The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1932-10-28

| otdle CeuSfdtioH u LdDor, anu MAN
S. Hayes, editor of Jhe Cleveland
Citizen. Other local committees were
soon formed in Cincinnati, Toledo and
Columbus. During the winter the
Ohio committee for unemployment in
surance was organized to coordinate
local work, with Thomas ]. Duffy, for
meriy labor member of the industrial
commission, as chairman.
On January 20, 1881, the bill was
introduced in the Ohio senate by
James A. Reynolds CD of Cleveland
and in the house by Horace S. Keifel
(R) of Springfield. Both these mer
had distinguished records in the leg
islature, Senator Reynolds being q
union man and fighter for liberal
measures since the early days of child
labor legislation.
The bill was eventually killed in
committee, but the hearings before
| the labor committee of the senate and
the insurance committee of the house
reused great public interest. Men
from all parts of the state, experts
in various fields, plead for unemploy-
ment insurance and testified to the
inadequacy and demoralizing effect of
relief even then in the early stages
of the depression. Unfortunately the
Ohio Federation of Labor could not
appear officially as it had not yet
taken a stand on the matter. Repre-
sentatives of the Chamber of Com
mere eand Manufacturers Associa-
tion took advantage of this to quote
organized labor as being opposed. This
was somewhat offset by the appear
ance Of Max S. Hayes to speak for
the measure as desired by at least
a large majority of the rank and file
of Ohio labor. The hearings were
largely attended by the public and the
whole matter was given full publicity
in papers throughout the state.
Accordingly on March 31st Cover
nor White sent message to the leg
islature that, "The failure of the leg
islative committee to allow the unem-
ployment insurance bill to be discuss
ed on the floor of the senate or of
the house of representatives does not
solve the question:. Unemployment,
with all the suffering, want and sick
ness that go with it, is still with US,
unsolved," and went on to ask that he
be authorized to appoint commits
sion to study the subject. A resolu-
ton to this effect and providing an
appropriation of $4,000 was passed
with only one dissenting vote.
The Ohio commission on unemploy-
ment insurance was appointed in the
fall of 1881. It's members include, as
we'll as representatives of the various
groups who would be affected by un-
employment insurance, several of the
most distinguished economists anc
experts on labor legislation in the
country. The secretary of the com
mission and the representative of or
ganized labor is Thomas j. Donnelly
who is, of course, secretary of the
Ohio State Federation of Labor. The
chairman was originally Senator Rey.
nolds, but on his resignation because
of the pressure of his own affairs
DR.. William H. Leiderson was ap-
pointed chairman. The other mem.
bers are: Prof. Edwin S. Burdell
Gordon Hayes, w. F. Kirk, j. F. Lin
coin, Amy Maher, S. B. Mathewson
DR.. l. M. Rubinow, Rabbi A. H. Sill
yer, Stephen H. Young, Elizabeth S
Magee, of the Consumers League
was appointed executive secretary OF
the commission.
The commission has held public
hearings in various parts of the state
and at these hearings there has beer
striking testimony by working peo.
pie, social workers and others, of the
way in which unemployment without
insurance destroys initiative and in
dependence. / could quote at great
length from the testimony of mem
bers of organized labor who appeared
before the commission. Here is 6
significant paragraph from the words
of member of the Amalgamated AS
sociation of Iron, Steel and Tin Work
ers:
"In America we have always triee
to instill in men the idea that If we
stick to the plant, are loyal to the
men we work for, we will gain by it
Ninetly-five per cent of the men work
ing with me were that kind of men
and they were thrifty, saving peo
pie. But you can see for yourself thai
it takes eight or nine years to work
up to certain point, and then along
comes a depression that wipes ou
your earnings, wipes out your home
and you have to start all over again
and where are you going to be wheI
you are As or so years of age?"
Many working people said th'
same thing in different words. Ant
those are the men and women fo
whom unemployment insurance il
primarily intended, the millions VIII.