Evening star., 1939-02-28
Senator Byrnes
Discusses Problem
0fCaring for Job|ess
Relief Committee Head
TuIks on Radio
Forum Over N. B. G.

SldlIIud1 James r. byCneS OF the
special Senate Committee to Inves-
tigate Unemployment and Relief
discussed the problem of providing
for the unemployed last night in
the National Radio Forum, arranged
by The Star and broadcast over a
Nationwide network of the National
Broadcasting Co. The text of his
address follows:
1t is my opinion that under our
form of Government, we must con-
tinue to look to private enterprise
to provide jobs and look to govern
ment for assistance only to the
extent that private industry is un-
able to provide employment.
The surest way to relieve unem-
ployment is to inspire you with the
hope that you can invest money in a
business providing jobs with a rea-
sonable hope of earning a profit, and
that you will be permitted by
governments-Federal and State
to retain reasonable amount of
the profits earned.
Time does not permit me to dis
cuss what governments should do
or undo, in order to furnish that
inspiration. Such discussion
would make it impossible for me
to comply with the request to ex-
plain the provisions of bill which
I have introduced, amending pro-
visions of the Social Security Act
and creating department of public
works. That bill has to do, not
with the causes of unemployment,
nor the encouragement that might
be given to individual employers,
but with the methods by which
governments shall aid those who
are unable to secure employment in
private enterprise.
Our Most Serious Problem.
Unemployment is our most serious
domestic problem. It is a national
problem. 1t is a permanent prob
lem. Whether you approve or dis
approve of what has been done by
Federal and local governments dur
ing recent years, you may as we'll
realize that an overwhelming ma
jority of the people of this country
believe that the granting of assist
ance to those in need is a public
duty and primarily the duty of the
Federal Government.
We cannot ignore this problem.
Idle men not only do not produce,
they do not consume. Their failure
to buy because of the lack of wages
results in the unemployment of
other men who would normally pro-
duce the goods they would consume.
AS unemployment increases, the
national income decreases. AS the
national income decreases, the reve-
nues of government decrease.
Some persons ask how these mill
lions of people who are today the
recipients of Government assistance
got along before that assistance was
rendered by governments. The fact
IS that in many instances they did
not get along. When they exhausted
their savings, those who were unable
to secure assistance became ship
wrecks upon the sea of life. When
no one came to their rescue, they
were simply sunk" Some were
rescued. The young worker out Of
employment, as he looked for a job,
drew upon his savings until they
were exhausted. Then he gave up
his home and the little family either
went to the home Of the parents of
husband or wife or to the home of
some other relative or friend. Those
who had no relatives or friends will
ing to share their homes and food
were helped by charitable organiza-
tions and churches. They did not
try to live as you live. They fought
merely to exist.
Not New Question.
Unemployment assistance by gov
ernment is not new question. AS
early as 1894, ex-President Benja-
min Harrison demanded that the
Federal Government set up a work
program to fight unemployment. In
a speech In February of that year,
he said:
"It is generally accepted now as
a right principle that our city
councils, our county commission
ers, our State Legislatures, should
legislate to create work for the
unemployed. The Republican
theory has been all along that it
was right to so legislate as to
provide work, employment, COM
fort to the American workman.
We believe that the National
Government has duty to per-
form in this respect as we'll as the
city council and the board of
county commissioners.
The principle of public work was
first brought before the National
Congress on January 81, 1919, by
Senator Kenyon of Iowa, who in
troduced bill to create United
States emergency public works
board. The bill was dropped after
extensive hearings.
In 1921, at the instance of Mr..
Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce,
a conference on unemployment was
held in Washington. AS result,
bills were introduced in the Congress
but nothing was accomplished.
Pay Roll Tax and Jobless.
Improved business conditions less
ened the demand for Federal legis-
lation, but from time to time during
the years that followed, bills on
the subject were introduced in the
Congress. In 1929-our so-called
''boom year"-the national income
was $4,000, 100000 and we had g.
100000 unemployed. With that ma
tional income today the number OF
unemployed would be greater than
in 1929 because of the chronological
changes. The levying of a pay roll
tax tends to encourage these
changes because the tax levied is
upon workers and not upon ma
chimes. Then, too, to an extent we
did not anticipate in 1929, women
have entered industry seeking an
independence that comes with
earned income.
AS late as 1881, when Congress
finally made an appropriation to the
States to aid in caring for the un-