The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-07-09

insurance should be paid as long as
worker is out of work.
HEALTH INSURANCE
We believe that an adequate health
insurance program should be set VI
to provide security to people who are
unable to get proper care when they
are i'll; to improve the health of our
school children; to eliminate indus
: trial accidents; to minimize occupa-
tional diseases; to raise food stand
ards. All these would aid in eliminat-
ing the 40O,000,O00 man-days Of work
which are lost annually in peacetime
from all types of illness and disabil-
tiles
Not only full employment, but also
continuous employment at wages
which will give us health and comfort
these, too, must be our postwar
goals. There is no sane, sensible
reason why our national income and
the mass living standards of our peo-
pie should remain low The Amer
lean national income is now 100 bill
lion dollars year. We can be blind
and still see that our production ma
chine can be made to produce plenty
for peace as well as plenty for war.
| There is a huge government-owned
industrial empire which has grown up
since our country started to grid itself
for war. 1t consists of the holdings
of the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration, the Defense Plant Corpora
ton, the Defense Supplies Corpora
ton, the Metal Reserve Company,
the Rubber Reserve Company, the
War Damage Corporation and the U.
S. Commercial Company.
These are now being operated on
lease or management contract by pri-
vate industry. This industrial empire
must be put to work for the common
man, so that the welfare of all the
people may be served, instead of be-
ing turned over to private industry.
This can be accomplished, and should
be done, through a federal authority
such as the IVA.
Popular control of big utilities in
the fields of transportation, communi-
cation and electric light and power,
and in the field of natural resources,
we believe to be desirable. These
great utilities should be run by the
many and not by the few; by the
democratic community and not by
private monopolists.
CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES
Natural resources should be regard
ed as a social, not an individual in
heritance, and should be conserved
by the community for the public well
fare. Public acquisition and manage
ment of forests, water power, coal
and oil should be acquired and sub
jected to control by the community
with the single aim of the common
good.
In the postwar world, industrial
workers and farmers must join in a
program to bring security and we'll
being to all corners of our nation.
For the farmer, postwar program
should include extension of the social |
insurance system; development of So
cial insurance against especial risks |
such as drouth, floods and agricul- |
tural blights; extension of public |
credit and subsidies; continuous i'm
provement of highways, of the edu
cational system and of health, hous-
ing and recreational facilities; public
control OF rural banking facilities; and
close cooperation between industrial
ind 1a,1t Co., nd
farm tenants, and workers in legis-
lative, industrial and political activ-
tiles.
Our educational goal should be to
provide opportunities to all, irrespec-
tive Of family income race, color, ma
tional origin or religious beliefs. We
favor adequate federal aid to states
and cities to attain this goal We
believe that provision should be made
for nursery schools and kindergarten;
for compulsory high school education,
or its equivalent, with financial as
wherever necessary; for
public grants and allowances to needy
college students.
Finally, we favor a graduated tax
alton system based on ability to pay.
The soundest tax from the standpoint
Of this principle is the graduated in
come tax. We also favor the gradu-
ated inheritance tax and the gift tax
We vigorously oppose the sales tax.
We believe that it is not enough
Just to state our goals. We must de-
gelop new awareness of the world
around us and a new knowledge of
he problems that beset our path.
Facts are weapons, and we must use
hem effectively to fight our battle
against reaction and selfishness.
Through our locals and our fedora
ions we must wage unceasing war
against the labor-baiters and the la
'or-haters in the legislative halls, in
he national capital and in every state {
legislature in the land.-The Hosiery
Worker.