Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-01

nA NLNNI DE- HLLLNI
Former United States Senator and Go
ernor OF Kansas.

Former United States Senator and Gov.
ernor OF Kansas.
who. after a comprehensive frst;
PRESENT SM o Operation Of the dole IN Ensland
has continued that survey in the Father
ot are HoT aVns The h. results Fl HIS
study
In Germany they have reached more
generally than in England the convio-
ton that the unemployment insurance
law Is unavoidable in these times. An
eminent German student OF the whole
problem said to me:
America is at the beginning of the
experiment. England is half way
through, Germany has reached the
end"
He did not mean by this that Ger
many is a. the end of taking care Of
the needs Of the unemployed He meant
that all pretenses that it is insurance
would have to be abandoned: that the
problem OF caring for unemployed must
be reorganized upon a different basis.
BY Winter, as the unemployed in
crease in numbers, Germany will be
taking care of her voorhees, in manner
similar to that in which We shall be
meeting the situation at home, except
that private contributions will not play
~ pal III iilVCllllB viz nv
essary expenditure in Germany. The
necessities Of life will be provided TO
the unemployed here, according to
actual needs and rot upon any pre-
tended basis Of insured benefits. The
towns. cities and states will organize
for the extension of aid in food sup
plies and other necessities. The federal
government will urderwrite certain
burdens which the states and com
munes cannot meet. There will be
bread lines, soup kitchens and other
merciful provisions 10 keep actual SUI
fering from menacing the health OF the
unemployed.
Relief on Emergency Basis.
Thus after several years of so-called
unemployment insurance, the chief re-
suit of which has been the alarming
deficits in the treasures Of the nation,
states and communes. relief now must
be placed upon an emergency basis and
the Elaborate principles and provisions
OF the act Of 1927 ignored so far as the
main problem of caring for the unem-
ployed is concerned.
The abuses OF the dole system did
rot multiply as fantasticslly in Ger
many as they did in England but, COM
paratively. the situation was as ruinouS
in its effect upon public treasures.
While the benefits did net run as high
ard there were less abuses. the total
paid out in benefits ran up TO a great
sum because there was a larger number
OF unemployed.
The sum total Of public employees
necessary to care for the system
mounted to $4,000 in spite of the fact
that a strong effort was made to de-
centraliZe as much as possible the work
,S,,te f,-af N.Ia nfy 10 MOI ~
of the responsibility upon the COM
muneS This direction of German
thought prevented the establishment
Of many of the permanent features Of
q civil service to administer the dole
which characterized the movement in
England.
in Germany the so-called insurance
system was doubtless administered as
well as could be expected under the
circumstances It's failure is due. there
fore, more 70 the fundamental faults in
the scheme itself thu. 10 abuses. Ger
many's rather consistent effort, which
has cost her 100000 600 in a brief
period of time amply proves that in
an economic slump which results in
anything like general unemployment the
state cannot set up an actuarial basis
upon which any real insurance scheme
may be balanced and the state kept
solvent
Deadly Influence Produced.
1t has been somewhat the habit in
Germany to blame her unhappy plight
upon war reparations, but her effort
to keep her unemployment relief uDnn
a basis of legalized insurance benefits
has produced a deadlier influence tfan
have her war debts. This does not
mean that Germany could have es-
capped the expenses OF caring Cor the
needy idle, but she would have saved
millions II her aid had hGen placed
upon the simple plan. to which she
must now revert. Of taking ample care
of the needy by direct assistance &C
cording to their needs.
This word need" plays a big part
in the problem of caring TO- neceSsi-
tous people under the present condi-
lions both in England and Germany.
Our government encountered the
word in Washington when it was Sug-
gested that the extension of loans to
veterans upon the adjusted compenSa-
ton certificates be limited to those vet
Grams in need OF the none. The word
effort TO advance this billion dollar
payment to the veterans. the test OF
need would serve to humiliata those
who we're thus set apart as eligible
to receive money under this category.
they argued. Therefore. it was decided
TO pay all upon the same basis rather
than risk a hurt to anybody's feelings
Precisely the same argument is used