The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-12
LA TOILETTE
BRANDS U. S.
CHIEFS WEAK
Administration Lacks will
or Courage Young Bob
Tells ProgreSSives.
JOBLESS AID IS TALKED
Existing Order Challenged
at Conference; Borah
Striking Figure.
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press staff Correspondent

claring the administration has
lacked either the will or the cour-
age" 10 meet a crisis in which
25,000,0o0 people have suffered pri-
vation in the midst of plenty, Sen
ator Robert M. la Toilette (Rep.,
Wis., called upon members of the
progressive conference today to
search for a remedial program
which independents could support
With their balance of power in the
next congress.
I'VE do not expect to draw up
auch program in two days time"
ne said, "but we believe our govern
nent can be made to function in re-
lieving the appalling suffering that
exists, and in prevention Of the re-
currence of the disaster of wide
pread employment"
Urge Jobless Insurance
La Toilette led round-table dis
cussion on unemployment and in
dustrial sterilization. Others par
ticipating included Leo Wolman,
unemployment expert; Robert P.
Scripps, president and editorial
director of the Scripps-Howard
newspapers, and George H. Soule
Of the labor bureau, New York, and
associate editor of the New Re-
public.
Wolman is his speech advocated
tnree major remedies for unemploy-
ment. They we're:
/. "A universal system Of public
employment agencies calculated to
facilitate the bringing together Of
vacancies and unemployed work
crs."
2. Exercise of control over public
construction, to enable expansion
in times of need and contraction
in times of prosperity.
3. Unemployment insurance, set
up by the industries themselves
Shape Important Issues
Economists, said Wolman, are
agreed that these recurring periods
Of prosperity or depression inevi-
tably will succeed themselves in the
future as they have in the past as
long as the present unregulated
course of business continues"
Out of these discussions, especially
that concerning utilities, one of the
important issues In the next presi-
Dental campaign may take shape.
Senator william E. Borah (Rep,
Idaho has emerged in the confer
ence as one of the striking figures
III the progressives' new movement.
Borah, supported by emphatic APP
plause, registered the general tenn
per of the conference as one which
seeks to better the condition of that
20 per cent of the population
which was said. to own only
20 per cent of the nations wealth.
and to lay firm hands on the other
4 per cent. not to deprive it of its
wealth, but to hold it in check
through equality before the law.
Progressive opinion is against
any blanket repeal of the eight
centh amendment which does not
substitute rational system of
public control over the manufac-
lure and sale of alcohol. Should
the federal government take over
the enforcement responsibility of
the state? 1t should not.
This question can be met only
by a system of honest cooperation
between state and local authorities
william Green Speaks
The question of Russian recog-
milton was injected into the confer
ence by William Green, president
Of the American Federation of
Labor, who announced that his Or
ganization is "uncompromisingly
and irreconcilably opposed to the
recognition of Soviet Russia"
The federations position, Green
said, is based upon a belief that
application of Soviet principles
would destroy our organized labor
movement.
Green demanded a five-day work
week and reduction in the hours
of labor in proportion TO the in
crease in the productivity of indi-
vioual laborers.
He declared modern machine
i4SIAlONS VI pIOQuCtlOn elaDte one
man to produce as much in four
days at present as he could produce
in six days in 1899.
The federation president also as
serted that industry generally
should be required to provide con-
tinuouS employment for its laborers.
AssailS U. S. Policies
The attitude of the federal gov
ernment toward the present unem-
ployInent situation was described
by Mayor Frank Murphy of Detroit
as unfair and cowardly," amount
ing to social retreat.
In Detroit We held the situation
to be legally a calamity and as a
city we held our arms open while
the federal government aroused
away the opportunity and was
stone-cold and brutally callous.p
the youthful red-headed mayor said.
He described the machinery which
has furnished 100000 free meals
and housed 10000 homeless men
every night in Detroit and appealed
for federal UNEMPLOYMENT insur