The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-03-19
DRIVE FOR
A MAINTENANCE
FUND" FOR NEEDY
Will Force Action from
Government

FOR Lne IlrSJ Jlne III American nlo-
tory, there was launched here Satur-
day national campaign for securing
legislation for the maintenance and
relief of the growing armies Of un-
employed workers whose numbers to
a total of nearly five millions have
created the most acute problem of the
present day.
Unemployed Maintenance Fund.
A resolution calling for the estab-
lishment of an Unemployed Main
tenance Fund was greeted with tu-
multuous applause by the $50 delegates
and the several hundred visitors who
attended an unemployed conference
held at Webster Hall, 18th st. and
Third Ave.
"Work or wages" was the slogan
and keynote of the conference.
Labor unions, fraternal and benev-
solent organizations, social welfare So
ieties, clubs and even schools respond
ed to the call of the New York Goun-
ell for the Unemployed to its confer
ence called for Saturday.
Nearly $50 delegates representing
20 unions, 10 fraternal groups, IL aid
and welfare societies, two schools,
two political organizations as well as
numerous miscellaneous groups were
present.
Executive Committee Of Action.
At the conclusion of the conference
an executive committee comprising
forty delegates and representatives of
the various trade unions, fraternal
organizations and other groups was
set up. The executive committee will
meet next Thursday to draw up bill
embodying the decision of the con-
ference. The bill, sort of Charter
of the Unemployed" will be presented
to the city, state and federal legis-
lative bodies. A copy of the resolu-
tons and decisions of the conference
will be sent to every trade union and
fraternal organization in the country.
Steps will be taken to call second
and larger conference which in turn
will launch the drive for the Unem-
ployed Maintenance Fund on a nation
al scale and will coordinate the var
ious unemployed councils already in
existence in various cities.
To Put Politicians on Record.
eve will work for the creation Of
such a fund.-" declared VIM. w. Vein
stone, District organizer of the
Workers (Communist) Party and one
of the Representatives of the Workers
Party at the conference. eve will
draw up a bill, Charter of the I'M
employed which we will present to
the officials and legislative bodies Of
city, nation and state; we win give
our government officials an opportun-
ity to translate into real action their
long standing promises that they are
with the unemployed"
Scott Nearing, we'll known econ
omist and writer and one Of the prin-
cipal visitors at the conference, met
with an enthusiastic reception as he
arose to speak on the present unem-
Iployment crisis.
18th Round of Unemployment.
"This is the eighteenth time In
American history" he declared, "that
we have had an unemployment crisis
and hard times. Unemployment b
inevitable under the capitalist sys-
tenn; as long as the capitalist system
exists, relief will take the form mere
ly of ladling out soup; but relief must
be fought for nevertheless. Action,
not words, must be the demand on the
politicians Of the old parties"
Nearing pointed out that Europesn
countries and especially the Soviet
Union had made provisions for the
maintenance Of the unemployed. The
capitalists of America, the richest
and most powerful country. in the
world, must not be permitted to shirk
the burden Of maintaining the jobless
workers inasmuch as it is their profit
system which creates the problem.
The delegates came to the confer
ence at the call of the New York
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