Montana labor news., 1944-09-07
HOUSE TOLD GEORGE
BILL INADEQUATE TO
MEET NATION NEEDS

WASHINGTON (FP) e Serious short
comings of the bob tailed, revised George
.reconversion bill reported to the house
Aug. % were detailed in a strongly
worded minority report signed by four
Democrats of the ways & means com
mittee who favor more generous treat
ment of Americas war plant workers
and veterans.
The four liberals Reps. John D. Din
gell d. Nich), Walter A. Lynch (DN.
", Aime J. Forand Cd. r. t. and Her
man Eberharter ID Pa, wrote that the
George bill come to our committee with
the generally accepted view that it was
a most conservative measure. Amend
ments adopted by the committee further
limited its scope and it will . fail to
produce any of the even limited results
its original sponsors intended"
I'm our opinion" they wrote, it is no
excuse in reporting out a bill dealing
with reconversion to say that the house
wants a bill quickly, and that the coun-
try wants action now S2051, as now
amended, is not bill it is merely a
skeleton. This is not action it is shad-
ow boxing which will fool no one"
In regard to unemployment compen-
sation for jobless wor workers and veter-
ans during the reconversion period, the
minority statement said the house YER
sion of the George bill docs not assure a
single unemployed individual one addi-
tional cent of benefits In view of the
fact that industry has already been TAX
en- care Of in the Contract Settlement
Act of 1914 and in the surplus property
bill already passed by the house, it is
astonishing that not one single provision
is included in the bill to take care Of the
men and women who will become unem-
ployed after having been patriotically
engaged in making our war production
program such great success.
I'VE believe that the existing pro
visions of some state unemployment
compensation laws are inadequate, the
amount of the benefits too low, the dura-
ton of the benefits too short, and the
coverage too limited.
I'VE believe the unemployment insur-
ance benefits should be liberalized to
absorb the shock Of reconversion. We
believe the cost Of meeting this prob
lem should be considered as a cost Of
the war and that the federal government
should supplement the eisting state
laws in order to bring them up to a de-
sirable minimum"
In conclusion the minority said con-
gress has passed legislation protecting
the rights Of veterans and Of business.
This is only right and proper. But con-
gress must also protect the rights of the
millions Of men and women who have
worked in war plants and have produced
the munitions of war that are making
our victory possible" They criticized
the closed, executive sessions and lack
of public hearings on the bill and charged
the George bill "does not adequately pro-
tect human rights"
The minority said it believed unem-
ployment insurance benefits should run
for at least 26 weeks. Touching on pub
lie works, the minority said the house
version in this respect lis useless and in
ADEQUATE We believe that planning
for public works of a necessary and per-
manent character should be started inn
mediately. But we are strongly of the
opinion that if necessary public works
are planned now they will be the means
of employment of or million people
when construction is actually under
taken.