ARMY OF UNEMPLOYED

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 135, 5 December 1930, Page 9

ARMY OF UNEMPLOYED

WHAT AMERICA IS FACINCf

(From "The Post's" Representative.) NEW YOEK, 22t& November., Over-production has. cost the United States a Billion dollars this year. The. whole country, faced with the need- for finding relief for 3,500,000 unemployed,, is giving attention to its causes, and. possible remedy. ; The; president of tie American. Federation- of Labour says: that overproduction has come to stay. Labour, lie. says,, should now enjoy some of the leisure science and its. own efforts have gained for it. He suggests the five-day week. President Hoover has given two reasons for unemployment and: depression. Eiirat, the condition: of the country is not essentially bad* The income of a large number i» no*, reduced: 'hy depression* but h affected? by unnecessary fears and .pessimism, the: result of -which is-, to slacken' consumption of goods and discourage- enterprise.. Second^, whatever the remote causes; may br, a large: andi Immediate; ; cause' oi most liard! times is inflationary booms. These strike some segment of economic, life? somewhere) in. the' world, and: their re-ecKciing dJestructtye results ■ bring- depression) ami hard, tiniesv .These, inflations in currency or credit fir land! or- securities-, or- o-ver-eipaaisinni in. some: sort- o£ commodity production beyond possible: demand}, even in good times,, may talte; plaice, at home or abroad^ but they all bring: retribution.. For these reusons^ tha President suggeats two> evident caress Improvement in the mental attitude of thosa nnlrart by the? depression) with increased buying:;; stabilisation; of. production. ABSORPTION OF UNEMPLOYED. The Administration is aware of the factor- of: mechanisation wMcli is so? seriously regarded' by organised labour in tho country. Over 2,000,000 workers, in President Hoover's view, have beem d&plaeedi from older industry, due to labour^saving devices. The federation interpreted the increase in the standard o£ liking; to mean, a reduction: of working days to five per week and. a progressive, reduction, of the. hours of labour. 1 These adjustments -will require- years, to. make;. Meantime- the Administration urges, the. speeding: upi of public projects to- absorb unemployed;, it has once or twice hinted at tax relief and suggested a co-ordination of State and* city employment organisatioHSJ under federal diwjctiiiinTJnemplbvnijent. insurance is sponsored, only by the Socialist Party,, alihoiigh. it has, nrany adherents. The majority view is; that; the depression earn be cuied by a more cheerful and less: pessimistic: outlaolc;, staggering of jobs,, a-nd; reduetiore at htnn-s. There will be no. dole:. Thi* view? is universally held in; the; United State*- that the dole merely enable* the unemployed; to; Mve on in: unemployment.. The only positive- cure- that: has; yet corns from thePresident's Commissinn is that em.ployers. should split such, of their j»fos as, can. be; spEt between two1 or more men:.