bank to buy
more lavisly of the products cf in
dustry, thus expressing In a concrete
way their faith In the new deal; to
persuade those who can do 1t To hire
domestic servants, and other persons
in personal service jobs, and to en-
courage the building and improving
Of all kinds Of property.
Incidentally, Allen has become
aghast at the widespread publicity
given the news of His Haround El
RaSchid trip to the breadlines of the
country. where he tried IS times to
get a job for himself under assumed
names and with no success. The
story struck a responsive note. II
was printed from New York To San
Francisco, and his secretaries are
three days behind in answering the
mail which has come in. He has had
five offers to write signed articles on
his experiences for cash, offers to
speak on a cOaSt-to-coast radio hook
up, and droves of interviewers from
the syndicates and magazines. He has
turned down all of the offers and re-
CARDS the stack Of mail somewhat
glumly, although about 90 per cent
of it is highly favorable and flattering.
The trouble with me-" he tells
friends, lis that my mouth Is too big.
If had had any real sense would
have kept my mouth shut and not
I-sl ~ a. ,t..a - l.
ing publicity seeker"
Conference List.
The following have been invited to
tomorrowS meeting:
F. P. H. SiddonS, president OF the
District Bankers Association; z. d.
Shaw, secretary of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association;
Charles j. Rush, secretary OF the
Washington Real Estate Exchange:
James @. Yaden, president Of the
Federation of Citizens Associations;
Robert ]. Cottrell, secretary Of the
Washington Board of Trade; @. w.
Beasley, president of the Federation
of Civic Associations; John Locher,
secretary of the Building Trades
Council: Frank J. Coleman, secretary
Of the Central Trades Union; John
Colpoys, United States marshal; Mrs.
Harvey Wiley, president Of the Dis
triet of Columbia Federation Of Wom-
ems Clubs: Sylvan King OF Kings
Palace; Edgar Young, acting director
of the District Of Columbia Employ
ment Center; w. Frank Persons. dj-
rector of the United States Employ
ment Service; Aubrey Williams, act-
ing administrator, F. z. R. A: Capt.
Howard F. Clark, deputy admints-
traitor Of work relief; william q.
Cleary, secretary, Work Planning and
Job Assignment Committee; John j.
O,cnr,rna ITr,ttad Sfafae CHAMBER Al