80 UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
Third, I should like to point out that there are to be local joint
boards of employers and employees set up in the various localities to
advise and help administer this act, and the employers could be on
the alert to see that this provision was not violated.
Mr. Hickey. I take it that the committee is interested primarily
in hearing about the number of personnel and the amount that this
will cost.
. Mr. Doucras. The act appropriates $4,000,000, to be matched
by at least an equal sum, which would make $8,000,000. I doubt
whether we could build up a completely effective system on $8,000,000,
but it has been the custom under other Federal aid acts for the
‘ocalities to appropriate more than their proportionate quota.
Mr. Hickey. Then the $8,000,000 will be distributed all over the
country?
Mr. Doveras. Yes.
Mr. Hickey. In all of the cities, I suppose?
Mr. DoucLas. Yes.
Mr. Hickey. By the Department of Labor?
Mr. DoucLas. Yes.
Mr. Montague. How many persons do you think would be re-
quired to administer the act?
Mr. Douvcras. I do not know. It depends on the States. You
take a State such as Oregon, for example, it might be handled out
there with four or five, while a State such as Texas would need more.
Mr. Montague. I understood one of the witnesses a while ago to
say that in New York there would be 2,000 personnel.
Mr. DoucLas. I think that must have referred to the private em-
ployment agencies.
Miss Francis Perkins. In New York we have 11 public employ-
ment bureaus.
Mr. CELLER. But you have 2,000 employees in the department?
Miss Perkins. The total number of employees in the entire de-
partment is 2,000, and in the Employment Bureau, which is only one
of our bureaus, there are about 100 people.
Mr. DoucrLas. We have at the present time, I believe, in this
country approximately 200 public employment agencies. My guess
would be that to strengthen those 200 adequately staffed would re-
quire a considerable expenditure, and that if we had five or six hundred
officers properly selected and properly subdivided in each office,
that a respectable beginning could be made.
Mr. CeLLER. Is not the answer to the question dependent on how
far each State wants to go? It can have as many as it wishes; then
the Federal appropriation would be matched by what the State
expends.
Mr. Doucras. Yes.
Mr. Hammer. Provided it can meet the appropriation.
Miss Perkins. It takes about five people to an office.
Mr. Dougras. Now there is one feature of this bill—there are
many features of this bill that I like, but there is one feature that I
think is especially valuable, which gives to the Federal agency the
power of checking up the State agencies. That can be a great weapon
for efficiency in preventing corrupt State administrations from mal-
