Montana labor news., 1944-08-31

The Editor,
The Peoples Voice,
Helena, Montana.

Ine EullOIs
The Peoples Voice,
Helena, Montana.
Dear Sir:
In recent issue you published state
ment by James d. Graham giving GER
tain arguments in opposition to the
Wagner -Murray-Dingell bill The pres
sure of work on war legislation has made
it impossible for me to answer before
this. In fairness to your readers, / ask
Nhat you publish the following priei
reply:
In the first place, want to correct
the impression given by MI Graham
that the newspaper release to which ne
refers was devoted primarily to con-
demning him and that it was who
stated that Mr.. Graham was IN attend
ance at the American Federation OF La
bor convention in Boston which enthusi-
astically endorsed the provisions OF the
Wagner-Murary-D bill. In spon-
soring the bill, I had thought it repre-
sented not only the best interests but
the wishes of the great majority Of
American workers. When 1 found that
the president of the State Federation
of Labor in my own state was attacking
the bill. I naturally turned to the head
of the American Federation of Labor
to learn whether there had been any
change in the position of that organi-
zation. Mr.. Green's answer, which was
quoted at length in the press release to
which Mr.. Graham referred, was clear
and unequivocal. President Green stated
that the American Federation of Labor
not only endorsed but is actively sup
porting the bill He also expressed the
conviction that if Mr.. Graham thor
oughly understood the provisions of the
bill. he also would support it.
Let me turn then to Mr.. Graham's OBJ
iections to the bill. He charges first
that it is a totalitarian measure and
asks whether 7 am ready and able to
prove that it is not totalitarian. That
challenge is one which am glad to
take up.
I would call attention first to the fact
that the only evidence Mr.. Graham
cites to support this charge Of totalitar-
ianism is that fascist Germany and Italy
had social insurance systems. Quite true
They also had public education and pub
lie water supply systems and trade
unions and parliamentary bodies. Be
cause they used these instruments to
false ends must we be denied the right
to use them for democratic purposes? 1t
is not true to say, as Mr.. Graham does
that social insurance originated in Bis
narck's Germany One of the earliest
of all social insurance systems originated
in this country, in 1913, when Congress
established a system of medical care in
surance for merchant seamen.
I am curious to know where Mr.. Gra-
ham got this argument about totalitar-
ianism. His statement Of it is very sim
liar to the statements in pamphlets
opposing our bill which have been put
out by the Insurance Economics society
of America-an organization of big in
vestment groups-and by the National
Physicians Committee for the Extension
of Medical Service-the alter ego of the
American Medical association which is
largely supported by contributions from
the patent medicine and drug industry
I cannot believe that Mr. Graham has
knowingly allied himself with these
groups
Far from being totalitarian in purpose
or method, our bill would greatly streng-
then democratic procedures in this coun-
try. It would provide one of the neces-
sary pillars of economic security-assur-
ance to workers and their families of a
continuing income when they are unable
to work and of all needed medical care.
Such assurance is necessary in our COM
plex money economy, if workers are to
remain free and independent. This as
surance would be based on the consent
of the people expressed through their
representatives in Congress. The opera
ton Of the system would involve min
imum of constraints or controls on in
dividual workers. Everyone would con-
tribute a small fraction of his earnings
to a common fund when he was en-
ployed from this fund he would draw
benefits when he was unemployed, sick
or disabled or too old to work and
through this fund his family would be
protected if he died The right to re-
ceive benefits and the amount of the