The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-09-21


Government to return to peacetl
AT the same time. he urged, worker,
should go back to the 4O-hour week
This will give jobs to those who
are left without employment. The
workers want jobs and not unemploy
ment compensation, he declared In
his report.
However, Byrnes made not mention
of the necessity of increasing hourly
rates of pay to maintain the war in
come of workers who will lose the
overtime they now rely upon to meet
increased costs Of living
Byrnes called unemployment com
pensation our first line of defense
against Unemployment He warned:
I'm view of the failure of the Con
gress to provide for more liberal bene-
fit payments by the Unemployment
Compensation systems of the States
through supplemental appropriations
by the Federal Government, there will
be some States in which the payments
will be very inadequate particularly
in view of the increase in the cost of
living since such payments were estab-
lished by those States.
The weekly benefits were established
several years prior TO the war If they
We're adequate then, they are made
quate now. The State systems have
during the war, as result Of in
expenditures, accumulated reserves Of
five and one half billion dollars. That
is fortunate. But the objective of the
system is to provide defense against
unemployment, and not merely to ac-
cumulate money The States should
act now to liberalize the benefits and
make the State system serve their true
purpose
IL still hope the Congress will re-
consider its action in rejecting the plan
suggested by me that the maximum
weekly benefit should not be less than
n stated percentage of the workers
previous wages or $40, whichever Is
the lower should be paid for as long
as twenty-six weeks and the coyerage
be extended To include workers where
the number of employees Is less than
eight. Several influential members ex-
pressed To me the view that they did
not want To consider at this time Il bill
liberaizing the benefits because they
feared If such Il bill was considered
nj this time just prior to n Presidential
"A. "A no fnt
votes and the proposal would not be
considered upon its merits. They
thought that after the election legis-
lation providing reasonable liberaliza-
tion could be enacted. | earnestly hope
this will he done
As to reconversion after We Day,
the Byrnes plan declared that war
agencies will keep only
the best qualified plants and contrac-
tors on war production, releasing |
others 10 the extent that their produc-
tion Is not needed for the defeat of
Japan and the security of the nation
With regard to qualified producers,
the following factors will be consid- |
cred as 10 priority or release.
Privately owned plants. not nor
tary character, will be given first
of release from war produc-
lion in order to facilitate their recon
version To civilian production, due
being given To the wishes
)f the contractors.
-Goyernment-owned plants will be
kept In operation or reserve until their
production Is clearly no longer re
Iuired for military needs. This is sub
lect To- modification in the ease of Il
plant located In an isolated section
With no opportunity for displaced
workers where the exercise of wise
discretion may prompt
,ther action.
3-In SO far as practicable the re-
ease 10 civilian production of compet-
,e simultaneous.
4-In scheduling the release OF
llants and industries, due considera
ion is to be given To cushioning the
shock of unemployment
5-In scheduling the release of
,lants or industries, due consideration
: 10 be given to:
ta) Security considerations.
tbl Considerations affecting public
such as accessibility to
he sources of labor, raw materials,
depots or storage facili-
les, and ultimate destination.
(c) The relative unit cost 10 the
government.
I'D The welfare of small businesses.
6-Where practical considerations
make ii possible, companies responsible
or the development and engineering of
specialized products will be retained
n their manufacture In preference 10
hose companies which are merely
licensed for their manufacture.