The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-08-16
Heaven on Earth
these Days E.s sz i3t. E; soxS5:kT

Unemployment was the primary
American political, social and eco
nomic problem from 1929 to 1871.
Then We went to war and took
somsthing like 100000 men and
women out OF our Industrial pop.
ulation by putting them in the
armed forces and In government
civilian Jobs. As the war ap-
proaches its end, these men and
women must be reabsorbed In the
industrial life OF the countryside
entire 100000 OF them. From
the purely economic stand point,
the United States today has H..
100000 unemployed but there is
no actual labor shortage. as was
amply proved year ago in one Of
Mr.. Baruch's reports.
Our primary problem remains,
then. unemployment. Neither the
Republicans between 1929 and
1882, nor the New Dealers between
1882 and 1914 solved that prob
lem. II stands where 1t was when
the stock market depression hit
our people in 1929, except that the
crisis is deeper and our national
poverty has increased. In 1929.
when our troubles started, our ma.
tional debt amounted to $4,000.
100000; today that national dept is
$2OS,OOO, 100000. The cost of un.
employment must be piled on top
or that national debt in addition
TO the diversion Of private surplus
es from capital formation to taxes.
Naturally, constructive minds
turn TO this problem of unemploy-
ment now that the principal war
worries are over. Both the George
and Kilgore Bills deal with it, the
latter having discovered a short
cut to heaven on earth by propos-
ing not increased jobs but govern.
ment charity as the solution TO
our national difficulties.
The Kilgore Bill, as II stands.
will not and cannot be passed, for
few months of it would be more
devastating economically than a
military defeat at the hands of
Hitler. Defeated in the Senate
last week, am convinced 1t will
reappear both in the House and IN
the Senate.
Although there are modifying
whereases, the Kilgore Bill will
give to those out OF work $35 a
week. He is. to be specific, to
get 70 per cent of his weekly
wage when he worked, provided
that does not come to more than
$35. Practically that means every
unemployed person will receive
$35 a week. II there are 10000
900 unemployed, the bill will be
s1S,200,000,000 year to which
will have to be added a minimum
of $4,000, 100000 annually for serv-
icing our debt, around $10,O00,000.-
900, for government expendi-
lures, to say nothing Of the many
billions. not yet calculable for vet
Grams pensions, disqualification and
so forth. We might under those
circumstances figure that govern
ment expenditures will run about
SAC, 900, 100000 a year. We just
have no such money in the United
States. Those who say that 1t can
be done are cruelty kidding the
American people, and they are
teasing worst OF all those 10 whom
they are promising the mama OF
S35 a week. The Kilgore Bill is
irresponsible legislation proposed
by those who reject simple arith-
metic as too trite, too old-fashioned
and too simple.
Were there not a philosophy be-
hind this Kilgore Bill, 1t would
be nothing more than a legislative
joke. But that is not the case
This is a seriously propounded pro
posal in line with similar mea-
sures designed to achieve a social
list state by legislation rather
than by revolution. Such a mea-
sure guarantees that wartime tax
FAILS IN EXAMINATION