Evening star., 1934-11-04

that workers are helping to carry
their unemployed fellows.
Out of this mass Of material from
home and abroad the Presidents
Committee on Economic Security
hopes to draft a report that will in
volve the best features of all the
unemployment insurance schemes on
earth, according TO men infinitely
interested.
Above all, stanch supporters Of q
true bill for unemployment insurance
claim there must be a veering away
from too much compulsory savings.
What they want is straight out-and-
out insurance, with the contributions
and benefits distributed widely as
possible among both employers and
workers, with assistance from the
state.
Here comes the definition Of saving
to stand against the definition OF in
surance.
Distinction Is Cited.
II a man saves his hard-earned
surplus, he puts something by for a
rainy day-concrete, tangible wealth
that he may tap when he needs it.
II a man insures he also provides
for a rainy day, but he ties up the
funds so that his dependents and not
himself usually enjoy the fruits Of
his labor
Now, the question comes, what are
we going to have in America-un-
employment insurance or compulsory
savings, called unemployment insur-
ance?
Leifur Magnussen Of the 1nterna-
tional Labor Office. 734 jackson place,
points to the treaty adopted at Geneva
last June as a flexible instrument
in both principle and administration
which the conference offers as some
thing on which TO model unemploy-
ment insurance.
Leaders from many nations, includ-
ing the United States, watched the
making of this treaty at the Inter-
national Labor Conference.
While the United States did not
sign the treaty, having only official
observers at the session, the treaty
undoubtedly will play a large part in
legislation if the President recon-
mends such action at the next session
of Congress.
Geneva Plan Sketched.
1t is interesting. therefore, to note
some of the high points in the Geneva
document.
Each member of the International
Labor Organization, which ratified the
treaty undertakes to maintain a
scheme insuring to persons who are
involuntarily unemployed. and to
whom the convention applies.
(a) Benefit, by which is meant q
payment related to contributions paid
in respect of the beneficiary's employ
ment, whether under compulsory or
voluntary scheme; or
(b) An allowance, by which Is
meant provision being neither benefit
nor q grant under the ordinary ar
rangements for the relief of destitu-
ton, but which may be remuneration
for employment on relief works Or
ganized in accordance with a public
authority;
(c) A combination of benefit and
an allowance.
Only such persons as are habituaIly
employed for wages or salary are con-
sidered in this scheme, and they are
all subject to the national laws.
Exceptions Are Listed.
Exceptions in most national laws
are made in respect to: (a) Persons
employed in domestic service; (b)
homeworkers: (c) government en-
ployes; (d) non-manual workers who
are able to furnish their own insur-
ance against risk of unemployment;
(e) workers whose employment is of
a seasonal character, II the season is
normally of less than six months dura-
tion; G) young workers under a pre-
scribed age; (g) workers over a pre-
scribed age and who are in receipt of
a retiring or old-age pension; CHI per-
sons engaged only occasionally in en-
plCyment; O members of the employ
er's family; Cd exceptional classes Of
workers in whose cases there are
special features which make it unnec-
essary or impractical to apply to them
Jllc piOFASAO4 Va tiAC AlICl Ild L2Ollal COA-
ference.
In a vast country like the United
States there is more to unemployment
insurance than meets the eye-which
Is one of the reasons the Committee
on Economic Security is proceeding
warily. Before it hands in its report,
a report that may have direct bearing
on revolutionary legislation, the COM
mittee is studying all phases of the
subject.
That the President himself is per-
sonally interested is known from the
fact that the committee members are
guarding their findings with the
greatest of care. Not one word of that
report will leak out until the President
makes it public at a White House
press conference, or until he lays the
complete report before the Congress.
This is attested to by DIR. Witte, who
is amused by the many persons trying
to guess at the contents.
Evidence that the American Gov
eminent is exceedingly interested in
unemployment insurance legislation
was given when Harold Butler, the d.
rector Of the International Labor Of
fee, conferred this week with the
American Government officials re-
garding cooperation in the Interna-
tional Labor Organization, Of which
the UnitRd States has been Q member