Evening star., 1938-01-08
JOBLESS PROBERS
TOCONT|NUE QUIZ
Leaders Of Industry and
Labor Will Be Called by
Senate Group.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

Hoping to collect sun1cient authori-
tative information in three weeks of
hearings to enable them to draft
recommendations quickly for 4 com.
prehenssve national policy to combat
the present sharp business decline.
the Byrnes Committee OF the Senate
announced today 1t had scheduled 1o
Leaders Of industry, labor and Gov
ernment for appearance next week.
Prominent among those who will
appear for testimony and interroga-
ton before the committee are Lam
mot du Pont, chairman Of the E. I.
du Pone de Nemours Co., on Mon
day; John L. Lewis, chairman OF the
Committee for Industrial Organiza-
ton, on Tuesday; J. J. Pelley, presi-
dent Of the Association Of American
Railroads, on Wednesday; Secretary
Of Agriculture Wallace on Thursday
and Benjamin Fairless. president of
United States Steel Corp, on Friday.
Textile Leaders Called.
Others included in the list an
nounced today are Claudius T. Murch-
isou, president Of the Textile Insti-
tute; Robert Z. Henry, president Of
the Southern Textile Manufacturers
Association; Russell Fisher, president
Of the American Cotton Manufac-
turers' Association; Leonard P. Ayres,
economist for the Cleveland Trust
Co.; Wilson Compton, president of
the National Lumber Manufacturers
Association; A. F. Whitney, Brother
hood Of Railway Trainmen; Charles
p. Taft. Louis KRISTEN of William
Filene Sons Co., w. j. Kelly, Ma
chinery and Allied Industries Insti-
tute; Walter 8. Tower, American Iron
and Steel Institute. and J. D. A. Nor
row. president Of the Pittsburgh Coal
Co.
In recess today. the committee had
under consideration q disturbing pic
ture Of employment conditions in the
automobile industry and relief con-
ditions in the Detroit area, presented
yesterday afternoon by Homer Martin,
president Of the United Automobile
Workers, an afhliate OF the Committee
for Industrial Organization.
17e,oe0 Are Now Idle.
Hazarding the opinion that half
Of the industry's workers are now
idle, the union executive estimated
that 10000 men have been laid of
in recent months by the big three"
OF the industry. These estimates he
itemized as $4,000 discharges at
Chrysler plants, $1,000 at General
Motors and 10000 at Ford The per-
centage lay-of1 was greatest at Chrys-
Ter. he said, where only $4,000 are
left at work, as compared to 16l 900
at G. M. and an estimated $4,000 at
Ford.
Mr.. Martin said 100000 U. A. w.
members are jobless in the Detroit
area, representing half the member
ship Of that district.
Relief facilities are markedly in
adequate. he said.
Also before the committee for con-
sideration Is seven-point program
submitted by William Green. presi-
dent Of the American Federation OF
Labor. and calculated to assist the
Nation in recovering from the present
depression
In brief, Mr. Green's proposals
were: Shortening of hours of work.
maintenance Of existing wage stand
ards, extension Of public works, ex-
tension OF public low.rent housing
and slum-clearance programs, stimu-
lation Of private home construction
through remission Of local taxes, ex-
tension Of the social security pro-
gram and extension of the work relief
program.
A recovery program from the busi-
ness side also was presented to the
committee yesterday as Gen. Robert
E. Wood, president Of Sears. Roebuck
& Co.. suggested desterilization of
gold, modification OF taxes on undis-
tributed corporate profits and capital
gains and less mutual hating"
Gen Wood said he looked for an
upturn in May.