Evening star., 1932-06-26
GREEN GIVES PLAN
FOR LABOR RELIEF
Head of A. F. of L. Includes
Federal Workers in Plank
Proposals.
Ry.a stan Correspondent Of The Star

Bya STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.
CHICAGO, June 25.-Organized
labor's program, including several pro-
posals for the benefit of Government
employees, was presented to the Resolu-
tions Committee today by William
Green, president of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor.
Howard Bruce, national committee
man from Maryland, offered plank for
30-hour week for those who have
jobs so as to open up places for many
now unemployed His proposal pre-
sented by a capitalist, was supported by
spokesmen for unemployed groups of
workers.
Bruce's Statement.
Mr. Bruce said In part:
I'm this period of bad business. per-
sons nominally employed in gainful pur-
suits fall in to three classes: First,
those whose employment has not been
disturbed and whose receipt per week
or per month in actual dollars Is the
same sum that they received before the
country's industries dropped into the
present depths of depression.
Second, a group of employees, who,
due to a change of their positions or
slackness of work are working for q
lower rate per day or per hour. In
either case, this group Is made up Of
those whose income from employment
has been greatly reduced.
Third, those who are unemployed
or are obtaining so little employment
that they are dependent upon various
charitable or other sources for relief.
Must Level Situation.
Regardless Of any relief measures
that may be adopted to cheate tenn
porary employment, it is clear that
there must be leveling Of this general
situation by reducing the hours Of en-
ployment. and the amount of money
received by the first class as wages and
distributing this to the third class.
"As first step looking to this result
it would seem most desirable that the
re-employed man or woman should be
given employment only for a limited
period, say 80 hours per week. BY this
means the relief from such unemploy-
ment would be spread over nearly dou-
BILE the number Of people"
President Green urged liberalization
of the retirement law for employees in
the classified service Of the Government
to an extent that will permit them after
long years Of service to live in reason
able comfort"
He advocated "the five-day work
week and shorter work day and its ap-
plication to Government as well as
private employment as rapidly and con-
structively as conditions will warrant
and permit"
Plans for Relief.
Mr.. Green said that organized labor
has repeatedly recommended that Con-
gresS and the Government deal with the
problem Of unemployment in a practical
way. In the opinion Of labor, this can
be done through the appropriation of
funds to be made available in the con-
struction Of public buildings, in making
public Improvements, in the building of
highways, in carrying forward flood
control and in building various other
Government projects during periods Of
unemployment.
''On the other hand" he said, "the
Government should refrain from
launching upon public construction
program when men and women are
generally employed in private industry.
Unfortunately, thus far the Govern
ment. has failed to adopt a scientific
and systematic plan, or to make
preparations for an unemployment
emergency. providing for the use Of
Government funds in furthering pub
lie works and public improvements"
President Green asked that the plat
form declare in favor of the establish
ment and maintenance Of an adequate
and competent national employment
service"
For protection Of Federal employees
he advocated "a declaration in favor
OF the maintenance of high, decent
wage standards for employees of the
Federal Government and that civilian
Government employees be equitabIy and
satisfactorily classified"