Montana labor news., 1939-06-01
SENATOR J. MURRAY
INTRODUCES new BILL
FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
Being Supported by Liberals in
Congress.


assured that the Work and Recovery
Act, S. 2507, which he introduced
in the Senate Friday afternoon, will
have the support of large group of
senators, among them Schwellen-
bach, Pepper, Downey, Guffey,
Mead, Lundeen, Schwartz, Wagner,
LaFollette, and Ellender.
Senator Murray warned that un-
less the principles and safeguards
contained in his bill were embodied
into the 1910 work relief program
our country would be faced with a
new depression.
"This is a bill which would estab-
lish the WPA on the sound basis
which its friends and the friends of
Americas unemployed would like
to see" said Senator Murray. 'Its
enemies-and therefore the enemies
of our unfortunate citizens who can
not find jobs in private industry
have too long been seeking to
cripple and hamper the WPA. We
are trying to implement it so that
it can do its job most effectively.
"This bill establishes the funda-
mental principle that the WPA
should be kept at certain level as
long as there are that number of
unemployed workers who are eli
gible for work relief. An average
of three million jobs has been chosen
for next year because that has been
the average maintained during the
past year and there have been no
indications that there has been any
substantial lessening of the need.
Indeed, the presence of at least a
million American citizens certified
as eligible for WPA and waiting
hopelessly for months for jobs that
do not materialize, indicates that
many more jobs should be provided
for.
1--WE have written into this bill
the provision that all workers who
are unable to find job in private
industry and who are willing and
able to work should be eligible to
WPA. This will do away once and
for all with the un-American
pauperization and abasement of our
unemployed citizens before they are
allowed to get a WPA job. It is
public scandal that an honest, self
respecting worker must 60 on relief
before he can be given a job. And
yet we are constantly being assured
that this is a program designed to
conserve the morale and self-respect
of our unemployed"
Senator Murray further pointed
out that opportunity is given in the
bill for carrying on socially useful
projects which will provide work
suited to the needs and skills of the
unemployed. WPA workers are
assured of the fundamental rights
of self-organization and security
against discrimination for any rea-
son. An effective administrative
machinery from top to bottom is
assured by the use of tests similar
to Civil Service.
"One of the most telling criticisms
that have been made by the friends
of the WPA," said Senator Murray,
SIS that in many localities the minor
administrative and supervisory per-
sonnel has not been of the high
calibre that it should have been.
"This bill has been designed pri-
marily to give to our unemployed
some sense of security and knowl-
edge that their government is not
going to cast them brutally into the
street." said Senator Murray. "The
provision for three million jobs as
long as they are necessary is modest
indeed at this time. If Congress
writes the provisions and safeguards
contained in this bill into the law
of our land, we will soon see a time
when that number of jobs will no
longer be necessary. If Congress
disregards them and hearkens to
those who urge a selfish and short
sighted economy" we will condemn
our unemployed citizens to hope
less future and a slow starvation
and will threaten our entire nation
with a new and more disastrous
depression"