The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-22

speedy ana SWl1CeSJ possible
to enact" these are the terms en-
ployed by all Washington news
paper correspondents to describe the
plans and activities of the admins
tration leaders who are charged
with the task of putting Roose-
velt's program over.
Why this great haste? Has Roose-
welt suddenly become aware of and
concerned with the plight Of the
unemployed, the aged, the under
nourished children and the other
victims of economic insecurity? Have
the administration leaders in Con-
gress, who year after year turned
a deaf ear to the demands of the
masses for unemployment and social
insurance, suddenly become con-
science stricken? Have they sud-
denly decided that the millions of
workers are entitled to immediate
compensation and that such COM
pensation must not be withheld an
other moment?
The very program which they are
so feverishly planning to enact into
law is the best answer to these
questions. And this program as en-
bodied in the Presidents message
in the report of his Committee on
Economic Security and in the bill
framed by his Congressional wheel
horses (Wagner-Lewis) is an en-
phatic-NO!
RELOCATED to the Future
Even a superficial examination of
the Wagner-Lewis Bill shows that
there is no relation between the
haste with which the administra-
ton seeks to enact it's plan and the
time it will take for the destitute
masses to get any form of benefits
The very first item of this plan is
the so-called "Old-Age Pension
This, according to the Presidents
committee, is to be put into effect
within a year-''if possible"
The second phase of the plan
which is called the Compulsory
Pension System" will begin to pay
benefits to persons who reach the
age of IS years in about 1947!
Twelve years at the very earliest!
The third item Of the plan, Is the
so-called unemployment insur-
ance." The collection of the payroll
tax Zone per cent at first) Is not
to begin until Jan. /, 1885. When
the benefits" are to be paid no one
yet knowsl
Before we begin to consider what
benefits this plan will provide, and
to whom, one more time element is
yet to be noted. When as well as
what benefits and to whom, is yet
to be determined by still another
factor-when (and if the forty
eight separate states enact Law
patterned upon the Lewis
Bill!
But even if payment of compen-
sation were to begin Immediately
what does Roosevelt propose tc
pay?
4NObAAlB lUE LTCoCHL JUDlcSS
To the sixteen million who are
now unemployed-NOTHING! Just
that. His Economic Security Com
mittee and the Informed and pub
lie citizens" who formulated the
plan state that 1t is especially
valuable for those who are ordi-
narily steadily employed" Cd
Well then. What are those to gel
who do get it? If they are among
the chosen, If they have worked fol-
an employer who employs four OF
more workers If they live in a state
that has enacted bill patterned
upon the Wagner-LewiS Bill and il
they become unemployed after jan
uary, 1887 and If and after they
wait four weeks, such fortunate
workers are to receive not more
than so per cent of their regular
wages and In no case more thar
SIS per week, for a maximum bene-
fit period of 16 weeks in the entire
year!
That, says Mr.. Roosevelt, is g
plan that will appeal to the SOUND
common sense of the American
people"
And of course the workers are
not in the opinion of Mr.. Roose-
welt to be included among those
who have good common sense
Therefore the appeal is to those
who, in the opinion of Hearst anc
Roosevelt, have proven that they