The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-06
The Wisconsin Law----Insurance
for Whom?

day. Capital cannot change this situation, it is
therefore the duty of the state to step in and
help capitalism to put order into the house.
this is the gist of La Follettes analysis and the
conclusions he is discovering, after this was done
by thousands of other would-be saviors of cap
italism. And he comes out with mixture of
Swope plan, New Republic liberal schemes and
socialist party remedies to "cure" capitalism in
Wisconsin-and one can never tell-later in the
entire U. S. A.
Unemployment MISUNDERSTANDING.
wisconsin, that blazed the trail for the en-
tire country in measures like accident compen-
sation, primary law, 8-hour day for state em-
ployes, etc. is again the first state of the Union
to adopt an unemployment insurance bill"-
proudly exclaim the progressives and socialists
The Groves bill Of Compulsory Unemployment
Insurance this revolutionary move was
passed without any fight by the state legislature
which spent weeks and weeks on arguing on the
immediate appropriation for relief This Is
natural, because the latter deals with cold cash
to be raised somewhere, from those who have it.
while the Groves bill is a sham, deceitful ges-
ture to prevent the workers from fighting for
real social insurance.
The bill, first OF all, will only become law
on July l, 1885, "to enable EMPLOYERS to pass
voluntary insurance plans, acceptable to the
state" The Wisconsin Manufacturers Associa-
tion meeting before the special session decided
to voluntarily introduce some kind of compen-
sation system-a la Eastman Kodak of Roches-
ter, NY, or Meuthe of Fond du Lac, Wis
Another reason Of this delay is the waiting for
better times, hoping that the crisis will be over
by that time. It is mot aimed to touch condi-
tons in the present depression" Chicago Tri-
bune) But even this is not the end of the story
TyI1a
own payrolls 2 per cent-and keep this fund
themselves-until a fund of $75 has been built
for each employe. CThis will take again several
years, even if prosperity" will RETURN
Out Of this fund each employee is entitled to
draw benefit of half of his earnings but not
more than $40 week, for not LONGER than 10
weeks! What are the requirements for this
benefit? 1. That the workers shall not be laid
off for reasons of ''his own creation ('rniscon-
duct" trade dispute strike, lockout or an act
OF God; 2, a two-year residence in the state:
8, gainful employment of 40 weeks during the
two-year period. Several categories of workers
like farm laborers, domestic workers are ex-
cluded from the provisions of the bill And to
complete the story: Employers who can GUAR
antee at least 40 weeks of work year with at
least 36 hours a week. are exemut of paving
unemployment compensation in other
stagger system
There is no need for any comment We can
also add that the bill meets with unanimous
approval. The Chicago Tribune likes it, so does
the Wisconsin Federation of Labor and the So
cial-fascist Milwaukee Leader which regrets
though, that the socialist Hampel bill which is
stronger" hasn't been passed No wonder that
the entire City Council of Racine, to please the
socialist, Mayor Swoboda went on record for the
unemployment insurance bill good bill for
the bosses, but this is not going to save Wiscon-
sin from Communism, as F. Hunt, an admirer
OF Senator La Toilette hopefully writes in the
January COSMOPOLITAN Magazine Nothing of
the kind this will be an additional impetus To
fight for the real Unemployment Insurance Bill
at full wages at the expense of the bossesl
Immediate Relief"
AS might be seen forseen, the FIGHT between
representing different sections of the bourgeoisie
led to a compromise bill, which NAV be salts
factory to them-but this is a shameful gesture
The original La Toilette proposed an appropria-
ton Of $17000000, out Of which Sc 100000 is to
go to relief proper $60O000o for 81 per 81 900
refund on property taxes and $5O00O00 for re-
forestation purposes to give employment and at
the same time education to $4,000 single men"
Themoney was to be raised out Of a surtax on
incomes up to 80 per cent from $500 year up
taxing dividends, chain stores, etc. The bill was
ditched by the united opposition Of the social
lists and conservatives. They both agreed that it
would take away too much money from NAL
waukee for the farming and lumber counties