The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-08

fight for unemployment and social
insurance"
He pointed to the rising tide of
unemployment, which, despite the
ballyhoo of the Roosevelt regime,
has not been appreciably reduced
during nearly two years of the N.
r. A. and has again risen sharply.
He quoted the report of William
Green of the American Federation
of Labor, who reported that unem-
ployment had risen during Novem-
Der for the sixth consecutive month
and had reached a point of 100000
above that given by Green year
ago. Wages, he said, and here
again he referred to the A. F. of
L. reports, had dropped from the
March, 1888, average of s1905 a
week for industrial workers during
the lowest point of the capitalist
crisis, to Sl905 a week on the
average for September, 1884. Pro-
duction, he showed, has reached
new low levels, and since the pur-
chasing power of the masses had
not risen, and warehouses remain
filled with goods, would drop still
further.
He counterpoSed the social and
unemployment schemes and maneu-
vers of Roosevelt to the provisions
of the Workers Unemployment In
surance Bill-the reserves" schemes
and the "acturial bases" which
Roosevelt has demanded. He pointed
to the increasing tax burden on the
masses and the attempts to foist
still more sales taxes upon their
backs.
Meets Green's Charges
Every label of unconstitutional
ity, imprscticability" and the count
less evasions and ISLANDERS raised by
the Greens and the Lewises, every
attack upon the Workers Unem-
ployment and Social Insurance Bill
was met and countered by Benja-
min.
ut, therefore. becomes our task
to work our forces so that we will
be able to overcome the objections
and all the obstacles that will be
put in our way" he said. The
present congress must take steps to
mobilize our forces in order that we
may do just that. We are carrying
through this congress in the face
of bitter opposition on the part of
those who are trying to defend the
interest of wealth and privilege. We
have the American Federation of
Labor calling upon it's membership
not to participate in this congress.
Well, we succeeded in spite of this
opposition, in spite of this sabotage
we succeeded in securing in this
congress delegates from at least 300
locals of the American Federation
of Labor.
Other organizations have like
wise done their utmost to prevent
the support of this congress, to pre-
vent their membership from taking
part in the fight for unemployment
and social insurance and to pre-
vent their participation in this con-
gress. We have overcome this. We
have made it clear to a large num-
Der of workers that today it is not
sufficient to give lip-service to the
idea of social and unemployment
insurance. We have a right to de-
nland of those who claim that they
speak in the name of unemploy-
ment insurance that they shall give
more than lip-service and that they
shall give aid to the fight for the
struggle for our demands. That is
the purpose that brings us to this
congress. There are those that say
they are in favor of this Workers
Bill, that it is the best bill there is
yet they are absent from this con-
gress. We must now say to them
that it is not sufficient that you
give us your approval. We need
them in our fighting ranks. We
need their help to bring their fol-
lowers into joint action. The strug-
gle for unemployment and social in
surance cannot be made effective
unless all persons in need of it are
in this struggle-all workers united
regardless of occupation or indus
try, regardless of sex or color, re-
CARELESS of political opinion, regard
less of organizational affiliation-
into one fighting body"