RELIEF FUNDS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1930, Page 2

RELIEF FUNDS

PROVIDING FOR THE WINTER.

PREPARATIONS IN THE UNITED

STATES

WASHINGTON, October 24

With the unemployed officially reckoned at 3,500,000 and unofficial estimates placing the number at close to six millions and with rapid drops in industry during September and October, presaging a difficult winter, extraordinary measures for relief are being put into effect throughout the nation. It is believed that the cold months will precipitate a situation possibly unequalled from the point of view (f suffering since the turn of the century.

President Hoover’s unemployment committee, with Colonel Arthur Moods at the head, to-day announced a plan tor ‘’staggering” employment. This is a part-time arrangement, when by all factories contemplating reductions in staffs will not decrease the nuinh-i of employees but will put th ni on limited hours. All Government Departments, moreover, will follow the same procedure, and a large Federal building programme will be put into effect. An effort is also being made to obtain Congressional authorisation to make available sixty million bilshels of the wheat reserve held by the Federal Farm Board in the form of free bread to those who are without employment. PREPARATIONS BY CITIES.

As interesting as the Federal efforts are the steps which are being taken in the various cities to deal with their individual problems. New York City financiers have undertaken privately to raise a fund of 100,000,009 dollars to create jobs for the unemployed, and funds for the relief of and to feed 12.000 persons daily, have, however, been imniediatclv made available.

Chicago is creating a fund to which employees of many of the principal utility concerns will contribute six days’ pay for the next half-year, for a fund to deal with the unemployed, who number 300,000. A public building programme amounting to 25,000,000 dollars will also be undertaken.

Cleveland lias issued 200.000 dollars of emergency bonds to provide for pub. lie works for the unemployed, while Pittsburg has appropriated 1,000.000 dollars for relief and 300,000 dollars for emergency public works. Boston will raise 1,000,000 dollars and an additional 2,000,000 dollars will be collected by public subscription.

Indianapolis has raised 865,000 dollars by a community relief fund, and St. Louis 200.000 dollars, while Kansas City hopes to raise 1,115,000 dollars. New Orleans and the State of Mississippi will vote on a 135,000,000 dollars boitd issue for public works to be Started itnliietliately. The Stato of Washington lias inaugurated a 5,000,000 dollars’ road pro- 1 gramme under winter contracts,

Syracuse (New York) is planninrg a 1,000,000 dollars fund for public improvements, "While noted business leaders of the nation at a meeting just held under the auspices of the*,. University cf Chicago optimistically outlined the situation in their respective industri?s, the anniversary of the AVall Street crash finds the country in a more serious eccn m'c cl presskn than at any time during the course of the year.

RTOTING INSURANCE TAKEN OUT Something like fa sensation was created here when reports from London indicated that many large American business houses have taken rioting insurance at Lloyd’s for their property in the principal United States cities. This indicates that business men fear some disorders from tlie unemployed during the winter, when the depression, it is believed, will reach the lowest ebb.