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19 Am. Lab. Legis. Rev. 267 (1929)
Hoover and Unemployment

handle is hein.journals/alablegr19 and id is 269 raw text is: Hoover and Unemployment By GEORGE H. TRAFTON W HEN Herbert Hoover was elected President, it was widely believed that now at last there would be prompt and vigorous action to prevent unemployment. This hope was based upon Mr. Hoover's own record of active interest in the problem. Eight years ago he was the chairman of the President's Conference on Unemployment. This Conference recommended at least two very concrete measures which the Federal government should undertake; namely, the establishment of an adequate system of employment bureaus and a long-range plan for the construction of public works during periods of unemployment. The report of the Conference made specific recommendations for carrying out these projects. Two years later, in 1923, a committee on business cycles and unemployment, appointed by Mr. Hoover, published a report for which Mr. Hoover wrote a foreword. This Committee was assisted in its work by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Its report again emphasized the need for action in providing employ- ment bureaus and control of public construction. The report said: A national system of employment bureaus was recommended by -the President's Conference on Unemployment, and the commit- tee gives hearty approval to that recommendation. In regard to public works the report said: The committee calls attention to the need for careful drafting of laws to insure a policy of re- serving public works projects, if it is to be done effectively. The following year, 1924, Mr. Hoover wrote the foreword to a third report which again urged the planning of public works with a view to the alleviation of unemployment during periods of depres- sion. This report was issued by a committee appointed by Mr. Hoover, as Chairman of the President's Conference on Unemploy- ment, to make a study of seasonal operations in construction indus- tries. The recommendations of this committee also gave support to the plan for a system of employment bureaus that had been recommended by the President's Conference. Since Mr. Hoover became President, his Committee on Recent Economic Changes has once more called attention to the proposals of these previous committees. In addition, it cited the recent [267]