Evening star., 1943-05-09

| Government nor other States can or will
provide New York with farm manpower
1--WE will end up he said, "by doing the
job with our own efforts by our own
people or it will not be done" He has
appointed director of farm manpower,
and plans are we'll underway to use chill
dren over IA, women and other workers
on the farms. He regards this marshall
ing of very available farm worker as not
only an important contribution to the
war effort, but as necessary if New
Workers are to have enough to eat next
year.
There are other aspects of the battle
of food. The Governor has set u an
Emergency Food Commission, with H E.
| Babcock at its head. This commission
will give attention to the shortage of
livestock feed, farm machinery and
spare parts, pooling of machinery and the
equality of distribution of supplies. On
the day that Mr. Babcock took charge,
the dairy farmers of New York faced a
crisis Under the technicalities of a
Federal marketing order, the price of
class l milk to the farmer was being cut
25 cents hundred pounds. This would
have been a serious blow to the dairy
men. The Governor turned the matter
over to Mr.. Babcock, who got Secretary
of Agriculture Wickard on the telephone.
Before night an order maintaining the
price had been signed
Complains of u. S. Slight.
Gov. Dewey, while perfectly willing to
cooperate with the Federal Government.
is not sitting back waiting for Washing
ton to act. AS a matter of fact, some
New Workers complain today that New
York has been the stepchild of the Ma
tlonal Government-When it comes to
Federal aid in the shape of war plants,
Government contracts and such activi-
work in war plants. So it is just as well
the Governor has been active.
Recently his committee on employ
| ment in New York City made a report
which was both interesting and sig
nilcant. The committee is made up as
follows: John w. Hanes, former Under
secretary of the Treasury in the Roose-
velt administration; David Dubinsky,
labor leader; Delos Walker and Elliott V.
Bell. Under a subtitle. washington
Hostility this report said:
"A subtle but important factor in the
decline of New York City, according to
one widely held view, is the Indifferent
attitude which has prevailed in the Ma
tional Capital and on the part of the
Federal Government toward New York
City. This has been particularly illus
trated in the repressive measures taken
with respect to the financial community
which has decisive bearing upon the
economic welfare of the entire city. It
is illustrated by the fact that recently,
when the head office of the Securities
and Exchange Commission was removed
from Washington it was transferred to
Philadelphia instead of being located in
| New York, which would have been the
logical place New York City is especially
we'll equipped to provide office space for
various phases of the war effort and for
Government agencies dislodged from
Washington. Available Office space in
the city was more than 100000 square
feet. according to recent survey. There
is no shortage of housing accommoda-
tions. While several Federal agencies
have been moved to New York, others
which might logically have been trans
ferred to New York have been placed
elsewhere"
Considerable Unemployment.
The committee said it was deeply i'm
pressed with the gravity of the eco
nomic problems facing New York City,
not merely during the war, but especially
in the postwar period. 1t pointed out
that New York industry is primarily de-
voted to consumers goods. It's three
largest industries are clothing, food and
printing The impact of wartime con-
centration upon heavy industrial produc-
ton and the curtailment of the manu-
facture of civilian consumers goods has
been particularly severe in New York
City. In spite of the substantial dollar
amounts of war contracts awarded to
New York City and State, both have re-
ceived much less than their proportion
ate contribution to the total national
manufacture in peacetime. A result has
been considerable unemployment in the
city, which still persists.
Gov Dewey has been impressed with
the danger which threatens not only
New York City, but other urban areas
because of the siphoning of of income
and wealth due to the tremendous war
expenditures and ever-increasing taxes
to meet them. He fears falling off
of real estate values, as one consequence.
When Mr. Dewey took over in Albany,
there was need of increasing the pay
of many of the States $4,000 employees.
Some of the full-time employees were
receiving as little as 5000 year. On
his recommendation, one of the first acts
of the Legislature was to raise the mini
mum pay to $1,000. Other groups of
employees also were granted increases
in pay. A program was worked out
giving civil service employees receiving
less than $4,000 year 10 per cent
temporary increase, to meet living costs,
and 7l2 per cent increase for those
receiving between $4,000 and $4,000. All
of this was done without increased taxes
or appropriations
Investigations into the operation of
several of the State agencies have shown
bad conditions. One Of the evils has
been the administration of the Work.
mems Compensation Act. Preliminary
reports, according to the Governor, have
revealed widespread bribery over many
years. Lawyers. doctors and certain
laymen have formed ring This ring
decides what percentage is to be allowed
the 1awverp the Doctor fnr tho 1ioepSed