The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-05-01
; =; WORKERS And EXPERTS URGE
SS' SSlUG OF FRAZIER LUNDEEN BILL

Harry Lurie, director Of the So
cial Service Association of New
York City, told the subcommittee
that the present act is "robbing
employed Peter to paw benefits
jobless Paul" He also flayed the
present federal system of "multi-
plicity Of separate bureaus, depart
ments, services and methods on a
piece meal basis with all the at
tendant clutter and inefficiency of
duplicating and overlapping adj
ministrations." He urged passage
of the Frazier Lundeen bill on the
grounds that it is more adapted to
the present highly developed in
dustrial system and productive
capacity of the United States.
1.-THE Frazier-Lurdeen bill pre-
serts a comprehensive, sound and
practical plan to achieve the aim
of economic protection of the work
ing population and their families"
Lurie told the subcommittee.
Abraham Epstein, executive seq
rotary of the American Associa-
ton for Social Security, appeared
in support of "the principles en-
bodied in this bill" through oppos-
ing certain provisions Of it. He
favored the collection of contribu-
tions from the workers to pay the
cost of unemployment insurance
and other social security measures
and favored the keeping of Sc
curity grants below the wage
levels. He was concerned lest bene.
ficiaries of the security payments
lose the urge for work.
Epstein pointed out, however
the inadequacies of the present so
cial security act. Asked if he be
lieved that the present act woulC
bring greater depressions and ha
l VOC than before, he replied, "YO'
: cannot avoid it when you depriv
! the workers Of part of their pres
f ent standard and put it into som
j demanded reserve that may not b
worth a dime so years from now.
!. He termed the present plan ere
h distributed poverty"
eff every penny due under tn
|: New York Unemployment Insur
ance law is collected in 1888 whe
0 the full 8 per cent tax become
effective, the total revenue in tn
i state will not equal the expend
it lures now made by New York Cit
e for its unemployed during thrt
g MONTHS" Epstein said. "The 3 p'
n cent lew on payrolls will at be
allow only about 10 weeks OF ben
" fits in the future and even IN goo
a times more than half of the !
N sured workers will fall outside Il
80 benefit period"
IN Broadus Mitchell, professor /.
Ill political science at Johns Hopkl
at University, testified that the pre-
OF ent social security act fails to ia
e. into account the inflexibility Of t
y economic system. "The prese
e. bill is based on the old econon
es philosophy of scarcity" Mitch
D. declared, pointing out that accol
lie ing to studies by prominent
I'd dustrial engineers the product
id, capacitv of American industry
SIS capable Of an economy OF a0ur
90 ance.
''- Tho Frazier-Lundeer bill
to boon endorsed bv $500 to 5000
an ceI +rada nnion bodies, the st,
To- fo e. Of labor of Arkans
100 CoioraJo Iowa, Montana, Rho
IN island. Nebraska, North and Sol
in na .s and the Amalgama
ere Association of Iron Steel ana !,
lOO Workers, Mine, Mill and Smel
ne Workers Union, American Fede
ton of Hosiery Workers, Mou
zen e elyll Union n Of North America,
ial United Textile Workers, Bro5n
40. hood of Railroad Carmen, and
iof 4 1O q NV..oS-,,oooY1