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EXPANSION OF SIUT-HELP ACTIVITIES The self-help program Is a program for org&nlE&tion of workshops In which unemployed people can use their idle time to make goods or provide services which they need for their own immediate us©. There are over five million people in the United states seeking work: but employed neither in private industry nor in Governmental work programs. of self-help are available for workers in virtually all narts of the United Btates. They range from processing of farm products in citie© and towns near farm areas, to bakeries, canneries, sewing rooms, laundries, &ry cleaning, wood cutting, and furniture repair in urbaii centers like Washington, D. C. Self-help programs can be adapted to elderly workers on old-age tensions, to unemployed workers on relief, to unskilled urban workers not on relief, to migrants fro© rural areas, and to highly skilled workers in their dull season. There is a place 1 for some type of self-heir* on each step of the "workers staircase*1. It is assumed that nearly a million non-farm workers could be organised into self-help exchanges within two years. Assuming an average of 750,000 for the second year of operations, about 350,000 to ^00,000 could probably be organised by the end of the first year. Funds would be used for quarters, equipment, raw materials, motor truokft, light, gas, electricity, and personnel. A highrade staff is needed for organination, management, and development of orafts and skill. The self-help program should not be ft vocational training program, but emphasis on vnry high quality of management &n& craftsmansship are all-essential. Insofar as possible State, local and private agencies would be encouraged to contribute raw materials, rental of quarters and possibly equipment. Most Exchanges will probably provide part-time work as a supplement to, rather than a substitute for, orlvate industry. Here the per capita cost should be about 1200 per worker. The cost would be higher where the local situation aa.de it desirable to provide full-time work, as in stranded communities, or where a new and economically sound product might be developed out of local resources. Such workshops for the unemployed would provide the frarae- - 2 work for quiok expansion of productive activity in perlode of rising unemployment, Assuming 6 1200 average the cost of the program the second year would be about $150,000,000* An amount, equal to about half this, ISO,000,000 could be spent in the first year. F.very dollar of this money la spent with private industry. the expenditure for staff and initial purchases of equipment would be relatively high in the beginning. The benefits are the return to private Industry of workers who 'graduate' from selfhelp, and productive activity and increasing consumption for those who cannot get private Jobs. The return, In number of workers cared for, K M In coffuao&itiea available to each worker, should show a constantly increasing ratio to money Invested. The funds are being invested in Increasing skill and self-reliance of the unemnloyeu. It is extremely Important in organizing such a ;rograra to allow for the utmost variety in organization, to fit the type of self-helo In each area to specific local conditions. It is aleo Important to allow for wide variation in the type of local partloipation and of financial assistance, in order to encourage both the local community and the unemployed workers to take the largest roaslble share in participation. June 5, 1939
@FedFRASER