Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-13
Clio Demands u. ).
Act Now 10 Stall Off
Rush 10 Depression
By jones Y. Newton

The CLIO today called for i'm
mediate Government action ito
halt this dangerous rush toward
full hlown depression" following
a Commerce Department an
nouncement that unemployment
increased greatly last month.
One Census Bureau survey
showed that the number of job
less increased 584. 900 from jan
uary to February. Another sur
vey. employing sampling meth
DDS in use since l941. placed the
increase at 1,026.000. The rise
of unemployment over a three
month period was about 2 mil
lion.
Emil Rfeve, CLIO vice president
and chairman of the committee
on economic policy. said 1.-The
new figures on increased unetn-
ployment are disgrace to Amer
ica." He added that it was lin
conceivable that We should toll
crate" the situation.
Relief Measures Urged.
AS means of alternating the
situation, Mr.. Rieve called for
income tax relief to build buying
power; expanded unemployment
compensation: a higher mini
mum wage; more public housing.
plus a public works program.
Senator Douglas. Democrat, OF
Illinois, who frequently has &C
cused the administration of
minimizing the business down.
turn, said the unemployment
figures speak for themselves"
He pointed out that the figures
do not reflect either temporary
layoffs of workers or part-time
employment, both of which
would affect the national pur-
chasing power.
The Census Bureau arrives at
it's estimates of the job situa-
ton through a survey of $4,000
families. Under the old method,
these families are located in IS
areas. The new method spreads
the same number of families
over 230 areas and $50 counties.
Secretary of Commerce Weeks
said he had requested Census
to abandon the old method of
gathering job statistics. That
was the one which showed the
larger January to February rise
in unemployment.
Under the new sampling, the
number of joblesS increased from
3,087, 900 in January to 3,671 900
in February. The old method
showed a rise from 2.359.000 in
January to 1885, 900 in February.
Approaches Record.
On either basis the number Of
jobless reached a postwar high
for the month exceeded only in
February. 1850. when the esti-
mate was 1884, 900. That was
also the postwar peak for any
month. In February a year ago
unemployment was placed at
1.788.000.
The February survey (on the
new sample) showed an increase
over January in both the num-
Der of persons employed and in
the Nations total work force.
Census estimated there were
about so million civilians work.
ing last month, compared to SGT
in January. This reflected a
seasonal rise in farm employ
ment. :.
The total labor force, those
working or seeking jobs, was
placed at 63.7 million in Febru-
airy, as against 62.8 in January.
This was the first month in some
time there has been an increase
in the labor force.
The rather startling figures on
unemployment were held sure to
bring demands for action from
Congress-action to bolster the
economy.
President Eisenhower has said
that unless the employment sit
uation improves this month he
will present a new remedial pro-
gram to Congress. The figures
on March employment, however,
Will not be available until early
April.