Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-04-19
VANDENBERGH|TS
J0BLESS FIGURES
Declares Number of Unem-
ployeG 0verestimated
by 100000.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
of Michigan asserted yesterday that
the number Of jobless SIS perhaps
being overestimated by as much as
100000"
He urged IAN accurate, authentic,
current census of the unemployed"
Vandenberg estimated in a state
ment that only 2,975,0O0 persons are
now out of jobs, adding that his CAL
culationS would seem to indicate
vastly less unemployment than is con-
stantly asserted by the Labor Depart
ment"
His analysis was promptly chal-
lenged by DR.. Isador Lubin, labor
statistics commissioner, who asserted
the Labor Department has never
made any estimate whatever OF I'M
employment"
II Senator Vandenberg's calcula-
lions were correct" he said "4,OO0,00
more people would be at work in the
United States than there were en-
ployed at the peak of the 1929 BOOM"
Census to Be Considered.
The question of unemployment fig
ures also had the attention of some
House members. The House Census
Committee was asked to meet tomor-
row to consider legislation for the
first Nationwide census of unem-
ployed
Chairman Mahon of a subcommit-
tee considering the bill said he be-
lieved it would not be approved.
Mahon said that recently there was
agitation for such census, but now
there Is no interest on the part OF
the Works Progress Administration,
there is no clamor from the Census
Bureau, there Is no O. K. from the
Budget Bureau and there is no re-
quest from the administration.
Downtown, Secretary Perkins mean
while made public figures which she
said showed private placements by
the employment service reached the
highest level during March for the
past SO months and the second highest
in the history of the service In that
month, she said, 1882 private
placements were made, an increase of
22.5 per cent over the preceding
month.
Senator Vandenberg conceded that
his estimate would represent the
greatest number of persons employed
IN our history" but said it would mean
an increase of only 2,l67,00O over the
1929 maximum
Disagree on Jobs.
Lubin explained that the depart
ment made no effort to calculate the
number of jobless, but that it esti-
mated 33,5O0,000 persons were hold
ing jobs in February. Vandenberg
put the figure at 38,145,OOO.
Il do not for a moment question
the method Of estimate employed in
the Lubin memorandum" Vanden-
berg said, but suggested that the diff
ferences between their calculations
clearly demonstrate our vital need"
Tor an unemployment census
I'VE need to know precisely who is
unemployed, where they are, why thev
are unemployed and whether it is their
involuntary or habitual status" he
said.
Then we can make rational plans
70 deal with our responsibility"
Vandenberg said that more than
26,o00,000 employed persons had reg
tstered with the Social Security Board
and that What I consider to be re-
liable estimates" showed 12I45, 900
more unregistered workers, making 4
total Of 38,145,000.
From census reports he calculated
that there were 41.12o,0O0 employable
persons not engaged in agriculture.
20 that the total Of non-agricultural
unemployed would be 2,975,000.
Lubin replied that "a considerable
number" registered with the Social Sc
curity Board were not actually in
EMPLOYMENT"