The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-09
Amter Scores
Wagner Bill
At Hearing s
JObIess Leader Blasts
Roosevelt Program
for Workers

Israel AIuJ6t, secretary OF the Me-
tional Unemployment Councils. in
presenting the unemployed workers
unqualified opposition to the spuri-
Gus Wagner-Lewis bill, demanded
immediate action on the Workers
Unemployment, Old Age and Social
Insurance Act, H. r. 1927.
The text of Anter's statement fol-
lows:
The question was asked of a
previous speaker as to the number
of unemployed in the United States.
Nobody knows, not even the United
States government. We will have
correct figures only when there is
instituted a system of unempIoy-
ment insurance embracing every
worker in the country. The ma
tional committee on economic Sc
curity speaks of 100000 900 unem-
ployed, William Green says there
are l1,500,O00 unemployed. We de-
clare there are 100000 unems
ployed, and the number is growing.
The unemployed are not only the
manual workers but include hum
dreds Of thousands of white-oollar
workers, professionals, farmers, and
so forth. Among the unemployed
are 100000 of the youth of the
country who have graduated from
schools and colleges and have never
obtained work.
want to interpolate a word.
The United States Commissioner
of Education, DR.. zook, issued a
statement, think it was last Oc-
tober, to the effect that in the five
years Of the crisis, 100000 bows
and girls have graduated from high
schools and colleges in the United
States. At the beginning of the
human-needs campaign that was
inaugurated in New York City
think about two months ago, New
ton D. Baker had an article in the
New York Times. Commenting on
the statement of DR.. zook, he
said
"Of this number no more than
one-third have ever obtained
work, and they have only worked
part time at very low wages"
I need not say a word about the
situation of the children, which Is
well known, in that the Department.
Of Labor has already stated that
Is per cent of the children of the
United States are undernourished.
The Federal government recently
announced a program for the un-
employed. One million five hum
dred thousand are to be thrown on
the mercy of the States, rnunicipali-
ties and private charity. The ma
ture of their relief can be gathered
from the F. E. r. A. report of Sep
TENDER, which I have here. This
report shows that in Kentucky FAM
lilies on relief receive an average Of
1921 month. North Carolina,
Virginia and Arkansas ranged at
only slightly higher, whole families
being compelled to subsist upon
that amount of money during the
period Of whole month.
The governments further pro-
gram is to put 100000 on public
works, for which an appropriation
of $4,000, 100000 is sought. AS for
the remaining unemployed no pro-
vision is made whatever. The re-
port of October of the United
States Department of Labor shows
that 1,950,000 on relief jobs received
an average of $26.16 month, about
Sc per week. The $4000,0O0,000 APP
preparation cannot afford what Mr..
Roosevelt promised, namely, $50
month for a period of more than
two years, for which the appropria~
ton runs, but only $24.39 month.
This is nothing but forced labor.
Can one therefore have the hardi-
hood to call this Security? We
demand union wages and conditions
on all jobs and an adequate NUM-
Der of hours per week.