Evening star., 1936-09-01


their families and few household
utensils and started Westward, so the
f1ivvers and trailers, in used cars OF
the vintage of a decade ago, and
on busses and box cars, the people
have come to this State to start afresh
and most Of them have picked
Southern California as the haven Of
refuge. Local authorities tried to
stop them at the State line, but the
State attorney general ruled 1t un-
constitutional.
The consequence is that the un-
employed have run as high as 500, 900.
The Federal Government has poured
enormous sums into California. May
be 1t is California's fault that 1t
painted its attractions so vividly, but
the fact remains that since citizens
have the right to come and go as
they please across State boundaries
in America, 1t does not seem fair to
assume that California could on
local basis care for all the excess
population of several other States Of
the Union. Those who insist that re-
lief can be handled locally would
have to revise their policy somewhat
and permit of a few exceptions, that
is, q few metropolitan areas such as
Chicago, Detroit. New York and Los
Angeles. This State has sales tax
but is still running a deficit, and 1t
seems hardly likely that California
could have handled the problem with
out some financial aid from the Fed
eral Government.
May Effect Registration.
It would appear that there ought
to be some system Of national regis
trstion, so that when State in the
Middle West begins to export its popu-
lation the Federal Government might
some day by suitable legislation see
to 1t that no State shall transfer to
another those citizens likely to be-
come q public charge unless there Is
some compensating arrangement.
1t does look inequitable for States
10 unload their idle population on
other States and escape the expense
Of caring for their natives. But
that's what has been happening with
respect to Southern California.
Relief expense continues high, be-
cause the Pacific Coast cannot as yet
absorb the newcomers. Some Of the
new population Is welcome because
1t gets to work and doesn't loaf. But
there is an increasing need here for
industries to furnish employment to
the unemployed now on the Pacific
Coast.
Unhappily there has not been
much progress toward scientific place
ment of the idle. The Federal Gov
ernment, with all the millions OF
dollars It has spent on boondoggles
Of one kind or another, has done little
toward classifying the unemployed
and determining their suitability for
different kinds of work. Only last
week did the President set aside ST.
100000 for the beginning Of study
Of the suitability of w. P. A. workers
for various jobs In private industry,
but this classification work should
have begun three years ago.
Shortage of Skilled Labor.
As a matter of fact there is a
shortage of skilled labor here as else
where. Also some who are on relief
do not want to work on the farms and
in the orchards, where there is work
for them to do. Not long ago the city
authorities of Los Angeles found that
the people on relief had begun to
make habit Of disporting themselves
on the beautiful lawn in front Of the
modernistic City Hall on the many |
afternoons Of California sunshine. |
With bottles Of wine and a lot of news |
papers spread out before them, they |
made an unbeautiful sight. But, it |
was reasoned, to chase them away |
meant misunderstanding and maybe
an undesirable episode. So somebody |
conceived the bright idea of q water |
sprinkling system, which now has |
been duly installed, and when the |
crowds are about to gather the sprin- |
kler system begins to send its sprays |
over the greensward.
And why shouldn't the idle folks |
OF other States travel to California?
Here they enjoy not only wonderful |
sunshine, but they can fish or hunt |
or so to Hollywood and look at the
movie stars or bathe in the Pacific
or climb the mountains for recrea-
ton. and as for food and shelter, why, |
the Federal Government provides all |
that. When election is over, some
thing besides q sprinkler system Is
going TO be necessary to prod some Of |
the idle into even looking for Jobs.