Sunday Stuff

When McNaught Syndicate announced that Alfred Emanuel Smith would write a weekly newspaper "feature" (TIME, Nov. 24) many there were who expected to see the Brown Derby perched jauntily at the top of every paragraph. Last week the first Smith article appeared in 70 Saturday and Sunday papers. Although Unemployment was the subject, there was no smack of stump-speeching, certainly no Hoover-heckling.* Indeed, Writer Smith noted that "We have had breadlines in New York City even during our most prosperous times." He chided the U. S. public for its short-sighted failure to prepare unemployment relief during days of plenty; upheld the President's request for the right to allocate relief funds and spanked the Senate for contesting that right. He pleaded for a proper census of unemployed and expressed favor of a five-day week at six-day wages. Writer Smith's style was calm, warm, readable. Excerpts

"The market crash of October and November 1929 did not by any means start the present unemployment crisis. That was simply an impairment of the value of securities. It was at a later date that the business depression started. . . .

". . . If appropriating agencies continue to make their appropriations under the old, antiquated, worn-out system . . . we will find there is little, if anything, that the Government can do [toward immediate relief of unemployment]. "The American people never carry an umbrella. They prepare to walk in eternal sunshine. In times of prosperity and plenty, the public . . . orator who would suggest a measure for unemployment relief would find it most difficult to get an audience. . . . There is little doubt in my mind that we may be able to work out some system of deferring portions of public works and holding them in reserve for . . . unemployment."

Mr. Smith prepares his articles in his office at No. 200 Madison Ave. from press clippings and other data compiled by researchers. He dictates his "stuff" rapidly, cigar in mouth, as he paces the floor. Variety reported that Mr. Smith is guaranteed $500 per week against a 60-40 split of the gross income of the feature, with a present assurance of $1,050 per week on the basis of the present list of customers. But at both McNaught syndicate and Mr. Smith's office it was stated that no such information had ever been given out.

Writing must not take up too much of busy Mr. Smith's time. Each morning he goes to the nearly-completed Empire State (world's tallest) Building of which he is president & director; each afternoon to the County Trust Co. of New York of which he is board chairman. He also serves the League of New York Theatres (anti-scalper) as "people's representative," and the Emergency Employment Committee. Last fortnight he visited his friend Vincent Astor in New York Hospital, last week danced at Governor Roosevelt's re-inauguration in Albany (see cut, p. 20).

* In a foreword Writer Smith said: "The articles . . . are . . . the expression of my indi vidual opinion. They are not to be interpreted as having any relationship whatever to my leadership of the Democratic Party. ... I will never speak or write, solely for the purpose of political advantage."

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