Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-09-07

to the present unemployed
workers. The Cleveland Press
of March 16 said: The Wagner
Lewis bill can do nothing for
the millions of worthless men
and women caught in the pres
emit crisis"
The purpose of the bill is 80
raise revenue by levying an ex-
else tax upon employers and for
other purposes"
Now how does it define an en-
2lOyer? He must employ at least
10 persons within each of 20 or
more calendar weeks in a year.
That means that workers in
shops where there are less than
10 are not entitled to any bene-
fits. On page 3 there are eight
categOries of workers who are
not entitled to unemployment
insurance as provided in this bill.
The bill provides that tax of
) per centum shall be levied on
the payroll" but that payroll
shall not include the wages paid
to a person employed by the en-
plOyer within such year on a
minimum fixed salary basis of
$3.50 or more for each month
in which that person was thus
employed. That means that the
workers who are making less
than $3.50 a month will have to
be taxed and those who are max
ing $3.50 a month or more are
exempt.
President Roosevelt endorsed
the Wagner Lewis unemploy-
ment insurance bill. The Press
of March "a, 1884, wrote: "The
Presidents endorsement contain
ed in letter to Chairman
Daughton, Democrat, North Car
DINA, of the House Ways and
Means Committee, was taken by
administration leaders in Con-
gress as a signal for full speed
ahead. Hearings before the Sen
ate Finance Committee will prob
ably be set at once, with SEN
atOr Wagner, Democrat, New
York, leading the move for early
passage.
Passage of the measure at
this session, it was pointed out
at House committee hearings,
will prepare the way for 40 or
more State Legislatures to act
when they convene next Janu-
airy. The Wagner-Lewis bill is
designed to encourage State Sc
curity legislation by allowing en-
plOyers in States with compul-
sorry unemployment insurance
laws to escape payment of a new
Federal tax on payrOlls to the
extent that they contribute to
insurance funds"
President Roosevelt, in his
message to the United States
Congress said: Next winter we
may well undertake the great
task of furthering the security
of the citizen and his family
through social insurance. | be-
lieve there should be a maximum
of cooperation between States
and the Federal government. |
believe that funds necessary to
provide this insurance should be
raised by contribution rather
than by an increase in general
taxation. Above all, l am con-
WINGED that social insurance
should be national in its scope,
although the several States
should meet at least a large pOr-
tiOn of the cost of management,
leaving to the Federal govern
ment the responsibility of in
vesting, maintaining and safe
guarding the insurance funds.
Promises, promises and prom
Uses again! And the ranks of the
unemployed are growing larger.
Mr.. Marc Grossman, vice-chair-
man OF the Cuyahoga County re-
lief administration, states Dress
June PSI: I'VE can talk about pO-
lice protection all we want to,
but there are 1,SU0,0OO people i'll
our State without food or shell
ter. 1t our relief program breaks
down you may well imagine what
can happen"
Mr.. Grossman asserted that
100000 people in Cuyahogo Coun-
ty are on relief rolls, One-tlfth OF
the county's total population"
What shall we, the nearly q
00O,UUU OF unemployed workers in
Ohio, do?
We have to organize and fight
for ourselves with the rest OF the
workers OF the country and de-
mand that we shall get unem-
plOyment insurance III reality
ana not in promises. Yes, we
have to educate the workers and
something more. We will have to
fight for it, because the present
representatives do not repre-
sent the workers. We will have
to send to the Legislature in Co.
lumbus and to Congress men
uho will fight for the workers. IL