Evening star., 1945-08-21

problems in that field.
Driving the car for the famil!
shopper I was permitted to sit fol
nearly an hour in front Of the chair
store in which she was engaged ir
buying the week-en supply of gro.
ceries. The store serves temporary
wartime community, peopled by
munitions workers and their faIni-
lies. I got a good look at the farni-
lies. Women, young. middle-aged
and old, carrying empty bags and
baskets into the store and well-laden
bags and baskets out, Juggling their
burdens down the community street
or piling them into cars that ranged
from battered jalopies on their last
treads to respectable family ears
likewise on their last treads.
II you're on the downtown streets
of any city at going -to-work or quit
ting time or II you're passing a fac
tory gate at either of those times,
you can't escape the impression that
all Americas women and girls are
employed outside the home. But it
isn't true, Judging by this one
small spot. there are still many mil
lions looking after our homes and
our children.
Alive With Children.
The children. The place was alive
with them, from little toddlers to
half-grown boys and girls, roaming
the streets. the field that serves as
a public playground and the small
open yards surrounding the cottages.
For the most part they were brown
and healthy and had good lungs.
Across an adjoining field. a wide
spreading one-story school building,
temporary like everything else, in
dicated that their education was not
being neglected.
This community OF few hundred
families will not survive in peace
time. The houses, neat and well
cared for, still look sound, but they
were built to be torn down. For
some a of the occupants they have
served merely as makeshifts during
the period of war work; for others,
they represent better homes than
they previously had known. But for
all they are only temporary, pro-
vided only for as long as the war
needed workers.
Where do the workers 60 from
here?' And their families and chill
dren? That Is the domestic prob
lem presented to the statesmen by
this and thousands OF similar COM
munities.
Congress is coming back to work
soon. 1t must face this problem.
America unquestionably is rich
enough and resourceful enough to
furnish opportunities for all the
families dtslocated by the coming of
peace, but the period of transition
will be difdcult foH millions of them,
1t can be disastrous for the children.
Congress must prevent the disaster
.. Job Bill Awaits.
Awaiting action is a bill, intro
duced almost a year ago, called the
full-employment bill, and it is as
American as the Stars and Stripes.
The President last week called it
must" legislation and 1t should
have been that a year ago. Had 1t
been enacted then Congress would
be better prepared to meet the pres
ent situation. Results from this legis-
lation, however, even If enacted the
day Congress reconvenes, would not
be immediate.
About the only quick assistance
for dispossessed workers is contained
in a. measure, also urged by the
President, to increase unemploy-
ment benefits to $25 week from the
present maximum of $40 and to con-
tinue, such payments, where neces-
sary, as long as six months. This
Congress could put into effect with
out delay.
II, on their way back to Washing
ton, Cohgressmen will look into some