The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-14
Huge Forced Labor Program
Announced AS Perkins Admits
Conference Today Is Ballyhoo
FERA Factory Scheme
Would Work Millions
on Dole Wages

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 49,
F. E. r. A. plans yesterday took a
further step in the direction of
nation wide RECOMMENDATION of the
unemployed into forced labor jobs
with the announcement of projected
factories" for the unemployed in
all sections of the country.
The plan for the establishment of
factories" a forced labor scheme
in which the unemployed are hired
for mere subsistence wages, while
tending to drive still lower the liv-
ing standard of all the working pop
ulation and reduce wages of the
employed workers in those indus
tries covered by the F. E. r. A.
factories, holds out luscious plums
in the form of profits and graft
in the buying of materials.
Briefly, the plan announced yes
terday one closely analogous to the
so-called ohio Plan" called upon
relief project engineers as being
charged with the responsibility for
planning and promoting, in vari-
Gus States, work relief projects for
the production and distribution of
goods needed for relief purposes"
Vast Prison Labor Project
While at the present time various
mattress factories, food canning
plants and establishments for the
manufacture of clothing by the I'M
employed, with wages at subsistence
levels figured on the basis of in
dividual and family needs are in
operation, the new scheme. designed
eventually to put twelve million
unemployed into jobs at lathes and
looms" is intended to embrace a
much wider section of the unem-
ployed than heretofore.
Heralded in official circles as
part of the social security plans
of the administration" it is of fur
ther significance as an indication
of the Screenings of the Roosevelt
Economic Security Commission" to
evade the administrations prom
ises of granting unemployment in
surance.
Under the projected F. E. r. A
factory" plans, the unemployed
ere isolated from the working pop
ulation of the country under a plan
which, it is expected, will operate
outside the pale of the whole pres
ent economic system Thus, while
the value of all the goods produced
under similar F. E. R. A. plans
operating last year, has been placed
by the relief administration at $780,
100000, expansion already made
will account for goods to the value
of $2O0,000,000 this year.
Takes Union Jobs Away
Operating as it does outside the
regular channels of industry, it adds
nothing to the cost Of relief, adds
nothing to the relief doles to the
unemployed, and bellies the admin.
istration's avowed intentions Of
placing the unemployed back intC
private industry. Here, it will bt
noted, while clothing allotmentS tx
the unemployed of goods manufac'
tured in the ordinary channels O.
industry would account for unior
wages paid the workers in man!
instances, and at least wages bette
than the amounts of the hunger
dole of the F. E. R. A. goods mad,
by the unemployed are being man
ufactured at subsistence wages. II
establishing this precedent for prison
labor conditions, the F. E. R. A
thereby drives still lower the wage
of the employed.
The plans already drafted by tn,
F. E. r. A. instruct the work relic
engineers to establish shoe factories
tanneries, work rooms for the man
ufacture of suits and overcoats ant
cotton trousers, saw and planning
mills and brick making plants.