The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-02-25
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Problem for People
Action by the senate In voting the
prevailing wage amendment into the
proposed public works bill presents .
number Of problems. not only to the
president but to the American people.
Here in North Dakota surveys have
been made to catalogue the various
jobs which would be Of lasting bene-
fit and which would. ut the same
time. offer employment to many Of our
people. We had rather looked for
ward to the institution Of this sys-
tenn u . distinct improvement over
the relief organization which has
spent much and done . relatively
good Job In keeping people alive but
which has accomplished little In the
way Of public improvement As . re-
suit, the apparent impasss between
the president and congress comes g
= distinct disappointment.
That the relief system will be con-
tinued, no matter what happens to
the public works proposal, Is = fore
gone conclusion. The system has
been 80 well established and has taken
hold so strongly that we shall have
difficulty In getting rid Of It when
good times return. Most Of the states
are in little better position to assume
the burden now than they were year
ago. AS a result. public pressure viii
be strong enough to force an agree.
ment on that subject in washington.
Meanwhile, the public should take
q look at the question presented In
the argument over tho public works
bill and reach some sort Of . decision.
It will have the deciding voice In the
matter and should prepare to make
that voice heard.
The senate majority would make
the new public works scheme . good
deal similar in its nature and opera
ton to the first PWA. which was
terminated suddenly about year ago.
1t produced all sorts Of arguments as
to what constituted the prevailing
wage" difficult thing to determine
when the payroll comes from the pub.
lie purse, partly because the facts Is
to what the rate Of pay IS are too
often confused with ideas Is te what
they ought to be.
The arguments 70. the senate &C.
ton are clear. They are that men
who are put to work ought to have
more than . bare subsistence level
and certainly $50 . month - no more
than that. It tops the prevailing re-
lief average but not BY . good deal
and, presumably. non cash items
which now figure In the budgets Of
families on the relief LIST would be
discontinued.
It is further conteuded that some
Of the projects proposed for the new
PWA would eventually be built any
how. In this event men would be
barring the opportunity for future
employment by working at low wages
now.
For this reason and Z host OF others,
those who expect to get Jobs under
the new system want the higher
scale. They are In the minority, when
compared with the people - . whole,
hut they are . large minority and ex-
trenely vocal.
Labor leaders protest that the presi-
dents plan would have the effect o.
reducing wages In private employ
lnent, but the average man finds It
difficult to see how competition with
. man making $50 . month could b
any keener than that with . man
who has no job ct Ill.
The president's objection 4 based
on the theory that tlas prevailing
wage would merely make the govern.
,nent . much bigger employer than
it Is now and would reduce TO the
vanishing point the possibility Of get.
ting these people off the payroll.
The president necessarily looks for
ward to the time when both direct re-
lief and relief employment viii van
is.:1 from the current scene. They
n4Yer win II soft jobs are created for
hundreds Of thousands ct relatively
high pay.
Under The presidents plan. the n.
centive would Be to get OF the public
list and into private employment. IN
der the senate's scheme The only com.
petition would b Tor places On the
public payroll.
n deciding this question. + slaould
be bnene Ia mind that the people who
want these jobs, labor leaders and
others with an auxiliary Interest. afe
not the major party oonoerned. That
party = the general public which WIN
pay the bin.
Relief clients and people who would
like 70 get Jobs must teho . secondary
placs to the man who stu maintains
his independence. How the bin MIN