The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-05-23
. COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

Problems arising out of the Euro
pean war were touched upon in a re-
cent address by Col. F. C. Harrington,
WPA commissioner. 1t is probable a
good many Americans have given lit
tie thought to them, but it is more
than likely that in time they will i'm
pinge forcibly on the consciousness of
all. What Harrington said needs no
comment. Here it is:
"Upon the outbreak of the Euro
pean war last September, it was widely
proclaimed that war orders would pro-
duce such high degree of industrial
activity that unemployment would
cease to be problem. think that
fallacy has now been removed from
our national thinking. AS matter of
fact the European war is a consider
able threat to our domestic situation.
"In the first place, the increased
employment provided by war orders is
in part offset by the unemployment
which results from the curtailment of
our export trade in other directions,
due to war conditions.
"Secondly, the termination of the
war abroad, for which we are all de-
voutly hoping, may well lead to eco
nomic dislocations which will render
our domestic problem even more
acute"
There are jobs in this country for
unemployed wage earners which can
be found by intensive effort. This has
been proved in various employment
campaigns of the past. Now demon
stration has just been given by the
National Youth Administration in Illi-
nois. From April 1 to May L. the
NYA in the state placed II 200 in pri-
vate jobs.
Seventy-fve per cent of the place
ments were in permanent employment,
NYA Administrator Aubrey Williams
reports. Of the II 200 placed in jobs,
$500 young people were from those
employed by the National Youth Ad-
ministration. The number of jobs
found for young people far exceeds
the quota the National Youth Admin
istration in Illinois had expected to
fill.
This is the second job hunt which
the National Youth Administration in
Illinois has put on for the purpose of
aiding young people to find employ
ment in private industry. This first
was held year ago with satisfactory
results. A similar job hunt was COM
pleted some months ago by the NYA
in Mississippi.
Employers were canvassed and
urged to hire young people to fill ex-
listing vacancies. Young men and
young women were given assistance
by counselors in directing their search
for jobs to industries in which new
employment opportunities are being
created.
Youths were also given helpful sug
gestions on how to apply for jobs and
on training requirements for various
types of positions.
X X X
The NYA "job hunt" in Illinois is
not cited here as cure for unemploy-
ment. 1t is very far from that. 1t is
simply cited as showing what can be
done to reduce unemployment by
methods and means within the reach
of every community and state.
X x x
"Twenty years of the |. l.. O.'s ex-
istence have proven the usefulness of
such an organization in time of peace
| am confident that it can and will be
of service to it's members, indeed to so.
ciety as a whole, in time of war. Its
many activities make it a focal point
from which should come constant re-
minder in these tragic times that hu.
name civilizations can flourish only
under conditions of just and human
relationships. President Franklin
d. Roosevelt in letter to the Con
ference of American States Members
of the International Labor Organiza-
ton, Havana, 1889.