The Wilmington morning star., 1945-01-03
BY ROSCOE DRUMMOND
The Christian Science Monitor


most controversial and the most constructive
facing the new Congress- is already taking
shape in Washington.
The issue concerns jobs, postwar jobs-60,-
900, 900 peacetime jobs for returning soldiers,
for returning war workers, for all Ameri-
cans who want to work
1t is constructive issue because the pros
pect, even the guarantee, of full postwar en-
ployment was one of the foremost pledges of
both major parties and both Presidential NOM
inees in the 1914 campaign And this issue
needs to be squarely faced. or else!
It is controversial issue because, however
much both parties are united in the objective
Of full postwar employment, they are in con-
siderable disagreement over means of attain
ing it, and the practical problem now Is to
find meeting ground on method.
To give focus to this search for the best
means to provide 60, 600, 900, jobs after the
war, legilation has already been drafted by
the war contracts subcommittee of the Senate
Military Affairs Committee, and is ready for
submission to the new Congress as the Full
Employment Act of 1885, Its provisions rest
upon political principles both President Roose-
welt and Governor Dewey advocated with
varying emphasis during the recent campaign,
namely:
That every American who is able and will
ing to work has the right to useful and
remunerative job.
That it is the responsibility of the National
Government to guarantee that right by as
surfing continuing full employment. Cor the
Republican Party Governor Dewey said: If
at any time there are not sufficient jobs In
private employment to go around, then Gov
eminent can and must create additional job
opportunities. There must be jobs for all'')
That it is the duty of the Government to
assure full employment by encourage to the
fullest possible extent. without Federal invest
ment other expenditures, the highest level
of employment by private enterprise, and by
providing whatever volume of Federal invest
ment or expenditures may be needed to guar
ant full employment when sufficient job op-
portunities are not forthcoming from private
enterprise.
To provide 60, 900, 900 postwar jobs it is pres
emily estimated that the total national pro-
duction of goods and service would need to
reach 5000, 900, DOC, 900 annually On the basis
of these or comparable figures, the proposed
Full Employment Act would require the Presi-
dent to submit to Congress on the first day
of each regular session a national job budget
which, independent of the regular Federal op-
Grating expenses, would consttut a budget
of the total national economy of private bust
ness plus state. local, and Federal Govern
ments. 1t would operate this way:
Assume, for example, that the national job
budget for 1945 should on Jan. l show a
prospective total gross national production OF
goods and services estimated at ITO billion
dollars: comprising 100 billion dollars in bust
ness capital investments, 10 billion dollars in
state and local government expenditures, and
20 billion dollars for the Federal budget for
all purposes including war, navy, social Sc
curity, debt retirement, and other agencies
This ITO billion dollars would still be 80 billion
dollars short of the 200 billion dollars estinat-
ed necessary to provide full employment.
The President would. therefore, be requrd
to. submit plan for increasing the gross job
producing national income by 30 billion dol
lars. He might propose to bridge this gap
between estimated job needs and estimated
Guiding public works. a series of IVA lower
projects, retention of more men in the armed
services, special service training for youth,
farm employment, etc.
Its sponsors led by the Senate's millionaire
liberal, James E. Murray D) of Montana,
are frank to emphasize that their proposal is
clear break with the so-called compensatory
spending approach Of the 1905. This" they
say, is not just bill to take up the slack
through public works. 1t is founded on the
premise that we can't just sit around and wait
until people are out of work before we do
something about promoting employment"
Peter Edison, Scripps-Howard Washington
columnist, has perceptively borrowed a phrase
from Henry Wallace's lexicon to describe this
program as an attempt to provide IAN ever
normal economy but whatever words are
used to combat or defend this measure, it
is going to stay right in the lay of the next
Congress until it, or something better, is CO.