The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-01-14
Thursday, JANUARY IA. 1887.

of the basic provisions Of the act
and prevents putting into effect q
uniform plan throughout the state.
A uniform plan Is also a basic re-
quirement Of the federal act, and
our inability to carry this out. un-
der the present state law, may get
us into difficulties later.
I recommend that the law be
amended so that the counties are
absolved from contributing their
shares.
The last special session passed an
Unemployment Insurance Act to
qualify under the federal Social
Security Act. suggest some
changes in the law.
The present act denies benefits to
workers who, even though their
grievances be just, are compelled to
go on strike. Workers on strike
must live and their families also
must live. They have a right to at
tempt to better their economic con-
dition. Had 1t not been for the
strike weapon exercised by the
American workingman am certain
that the living standard of the
workers of this country would to-
day be no higher than it is in most
of the European countries. Workers
on strike because of just grievanc-
es should be entitled to benefits
under the law and so recommend.
I believe also that the act Is en-
dangered through the system Of
merit rating of employers. The
buting to steadiness of employ
ment is the nature of the industry
itself. Why should the employer in
an industry which by nature Is un-
stable or seasonable be placed in
a disadvantageous position with the
employers in an industry which,
because of its nature, Is able to
stabilize unemployment. Further
more, the operation of the so-called
merit system will narrow the tax
base and endanger the successful
operation Of the law.
I recommend that you abolish
the merit rating provisions of the
law.
I recommend that the minimum
weekly benefit amount be raised
from six dollars to eight dollars and
the maximum from fifteen dollars
to eighteen dollars, leaving the all
tentative provision Of three-fourths
Of the weekly full-time wage.
The waiting period provided for
by the act Is two weeks. In my OPP
inion this waiting period is too
long. Many families are required by
circumstances to live so close to the
subsistence line that they will suf-
fer serious want If two weeks must
elapse before they can secure un-
employment compensation. I re-
commend that the waiting period
be reduced to one week.
In order to receive the full bene-
fits from the federal Social Secur-
ity Act as pertaining to aid to de-
pendent children and aid to the
blind, our state laws must be
changed. Bills will be introduced
whose passage will qualify the
state to receive federal grants in
both of these aids.
Taxation
I shall now discuss with you the
very important subject of taxation.
I have indicated to you what the
people in their insistence upon lib
eral and humane government ex-
pect of us. We must either dis
charge our obligations to the full
est, courageously and honorably, or
we must frankly tell the people
that our form of government has
not the capacities and the re-
sourcefulness to do the things the
people expect Of government.
The first step ever taken in Min
nesota in the direction of land use
studies was the appointment by
Governor Olson of a Land Use
Committee in 1888 At present
there is a Land Use Committee,
created by legislative act, compos-
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