The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-02
PART "

FROM all directions these days
comes information showing one:
The breakdown Of the usual sources
Of income ordinary taxes, special
taxation measures, etc.. - in the
forty-eight states owing to the
bankruptcy of the smaller capitalist
enterprises and the growing resist
ance of the big capitalists concerns
to taxation for relief of the unem-
ployed; 90 The increasing search
and expenditures for new devices
for violently suppressing the grow
ing struggles of unemployed and
employed workers for the necessities
of existence.
Nothing shows better the situation
referred to in the first point than
the percentage of the total amount
collected for unemployment relief
by the various states: In 1888 not a
single cent was collected for relief
by the governments of North Da-
kota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Mis-
sissippi, North Carolina, Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida and Idaho. All
relief came from federal funds.
In 1888 South Carolina furnished
three lights of one per cent of all
unemployment relief; Arkansas, six
tenths of one per cent; Louisiana.
two and One-tenth per cent; Ala
bama, two and six-tenths per cent.
Tennessee, three and eight-tenths:
Mississippi one per cent; Virginia.
four and Six-tenthS per cent; Geor-
gia, four and nine-tenthS per cent;
Texas. five and four-tenths per
cent; Kentucky, five and five
tenths per cent.
The size Of the money contribu-
tons to relief by some of these
states-and the general hunger level
of relief in these states as we'll
is shown by such examples as: The
total contribution of the Georgia
state government to unemployment
relief in 1888 was S4.95; that of
Kentucky was S127. Virginia's was
$50.
From the state governments of
Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Mime
sofa, Missouri, Montana, Nevada,
New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia.
Wisconsin-came less than 5 per
cent of the amounts spent for relief.
Even New York, New Jersey and
Rhode Island-the home states Of
so many wealthy corporations and
individuals-get the following per-
centages of all unemployment relief
from federal Sources-42.6 per cent,
"a, and 36.7 respectively.
Greater Federal Control
The result of the breakdown of
state taxation and reduction of
state income is that the federal gov
! eminent is able to exercise more and
more direct control over all relief
expenditures. More and more the
Roosevelt regime exerts centralized
power, More and more it must be
held directly responsible for the re-
duction of relief and for the or
ganised attacks upon the unem-
ployed and their organizations and
leaders.
Twenty-nine states are now get
ting more than 81 per cent of all
federal relief funds. 1t will be
noted that the states of the solid
South the bulwark of Democ-
racy"-furnish practically no funds
at all from their state treasures for
| unemployment relief.
In the North one encounters such
Illuminating illustrations of the
contradictions Of capitalism and
its unrestricted robbery of the work
ing class as the fact that in Silver
Bow County, Mont, the location
of the greatest metal mining center
/ in the world-where more than
$4,000 100000 in mineral wealth
has been produced-more than IS
per cent of the population now
! exists on federal relief.
Truly, the United States is being
made into a gigantic poorhouse for
the working class.
Sections of the middle class now
complain loudly and bitterly of the
dire effects of the increased power
of monopoly capital under MIRA.
Whole groups of the lower middle
class are being ruined by the failure
of the concerns in which they are
employed or have invested money,
and by rising prices.
Speaking on these issues to the
American Home Economics Associa-
ton convention, June Is, Professor
Paul Douglas of the University of
Chicago-no friend of Communism
or Communists, distinctly not per-
son who would knowingly aid the
Communist cause - stated: Since