Montana labor news., 1933-03-09
LABOR RECRUITING is FIRST ROOSEVELT
PROPOSAL

TNOTO
President Roosevelts proposal in his inaugural adj
dress, that the problem of putting the unemployed back
to work shall be solved, in part, 'by direct recruiting by
the government itself, treating the task as we would treat
the emergency of a war" has given to leaders of organ
lied labor a hint of vast changes in the status Of work
ers in this country, which may be involved in the New
Deal. In a speech which denounced dishonest bankers
and promised stricter federal regulation of finance and
of transportation and other utilities, stopping foreclos-
ures on homes and farms, and the "%unifying" OF relief
activities, the new Chief Executive laid significant en-
phasis upon his willingness to ask Congress for dictator
ial powers if Congress itself failed to adopt the necessary
measures to end the economic collapse. And he stressed
the word discipline" as the present duty OF the people.
Direct recruiting of labor, together with discipline, might
be interpreted as the prophecy of a federal labor army,
employed under conditions fixed by the organizers of
such an army.
This Roosevelt speech was rewritten within a few
hours before its delivery. Over the wires from New
York, New England, Illinois, Pennsylvania and other
states was coming news of bank moratoriums and of
rapidly deepening crisis in commercial affairs. Roose-
welt was in a very grave mood when he reached the Cap
itol, and was grim when he began his address. IF he
never before had been convinced that he must play the
part of a strong leader, he now was sure of it. Over the
nationwide radio broadcast he told the country that he
would lose no time in applying drastic remedies to the
blacklist situation that ever had faced the nation from
the far-off pioneer days of its birth. His proposal to re-
cTuit labor direct, on federal payroll, to undertake a pro-
gram of public works, treating the problem like a war
emergency, must be taken in close relation to his offer to
use broad executive powers" of wartime. In sub
SIdnce, American IdDOf lace q new wartime reaQ1USt-
ment, but with economic forces upside down as compared
with those of 1915 to 1920. Federal authority will prob
ably be used to reduce union standards of wages. in
stead OF raising them as it did in the time of McAdoo's
administration OF the railroads and as it did through the
National War Labor Board.
Men who profess to know what the new administra-
ton is planning, believe that Roosevelt will set up fed
eral machinery for enrolling a labor army from among the
unemployed, but that the wage policy will be based rather
on a compromise between the lowest prevailing non
union rate of pay and the current union rate. Certain
ly, they declare, the wage rates in the building trades
Will be far lower than those maintained bv the unions
when work is almost non-existent. Acting on the theory
that millions OF men want work at almost any wages.
rather than continue to live by a wholly Inadequate pub
lie relief dole, and that employment of great numbers of
men at any wage will begin to create a market for goods
which IN turn will give further employment in the in
dustries, the administration is expected to forget" that
there ever was a $12 wage. This, although Roosevelt
spoke of those "Who toll with little return" as thouoh he
opposed low wage scales.
If | read the temper of our people correctly" Roose-
welt said also, 1--WE now realize as we have never realized
before our lnterdependence on each other; that we can
not merely take but we must give as well, that if we are
TO go forward we must move as a trained and loyal army,
willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline.
because without such discipline no progress is made. no
leadership becomes effective: We are, | know, ready
and willing to submit our lives and property to such
discipline because it makes possible a leadership which
aims at a larger good. This I propose to offer, pledging
that the larger purposes will bind upon us all a sacred
obligation with a unity of duty hitherto evoked only in
time of armed strife"
There is little in the speech about consultation with
anyone; there is not a word as to consultation with lead
ers of organized labor. That is not due to any anti-labor
attitude by the new President, but it does indicate a de-
termination to carry through his own employment pro-
gram, relying for labor advice upon Frances Perkins in
his cabinet and such forceful men as McAdoo in Congress-.
What Congress will say to the federal recruiting of
labor for federal construction of public works, of course
has yet to be tested. But the new Congress is likelv TO
enact his measures swiftly. The responsibility for sue
cess or failure will be Roosevelts.
A. F. OF L. FOR FEDERAL LOANS tn