The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-05-30
TUESDAY. MAY 90. 1888
THE DRAGON IN THE PATH

WE still are staggered by unemployment
w and relief problems. President Green OF
the American Federation of Labor has reported
huge Job losses since March 4 1t seems prob
able from available figures that there are as
many persons unemployed today as in the
dark days before Mr.. RooseveIts administra-
ton.
IN any event unemployment conditions
have not been improved materially Mr.
Green's estimate of nearly 140O0OO0 I'M
employed is an understatement, in the light Of
expert analysis Of the statistics. The facts
indicate that Is 100000 is closer to reality. The
Reconstruction Finance corporation reports
that it has exhausted its 3O0o0O,00O fund for
state relief
Even more menacing however, are the
reductions in the wages Of the supposedly
fortunate persons who have jobs If prosperity
ever does return, the unemployed will be put
back to work If wage standards are main
tanned unemployment will be obtained under
conditions which might enable the workers to
constitute a powerful factor in the revived
purchasing power Of the nation.
for the unemployed will accomplish no
appreciate good They will be unable to sup
ply enough purchasing power to start the
wheels of our dormant captalistic industry, to
say nothing of keeping them running at
healthy speed
Unfortunately, one of the most deplorable
and disastrous policies of the capitalistic
groups in this country since 1929 has been
their relentless dehaton of the workers and
farmers. Even in 1929 those two great groups,
which make up the mass of the American
buyers, did not have an income sufficient to
prevent capitalism from collapse.
Instead of trying to remedy the situation,
our great financial leaders who dominate wage
policies and farm finance have permitted
conditions to go from bad to worse. Total
income of both the industrial workers and the
farmers today is less than half what it was in
1929, while the fall in commodity prices has by
no means compensated for this drop in income.
Hence, special Importance attaches to an
article in the Forum by John T. Flynn on
starvation Wages The Plight of the I'm
employed" He amply proves his thesis that
The simple yet alarming truth is that our
whole system of wages is crumbling. This
means, of course, that the much advertised
American standard of living built up so
laboriously, that cost SO many painful labor
wars, is falling to pieces in our hands"
In spite of the inadequacy of wages in 1929,
there had been great gains, as will be evident
from the fact that The average annual earnings
of factory workers in our country in 1880 were
$376; in 1900, $3.50; and in 1929 1890.
The 1929 figure provides no evidence that
even then workers could live in luxury and
abandon. The United States government holds
that it requires between $1,000 and $500 to
maintain a family of five on minimum of
health and decency budget. But $500 was
long step ahead of $376
Since 1929 the -Slashing has been scan
dalous. The marginal industries like house
work and restaurant work, have been hit
hardest Housework now commands only one
to three dollars a week, usually with board
and lodging 1t is not uncommon for restau-
rant workers from New York to California to
receive a dollar a week and meals.
In the needle-trades, long the center of
exploitation, factory legislation is evaded by
abandoning the factories and carrying on
work quasi-Secretly in homes-the old sweat
shop. Two to four dollars a week is the aver
age income Of women thus employed
Even in reputable and representative New
York state factories, womenS wages have been
cut almost in proportion
Even union labor has been unable to pre-
vent these cuts. Men often are paid the reg
uar union wages and then compelled to return
a portion to the employer to hold their Jobs.
Or club" may be formed and consider
able portion of the wages deducted as club
fees Therefore as Mr.. Flynn observes:
1T is not only the unemployed who has
lost his purchasing power but the employed
as well. 1t would be possible to collect to-
gether two huge groups of workers, one group
wholly unemployed and the other group work.
ing either full or part time; the first group
supported by private and public relief agen-
cies. the other dependent upon wages, without
finding very much difference between the
relative purchasing power of the two groups"
The remedy is, as Mr.. Flynn suggests to
be, found only in wisely formulated and rigor-
ously enforced minimum wage laws There
can be no successful new deal" unless the
masses can buy. This is the hard reality which
must underlie all idealistic rhetoric