Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
The first of these measures was an agreement of leading employers to
maintain the standards of wages and of labor leaders to use their influence
against strife. In a large sense these undertakings have been adhered to
and we have not witnessed the usual reductions of wages which have always
heretofore marked depressions. The index of union wage scales shows them to
be today fully up to the level of any of the previous three years. In
consequence the buying power of the country has been much larger than would
otherwise have been the case. Of equal importance the Nation has had
unusual peace in industry and freedom from the public disorder which has
characterized previous depressions.
The second direction of cooperation has been that our governments,
National, State, and local, the industries and business so distribute
employment as to give work to the maximum number of employees.
The third direction of cooperation has been to maintain and even extend
construction work and betterments in anticipation of the future. It has
been the universal experience in previous depressions that public works and
private construction have fallen off rapidly with the general tide of
depression. On this occasion, however, the increased authorization and
generous appropriations by the Congress and the action of States and
municipalities have resulted in the expansion of public construction to an
amount even above that in the most prosperous years. In addition the
cooperation of public utilities, railways, and other large organizations
has been generously given in construction and betterment work in
anticipation of future need. The Department of Commerce advises me that as
a result, the volume of this type of construction work, which amounted to
roughly $6,300,000,000 in 1929, instead of decreasing will show a total of
about $7,000,000,000 for 1930. There has, of course, been a substantial
decrease in the types of construction which could not be undertaken in
advance of need.
The fourth direction of cooperation was the organization in such States and
municipalities, as was deemed necessary, of committees to organize local
employment, to provide for employment agencies, and to effect relief of
distress.
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