Evening star., 1934-07-30
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

When Congress returns TO wash
ington-the new Congress next Janu-
AIRY. unless President Roosevelt decides
It is necessary 10 call special session
Of the present Seventy third Congress
in the interim-there will be q great
drive for some kind Of insurance
against unemployment Of the workers,
President Roosevelt himself has inh-
Gated that he will recommend Iegisla-
ton OF this character. Some OF the
Republican leaders in and out Of
Congress declared themselves In gen
eral terms In favor Of such q plan.
The estimates OF the number of un-
employed in the United States. Just
made public bY William Green. preS-
dent OF the American Federation Of
Labor, indicate quite clearly that
conditions of employment are still
deplorable despite all that has been
done under the recovery program OF
the administration. The first half
OF the present year closed. Mr.. Green
said, with 10,312,0O0 workers still
without jobs in industry and agrtcul-
ture. The Government, however, had
1919 900 employed through the p. w.
A. program, the e. r. A.. and the c.
c. c. This reduced the number of
those without work of any kind to
8,499, 900.
The Government pay roll for these
three activities increased in June to
$50, 779, 900. And the latest available
relief figures, Mr.. Green said, show
the relief payments at the highest
during the depression. In April there
were 4.447 ,503 cases on the relief
rolls, including l6,826.000 persons.
The peak of the unemployment dur
ing the depression was reached in
March, 1888, $50 900, also accord
ing to the estimates of the president
of the A. F. of L. If Mr.. Green's
figures are q correct picture Of the
employment situation, industry and
agriculture have taken up 3,377 900
of the unemployment slack since
March, 1888. That represents q real
gain. But at the same time 1t leaves
a lot of ground still to be covered II
there is to be some assurance of a
job for every potential worker in the
country. In January, 1880, the esti-
mated unemployed were 3.2l6,0OO.
And for some time prior to the begin
ming Of the depression it had been
generally accepted as q fact that
there were around two or three mil
lion unemployed workers in the
country.
Not only will there be q demand for
insurance against unemployment, but
there Is likely to be demand from
many quarters for legislation limiting
the hours Of labor for workers in
industry. Only by following such q
course. Ii is argued, will it ever be
possible to- give approximately all the
workers jobs. Supporters of this kind
OF legislation point out that the 12-
hour day prevailed less than 100 years
ago IN many lines Of industry and
labor. The 10-hour day was the first
step to meet the demand for Jobs and
for better working conditions, and this
was later succeeded by the S-hour day.
and gradually this has been whitfield
down here and there, and under the
codes OF the N. r. A. working hours
have been still further limited. It is
insisted that only through a drastic
cut in the hours of labor can the
workers be assured jobs. Even a six
hour day will not meet the situation
completely, 1t Is said, and it will be
necessary to go to four-hour day to
spread out the work and jobs and to
meet the ever r-increasing labor saving
devices which engineers are develop
ing. The argument is advanced that,
even II the workers have TO take less
money at first for the leSsened hours
Of work. the people on the whole will
be far better of when approximately
all are given employment again, and
that eventually wages win 60 higher
and production and business will in
crease, with greater purchasing power
all along the line.
X
The Fall season is likely to bring a
further increase in jobs in industry.
although there may be q falling of
soon thereafter in the number en-
ployed in agriculture. What industry
and business does in the next six
months will undoubtedly have a vital
bearing on both legislation attempted
by the Congress and on the political
situation. 1t is obvious that the Gov
ernment cannot continue forever pour
ing out hundreds Of millions of dollars
each month in relief payments and
salaries and wages to those employed
on extraordinary Government projects,
including those of the z. r. A.
x* ~
Senator Tom Connaily Of Texas
has won out handily in his contest for
denomination to the Upper House in
the Democratic primary against Rep
resentative Bailey, son OF the late
Senator Joe Bailey. This was ex-
pected, although Mr.. Bailey, as
clearly indicated by the vote on Sat-
urday, had a big following in the
State. Connally served for a dozen
years in the House as Representative
from Texas before he was elected TO
the Senate. Being q Senator from
Texas is quite a distinction, for the
Lone Star State has had a habit Of
returning its Senators again and
again. In the last 80 years and more
only five men have been Senators
from Texas, including Senator Con-
nally, who is just finishing his first
term. The present senior Senator
from the State, Morris Sheppard, be-
gan his service in the Senate in jan
uary, 1918, more than 81 years ago,
succeeding to the seat left vacant by
the late Senator Bailey.
\ y y
The Republican Senatorial Congress
sional Campaign Committee is out to-
day with slashing attack on the ad-
ministration Of the Post Once De-
partment by Postmaster General
James A. Farley, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, who
recently announced that the postal
deficit had been wiped out. Repre-
sentative Bacon of New York, mem
ber of the House Appropriations Com
mittee, sponsored the statement in
which il was charged that Mr., Far