Montana labor news., 1932-06-09
INSULT TO SOUL OF LABOR"
SAYS MILLS

WAsHINGToN-F .P)-secretary of the Treasury Mills and secre-
tay of War Hurley, chief cabinet spokesman for the Hoover administra-
ton in its resistance to unemployment relief action by congress, attacked
the Wagner bill and the Garner bill, June z, in a desperate attempt to de-
lay favorable consideration Of either measure at the present session. MINIS
in an almost dictatorial tone, rdiculed and branded IS msound the
$780, 100000 Wagner measure, which was before the Senate banking and
currency committee. Hurley went before the ways and ear mnI''ee
of the House and denied that federal aid for the unemployed is now need
ed. He said that direct aid was a dole, and "a dole is a insult to the
Mills asserted that the s265,OOO,OOO of immediate appropriations for pub
lie works construction provided in the Wagner bill would provide work
for only 53943 people-a mere drop in the bucket of unemployment. He
attacked the proposed appropriation of $5O00O0O00 for public works, on
the ground that issuance of federal bonds for this purpose would De "pn-
sound" financial operation. lie then declared nat "aenefs opNai o. d
ssoOooOOO fund to be loaned to the states for direct relief of restitution
was "an open invitation to every state to come forward and accept a hand
out"
Blaine, Wagner, Coshgan and other members of the committee ques-
toned Mills as to how he would improve on the Wagner scheme. Mills
replied by reading from a bill already introduced in the House by Hawley.
lame-duck G. O. P. leader in the ways and means committee. This bill
provides for a sSOOyOOOOOO relief fund, to be loaned only to states whose
governors and legislators certify to the exhaustion of state resources ana
the immediate need for federal loans for hunger relief. But wei such
statements by state governments would not enable the states to get loans
unless the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, after independent inquiry
should decide to let them have some money The administration plan, in
short, gives to the Corporation absolute power to grant n refuse 1unos
for relief of starvation.
In view of Mills claim to be a states right advocate, and in view Of the
fact that the CostiganLaFoette hunger relief bill was defeated last
February chiefly on the claim that it provided for federal control OF renei
funds, this experimentation of power did not get a favorable reception
in the committee. Couzens remarked that there is a much politics in the
granting of loans from the resources of the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration today as in any action by congress.
In his determination to put the Senate committee in a position Of ex-
tavagant generosity to states which could care for their own unemployed,
Mills declared that New York and Pennsylvania and other great rich
states" could and should summon their legislatures in special session to
vote taxes with which to provide relief for all. needy persons within their
borders. When he was reminded that most states have borrowed to their
legal limit, Or have constitutional barriers against raising relief funds, or
against early action by their legislatures, Mills admitted that some other
way out must be found. He proposed what Wagner had already provided
that governors of such states as car issue II bonds a security for federal
loans for relief shall pledge themselves to seek favorable action from
their respective state legislatures, 0 to pay back the loans out of future
federal aTotments of road funds to them.
Hurley boosted that he had worked for rs cents a day m a coal NINE,
al a boy, and declared that he knew the unemployed could be cared fol by
the cities and states when they became destitute. Direct relief, he repeated,
would kill the soul of the worker, even when he as unemployed, and
would prove to be the germ of destruction of the government He de-
cared that Hoover had offered congress a complete relief program that had
been rejected. When called on to prove this, he could mention only a home
loan bill favored by his chief, that had not been passed.
Dhorotore Of uparn1oved ex-sodere epek1np DaVment of IN bonus In
cash. attended both hearings. Neither of the cabinet officers mentioned
the rapid shrinkage of buying power among the workers IS being the
basic problem to be solved.