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Show held that the president's conservation project would not materially disturb the labor situation in farming and i the industries. j The principal opposition appeared to be the American Federation of La-' La-' bor and certain industrial groups. The j labor group feels that $l-a-day wage ' would set a low standard for common labor. The industrialists fear that the ; plan would draw the surplus supply ! of labor from industrial centers, thus j creating a scarcity. Those who have i studied the plan feel that union labor ' should be the last to object to it, for I if the plan had any effect upon the general wage scale, the tendency would be to reduce the supply of labor la-bor in industr'al centers and thus ; make the union scale easier to main- tain. j Most industrialists under the capi-i capi-i talistic system, as it existed until a decade or two ago, thought they prospered pros-pered better M-ith a large surplus of laborers standing around competing with one another for work, but it is only those with sweatshop psychology who think so today. The enlightened industrialists have seen the value of a relatively high wage scale and the maximum number of people employed. em-ployed. The president's message does not ask for appropriations to start the conservation plan. There are unallocated unallo-cated funds now available for public works which would be sufficient to keep the proposed conservation corps at work for several months. 1 It is quite certain, it is urged, that unless some such national program as proposed by the president is carried out, the country will continue to suf-i suf-i fer great economic loss for which our posterity will have reason to discredit j our vision and wisdom. THE PRESIDENT'S REFORESTATION PLAN. One of President Roosevelt's relief-measures, relief-measures, the employment of 250,000 men to work in the national forests, is regarded by many as a worthy, timely and practical undertaking. Professor R. G. Tugwell, assistant secretary of agriculture, speaking of the plan, stated: "We have a magnificent mag-nificent opportunity now. Here are millions of acres needing" the labor of men. And here, throughout the land, are millions of men looking for a chance to work. The forests need the men, and the men need the work the forests offer." There is a vast amount of conservation conserva-tion work to be done in the national forests, such as replacing of trees, building lookout stations for fire prevention pre-vention and establishing trails. Moreover, More-over, there are millions of acres of land that was abaneloned and became a part of the public domain during the past, quarter of a century. Much of this land was once cleared of timber, tim-ber, but, because of erosion and bad fanning, became non-productive. Many think that this land should be planted in the kind of trees which, when grown, would be most valuable in industry spruce for paper making; mak-ing; white pine, which is becoming extinct; oaks, walnut, hickory and other trees from which finishing, cabinet and tool handle material is made. But they point out that the value of the forest is not alone in the timber. Trees help to maintain equable climatic conditions so essential to health, agricultural and horticultural pursuits. Forests arrest the drainage water which, if not checked, causes swollen streams, floods and violent soil erosion that ruins our productive land clogs our streams, fills our city sewers, water conduits and reservoirs. Forests also absorb and release water into the atmosphere gradually, thus influencing rainfall to a marked degree. de-gree. The president's plan, it is contended, contend-ed, would conserve three great national nation-al purposes; one, the preservation and extension of our forests; another, the employment of a maximum of a quaiter million of men, and third, the restoration of the morale of thousands thous-ands of men who have had to accept alms and many of whom are undernourished under-nourished and broken in spirit. 'Well might this great army of workers be designated as "The President's National Na-tional Conservation Corps." The estimated annual appropriation required to maintain a full corps of 259,000 men is around $170,000,000. The cost would include a base salary of $30 per month per man, working tools and sustenance, which would include food, clothing, laundry, lodging lodg-ing and medical attention. The labor item would be 90,000,000, and tools, sustenance, etc., would be about $80,-000,000 $80,-000,000 per annum. The senate committee on education and labor reported a revised bill in which the $1 a day wage was eliminated, elim-inated, leaving the president to fix the wage and other details. This waa objected to by William P. Connery, Jr., chairman of the house labor committee, com-mittee, who proposed a substitute w'ich would fix an $80 monthly wage for married persons and single persons per-sons with dependents, and $50 for single sin-gle j.erscns without dependents, but this wa3 defeated in committee. The National Conservation Corps would not be regarded as ei her a charitable or emergency undertaking. A feature of the president's idea is to give men an opportunity to volunteer in a great national economic project, patriotic in charae'er, which would be healthful, creative and social in its aspects. It is time, he thinks for citizens citi-zens to see patriotism in the civilian service of preserving the national ro-soiirc. ro-soiirc. s of the country for posterity. Ifp feels that an esprit de corps could be created in the service which would rebound to the individual and national nation-al welfare of the people. The secretary of labor would select from volunteer those most worthy and able to do the desired work for a given period of service. The wages which the president, pro-jie::ed pro-jie::ed would be about equal to that of farm bend:; who receive lodging, food and laundry, but not clo'hing and medical all' nl. ion. Willi the vast number of men out. 'if i in ploymorit and the conviction that even with u re-urn to prosperity I hero woidd i,- fV'H'i :i,o:it) mm to n, 000,000 jeojde con , taut ly unemployed, it is |
