Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-22
WAGNER'S BATTLE FOR JOBLESS
BILLS SEEN MAKING F1EADWAY
New York Senator's Fourth
Year Struggling for Such
Measures.
Difference With Secretary
Doak Latest Opposition
-. He Encounters.
BY WILLIAM HARD.


Senator Wagner of New York is now
in the ANAL throes Of the conflicts which
have caused him to become the out
standing authority and influence in the
development of unemployment perma-
nent relief measures at Washington.
In all of these conflicts, extending
through four successive years, he has
encountered steady and determined OPP
position from the Government depart
ments concerned.
His victories have been romantic tri-
umphs Of logged, drudging perseverance
against overwhelming official odds. The
score Is now along about IS per cent
for the Senator and 35 per cent for the
opposing regulars. The Senator began
the fight in 1927 with four propositions
and has added several since.
He came to Washington well equipped
for a political struggle He had been
member of the lower House of the
New York Legislature, then a member
Of the upper House of it, then Lieu
tenant Governor of the State of New
York, then a Justice of the New York
Supreme Court. While in the upper
House of the New York State Legisla-
ture he had been for eight years Dem
OCThUlC ledQeT.
Native of Germany.
Born in Germany of a family in
straitened financial circumstances, he
retained in New York City and in New
York State throughout his local and
state wide political career an abiding
sympathy with the financially dis
tressed and a buoyant zeal to cause the
public authorities to be of assistance
-. ~. - olv
effective ways. He earned a great rep
utation for a mingling of humane SEN
timent and of hard sense in his work
in 1911 as chairman of the New York
State Factory Investigating Commits
sion.
He is robust, resolute, vivid. alert,
very good humored. quite given to
laughter. not at all given to malicious
vituperation-a vigorous fighter, but
clean one. He is to the utmost what is
colloquially known as a regular fell
organization man." His success in
Washington is due to his having both
the instinct for improving the common
lot and the instinct for organized prac-
tical political warfare.
His first three propositions were in
the form of bills for (a) better Fed
eral unemployment statistics. (b) ad-
vance planning of public works. for
more jobs in bad times and (c) in
creased Federal financial cooperation
with local employment-finding agencies
While these three measures. however.
were reposing unregarded in the Senate
files, he came forward with a motion for
causing the Bureau of the Census in
1880 to make a count of the unem-
ployed.
Census Count Opposed.
The motion drew a fire of objections
from the Bureau of the Census and
from the head of the Department of
Commerce, which includes the Bureau
Of the Census. Administration ele-
ments fought the motion theoretically.
1t nevertheless ultimately prevailed
The count made of the unemployed by
the Bureau Of the Census last year was
Senator Wagner's first victory.
His next victory. which still remains
only partial, was the passage last year
by both the Senate and the House of
his bill for better permanent, continu-
tics by the Department of Labor. This
victory remains only partial because, to
date, in consequence Of q hostile lack OF
interest by administrative dignitaries,
no competent appropriation has been
put behind 1t. Persistence, neverthe-
less, by Senator Wagner has now at
length extorted from those dignitaries
q Recommendation Of such an appro-
priation and it is likely to be enacted
soon. Senator Wagner's second victory
will then be completed.
His third victory was achieved the
other day when the President signed
his bill for the advance planning of
public works against the needs Of bad
times. This bill had been passed by
the Senate last year 1t had been re-