The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-12-20
PROGRAM
Continued from page One)

tlOnal social planning 10 pOSSlDlc.
If is a futile illusion of middle |
class image-makers to suppose
that the dele can be eliminated,
an illusion similar to the older
dream that a cooperative COM
nonwealth" can be built up along
side of and within capitalistlc
society.
Important conclusions follow
from these facts. Above all, they
demonstrate that the problem Of
direct relief remains and will re-
main a central issue for the or
ganized unemployed. The program
of unemployed organizations must
continue to have direct relief de-
mands as a primary focus, and
must avoid any perspective in
terms Of the illusory dream that
the dole will shortly be eliminated.
Moreover, it must be understood
I by the unemployed organizations
that direct relief will continue to
be IN large part Federal institu-
ton. Mass pressure against Con-
| gress and the Administration must
be built up to demand not merely
a continuation but an increase IN
direct Fedrral relief; and these
demands must be coupled with
the demand to finance the appro-
priations out of direct taxes in
the form of inheritance, corpora
ton and income levies directed at
the higher brackets.
But direct relief is likewise a
problem for the "relief workers"
themselves, in a double sense. In
the first place, the low wage Level
of relief work (e. g. the WPA)
makes supplementary relief in
many cases imperative. Second
ly, such institutions as the WPA
are temporary in character. The
projects extend over comparatively
short periods of time. and wher
they are completed the relief
workers are again thrown out Of
jobs. Thus the unemployed or.
CARNATIONS proper must take the
lead in promoting the Organiza
ton of the relief workers, anC
, must closely intergrate the relief
, work demands with the unemploy
ed demands in general.
WPA-Attack ON Relief Standards
In fact, one of the primary pur
, poses of the WPA must be un
derstood as an indirect attack OF
relief standards. This must bt
resisted at every point: by fight
ing against the wage levels o.
, the WPA itself, by preventing
! lowering of the direct relief il
shifting the unemployed from on
!, roll to another. by demanding sup
, Elementary relief, by insisting Oh
immediate transferrence to ade
! uqate relief when a project ends
|. etc.
j However, from another point o
|. view, not less important, the WPE
program constitutes a major at
tack on general wage levels, par
ticularly the union levels in tn
building trades. And in this di
! rectiOn, the WPA and relief worl
generally. become a direct prob
lem for the trade unions, as. from
the other direction, the WPA is
problem for the unemployed OF
CARNATIONS. Thus the trade un
ions must be brought into tn
> struggle for the organizing an
! strengthening of the relief work
! ers, and for the lifting of theWP.
and other relief wages to unio
levels.
AS has already been pointe
out, however, the WPA. like an
other given form of relief worl
is temporary by its very natur'
! The struggles centering aroun
the WPA, the feature-point q
the Administration unemploye
program, must therefore be mad
part Of the broader struggle fo
7 the advancement of the positio
J of the unemployed, for higher d
rect relief, for unemployment an
social insurance, and for large
: scale public works. This last poir
is of especial Importance in loci
{ ing forward to the next perioC
: and has been seriously neglecte
by the labor movement generally
1t is true that genuine publ
works cannot be handled in
{ scientific and large-scale manne
q by a capitalist state. But stuff
cient pressure can accomplish 2
o least something in this field. A
present. the public works program
of the government has recede
!, into the background along wit
!. the advance Of WPA. The hou.
> ing program, about which theI
I has been such q constant ballI
: hoo, still remains entirely on PAL
= er, scattered in confusion anon
y more than a dozen government;
r agencies.
{ The demand for a large seal
y public works program must
e brought forward sharply and fol
e ced upon the next Congress. Tn
y demand must distinguish publ
works clearly from temporary I,
lief work, and above all mu.
o tight against the conception {
> security wages" It's central fe:
e ture should be low-rental housin
, directly subsidized by THE Fedel
L al government. Such a deman,
: supported primarily by indepe1
S dent class action, will do much t
: expose the demagogy, hollowne:
: and wholly reactionary cha 4 cte
y OF the Roosevelt relief program
and can play prominent part
genuine advancement for the 81
q tire unemployed movement, ar
I through it for the working ella,