Unemployment in the United States

Bibliographic data

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:: Statement of John B. Andrews, Director of the American Association for Labor Legislation

Collection:: Economics Books

86 UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE UNITED STATES Federal Government may set up one of its information offices in a State, even where that State has not yet opened such a public employ- ment office of its own. The reason why the emphasis was given to the recommendation along that line by the President's unemploy- ment conference of 1921 was to point out specifically that, of course, it is expected that practically all of the work is to be done by the municipal and State employment offices. It went on in detail, after discussing the fact that some local offices exist, to say that the State should be the unit in local organization—that is, the State rather than the municipality on the one side—and then went on to say that the Federal Government should assist in making these State and local offices more efficient, and that it should not for its part do the place- ment work. It was for the purpose of emphasizing that the States themselves are going to spend this money, that the States themselves 2 directly responsible for the actual administrative work in these offices. One additional point has been developed which we have to face. It is a new one. We did not have it 15 years ago. The United States Supreme Court in the case of Ridnik ». McBride (48 Sup. Ct., 545) decided in 1928 that the States can no longer regulate the fees charged by the fee-charging commercial employment agencies. That puts usin greater need than ever before of legislation which will provide an efficient, permanent system of public employment offices to which the unemployed in their weakness may go for information with refer- ence to opportunities for work when the fee-charging agencies over- reach the mark and impose upon the weakness of the unemployed. That is an added reason, a new reason why we should perfect the public employment system. The Crarrman. Let me ask, if the Supreme Court decided that the States had no power to regulate such a subject, by what authority would the United States, which exercises only delegated powers, have any power to do such a thing? Mr. AnpreEws. It was not that the Federal Government should attempt to fix the fees charged by the agencies, but that competition may often be the greatest regulator in bringing about decent business conditions. In conclusion, I appreciate that there is no opposition to the bill, Senate 3061, with reference to employment statistics, and that there is no opposition to the long range planning of public works bill, Senate 3059. There is a limited opposition to the one for the public employment offices, although it is significant that the State industrial commissioners meeting in annual convention at Louisville, Ky., about two weeks ago unanimously adopted a resolution in support of this bill for Federal-State aid in public employment offices. It is also, of course, apparent that there is very widespread support for this measure throughout the whole country. There is a remarkable demand on the part of the public that this legislation be passed before the end of this session of Congress. The only thing, as I see it, which is causing anyone to hesitate is the question of so-called con- stitutionality of Federal-aid. On that point Prof. Joseph P. Chamber- lain, of the Columbia University Law School, has prepared a short but very good legal brief which I am simply going to file with your committee for the record. I think it covers with complete satisfac-

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