, 1934-11-16
WASHINGTON
By GeorEn purrln

ny george UurnU
SPortright-Glittering generalities
concer1nging unemployment insur-
ance are giving way 70 a tough
struggle between industry and Ia
Dor over contributions TO the fund.
All spokesman for employers kick
against q payroll tax OF 3 per cent,
TO say nothing of the proposed 3
per cent tax They say industry
can't stand this burden n0W-that
II Will increase unemployment III
put into effect before inductrieS can
corral more business.
Skirmish speeches BY william
Green and other labor Spokesman
show that the AL and other labor
groups viii use the 3O-hour week
bill as a club TO beat industry into
lne.N First range-finding barraRes
indicate that labor industry strug-
giles win dominate the session IN
Congress.
Relief-Public Works Administra-
tor Icks, who deteSts the nickname
Honest Harold" which admirers
have bestowed upon him, came
through the other day with his first
official estimate or persons gain
fully employed because OF PWA ex-
pendi5ures. he set the number at
approximately 2,O0OyOOO
In the past ~ months there have
been numerous private estimates OF
Public Works benefits, but never
before one which could be attributed
officially 10 PWAis Division OF Ec-
onomics and Statistics.
II IS sad but true that almost
every group Of federal statisticians
has a differnet formuIar for arriv-
ing a. employment figures. Many
OF the analysts think or the record
that Ickes' men erred on the side
OF ~hberality.
PWA figure-jugglers arrived at
100000 Unemployment by consid-
ering three claSsifications. n tan
gible and two intangible. They are:
construction site employment. or
which there Is an actual payroll
count; primary indirect" employ
ment. which the official statement
said was based on "a ratio OF one tn
direct for one direct: and second
airy indirect" employment, which
must come from the renewed ability
OF workers TO spend wages In all
directions.
The only thing not included In
that statement was the number VI
men directly employed ON conStruc-
ton projects at about the time the
statement was issued. For your in
formation, on October az there were
exactly 503,412 workers on PWA
project-site payrolls.
This key" figure had been de-
Ginning steadily. It reached it's
peak IN August with $4,000 and
dipped TO $4,000 In September.
AT Public Works headquarters 10
Is maintained the ratio OF / to /
In computing primary indirect"
mplOyment-manufacturing mining
merchandising, transportation, etc.
is extremely conservative. "A few
months ago they were saying pri-
vately the ratio should be 2 to 4.
and some Of their confreres In other
federal agencies even went to 4
to 4.
But when II came to going on re-
cord. PWA fell back on the last
available u. 8. Census estimates
for l929-which were l / oil.
Perhaps all these figure make
you dizzy but they may help u
show what the New Deal n uD
against, with winter at hand. is
providing work for people. Al
though n~on-federal statisticianS
fail TO agree, their estimate OF ma
tional unemployment run into an
uncomfortable number Of millions.
Relief Administrator Hopkiss IL
about to find nearly 100000 indi-
vidqals on his direct relief rolls.
BOsS-RegardleSS or expressly
voted desires by the national con-
ventiOn there seems TO be little
doubt as 20 who really runs the
American Federation OF Labor. The
point of execution Is significant.
method of executes is significant.
Delegates 70 the ALL convention
In San Francisco last month adopt
ed a resolution advocating an ar
bitrary allotment Of so per cent
of all radio b~roadcasting time to
educational and religious features.
Beginning the first of October the
new Federal Communications Com
mission held hearings for six weeks
on the problem OF radio time. "A
few days before these closed w. G..
flushing. a Washington legislative
representative OF the AFL. appeared
and read the San Francisco resOlu-
ton into the record.
On the first day President VIII
liam Green appeared. IN behalf
Of the Federation'S executive coun-
Gil Green asked that Hushing's
statement be removed from the re-
cord. Explained the AFL was not
ready nc the moment TO take sides
In the ~broadcasting controversy.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of State
William Phillips caught the Wash
Gill; C~Hoo