The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-15
BY L. MARTIN.

GOVERNOR GEORGE WHITE has at last and
u reluctantly decided to call a special session
of the Ohio legislature to take up the question
of emergency relief. This step has been forced
on him by fear of the rising nlilitancy Of the
unemployed workers and poyerty-StriCken farm
ers, who will not Starve to death in the midst
of plenty without struggle. He hopes to stall
off their demands as long as possible with the
maximum Of demagogc hot air and the min
imum of real relief.
No Longer VoiCeless
But our capitalist governor will have his bluff
uncalled. For the unemployed of Ohio are no
longer voiceless and unorgan1zed. They have
fighting organization of their own in the IN
employed Councils and will make their voice
heard whenever the legislature meets. A mass
convention is being planned for Columbus and
the governor and his bosses legislature Will be
confronted by 1000 delegates representing Ohio's
jobless workers and poor farmers.
These delegates will force upon the attention
of the legislature their demand for immediate
and sufficient cash relief to be raised by tax
ing the wealthy capitalist parasites with whom
the state abounds; and for a workers Unem-
ployment insurance bill which will provide bene-
fits at the rate of full wages for all jobless
workers
To Put Burden on Workers.
governors decision to call a special session has
led to the revelation even in the capitalist press,
of many of the actual facts of the bosses starva
ton program in Ohio. Piecing these facts to-
gether we can readily see the hideous reality;
we can see a capitalist class debating within its
ranks as to Just how safe it is to leave hun
dreds Of thousands Of unemployed and country
poor to starve; and If too many cannot be left
to die of starvation, Just what is the minimum
of relief necessary ito sustain life" as one CAPT
talist paper puts it. Finally, if some relief must
be granted the capitalists are debating how
the taxation Of the rich can be avoided and the
whole burden placed on the backs of the poor
Just how low the capitalist minimum of relief"
can be is shown by the fact that the state is
actually Dragging of the fact that in 19 counties
it is feeding 10000 country children at cost
of 1876 cents each Qittle more than one cent?
a day. This is all the food these children get
a day for the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out
that only such children are fed at the school
houses as are certified by the teachers as not
having food at home"
This is the standard of relief that the state
authorities of Ohio set up as desirable. For the
Plain Dealer prints the following report from
its Columbus correspondent:
THE state committee hopes further that
cities can learn a lesson in reducing costs of
feeding from the activities of the state COM
mission in 10 counties, where the average cost
per child per day Is 1.S6 cents
This provides two meals day and furnishes
what state health authorities have approved
F''anced ration. It may not provide an
elaborate diet but 1t sustains life"
Governor White hesitated as long as he did
about calling a special session because the big
bosses Of the state employers associations public
utilities and the banking and rich farmer ele-
ments that control rural politics -0posed it. .
us see what changed his mind Assredly he
has not decided to disobey his bosses the in
terests who paid for his election. Something
must have happened to make these bosses say
to their servant, "An right, Wen permit it,"
Ostensibly Governor White yielded to pressure
from the authorities and newspapers of the big
cities, where unemployment and restitution are
reaching desperate proportions, His decision was
announced from reliable sources" Immediately
after conference with the chief executives Of
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Youngstown Ak
ron. Dayton and Columbus.
But why did these mayors and city managers,
Just as much the servants of the employing and
banking interests as the governor himself con-
Germ themselves about special session Mainly