The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-21
BY GRACE NJ. BURNHAM.
Labor Research Association.
(Continued)

APPOINTED in May, 1928, ito investigate
IA the causes Of unemployment and recommend
such legislation as seems advisable" the Senate
Committee on Education and Labor, sidestep-
ped every proposal which could be of any real
value to the workers.
The Committee took no evidence on the ques-
ton of speed-up and the countless efficiency
methods directly responsible for the increasing
accumulation of the unemployed. And it dis
missed the fundamental problem of shorten
ing hours in these words: "The printed evil
submitted to the committee-con contains
suggestions of the shortened work day and the
reduced working week.. :. However, in the
time your committee had for this subject no
opportunity presented itself for the considera-
ton of legislation on the subject and your
committee has nothing to suggest at this time
Regarding crises, which throw additional mill
lions Of workers on the streets, the committee
left to private industry recognition of its re-
sponsibility to stabilize employment within the
industry It's recommendation for taking a
census of the unemployed in 1880 is in line
with the proposals of Secretary of Labor Davis
Accident Prevention Conference in 1926, which,
while admitting that industrial deaths in the
United States totalled at least $4,000 annually
and fatal accidents we'll over 2,500,000-
uoted for athe keeping Of better accident sta
tistics!ts
Regarding the United States Employment
Service, the committee hesitated to go further
than to recommend its reorganization "as conf
pletely detached from the operation of ex-
changes throughout the states as it is, possible
to be-" With no proposals for federal appro-
priations, trained staff or workers control,
this continues to leave the worker at the mercy
of the corporation employment departments
and the INSCRIPTIONS private employment
sharks. 1se
"The government should adopt legislation
without delay" is the sole constructive pro-
posal of the committee, (which would provide
system of planning public works, so that they
would form a reserve against unemployment
in times Of depression" We have already seen
the real purpose of this utter inadequacy.
Unemployment insurance, the most essential
and immediate measure for the assistance of
the unemployed, is dismissed as follows:
Government interference in the establish
ment and direction of unemployment insur-
ance is not necessary and not advisable at
this time" .s@s-t
"Private employers should adopt system
Of unemployment insurance and should be
permitted and encouraged to adopt the sys-
tenn which is best suited to the particular
/, industry
'If any public insurance scheme is con-
sidered, it should be left to the state legis-
lation to study that problem" 0talics mine).
These conclusions on unemployment insur-
arce, which virtually amount to instructions
to employers Hobbies and politicians to oppose
all measures for state or federal legislation
were no accident, nor were they wholly the
result of evidence heard by the Senate Com
nittce. They were definite orders from Presi-
dent Hoover who is always on the alert to pro-
tect the interests and promote the profits of
private business. Speaking before meeting
Of managers of the Metropolitan Life Insur-
ance Company while he was still Secretary of
Commerce, Mr.. Hoover said: Unemployment
insurance in the hands Of great institution
such as yours is not socialism. Insurance in
the hands of the government is the encroach-
ment of bureaucracy into the daily life of our
people, and we do commend to your officers
that here remains the one great field in which
insurance can be employed scientifically, found
ed on basis of actual savings, contributed to
by the employer and In which you can pro-
vide one of the greatest safeguards to our
social seubility" (Italics mine).
1t is not in the increased profits to the life
insurance companies, that we are here so much
concerned although that is of great Importance
in fighting these companies who are powerful
opponents Of social insurance. (The legal re-
serve lie insurance companies OF the OnlJeu
States commanded in 1929, assets of seventeen
billion dollars for investment purposes.) 1t is
in the implication that unemployment insur-
ance in private hands can provide one of the
greatest safeguards to our social stability
!. e. to the status quo.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
was not slow to grasp these implications in
the Hoover address. eff permission is given
by the State legislatures" declared that men,
oranda submitted to the Senate Committee,
'.this challenge will we accepted And then
adds significantly: "Might it not be one solu-
Stion Of the problem to have life insurance COM
panies undertake for employers the trustee
ship Of industrial depression reserve, or I'M
employment premiums, and agree to pay cer-
tain amounts to certain employers under pre-
scribed conditions? ~ Such contract might
we'll provide that no employee should be COW
cred until at least six months employment had
been rendered; that for the purpose of the
contract unemployment would be defined as
time lost through the inability of the employer
to provide work, and that voluntary resigna-
ton or dismissals on account OF inefficiency
acre risks not insured against Under such a
contract the real purpose of unemployment in
surance might be accomplished, while the
drones, scandcrers,~ those aOho hare "A lack of
moral fibre, inadequate mental o. physical
equipment, lack Of judgment, adverse fortunes,
etc.,, Mould be left To their DUN resources"
italics mins). FRI
Clear enough for any worker to see. The
government intends to mobilize the powerful
life insurance interests to support the produc-
ton drives Of the employers. Any militant