Unemployment in the United States

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1828236179

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-226169

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Unemployment in the United States

Place of publication:: Washington

Publisher:: United States, Government Printing Office

Year of publication:: 1930

Scope:: II, 193 Seiten

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Closing statement of hon. Robert F. Wagner, United States Senator from the States of Yew York

Collection:: Economics Books

166 UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE UNITED STATES last January, they drew, in wages, $200,000,000 less than they did in September. That in itself is enough to cause an economic depression. The second proposal is the public-works program, which was so indifferently discussed by the sentimental gentleman representing some organization here to-day. I think it is a very vital bil, recom- mended by the President, recommended by everybody who has ever studied the subject—based on the principle that if we could only time our construction of public works in such a way as to take up the slack when an economic depression in private industry is threat- ened we will keep the whole economic situation stabilized. This bill provides for a stabilization board. Members of the Cabinet that have to do with public construction are members of this board with a director who watches the economic barometer. It provides for advance planning so that the Government would not have to bo wait six months and do all of its surveying, locating, and all of the preliminary steps that have to be taken before public works are actually begun. That is already done under this provision; surveys, blueprints, everything is prepared in advance. I think Secretary Mellon agrees that would be & wise plan. The director’s business is to watch that barometer and when & depression is threat- ened, he does not wait until it drops down to where we have an acute unemployment situation. He prevents that by stepping in with a program of public works, public works which are to be done in any event. Somebody got the notion we were doing something in excess of what is normally required. Not at all; it is just timing its con- struction. It has been done in other countries: it is not a new plan, sither. The States will, undoubtedly, use these figures and the Federal Government, having set the example, the States will time their public works; because they are as interested in preventing unem- ployment as is the Federal Government. The municipalities will use these figures, and they will time their public works in accordance with this advanced planning system. And what have you got there? Over three and a half billion dollars per year are expended in public works. Just think of the power of "that tremendous fund if intelligently used to keep this whole economic system stabilized. Mr. Tucker. From what is your estimate made—the three billion six hundred million? Senator WaeNER. It has been collected. The Federal Govern- ment spends about three hundred and fifty millions. It has been collected by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Mr. Tucker. That includes Federal and State? Senator WAGNER. Yes, Federal, State, and municipal—three billion and a half; which is, by the way, about one half of all of the construc- tion of the United States. You see what a tremendous fund it is if effectively used and intelligently managed, and how it may help to stabilize the situation. Mr. Yates. We had some figures yesterday in reference to the extent of unemployment and I wanted to ask you or some witness how we can go about getting the proper figures. Now, as I under- stand it, Mr. Green, the president of the American Federation of Labor, stated he thought the total number of persons unemployed was about 3,900,000. Senator WAGNER. Yes.

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