The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-12-28
The WASHINGTON SCENE
By LAWRENCE TODD, Federated Press

''''''''''''''''''''''""''""..,
axe TO make use of the reno.. =,
action is concerned. ''Su''ant
-
Nevertheless, this study u,m
worth the attention of every MI vii De
class American. 1t will indico GtaAllg'
rapidly our industrial life is cba 'o now
now Tar the massed capital which G
with mass production is moldinn sOeS
cities, our homes and our onne, Our
ties in life. 1t will give a clea prU'. .'i
than anyone has yet been perm ~ view
OF the near future of our econom;a '' a.
velopment which in turn will Iarn ~,
determine our share Of freedom e'y
Herbert Hoover, entering nnoo A.
presidential office, will have t H. we
port at hand for guidance in n ,'o 'e'
ing schemes for unemployment roi;os
for further standardization. for r noJ'
ing Of coal companies, for eliminapt gO,
of wasteful 0ver-capacity in tovtSa
mills, and for careful avoidance ~
government threats, through comm
tition, to private profit.
Washington.-Half of the nresor,
unemployment in the United State i
due to lack Of intelligence and eneyg,
on the part Of the employers saw y,
Henry S. Dennison of FramipObam
Mass, testifying before the senate
committee on education and labor Tbe
other half could be removed BY intel.
ligent action on the part Of the gov.
eminent.
Dennison is the first Of a series Of
employers summoned to testify on tbe
LaFollette resolutions suggestion. as
TO what can be done to remove the
blot Of unemployment from the Amer.
lean industrial situation. For Is wears
he has been trying out his own theo
ries Of DISQUALIFICATION in his plant,
employing $500 to 1900 persons in
the production Of tags, labels and
other paper and stationery items. He
has an unemployment insurance fund
and in 8 years or 4l6 weeks the money
paid from it has just about equalled
mis- payroll for one week. Not only
are laid off workers given unempIOy.
ment benefits but payments are made
from this fund to various departments
of the business when workers are
transferred, so that the transfer shall
not reduce the workers earnings.
~ J
There's no reason why lalBr turn
over in a modern plant shoale0e high
Dennison argues. The average rate is
80 to 60 per cent but progressive EN-
ployers have cut it to 20f6 in theil
: own plants. Seasonal unemployment
can be reduced by special selling cam
paigns to induce buyers to take good
r in off season. Also arrangements cal
= be made for matching off the peak o
. activity in one plant against the slac
2 season in another near by
"If the same ingenuity had been ap
: piled to this problem Of unemploy
! ment that has been applied to deye
opment Of better machinery" the wit
ness asserts, "the problem would hay
q been solved by now. We are steadll
! digging into the wat pile Of industry
this is the biggest part that is lei
{ and we can get rid Of It all"
e III!
v Sen. David Walsh Of Massachuset
; asks whether il is not true that u
d workers who are past so and loi
" their pobs for any reason do not III
:. it difficult to get another chance
d earn their livelihood. He tells OIL
r, incident in one Of his campaign NEE
e ings last summer: A Polish pre-
Il arose and complained that many
Z the men in his parish, good wgorke,ll
# above 80 years of age, were beng u
2 placed and were refused new u,
= Walsh asks what is TO be done
ic these men. He's sorry for them
I'LL
+ Dennison remains serenely eiilcle.l
'e He says these Poles came to Ame.
IS as young men; they are now geV1l
= along in years and naturally q cons
ID cradle number Of them are losing ~
n Jobs. There is nothing new IN "
le Probably IL Is true that more men
" being discarded today than forms,
&c for reasons Of age, but on the o y.
RS hand their sons are getting the y
n Young men are preferred because y
er learn quicker and are more adap'G,
= He does not discuss old age Pensc,
+ and neither Walsh nor Chairman y y
~ zens nor anyone else on The conl"'
raises that issue.
llil
Is Sen. Tyson Of Tennessee, mllIion y,
H. investor IN low wage cotton ana " y
or len mills, coal mines, pig ron y"
BY and banks, wants 20 know whetne'
n GO hour week would give more
Il. ployment than the 80 hour wen VEIN,
RI complains that the American puDn
nj not consuming enough; plant, Nv I,
wv able 20 run full time. SomeInlns 4
u. be done 20 give the people NOR Z
In, ing power. Textiles and coal anu :
are In n serious depression Ian
M The witness replies thaI n, ,gI
&C. hours Of work IN the mills wOS ~,
N crease unemployment at leafs IA a, I
", while. But both consumption ap a.
60 duction have steadily increa.s ,',,,d ~ 70
"a past 100 years and will conu''u' :
&C. crease. NJ adiOu
M After that the committee .d aaI NJ
II. 20 await the coming Of nlas ,Ia Ind
zee from the open-shop automoD"'
sr- try.