Evening star., 1934-11-28
'DOLE SYSTEM HIT
IN ROPER REPORT
President Told Business Is
Opposed to Breakdown
of Worker Morale.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG,
Stan Correspondent of The Star.


WARM SPRINGS, Ga, November
28-After. two days of intensive work
on his 1885 legislative program, which
called for conferences with Senators
Robinson and Harrison and a confer
ence yesterday with Secretary of
Commerce Roper, President Roose-
velt is today devoting the greater part
of his time to an accumulation of
mail
He had not received any mail from
the White House in Washington since
last Saturday because planes were de-
layed by bad weather, but today three
bulging pouches greeted his eyes
when he arrived at his desk. How
ever, he went about his task Of dis
posing of this mail with his usual
good humor, and with the announce
ment that he hoped he would have as
few interruptions as possible until
he had finished, and could turn again
to his study of his 1885 legislative
program.
For more than an hour yesterday
afternoon the President listened to
Secretary of Commerce Roper give
an accounting of swing through the
South and Midwest, which he had
lust concluded. The President was
especially interested in what this cab
met member had to say about the
mental attitude Of business men with
whom he had talked.
According to Secretary Roper. busi-
ness men with whom he talked feel
that unless relief rolls are lessened
there is danger of the Government
increasing taxes He told the Presl-
dent that business would welcome a
tapering-off of Federal expenses
There is an immense reservoir of busl-
ness he said which will move forward
anyway. but business will move far
more rapidly if given assurances that
an attempt is TO be made to trim
expenses In his opinion the huge
amounts spent curing the last year
on relief and the possibility of Sle
continuing Of this drain on the Treas
ury during the forthcoming year, was
having a disturbing effect upon buSi-
ness.
Dole System Not Liked.
Mr.. Roper gained the impression
during his travelling that the dole
system of relief was unpopular with
business and that it was the i'm
proper method of meeting the unem-
ployment situation, because of the eX-
iStence Of "glaring" abuses. He said
there is a feeling among many peo-
pie with whom he talked that there
is growing in this country a class
content to live on the bounty of the
Government rather than seek work.
This latter observation was par
ticularly interesting to the President
because he has been receiving reports
of a similar nature from others who
have reported TO him during the past
few months. While there is strong
belief here that the President is con-
templating a change in the method
of extending relief to the unemployed
which would remove considerable OF
the present dole stigma, nothing def
mite regarding such move has been
forthcoming from the President. 1t
Is expected that his ideas in this
respect will be revealed in the annual
message he is preparing for the next
session of Congress.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt
last night attended a party at the
Warm Springs Foundation and spon-
sored by the paralysis patients. The
evenings fun was closed with a dance
and the President and his wife re-
manned until the end. arriving back
at their cottage few minutes after
midnight. In the afternoon they wit
messed play. entitled. THE Sailors
Sweetheart" in which the younger
patients participated.