The President's News Conference

VOLUNTARY RESPONSE TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM

THE PRESIDENT. I have a question as to whether we will call a special session of Congress to deal with the unemployment problem. There will be no special session. The sense of voluntary organization in the community has not vanished altogether. The spirit of such service has been strong enough to cope with the problem for the past 11 months, and it is strong enough, I am confident, to serve this occasion in full measure.

Colonel [Arthur] Woods is receiving the most gratifying evidence of support from the Governors, mayors, industrial leaders, welfare organizations throughout the country. I have no doubt about the success of his efforts and his organization--together with that of the initiative of all of the local communities which is rising steadily to the need of the hour. There is nothing else that I have.

EXECUTIVE ORDER ON POST OFFICE HIRING

Just so that you will understand it, and not for public statement--I am signing an Executive order [5471] relieving the Post Office from the necessity to take men from the classified service for the special work over the holidays. The purpose of that is to enable the Post Office to select breadwinners and heads of families to give them the extra work, irrespective of whether they are on the Civil Service list. If they are on the Civil Service list they will be given preference, but to give the work where it will do the most good. This is just over the holiday season and not an undermining of the Civil Service.