The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-09-18
Hoover Evades NAll Issues

SDeeCl
Monday evening did not differ IN the
slightest from the consistent mlsrepresenta-
tion of the unemployment situation IN the
United States that has characterized the
Mellon Coolidge administration since the be-
ginning of the crisis last year Bhss1ully
IGNORING the real facts regarding unemploy-
ment, Hoover declared that the unemployed
army was being again absorbed IN industry
He stated that when the republican admins
tration assumed direction of the government
in 1921, there were five to SIX million I'M
employed upon our streets" and added that
the intervening period has been marked by
the elimination of this army of Jooless
workers
This is in fragrant contradiction to the
known facts that place the present unem-
ployed army at between four and five million.
In perpetuating the Coolidge myth of pros
perity for all sections of the population,
Hoover-the candidate of naturalization :
declared that the Increased efficiency OF
our whole industrial machine" was respon-
sible for it. There is no denying great in
crease in industrial output, but to say that
this was accompanied by an increase IN the
number of industrial workers employed is to
resort to deliberate lying-an art at which
Mr.. Hoover is especially adept. Even
cursory survey of the reports of his depart
nnent of commerce will reveal the fact that he
is entitled to a high rating in the Ananias
club
One of the outstanding facts of American
economic life is the pronounced decline in the
number of workers employed in industry dur
ing the period of rapid development of the
productive forces of the country. The Stats
tics describing the decrease in the number
of employed in the years 1919, 1925 and
1926. appeared in the "Annalist'' of March
9, 1928, and are as follows
1919 1925 1926
Big Industries 10, 689, 900 9772,OOO 9,85O,0O0
Mining .. 1,O65 900 1,O65, 900 100000
Transport
CraiIways) 10000 1,744,OOO 1,7S2,OOO
While this decrease of industrial workers
was taking place, there was an increase of
more than 25 per cent in the volume of in
dustrial commodities produced. The year
1921, the year of depression spoken of by
Hoover, is deliberately ignored and only those
figures given for years of prosperity. Thus
it is clearly seen that the much-vaunted in
creased efficiency, the naturalization of in
dustry, of which we hear so much from the
Melons, the Hoovers and their agents in the
labor bureaucracy, (the Greens, the Lewises,
the Wolls) results in steady increase of I'M
employment even during the periods of
greatest prosperity
Likewise the statement of Hoover that
wages will rise under such conditions is con-
trary to all experience. Increased efficiency
means more unemployment, which in turn
means keener competition for jobs, with
resultant fall in wages and a frightening of
hours for those who still remain employed.
The election of Hoover, the apostle of
naturalization, or of Smith, whose advisors
haven't even the brains to devise such
sophistres as are used by the republicans,
means for the working class a continuation
of the process that has been rapidly displac-
ing workers in industry even in the years
of greatest prosperity.
Not only that, but in Mr. Hoover's speech
at Newark we find an emphatic condemna-
ton of any form of social legislation calcu-
lated to relieve the unemployed. He scorn-
fully refers to "doles to the idle" as a device
of desperation" and flatly informs the
workers that they need expect nothing from
the government in the form of relief for I'M
employment Fear Of old age and for the
future of the family has been lessened
through increased payments to the savings
banks and the insurance companies and to
our labor benefit societies." declared Hoover.
Not one single word about placing upon in
dustry the task of relieving the workers who
have contributed to the unexampled pros
perity for the capitalist class and who have
been thrown upon the scrap heap of industry.
Speaking in New Jersey, where unemploy-
ment is rampant where wages have been
cut until the workers in desperation have
waged long, bitter, militant struggles against
tie highly protected textile industry Mr..