Evening star., 1944-08-08
George Drafts
Full Bill for
Demobiization
Offered to Replace
Reconversion and
JobIess Pay Plans
BY the Associated Press.

S"S
BY the Associated Press.
The Senate split over recon.
version legislation appeared to
be widening today with the dis
closure that Senator George,
Democrat, of Georgia has draft
ed a complete rehabilitation
It's to be offered as a substitute
not only for his original measure
which dealt only with unemploy-
ment compensation-but for the
Murray -Klgore bill embracing re-
conversion procedures and an or
ganized labor supported program of
Federal unemployment benefits.
Republican Senators discussed a
tentative draft of the expanded
George bill in an executive confer
ence this morning. and Senator
Taft, Republican, of Ohio said aft
erward he believed the new bill
represented "the views of moss Of
those present"
Set Up Special Agency.
1t would set UP an Office of war
mobilization and reconversion,
whose director would coordinate
postwar planning and policies. 1t
would eliminate industry and re-
gional advisory boards proposed by
the bill sponsored by Senators Muir
ray, Democrat, of Montana, and
Kilgore, Democrat, of West Virginia,
and eliminate, too, the Murray
Kilgore proposal to increase MUSTER
ing out pay and unemployment
benefits for returning war veterans.
The proposed George measure
would authorize the Federal Gov
eminent to pay transportation ex-
penses up to 5000 for stranded" war
workers back to their homes but
not to new job loca tions as proposed
in the Murray-Kilgore bill. Also
eliminated would be federally
financed vocational training as pro-
vided in the Murray -Kilgore pro-
posal.
While the whole reconversion sub
ject was discussed for two hours
by the Republicans in their con-
ference, Chairman Vandenberg, Re-
publican, of Michigan said no formal
action was taken and no attempt
was made to commit COP members
TO support the George measure.
Senate Opens Debate.
Asked by reporters if the Repub-
licans still were committed against
Federal intervention in unemploy-
ment, Senator Vandenberg replied:
Definitely"
The broadened bill was brought
into the picture as the Senate began
formal debate on the original
George measure limited to unem-
ployment compensation. That bill
had been given right of way by the
Democratic Steering Committee.
Both sides were wary about FORE
casting the outcome of the fight.
Majority Leader Barkley declined
to say how he would vote, but
thought the Senate would dispose
of the issue before the end of this
week. Others predicted a long
battle.
| Republican Senators were called
into a conference this morning to
consider the party stand. Most of
them were publicly or privately
committed to the original George
bill prior to today's session. On the
States right side also were num-
Der of Southern Democrats.
A-Billion Claim Denied.
In an interview, Senator Muir
ray, Democrat, of Montana, called
wholly exaggerated" the estimate
of Senator Revercomb, Republican,
of West Virginia that the Federal
plan might cost the taxpayers
almost $4,000, 100000 in two years
of operation.
! That estimate assumes we aro
going to have mass unemployment
and by setting up complete ma
chinery for orderly reconversion we
can avoid that Senator Murray
said
Senator George, on the other
hand, contended the Murray-Kil-
gore bills plan for federally financed
vocational training for the idle,
Government payment of transport
tation expenses of workers to new
jobs and compensation payments of
Sl2 to s35 weekly would pave the
way for "a vast new Federal bu.
sreaucracy"
Fears Universal Pension Setup.
1T sets up a scheme which prob
ably will end up with the workers
getting nothing" Senator George
declared. THE agency goes far be-
yond anything advocated by Ber-
nard M. Baruch, the Presidents ad-
visor on postwar problems. Basical-
ly. it will result in universal PEN
sion for all workers"