Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08
England Interested
In American 'sDole''
By a. q. GARDINER.

LONDON, February Tho contro-
versy in America has ever aroused such
acute interest here as that raging In
regard to government relief Of the un-
employed and of farmers, In drought
stricken regions.
Much doubt is expressed as to wheth-
er America can handle the present
crisis on the basis Of voluntary contr1-
buttons, but there Is general concur
renee of opinion that the experience Of
this country provides a warning OF the
necessity Of rigid precautions in adopt
ing an alternative policy.
Referring to- Senator Barah's asser.
ton that England will get rid Of the
dole when she gets rid of the economic
depression and that neither Americans
nor Englishmen ever have been dole
gatherers or ever will be, the London
Nation comments: "rhere speaks John
Bull. We have not heard his accents
on this side of the Atlantic for 20
years. But could any one speak In
those terms in Great Britain today
without risk Of ironical laughter from
the audience?" This is significant as
coming from an organ of most adj
vanced opinion and indicates the alarm
felt In responsible quarters over the
enormous borrowings to finance the
dole.
80 x X
Premier Macdonald announced this
week the necessity of asking for fur
ther borrowings during February, as
recent borrowings have been exhausted.
The debt of the insurance fund now Is
mounting at the rate of 100000
weekly. This is apart from the fact
that the state contribution to the in
surance scheme has risen from $780,
100000 in 1928 to an estimated $780,
10000 In the current years. TO this
direct charge on the exchequer add the
contributions Of employers and en-
ployed to the insurance fund-an Of
which constitute tax on industry and
a contributory cause of unemployment.
The treasury is now frankly alarmed
at the immensely of the drain, and the
evidence that Sir Richard Hopkins,
permanent head of the treasury, has
presented to the Commission on Unem-
ployment Insurance has created the
deepest public concern. He said that
continued state borrowing on the
present vast scale, without provision
for repayment, would quickly call into
question the stability of the British
financial system and constituted O well
recognized sign Of an unbalanced bud
get, the effect Of which on the prestige
of the country would be difficult to
oVerState.
No instructed opinion questions that
the insurance system originally con-
ceived was wise and has enabled the
country to pass through long years OF
depression without revolutionary dis
turbance or the desperate conditions Of
poverty which the debates in the Senate
at Washington show are prevailing In
D,af 1noO
lessly out of hand, owing to the levtty
with which the rival parties, and espe-
cially the present government, have
yielded to new clamors for widening the
scope Of relief, and to the fragrant
abuses which have grown up about the
system.
Senator Borah's stout assertion that
neither Americans nor Englishmen have
ever been dole gatherers, and never viii
be, cannot. unfortunately, be sustained
with regard to the English, for preying
on the cole has become a widely exer-
cised art practiced by growing multi
tudeS of men and women. Coal trim
mers, dock laborers and others work.
ing two or three days and earning high
wages come on the dole the rest Of the
week. Married women. without any in
tention of working and living in places
where their former trades do not exist,
receive the dole as unemployed. Girls
refuse domestic service, preferring oc-
casional employment supplemented by
the dole. Unemployment insurance has
become an undisguiSed subsidy of In
dustry, with men being employed half
time and going on the dole half time as
o matter OF course.
X \
Add to all this the deplorable moral
effect upon labor, which is encouraged
to regard the state as an inexhaustible
pool for general plumber. and the need
for immediate and drastic remedies is
apparent. The report of the Commits
sion on Unemployment Insurance Is Inn
patiently awaited and there is q wide-
spread demand that the governments re.
store the insurance system to an &C.
tuarial basis and give the dole only in
goods. If America adopts the dole sys-
tenn England provides abundant warn.
ing on how not to do 1t.
(CopyrightI 1881
IT, a.