The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-10-31
NEWS REVIEW or
CURRENT EVENTS
Grave Warning Concerning
Unemployment Is Issued
by the A. F. of L.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD

ny EOWAHD w. fI|NAnO
7 Unless Americas financial and in
- dustrial leaders live up to their
responsibility to devise solution for
the problem Of recurrent periods Of
unemployment. the present social or
der cannot be maintained.
Such is the dictum Of the American
Federation of Labor as expressed by
President William Green at the con-
vention in Boston. Labor's combined
program for an ultimate solution of
unemployment and for immediate re-
lief was favored by Mr.. Green and
was adopted after a debate In the
course of which the federal govern
ment and the federal reserve board
were severely criticized. This pro-
gram, suggested by the executive
council, provides for the following:
Reduction In hours of work. stabili-
cation Of industry. efficient manage
ment in production and sales policies,
establishment of nationwide system
of unemployment exchanges, adequate
records on employment, use of public
works to meet cyclical unemployment.
q study Of all proposals for relief and
education for life.
To meet the immediate problem Of
relief the delegates instructed the fed
eration's executive council to go to
Washington at the conclusion of the
convention and ask President Hoover
to appoint national committee which
shall recommend measures that may
be put into effect at once-such plans
to be carried out by private and quasi
public agencies, departments Of the
federal, state. and municipal govern
ments, counties and school districts.
The executive council was also in.
structed to call upon all state fedora
tions Of labor and all affiliated CEN
trail bodies to request their respective
governors and mayors to cooperate
with the national committee by state
and city committees.
The committee on resolutions re-
ported that, in accord with labor's
traditional policy. 1t was opposed to
compulsory unemployment insurance,
and at its suggestion all resolutions
fayoring this were referred to the ex-
ecutive council.
URING the debates Secretary Of
~ the Navy Adams was charged
with working contrary to President
Hnn1-arso v1nIfnx ~. vSoof nt oinfn v.,,h
lie work at present wage levels, par
ticularly at, the Philadelphia navy
yard and the Newport torpedo base.
In Washington. however. Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Jahncke denied
any plan to reduce wages.
The federation's committee on
shorter work day and week reported
that the shorter work week was nec-
cessary but In view of the tremen-
d0us economic and social questions
involved in Its establishment proposed
that the executive council give the
matter Of the shorter day its immedi-
ate consideration. Secure all available
statistical information related to the
problem" and then report to next
years convention on how short, in It's
opinion, the work day should he. La
bor is already pledged to the five-day
week.
"While this shortening of the work
day may seem radical change, 1t
fails to parallel the drastic change
which has taken place in industry
which has so enormously increased
per capita production" the committee
report stated,
Communists of Boston undertook to
stage demonstration just outside the
convention hall where the federation
was in session. and when the police
tried to disperse them the worst riot
the city has had in many years result
ed. Hundreds of men and women
fought the police desperately.
Monthly figures issued by the De-
partment OF Labor show that employ
ment in September was l per cent
greater than in August. and that pay
roll totals were IA per cent greater.
But with winter coming on the situa-
tion is decidedly gloomy, and meas