Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1935-02-22
Workers Congress at
Salem Demands Action
On HR 1927, lib 329

SALEM, Ore, Feb. 2l--After a
four-hour serious deliberation in
which the grim question OF hum
ger was discussed by the " elect
ed delegates from "a organiza-
lions. the Oregon Unemploy-
ment and Social InSurance Con-
gress moved en- masse to the
state capitol building to place
the results of its deliberations
before the Committee on Unem-
ployment.
Workers from jobless groups,
ALL locals and farmers and veter-
ans assembled at the Salem La
Dor Temple to face the problems
daily confronting them and to or
game fer support of Oregon's
Workers Unemployment Insur-
ance bill as well as the national
bill, HR 1927.
Townsend Plan Hit
Kenneth Fitzgerald, secretary
of the provisional committee
which called the Congress, made
the keynote address, slashing
into the fake social security"
measures being ballyhooed by
the New Deal. He showed up the
Townsend plan as demagogic
program, impossible of fulfill
ment except at the overwhelm-
ing expense of the workers and
farmers, and pulled the mask OF
unemployment insurance from
the Wagner-Lewis bill revealing
it as, not unemployment insur-
ance, but strike-b breaking ma
chination of the employers.
De Jonge Reports
Dirk De JOnge, whose appeal
from seven-year criminal syn
dicalism sentence is pending, re-
ported on the National Unem-
ployment and Social Insurance
Congress.
Harry Gross covered the legal
phases of the Oregon bill, while
many of the phases of the need
for unemployment and social in
surance were covered by reports
of delegates.
Richard Lovelaee, a disabled
world war veteran and delegate
from the Veterans Union, ex-
pressed the will of that organiza-
tion in showing the desperate
need for closer unity between
veteran and non-veteran work
ers at this time, when Wall Street
and its supporting forces are
making a drive to mobilize the
veterans into a fascist battering
ram against the working class.
To Fight CS
The Congress adopted num-
Der of resolutions, including be-
sides a castigation of the New
Deal supported trick social in
surance programs, and support
for House Bill 1927 and Oregon
House Bill 1923, strong oppOsi-
tion to the criminal syndicalism
law and demand for dismissal of
the framed-up charges against
workers - criminal syndicalism
charges and felOnious riot frame
ups against the "a longshOremen;
opposition to subsistence farm
ing as an affrOnt to the small
farmers, was also endorsed, as
well as the demands of the yeter-
ans. calling for payment of the
bonus" repeal of the economy
act. increase in the state veter-
ans INDECENT fund levy, and
struggle for the abolition OF the
SERA forced labor camps.
AL Speaks
Moving to the committee cham
Der at the state capitol, the
workers carried their struggle
for adequate security before the
legislative committee. M. Holmes,
delegate from the Salem Paint
ers' local, AFL. spoke in behalf
of the rank and file of organ
lied labor, following Fitzgerald's
broadsi6e at the committee in
opening the session.
Holmes stated: Some of us
are waking up to the fact that
our best interests are not rep
resented by AFL leadership" in
commenting on the leadership's
opposition to real social insur-
anee measures. Il hope organ
lied labor will take it's stand in
front, to lead the struggle for
decent living standards" he de-
elared.
Irene Waldo, a member of