Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-04-19
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Everybody interested in the recovery
program rejoices that the Government
is at last about to undertake an
honest-to-goodness census Of the I'M
employed. Nothing of the sort has
ever been attempted during the New
Deal The figures with which the
country has been familiar were
largely matters of guesswork. Totals
at different times have ranged all the
way from 100000 to 100000.
Seldom have the statistics issued by
the Department of Labor, the Amer
lean Federation of Labor and various
industrial and commercial organiza-
lions been anywhere near alike Since
Uncle Sam put the unemployed on
the dole corresponding discrepancies
have occurred with reference to relief
rolls. Some authorities reckoned that
every unemployed person ought to be
multiplied by four, to arrive at the
relief total Others multiplied by five.
Before President Roosevelt begins dis
gorging his S4,880. 100000 he's deter
mined to get exact unemployment
figures, as far as they are ascertain
able. Eventually a force of 100000
voorhees, white collar people may be
modified to compile the census at a
cost of $4,000 900 to s15.000,000. 1t
will be taken at the earliest possible
moment.
Already it is anticipated that pleas
for work relief projects will call, in
the aggregate, for four or five times
as much money as there is available
in other words, for something like
SIG ZOO, 100000 or $4,000, 100000. Mr..
Roosevelt asserts that the humblest
proposition will have its day in court
before the White House allotment
round table," at which he will be
the presiding officer and final arbiter.
Naturally, what everybody wants to
know is Just when work relief dollars
will begin to roll. The Presidents
estimate is that it will be at least
two months before his big pot of gold
will actually be tapped. Thence
forward the money is to flow in a
regular stream, in the expectation
that the expenditure peak will be
reached by November. Everything de-
ponds on the completeness and per-
suasiveness with which proponents OF
projects prepare their plans.
* **
One basic decision in the work re-
lief plan is that money handed over
to cities, counties, States and other
political subdivisions shall, as far as
possible, take the form of loans, and
not grants. Uncle Sam intends to
get back every solitary recoverable
dollar of the billions he is about to
invest in this last supreme attack on
depression. The idea not to regard
public works advances as gifts is the
one to which Secretary Ickes has con-
sistently adhered. Despite its I'M
popularity in certain regions, 1t has
100 per cent White House backing.
Already P. w. A. has on hand some
OO,000,000 worth of projects pro-
posed by municipalities.
x X X X
Administration and congressional
activities in connection with power and
the utilities have apparently deprived
Washington of a big convention this
year. In 1884 the Edison Electric
Institute, representing about 90 per
cent of the power industry, arranged
to convene here in 1885. It has now
been decided to transfer the conven-
ton to the more hospitable atmosphere
of Atlantic City. Electric Institute
interests have a particular grudge
against the T. v. A. "yardstick" idea
and were at one time inclined to chal-
lenge its constitutionality.
y 4 X
Echoes of democracy, theme of
popular discussion a couple of years
ago, are being heard in Congress as
the result of a proposed "technotax,"
described by one of its proponents,
Representative John H. Hoeppel,
Democrat, OF California, as "the ace
In the New Deal" The plan is to tax
machines according to the numbers
of workers which they displace-
machines which create production