The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-09
The Wagner Bill and the
Socialist Party

TEE leaders Of the Socialist party, pressed by the
demand of the of workers for the enact
ment Of the Workers Unemployment Insurance Bill
are covertly supporting the Of the Roosevelt
government to sidetrack the Workers Bill The attempt
to sidetraok any real federal unemployment insurance
is carried through support of the Wagner Bill
The latest subtle propaganda against the Workers IN
employment Insurance Bill ernanates from Louis VALID
man. Co-chairman of the Socialist Partys national
public affairs committee" waldman welcomes" the
Wagner Bill as "a step in the right direction" He
says that the bill does not go far enough and sdvo-
Gates federal system Of insurance covering unem-
ployment, health maternity and old age.
Wadman says: we need a federal system for
the same reason that NRA. had to be national Need
for unemployment insurance as practical way to
provide for the jobless has been fully demonstrated
during the depression. Towns, cities and even the
national government have been called upon to spend
hundreds OF millions to for the idle. The entire
CWA. system and the relief provided nothing but
ooles to overcome lack Of unemployment insurance
fund"
An analysis of Waldman's statement shows that he
is misleading the workers by claiming that the "wag-
bill is step in the right direction" This bill is
a step in the wrong direction. 1t does not provide
any unemployment insurance for the jobless merely
xenpts from a federal tax all employers who con-
tribute to any state unemployment reserves fund It
gives the states free hand to enact not unempoy-
ment insurance, but reserves" law which does not
any Of the sixteen million workers now joblesS
Under pressure of the masses, Waldman talks Of
Unemployment insurance" in general. At the same
slime he ignores the existence Of the only Unempoy-
ment Insurance Bill which applies to those sixteen
million now unemployed-the Workers Unemployment
Insurance Bill
Waldnan has concrete criticism to offer of the
Wagner Bill He does not say that the state bills
now being proposed in conjunction with the Wagner
bin contain strkebreakng clauses which bar strikers
from Dement'S, that they apply only to those now at
hat EneVa tn ha
by the employers and not by the workers
Waldman's only criticism of the bill is that it Is
not federal bill. But supposing the Wagner bill
were federal bill The fact that the Wagner Bill
DOES NOT GRANT UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
TO THE JoBLESS, the main criticism of the bill is
ignored by Waldman.
Waldmar's position is typical of that of the So
calist leaders knowing that the masses will see the
inadequacy Of the Wagner BILL Waldman says it does
not go lar enough, In order to prevent struggle
for real unemployment insurance to prevent a fight
against the entire policy Of the Of refusing
TO grant security to the iobIess waldman declares
that the Dill Is a step in the right direction.
~ PASSING, Waldman pays compliment to the
MA. we need federal system for the same
reason that the NR.A. had to be national" The
position of these Socialist party leaders indeed is the
the Roosevelt program on unemployment
insurance as it the N.R.A The Socialist party
leaders said "the N.RA does not go far enough"
They made wordy criticisms of non-essentiaI points
IN the NRA. But they hide the strikebreakng char
acter Of the NA and thus aid the Roosevelt govern
ment in putting the wage cuts, speed-up and
strikeoreaking campaign Of the N7A Norman Thomas
said the NA step in the right direction toward
genuine socialism,
The same is done by the Socialist Party lead
regarding the Roosevelt position on unemployment
insurance Under cover Of tax Of unemployment in
srance in general" the Roosevelt administration is
refusing to grant security to the workers through
unemployment insurance. Instead the Wagner bill
which is harmful to the workers is proposed. The
Wagner BILL while lodging the demand of the workers
for real unemployment insurance places in the hands
Of the employers weapon to smash unions and cut
wages By holding the small unemployment reserves"
over the heads Of the workers club If the workers