Montana labor news., 1934-11-22
DRIFTS AND RAISES
(This column contributed by Butte
Miners Union No. y

will be turned toward Washington and
the headlines will be eagerly scanned
every morning to see "What Roosevelt
is going to do" He has already done
enough to 90 down in history as the
cleverest politician who ever hung up
his hat in the White House. He can
always pull another rabbit out Of his
hat.
The working class and the unem-
ployed in particular, will be watching
with interest for the report Of the
Presidents committee on economic Sc
curity. This committee meets IN
Washington on December IA and IS
to report and presumably to make rec
concentrations. Judging from events
of the past two years, our guess IS
that the working class can expect very
little in the way Of real and adequate
social insurance. 1t will be recalled
that in the last session Of Congress
President Roosevelt headed off all I'M
employment insurance bills with the
promise that he would have a com
plete program of social insurance ready
for the forthcoming session.
That wa the purpose Of the commit
tee on economic security.
In a recent address the President
warned that there can be no indi-
vidual security in the midst of general
insecurity. To US it appears that the
bankers, manufacturers and the other
big capitalists are enjoying just about
as much security as they ever did. But
the millions Of unemployed can testify
that their insecurity is as real and
soul-destroying as ever. In the same
address the President criticized
sharply those groups who advance
fantastic schemes which cannot pos
sibly be fulfilled. One of the targets
of this broadside, although not men
toned by name, was the Workers I'm
employment Insurance Bill and no
doubt the veterans so-called bonus
was another.
The Workers Bill, sponsored by the
Communist Party and endorsed by
2,400 A. F. of L. locals, provides unem-
ployment insurance of $40 a week and
So for each dependent. Let us see if
it is a fantastic scheme. Assume TO-,
100000 unemployed and 100000 de-
pendents receiving a total Of $130,0OO,-
600 a week insurance under the Work
ers' Bill. That would make about
So 00,000,000 a year or one-tenth OF the
present national income. Wall Street
estimates that the capitalist class will
this year draw down $8,000,000,000 in
dividends, interest, etc, In other words,
2 per cent of the people will draw
81, 500,000,000 more than would be re-
CURED to pay unemployment insurance
under the Workers Bill. There is
something fantastic, sure enough, and
something plenty rotten about an eco
nomic system that makes this situation
possible.
This is the crumbling, out-worn, I'M
moral system that the President is
trying to perpetaute. 1t reminds one
Of the Cod Atlas trying to hold up the
world on his shoulders. But Atlas was
a God and Roosevelt is only human and
no human power a stay the passing
Of capitalism.
We often hear apologists for the
New Deal say, well, at last the peo-
pie are getting something to eat"
True enough, and so does a horse out
in the pasture, but who wants to live
like a horse? This is an example of
the slave ideaology that infects some
of the working class and makes it pos
sible for them to be kept in subsection.
They see all around them the resources,
the machinery, the technique for ere
ating a happy and abundant life if
properly organized, but say vaguely
Give Roosevelt a chance" Caesar
once said, you Cassius has a lean and
hungry look. l would have men around
me who are fat and sleep o~'nights."
The working class has the lean and
hungry look but they are not doing
enough thinking for themselves. Let
them think and plan and sharpen their
claws.