The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-11
FOR INDUSTRIAL
WELFARE POLICY
Government to Investigate Feasibility
OF Extending Cheap Cost
Insurance to All
Civilians.
[By l.. C. Martin. United Press Staff
COrresDOndent

| by l.. C. Martin, United Press Staff
Correspondent
! WASHINGTON, Dec 1.-THE SEN
ate today took the first step toward
adoption of comprehensive govern
mental policy for industrial welfare.
when 1t adopted without debate a
resolution by Senator Kenyon, direct
ing the committee on education and
labor to investigate the feasibility Of
| inaugurating such program.
| Kenyon's resolution empowers the
committee to Investigate and report
on the following:
! Feasibility of creating national
/ tribunal to decide disputes between
workers and employers concerning
working conditions.
i Development OF the United States
employment service into national
labor exchange.
| Repatriation of employment.
! Prevention Of unemployment by
Initiation of program Of public
works during Industrial depression
] Promotion of better living condi-
! lions among workers and preparation
! OF a plan for centralized control of
governmental housing projects.
| Feasibility of extending soldiers
4
/ population giving workers an oppor-
1 tunity to obtain cheap insurance
against injury, sickness and dis
ability.
A national insurance act, providing
insurance against old age. unemploy-
ment and ability.
| A national minimum wage law.
| Training for those disabled In in
dustry.
! The committee, Kenyon announced,
will begin at once on the inquiry.
While the senate was passing the
Kenyon resolution, Secretary of
Labor Wilson told the house rules
committee there is no need for pass
age of the Claypool and Lundeen res
iolutions for investigation of possible
Unemployment OF returned soldiers by
congressional committees.
Wilson declared there. will be no
Immediate reduction of wages and
warned manufacturers they may be
committing business suicide by delay
ling resumption OF normal activities.
He advocated immediate resump-
ltion of municipal, state and federal
projects, held up by the war and the
initiating of other public improve
ments which he said were needed to
act as a temporary reservoir for dis
charged soldiers.
The labor department has created
a large central employment clearing
house with branches throughout the
country from which 1t gets weekly
reports, Wilson said.
The last report showed labor
shortage in twenty-eight cities, a sur
plus of labor in seven and demand
and supply running .even in seventy
five others.
For a year or more this country
will have approximately million
men under arms, he said, ship build
ing will continue to employ half
million more compared with few
thousand before the war. South
American trade must be supplied,
northern France and other devastated
regions must be built up, emigration,
which gave us net population In
crease of 100000 annually before the
war, will stay at practically zero and
reserve stocks of goods in this coun-
try depleted for the last eighteen
months must be built up.
The department of agriculture, VIII
son said will shortly ask congress for
funds for roads building and this will
take care of a number of men during
the '1nterim period" while industry
lis getting back to sound footing.
He advocated the resumption OF
river and harbor improvements for
the same purpose.