The Republican., 1938-10-20

ness has been getting better. Accord
ing to the United States News, in man
ufacturing industries jobs are becom-
ing plentiful and pay rolls higher.
There are more jobs on the railroads
than since the start of the recession;
there are more jobs on farms and more
jobs in the heavy industries. So assert
the authorities.
In the retail trade, it is true, there
has been a, drop in job opportunities,
but take the picture as a whole and
business has made a steady improve
ment Partly this is due to the artifi-
cial stimulation of Federal expendi-
lures, but partly to the fact that there
is every essential to business boom
which is prevented from getting fully
under way by uncertainty as to the
future caused by the New Deal itch
to regulate and the fear of confsca-
tory taxes. The plain fact is that in
three months there has been a de-
crease in unemployment; more jobs
have been available and more people
have jobs now than last July This is
attested by organized labor, by the
Chamber of Commerce and by the
Government. All three agree.
And yet, in these three months the
WPA relief rolls have been steadily
augmented. AS business gets better
the relief load grows heavier. This
seems an incongruous and incredible
thing, but the fact is beyond contra
diction. AS things are today, the re-
lief rolls have reached undreamed
of peaks. More than twenty-one mil
lon people are dependent on public aid
from Federal, State and local sources.
The number on the WPA alone is
above 100000. This is the all-time
top, but it is increasing daily, though,
as stated, every authority insists that
unemployment is diminishing. Those
who observe this strange situation
point out that this is AN election year.
They assert-and the facts support
the assertion-that the same phenom-
enon has occurred twice before in
election years-once in 1884 and again
in 1885,
This is the third time In each of
these years as the campaign grew hot
the number on the relief rolls in
creased, though in 1884 and 1886, as
in 1888, business was improving. I'M
mediately after the elections in 1884
and in 1886 the relief rolls began to
decline, but before election people
were being put on; none taken off
Now, with an election less than four
weeks off they are being put on more
rapidly than they were in either of
the other two election years. None are
being dropped. In California the in
crease in the number on relief has
just been supplemented by an increase
in pay. At least it has been announced
that on October 16-just three weeks
before election-WPA rates will be
raised. The Los Angeles Times edi-
torially recalls that some time ago
Deputy Relief Administrator Aubrey
Williams declared that, of course
WPA workers will vote to keep their
friends in office. This seems the most
reasonable explanation of the in
creased rates. The pay boost, the
Times says, is we'll timed to remind
those on relief who their friends
are. A more fortnight view is that
the New Deal is trying to buy another
election with the taxpayers money.
Some time ago, confronted with the
extraordinary fact of an increased re-
lief load in a period of business i'm
provement Mr.. Harry Hopkins made
a vague and involved explanation
Angrily he denied that politics had
anything to do with it. The fact that
these increases occurred in the six
months ahead of an election, he in
sisted, was Simply coincidence
This would not impose quite so great a
strain upon the credulity if Mr.. Hop
kins himself had not gone political in
so big a way; if he had not become
recognized as one of the Administra-
tion's political strategists; if he had
not injected himself into the party
primaries in Iowa; if he had not per-
mitted his aides, like Mr.. Williams, to
make infammatory speeches to WPA
workers; if he himself had not made
statements which in effect were admo-
nitions to WPA workers to "vote
right; if he hadn't been excitedly
telling acquaintance that we are GO
ing to "spend, and spend, and spend,
and tax, and tax, and tax, and elect,
and elect, and elect" AS it is, the ex-
r