RELIEF MEASURES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18597, 7 January 1935, Page 7

RELIEF MEASURES

WORKS IN U.S.A.

PRESIDENT OPPOSES DOLE

UNIVERSAL ACCLAIM

WORK FOR 3,500,000

(Klee. Tel. CopyriKtit —United Press Assn.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.

The almost universal Congressional acclaim that followed President Roosevelt’s message lo Congress saying, “the Federal Government, must, and shall, quit this business of relief,” is obviously a true reflection of .public opinion. The effect of the dole system established under the relief administration is vapidly becoming a pernicious influence ou American life, as well as a drain ou the nation’s finance.

Several Opposition Senators, however, withheld comment pending the Budget message, in which details of financing fhe work-creating projects will be presented. Some Liberals made the charge that a transition to the new system would result in great hardships, particularly among the working class known as “unemployables,” the care of which is turned over to State and local governments.

One Administration opponent declared that he would support puwc works expenditure if the expense did not ' make the public debt exceed 31,000,000,000 dollars by mid-summer, as predicted bv Mr Roosevelt in his last Budget message.

As the debt is now in excess of 28,000,000,000 dollars it appears that it would leave a relatively small margin to employ the 3,300,000 persons envisaged by the President. Li a press interview following his address, Mr Roosevelt pointed out that 18,000,000 to 20,000,000 people receiving relief represented only about 5,000,000 heads of families, and an attempt would be made to absorb these mi Government works or private industry.

ADVICE TO PRESIDENT

BRITISH ECONOMIST

WAY TO PROSPERITY

LONDON, Dec. 20

“America’s future depends on whether Mr Keynes guessed right,” says the New York correspondent of the News-Chronicle. lie predicts thaL President Roosevelt, in his annual message to Congress, will urge the 120,000,000 Americans to spend their way to prosperity on the lines suggested by Mr J. M. Keynes, noted English economist, when he visited White House.

Mr Keynes is secretary of the Royal Economic Society and a member of the British Economic Council. His theory that the nation “can lift itself by its bootstraps” will really be tested by President Roosevelt demanding the expenditure of £1,000,000,000 on public works, accompanied by a reduction of’ doles.

It is considered that roads, buildings, dams, afforestation and similar projects are better calculated to “prime the pump of recovery.” Nevertheless, conservative business interests are opposing the scheme. In spite of 10 years’ violent criticism of the British* dole, they are clamoring now for direct relief, instead of public works, on (lie ground that the Government will play havoc with' the labor market, by giving better wages and conditions than private industry. The ordinary Budget expenditure is expected to be £600,000,000, in addition to £200,000,000 for the home owners’ loans.

Such lavishness is frightening many people, but the majority are expected to support Mr Roosevelt until either there is an inflation debauch or heavy taxation.