The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-23
Democrats Split"
In ManeuVTeS on
Wage Cutting Bill
Fear Dunnigan Proposals
Too Raw to Fool N. Y.
Civil Employees
Nv CPR-

ALBANY, Feb. %. - Democrats in
the State Legislature continue to
wrangle over the CONFERENCE.-The
proposed by Senator John ]. Dumb
gan to amend the LaGuardia Econ
omy (wage- cutting) Bill. The Dem
ocratic opposition to Dunnigan's pro-
posals is led by Assemblyman Irwin
j. Steingut, who until the counter
measure was announced, was lined up
side by side with Dunnigan in oppo-
sition to the LaGuardia measure,
which has received the support of
Governor Lehman
The Dunnigan proposals have as
their basic purpose the saving Of the
county offices, source of great poll
teal power and financial spoils for
the Tammany machine. LaGuardia's
bill had proposed to abolish these Of
fees for the purpose of saving adj
ministrative costs for his Wall Street
banker bosses.
The split in the Democratic oppo-
sition is prompted by nothing more
or less than the attempt to dema-
gogically save the Tammany face (if
that were possible) in the eyes of New
York civil employees. One of the
outstanding points in Dunnigan's
counter measure is the enforced one
month furlough for all city workers,
and the Steingut-led Democrats are
trying to save Tammany from get
ting another black eye. Otherwise,
the Democratic forces are united
openly in the matter of the county
offices and underhandedly in the
matter Of widespread wage cuts.
The main points included in the
Dunnigan measure are % the &C.
ceptance by the Democratic group of
Controller Cunningham'S $4,000, 900
estimate of the present city budget
deficit; (2) that the Board Of Esti-
mate be empowered to put through a
payleSs furlough Of one months du-
ration (Which amounts to substan-
tial wage-cut) on all city en-
pleyes, which, it is claimed, will effect
saving of $22,0O0,OO0; 90 that La
Guardia be empowered to merge city
departments and offices under his
direct control to save an additional
81, 100000 and "a $6,00O,000 in addi-
tional liquor taxes, it is emphasized,
are available to the city administra-
ton.
The all-inclusive one-month en-
forced furlough, while ostensibly ap-
piled to all city officers as well as
low-waged employees, will in no
respect differ from LaGuardia's at
tack on the wages of the city work.
ers. The main portion Of the esti-
mated $22000,000 saving will come
from the pockets of the many poorly
paid civil employees.
The other points Of Dunnigan's
measure, which the Democratic ma
jority in the State Senate, with the
exception of Steingut, has voted to
support when it Is offered in the form
of amendments to the LaGuardia
bill, again reveal the identity of in
tereStS which motivates both the
Fusion and Democratic forces. Both
gangs stay scrupulously away from
any attempt to place the burden of
V1lc ClOy OCAIC1C OLl GL1OoC WIZ dIG It.
sponsible for 1.-THE Chase National
and National City banks. More-the
purpose of both groups is to keep
intact the payments Of $126,000,000
per year to these Wall Street bankers
under the terms of the Untermyer
four-year agreement.
The nature of all the SquabbleS
which have attended the Economy
Bills course in Albany in the past
Git has twice been defeated have
been characterized before as political
og-fighting, with no real point of
disagreement between the two quib-
bling groups. This was again proved
yesterday by Dunnigan'S statement
that the amended Senate bill would
include changes agreed upon by both
Lehman and LaGuardia.
Both the Fusion and Tammany
forces late this evening. despite some
petty squabbling were still working
on plausible and agreeable Solu..
ton to the economy plan" which
would victimize the masses of New
Yorks workers under the guise Of
fairness" and at the same time
guarantee the bankers hold on the
city administration.