Milford chronicle., 1945-09-21

IN IHE BILL now before Congress- t0
broaden the social security act to give every
one protection against the slings and ar
rows OF outrageous fortune" from childbirth
10 the grave. the word compuSory" is Shun-
ned like the OdiferouS aroma Of the I0vly
skunk. Nowhere is that word used in anv
discussions by the promoters of the bill. The
public IS actually made to believe that every
one Will have complete freedom in choice of
a doctor, and that doctors will have complete
freedom in choice Of patients.
II Is CLAIMED that state medicine is not
SCclallzed medicine This is about as logical
as to say the bill is not compulsory. when
the wording of the bill forces all EMPLOYEES
drawing up to $1,000 a year to pav four per
cent OF their earnings into the social security
fund and all employers to pay a like amount.
Nhen government goes into business.
that IS socialism. so when the Federal GOV
efnment establishes a system Of insurance to
winch everyone must contribute when it
regulates the provisions of medical service
through Washington headquarters. when it
regulates fees that doctors are to receive
when they participate in the system. when
1t regulates those who are to be consultants
and when cOnSultantS are to be consulted,
that Is definitely sOciaized medicine The
doctors who are dissatisfied with the system
can quit and turn their abilities to some other
channel but the people, once they are Saddled
with compulsory medical practices are the
losers, and they will definitely have to paw
for sOclalized medicine even though they pre-
fer a private doctor.
AMONG THE ODDITIES Of this transit
tlon period which grow "curiouser and curl
ouser is the fact that USES offices in every
MAJOR industrial area report many Jobs are
UOlOU bpUUinU Whila ciD,ul+apno,,,,l,, ,...,,
lied labor is strenuouSly backing the Murray
full employment" bill now before Congress
the bill which guarantees the right to
work."
Does this mean that the work now Of
tered by the USES will not be taken until
the right to it is confirmed by legislation? :?
Or does it mean that American Workingmen
are using an older right" long since made
laW-that Of exercising their own freedom of
choice, even If that choice means unemplov-
ment? II so, why the bill?
The Jobs glng begging, are for the most
part, lower paid Jobs than those held in war
work, and nobody can blame man for prOus-
ing at lower pay
Does this indicate that MURRAY bill back
ers expect government jobs on public works
to be higher paid jobs than those now offer
ed by service industries, for instance? Or
does 1t indicate that inasmuch as 'unem-
plOyment insurance" is the backbone of the
Dill, 1t would be preferable at this time to
have self-lmpOsed unemployment rather than
employment conditions which would appear
to make the bill unnecessary?
Nobody in the world can quarrel with full
employment as a great economic objective
and a must" for d strong, free enterprise
nation. NO sane man can oppose any legis-
latlOn on that premise. 1t is lust one more
paradox IN complicated era that the very
people so firmly for government protection
against unemployment are the people now
turning down jobs, thus voluntarily accent
ing the condition they want protection
against.
1t may we'll be that the job refusers be-
heve that the acceptance Of lower paid work
during this transition period implies the
acceptance Of lowered living standards per-
and nobody wants that either.
But what breeds lower living standards than
unemployment for any reason?
Murray bill or no Murray bill, political
strategy or no strategy, it seems that some
body ought to be taking a chance pretty soon
that this economy can deliver the things it
promises and help it deliver by making its
wheels turn promptly. 1t doesn't take anv
crystal-gaZer to know that the quickest road
to mass unemployment lies in the simple.
voluntary refusal of available Jobs. And
there isn't any cure for that, even in legis
latiOn.