The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-19
Hunger
DOleS For Aged
Continued from Page /

Wagner declared, "the bill rec
ognizes that, because Of divergent
business problems in different Sec
tons Of the country. each state
should be free to enact its own I'M
employment insurance law" Thus,
no employer contribution is nee
essary, thereby leaving the way
open for the arrangements to get
their legislatures to pass no unem-
ployment insurance statutes and
take out the federal tax through
higher prices and lower wages.
Concerning the time during which
unemployment benefits" are to be
paid under any bill, there is moth
ing in the Wagner proposal which
would prevent employers from pay
ing benefits for only one day or
one week.
The victory of the bankers and
industrialistS' United States Cham
Der of Commerce and the violently
anti-union National Association of
Manufacturers in debating the
dumping of even a vestige of genu-
inc unemployment insurance into
the ocean serves to emphasize the
merits of the Workers Unemploy-
ment, Old Age and Social Insurance
Bill, now H. r. 1927. The Workers
Bill, which was recently endorsed
by Representative William P. Con-
merry Jr., Chairman of the House
Labor Committee and has the back
ing of about $500 A. F. of L. bodies,
remains the only genuine unem-
ployment measure introduced in
Congress.
The Workers Bill would give I'M
employment insurance to all work.
ers and farmers above Is years of
age, who are unemployed through
no fault of their own" The Wag-
ner Bill would exclude all the
present unemployed. The Workers
Bill would pay compensation equal
to average local wages" which in
no case would be less than $40 a
week plus So for each dependent
while the Wagner Bill guarantees
no payment. The Workers Bill
would provide the money for the
payment of unemployment in
Surance, at the expense mainly Of
the employer class through taxes
on gifts and inheritance and taxes
on annual individual and corpora
ton incomes above $1,000. Wagner
and Roosevelt propose a measure
which allows taxes on the en-
ployees. The Wagner Bill would be
administered by the Labor Depart
ment, one Of the employers most
effective anti-strike organs. The
Workers Bill would allow the
Secretary of Labor to prescribe
rules and regulations" but only in
conformity with the purposes and
provisions of this Act, through I'M
employment insurance commissions
directly elected by members of
workers and farmers organiza-
tons"
AS for sickness, old age, mater
nifty, industrial injury or any other
disability, the Workers Bill would
provide compensation equal to that
provided for during periods of I'M
employment. Under the Wagner
Bill, IAN employer contributes the
same amount as his employees" to
quote Wagner. Under the Workers
Bill women are to be paid compen-
sation during the eight weeks be-
fore and after childbirth. The
Wagner Bill provides a mere $4,000
for each state to do with as it sees
fit. No mother is guaranteed any
thing.
Wagner's national system of
compulsory contributory old age
pensions" provides for eligibility at
the age Of 65 if taxes have been
paid in his behalf for at least 200
weeks over a 5 year period COM
mencing before he is CO., if he is no
longer gainfully employed by an
other" The pension sis Is per cent
of his average monthly wage if
taxes were paid in his behalf for
200 weeks.
Nevertheless, Senator Wagner
would have the workers and farmers
believe, IF one contrasts the
Economic Security Bill with the
public apathy toward the unfor-
tunate that predominated few
years ago, he finds it hard to realize
that he is still living in the same
world"