Montana labor news., 1938-07-07
Dr.. IhofkeISon Gives
Liberal Labor Views
In Broadcast Speech

My talk tonight is for labor, the
forgotten man, and forgotten men,
myself and others included.
My introduction is of the for
gotten man, whose faith rests upon
the Old Security Plan. Uneasy sits
he who places his trust in such plans,
for insecure are they-like shifting
grains of sand.
The Social Security Plan for labor
and the forgotten man are only ges-
lures, a mirage in the desert of LIES
shifting sand.
Embracing on life's highway, heart
filled with faith in fellow man, each
year adds grief and as he approaches
the final stand, it is with greater
faith in God and lesser faith in man.
At sixty-five when neal the last
and final span, a Social Security life
belt drops lightly on his hand.
A little hope he reaches for it,
but in despair falls back-with faith
alone in God and loss of faith in
man.
The Social Security Act will be of
little value when it comes due, for
there will be nothing left except
bonds and they cannot be used for
money. The Act is unjust to the
small wage earner because his Social
Security allowance is not sufficient
to be of any real help to him. 1t is
as I have already said, a mere ges-
ture to make us believe that some
thing has been done for us, so we
will give praise to our Buddahs, the
pretended Saviors of our people, SO
they may have our support.
Our young men want work and
they are justified in making such
demand. Idleness destroys morale
and if not recognized and cared for
will also lead to crime. In our
present stagnant state it is difficult
to give a clear formula for proce-
dure, yet, we may accept this.
We are doomed to suffer from
unemployment until business rela-
tons adjust themselves, so as to
allow full operation and production
of industry. When industry, com
merce, business, and labor are again
permitted to operate under their
constitutional rights and preroga-
tives, we may expect full employ
ment, but not until then. When we
return to this normal and happy
state, some provision must be made
by all business for labor to share ir
the profits, in addition to wages, anc
that is the plan l now present. Please
understand that it is merely an out
line and suggestion for your con
sideration.
The first requisite is low operative
cost. Second: 1t must be non-politi-
cal. Third: 1t must be operated by
each state. Fourth: 1t must be free
from Federal meddling, as is preva.
lent today. Fifth: Money paid intC
this fund can only be invested il
Federal, state, or municipal bonds
Sixth: It must not be used by the
government so as to destroy thu
earnings of private industries. Sew
enth: The cost of premium shall b.
equal between the employer and thu
employee, and both amounts matched
by an equal amount from the state
Eighth: It must be flexible, simpl,
in operation, and left to the bene
ficiary's own judgment for upkeep
or let me say: The individual who i
to receive the benefit from this re
tirement pension must also as a citi
zen accept the responsibility for it
maintenance. He cannot expect tt
be led by the hand from the cradle
to the grave.
My proposal is: In December o
each year, a small book with namt
and number of the insured shall b.
Issued to him. This book shall holC
ltwenty-four stamps of a determines
value, the employer must insert on,
stamp each month and the employee,
must do the same. In December O
1.-THE end of the year when the las
Istamp is inserted, the book is re
turned by the insured to a designated
Iplace for filing. On its arrival there
1.-THE state must match the tota
amount and after so doing file thu
book as a record of that man.
The premium should begin at tn,
age of 20, when he begins to work
and will be carried on for a perioc
of 35 years, or until he is SIS year
lold. He must then retire as a com
lpetitive worker but is not deprived o
entering into business for himself
The pension should be SIS or $8I
lper month as long as he lives. Hi
claim to this pension is established
upon 35 books, n for each yea
and filled with required number O.
stamps of a predetermined value
Anyone may share in this plan by
meeting premiums.
This is not a Townsend Plan or {
delusional flight of imagination, but
it is instead sound and practical anc
within a reasonable reach of anyone
who has sufficient backbone left tc
stand up as u forefathers did be-
fore us. l want you people who
don't know me to understand, l fly
an airplane but l am not a victim
of delusionary mental aerobatics
There r too many Of them draw
ing graphs, plans, charts. and Other