The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-22

| 80 the 1873 congress introduces US
to Mr.. Bramley as the General Secre-
Etary and the first experiments in the
new Policy" He at once proceeded
to take out the sting Of the Commun-
list contention that the General Coun'
Gil isolated the unemployed. There
was danger that the joint Council pro-
posal which had been pressed upon
them was going to be ignored and a
further Justification OF Communist
criticism would be placed on record.
Bramley averted that and set to work
not only to discount our criticism but
to take the sting out of the unem-
ployed's propaganda. A Joint Coun-
Gil? Certainly A joint campaign on
behalf of the unemployed? Certainly.
The negotiations were spread over
several months in which the whole
aim is to extract from the unemploy-
ment proposals any sting. which might
appear to be too revolutionary" and
give it the color Of "practicability.
The final outcome is
"The Unemployed's six-point Char
ter" which reads:
We Demand:
1. Work or effective maintenance
for all unemployed workers, and in
creased government assistance to be
provided thru the trades unions. All
unemployed relief to be completely
dissociated from Poor Law admins
,tration.
| 2. 1.-THE immediate development OF
government schemes OF employment
to absorb the unemployed in their
own trade at trade union rates of
wages and conditions.
8. "The establishment of state work
shops for the purpose of supplying the
necessary service or commodities to
meet the requirements OF government
departments.
A. "The reduction in the hours OF
labor necessary to absorb unemployed
workers, the normal working day OF
) week to be regulated by the require
ments of the industry.
5. "The establishment of occupa
tional training centers for unemployed
workers, providing proper training
with effective maintenance, particu
larly for unemployed boys and girls
and able-bodied ex-service men.
. 6. "The provision Of suitable hous
ling accommodations at rents within
the means of wage earners, and the
! proper use Of existing houses"
; Only on one of these demands did
} the unemployed force the hand Of
. Bramley from generalities to speci
/ fic demand and that was on the scale
: Of unemployed pay. In the leatlet is
sued to explain the Charter" an eff
! fective piece Of propaganda is con
Quoted which throws vivid light on
, social conditions in England. 1t asks
} the question "What is effective main
tenance?" and answers by comparing
: costs of the maintenance of criminals
and inmates of Poor Law institutions
1t says:
"Mr. Neville Chamberlain informed
the House of Commons on August
! 1928, that the cost per head in Poor
Law institutions was sSS-5s-35d
per year.
On Poor Law scale two adults
would cost .-...-..........-.--..-.........e 176
Two children equal to one
adult) -........"..--..-..."-...-......-.. SO
Total cost per annun1................e 264
Total cost per week approx 6
"Mr. Bridgeman, late Home Sec
rotary, informed the House of Com
mons on August 2, 1923, that the cost
of maintaining convict in H. M
Prisons was ELL per year.
On the convict scale two
adults would cost ...............- &22z
Two children equal to an
adult cost ........................ ELL
Total cost per per annum..... 1888
Total cost per week............. 96, SIS
1.-THE Unemployed Workers have
suggested the following scale for un
employed maintenance:
man anu WIG, per week y o.
Two children, per week -1ss
Total cost per week....e 3-1ss
Or an annual cost off,. G 202-16s
1.-THE question arises: Are I'm
employed Workers entitled to main.
tenance equivalent to that provid'
ed for Poor Law Inmates and con.
victs in II. M. Prisons?"
|
This is really good propaganda, but
II will be observed that Bramley has
successfully avoided committing the
General Council to the scale as de-
mand and hid himself in seneralities
as a means OF escape when chgileng.
ed as to whether this is the demand
OF the trades unions.
, The other leaflets are not so spe-
ciflc as this one. They are similar to
the demands as quoted above. The
Unemployed Organization and the
, General Council conducted Joint meet