The Washington times., 1939-01-26

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figures showing unexpended relief bal -
ances as of last December 81, and almost
$3OOO0OOOO apart in their figures on
unobligated balances. COL F. c. Harrington
Estimates on how many people will be "PA Administrator
cut off WPA rolls if the WPA gets only $685. OOOO 900
also vary widely
Senator Kenneth McKellar Dem, Tenn), of the
spendpenty faction, feels that the proposed cut of
$15OOOOOO0 off the Presidents requested $875
will shrink the WPA rolls from 100000 in February
to 1,O5OO0O by June 80
The economy group, including such Senators as Ben
nett Champ Clark of Missouri Carter Glass of Virginia.
and James F. Byrnes Of South Carolina believes 100000
at the outside will be cut off WPA if $725 900 is
granted and that the spring pickup in private employ
ment should absorb at least 1000 Of these.
The catch in the entire debate that these gentlemen
don't really know what they talking about.
They earnest and conscientious statesmen of
them, but their trouble is that they
WHeTe IS AHUL haven't the essential information
JObLess Index? on which to base an intelligent dis
cussion of relief needs and can't
get that information.
That information could be had from periodic index
Of unemployment by classificatons. We have no such
index and the Administration for has
sistently set its face against adoption of one.
So nobody knows how much we ought to appropriate
OeCduSS
big how small unemployment problem is. 1t even
out that the WPA under ex-Administrator
H. L. Hopkins didn't keep exact records of the number
of people helped from the time into existence
Yet need reliable and detailed information on unen-
poyment more now than we've needed it before.
The old American way used to be for families to take
care of their own out-of-work
HOU 1hEngS MEMBERSHIP unmarried sister
Hnno Hhnnnod who had never learned trade the
brother uncle who couldn't
to get anywhere somehow type of pappy who inspired
the old song Everybody Works But Father" Most fam
lilies proud to put these members in institutions
and accepted their as just one OF those things
That once almost universal American attitude is pass
ing For there whole families out of
work and unable to find work, the nation wrestes
with the chronological unemployment problem. For an
other fewer people than formerly feel that there is
thing shameful in accepting support from the taxpayers
Before know how much money ought to
spend on relief in any year half year any
day. we must have facts and figures to show approx
matey how many of unemployment there are, how
each affects other people, and how many other people
it affects.
newspaper knows approximately how many copies it
expect to sell each day. railroad knows about how
many given train will need to carry its passenger
load adequately tomorrow Saturday next Tuesday.
Business in general gauge its output to the demand
for it's product with reasonable accuracy.
Yet the United States Congress- trying to do the right
thing by all deserving victims of unemployment, lacks
the basic figures which to start calculating 1t
lacks them because the country lacks the above advocated
unemployment index.
To handle relief problem properly calls for high
order of craftsmanship. The New Deal has produced lot
of firscIass craftsmanship in opinion But this
point it has fallen down to date.
York