Evening star., 1945-01-23


work. for whom employment Will be
needed: an estimate OF the total IN
vestment and expenditure by pri-
vate business. consumers, State
local and Federal governments re-
uuired to provide this employment;
and his estimate of the amount OF
such investment and expenditure
there is in prospect for the year.
Along with these estimates the
President would be directed, in case
the total work in sight should not
be sufficient TO provide full employ
ment, to offer any suggestions he
might have as to how the additional
employment could be provided. He
could offer suggestions concerning
banking and currency, monopoly
and competition, wages and work
ing conditions, foreign trade and
investment, agriculture, taxation,
social security, development OF nat
ural resources and various other
matters that might affect private
investment and expenditure-and
thereby employment.
Would Recommend GapFillers.
II the President SHOULD feel that
all his proposals, assuming they
were accepted by the Congress,
would still leave a prospect of some
unemployment, he would be di-
rected then to offer program of
Federal investment and expenditure
presumably meaning public works
sufficient to fill the gap.
The Congress, with the Presidents
recommendation In hand, would
then do what 1T pleased.
For its part, Congress would set up
a joint committee, composed OF the
chairmen and ranking minority
members of the Senate and House
Committees on Appropriations
Banking and Currency, Labor and
Finance ways and Means in the
House,, and seven additional mem
bers from each house, to be selected
with due regard to political balance.
This joint committee would study
the Presidents proposal and report
its own findings and recommended
tions, together with statement of
general policy to be used as a
guide by the various committees
of Congress in dealing with specific
legislation.
Could Follow or Ignore Guide.
The various committees of the
two houses would follow this guide
or disregard it, just as they saw
fit.
The members of the two houses,
in due course, would do the same.
1t doesn't sound very totalitarian
and, of course, it isn't. The bill
starts out by declaring that-"ta)
1t is the policy of the United States
to foster free competitive enter
prise and the investment of private
capital. in trade and commerce
and in the development of the
natu. al resources of the United
States and it doesn't appear to
depart from that policy. If it is
radical its radicalism consists of
asserting-"(b) All Americans able
to work and seeking work have the
right to useful, remunerative, regu-
lar and full-time employment"
The emphasis throughout is on
private employment. No more WPA,
says the bill, or in it's own language
"All programs calling for the con-
struction of public works by the
Federal Government shall provide
for the performance of the neces-
say construction work by private
concerns under contracts awarded
in accordance with applicable
laws"
Net Effect of Bill.
The net effect of the bill seems
only to establish the principle OF
full employment as national
policy and to set up the means
whereby Congress may be able to
obtain an overall picture of ma
tional conditions that will enable
it to legislate intelligently to that
end. The authors believe it is pos
sible for Government agencies to
estimate fairly well the amount OF
employment in sight for any given
wear. With this information in hand
they believe the average Congress
would take the rncessary Stenc to