Evening star., 1932-05-09
JObLESS AID ASKED
TO CHECK REVOLT
A. F. of l.. Spokesman Tells
Senate Committee of In
creaSing Danger.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated PreSS.
Edward F. McGrady, speaking for the
American Federation of Labor, warned
Senate committee today there is dan
ger Of revolt unless the Federal Gov
ernment takes action to relieve unem-
ployment.
Testifying before the Manufactures
Committee considering the Costigan-
Lewis relief BILL he said, If something
is not done and starvation is going to
continue and perhaps increase, the doors
to revolution are going to be thrown
wide open and leaders of the country
ought to know It,"
McGrady followed a number Of well
fare workers from New York Chicago
and Philadelphia, who renewed the
drive for Federal aid for the unem-
ployed.
$500,000,o00 Is Sought.
The committee is considering the bill
to authorize the raising of $500, ,00O, 900
through a bond issue for advances to
the States and municipalities.
Asked what would happen If Con-
gress adjourned without doing anything,
McGrady declared: 1T would do moth
ing to close the doors Of revolt
THE administration ought to know
that more than balancing the budget is
needed he added. Bread and butter
is needed. We want to get 1t through
work. If we can't do that we are going
to get it anyway"
Labor leaders, McGrady said, have
lost their patience with the Govern
ment's failure to provide relief.
Conditions Declared Worse.
"The employment situation is worse
than at any time" he said. warning
that next Winter would be more serious
than last.
"a number of uprisings in Industrial
cities have been tossed off by saying
they were led by Communists" Nc
Grady continued, "but most of those
people know nothing of communism.
What they wanted was bread"
c. G. Carstens, executive director of
the Child Welfare League Of America,
testified last Fall he was opposed to
Federal relief, but now favors it.
"It is the only way to keep family
life together" he said.
Senator Costigan, Democrat, Of Colo
RADIO, one of the authors of the measure.
opened the hearing with statement
that nothing affirmative or construc-
tive" has been done by Congress or
the administration to relieve unemploy-
ment.
Famine has touched the mind. but
neither the heart nor conscience Of
America" he said.
Gloomy Predictions.
Prentice Murphy of the Children's
Bureau, Philadelphia, testified, I'VE can
not anticipate the next Winter without
sinking hearts"
A survey Of relief conditions through
out the country was presented by H. L.
Lurie, chairman of the Subcommittee
on Unemployment of the American
Association of Social Workers.
THE general picture which these re-
ports present" he said, lis of distress
growing daily more desperate; of un-
certainty and of increasing fears that
the communities will be unable for the
rest OF the year to continue the meager
relief which is being offered"
Lurie said the survey also showed
relief funds being spread thinner and
thinner to cover increasing want and
an uneasy knowledge that various Sec
tions OF the population are being neg
lected."
Relief Gradually Reduced.
Lurie said relief has been continu-
ously and gradually reduced so that
whole families are getting an average
OF $2.39 a week relief as in New York
City, with So and "a and almost SIS
week per family in other cities"
Karl de Schweinitz, executive secre-
tary of the Community Council in Phil
adelphia, asserted there were about
100000 out of work there, six times the
normal unemployment" Fifty-fiye thou
sand families now are receiving relief,
he added. with the cost averaging "a .23
week, of which 1898 went for food.