The Coolidge examiner., 1937-06-03

"a lLSeII 10 exhaustion 1T the peflO(
of three hundred years since the
first settlements appeared on the
eastern shore of North America.
Intrepid pioneers, ever seekine
better living conditions, Travelled
westward in their search. for new
lands and new homes. Ry the time
of the War for independence they
had reached the Alleghtnyt Mount
aims. When the War of 1912 was
fought, the Northwest Territory in
the Ohio Valley, and the lower
reaches of the Mississippi Valley
were important. The discovery of
gold sent men scurrying across the
continent into California, and so
with the Civil War, battles were
| fought from coast to coast.
By 1900 continental expansion
was completed and major territorial
acquisitions made the United
States a figure of international i'm
perialism.
During the period of expansion
and westward movement there had
always been new lands to which the
ambitious could migrate. By 1907.
when the immigration peak was
reached, American SUDDENLY found
that she could no longer emigrate
from overpopulation and loss of en-
ployment, but that internal develop
ments must provide homes for
workers. Intensive agriculture,
symbolized both mechanical de-
velopments on the farm and If
rigational development, cared for
the expansion for some time.
After the World War there was
a boom and crash.
A definite farm-to-city movement,
promted by the lure of higher
wages during the war and the
mentality of farm labor brought
new and unsolvable problems to the
attention of industry and govern
ment
Industry's answer, in fields where
competition steadily became more
intense, was the development OF
labor-saving devices to meet com;
petition with cheaper production
costs.
So to government fell the
responsibility of caring for the mil
lions out of work. Various relief
agencies cared for the unemployed
temporarily, but in an unsatisfactory
manner. Here were people, ambltl-
Gus, independent, forced into COM
parative idleness and charity by
conditions beyond their immediate
control. At best, the affect was
demoralizing.
Now, in 1887, industry has swung
once more into a taste" pace and
factory whistles and trade are re-
lieving the relief rolls of millions.
Some day-it is inevitable-there
will be another slackening in the
commercial and industrial fields.
What. then, will energetic Amer
leans do? To go back to relief would
be even more undesirable than it
was a few years ago. The evils OF
such conditions are more firmly
impressed upon the minds OF both
workers and the businessmen OF
the nation. The results might be
disastrous.
The state of Wisconsin in 1882
initiated the first law in the Unit
coed States for statewide reliet
of such conditions in the passage
of an Unemployment Compensation
Act. In the last two years such d
program-on it's own merits-has
become nationwide. In that time, Al
states have adopted such laws and
have offered a substitute frontier
for the unemployed.
The Arizona Unemployment Com
pensation Law was passed Dec. 3
1886, by the 18th Arizona Legisla
ture, ia special session The Ari
zona law, providing pooled funC
with separate employer accounts
collected after 1910 on merit rat
ing basis, has incorporated man!
of the best features in laws of 9th
er states and has eliminated som
points found undesirable.
Administering two divisions i
the Arizona Unemployment Con
( pensation Commission, composed c
w. Roy Wayland, Poenix banker
John ]. Durkin, Tucson, editor, an
Milton C. Burk, Phoenix attorne.