1933: House approves Birmingham amendment to ensure more day labor on public works projects

Rep. Birmingham proposed an amendment to the state and municipal enabling bills to prevent the use of machines on public works projects so that more day labor could be employed, the Springfield Republican reported (July 18, 1933, p. 1-2).

The bills were designed to permit the state to take advantage of the national recovery act passed by Congress, the newspaper explained.

Birmingham called for the departmental heads to come before the House to tell how many men would be put to work. He said that last year, the public works department spent $14 million and employed 5,608 men at the peak of work. He said he wanted to double that figure and then asked how much relief state expenditures furnished to the unemployed.

Rep. Christian A. Herter said that the federal and state acts contain provisions for use of day labor as much as possible. He asked for defeat of all amendments printed in the calendar.

The Birmingham amendment was adopted by the House.