Evening star., 1940-06-06
Murray Warns
AgainstCo||apse
OF Economy
Must Devise Ways to
Shift Production as
War Orders Stop

stop, was urged by Philip Murray,
vice president of the Congress of
industrial Organizations, in an ad-
dress today before the Interfaith
Conference on Unemployment
The speaker called on leaders of
the new national defense program
to look to the future and devise
ways and means of shifting this
countrys industrial production from
rearmament and war orders to do
mestlc purposes without suffering
long and severe periods of unem-
ployment and industrial stagna-
ton"
Economic planning as a solution
to the unemployment problem was
discussed in its various phases by
two other speakers at the closing
session today as the conference pre-
pared to receive preliminary recon-
mendations of its Findings Com
mittee.
The Rev DR.. R. A. MCGOWAN. as
sistant director of the department
of social action of the National
Catholic Welfare Conference. urged
the next national administration to
call conference of organized en-
ployers, organized labor and organ
lied farmers, along with public and
consumer representatives, to work
out the form and function of a self
organized self-governing economic
fl6nnnnronu i,, I,,;t
Industrialist Also Speaks.
The third speaker, George H
Houston, New York industriahst
asserted the kind of planning
America needs lis the fixing and
maintaining of public policy so as
to encourage rather than discourage
the individual to plan, to strive, to
achieve"
Mr.. Murray said the failure of
Americas economic machinery to
maintain a steady flow of orders in
our industrial plants is at the root
OF the unemployment problem.
When industrial production reached
the peaks of 1929 and exceeded them
last November and December, the
Federal Reserve Board reported at
least 2 million fewer galnfully en-
ployed workers, while other esti-
mates ranged as high as 2,5OOOO0
fewer workers, he said.
The G. I. o. leader urged industry.
government, banking, farming and
labor to get together under Govern
ment auspices and do something of
q constructive nature Ito increase
our national income and alleviate
the present high taxation imposed
in many instances inequitably-upon
our people for the purpose of main
tanning an impossible economy. -
This economy, he said, has been
made impossible of maintenance
through taxation because of the fail
ure of private industry to use Amer
1cas unemployed.
Proposes Different" N. r. A!
In presenting, solution for un-
employment, DR.. MCGOWAN pro-
posed an N R. A. with major diff
ferences." He said the people should
organize themselves freely into their
own employers associations. labor
unions, farmers co-opera tives and
consumer organiza tions. The unions
would be in the code authorities and
the organizations of an industry
would make up the code authority.
Under his plan. Dr. MCGOWAN
said, code authorities would head up
directly in a congress of the indus
tries, farming included, and not di-
rectly in the Government. which
would deal only with industries that
come under the Interpretation of in
terstate commerce. The distinct in
terest of consumers would be repre-
sented directly in some form, for eX-
ample, through consumers councils.
Government leadership will be
necessary to bring about concerted
action on the plan, the speaker said,
adding: "If We wait for a congress
of American industry to form itself
and work out the right co-ordina-
ton of prices voluntarily, we shall
wait in vain and, meanwhile, unem-
ployment will run its course to still
deeper tragedy"
Planning Lays Behind.
Speaking on "An Industrialist at
Planning Mr.. Houston said the
need for organization and planning
In the economic field has increased
enormously with the rapid develop
ment of the physical sciences and
mechanical arts, but that progress
In planning has not kept pace.
The right kind of planning can
be accomplished only by wide edu-
cation in an understanding of the
underlying characteristics of private
enterprise, the proper relations of
Government to business and by ef-
tective cooperation of all people for
establishment of conditions favor
able to progress" he said.
Maintaining of democratic proceed
ures amid hysteria over fifth COL
umn' forces in this country was
urged in statement by Rabbi Ed
wa "a 49, AoA oC1, Sild1 llldll VI UllS OO.
cial Justice Commission of the Gen.
trail Conference of Rabbis, which
was read to the conference last night
by Rabbi Ely E. Pilchik. Rabbi Israel
was unable to appear in person be-
cause Of illness
Tactics of Generalization.
1--WE must realize that the fifth
column does its job far more ef-
fectively by destroying that basic
confidence within a democracy than
by blowing up some ammunition fac
tory or planting machine gun at
the entrance of some public building
or welcoming parachute invaders" :"
Rabbi Israel's statement said.
Through tactics of demoraliza-
ton, it is possible for the fifth COL
umnists to destroy a democracy
without single shot being fired"
he continued. I'm the present crisis,
we must realize that a man can be
q liberal or a leftiSt and still not
q Communist owing first allegiance
to Moscow. We have to know also
that there are strongly conservative
individuals amonp 1s who are mt