The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-06-05
Fair Enough
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
1915, By King Features Syndicate.)

Copyright, 1S45, by hmg Features SynuAcate.)
NEW YORK-President Truman has pro-
posed unemployment pensions of at least $25
week, if not more, for certain classes of
civilians who may be unable to find jobs or
unwilling to work, for 26 weeks per year and,
presumably for more than one year, during
the transition period The language in which
he expressed this proposal is his first resort
to that trick, double-talk which was the native
tongue of the New Deal. Mr.. Truman is neither
illiterate, inarticulate nor naive, so it mtst be
assumed that he deliberately balled-up his pro.
posal for a purpose.
Here is what he said in his message to
Congress- Every eligible worker should be
entitled to rs weeks of benefits in any one
year if his unemployment continues that long
The maximum payment at least for the work
er who has dependents, should be raised from
the present levels to not less than $25 week.
AT careless reading that might suggest
e flat $25 week for all hands for at least
two periods of one halfyear each. That would
be total of 81 300 client. But we must try
to weigh the word eligible Eligibility is
fixed by state laws and not many of these
laws would ordinarily regard as eligible for
such relief a person who refused work at $25
week. However, if minimum of $25 is
mere dole then nobody be expected to
work for that pay. And most individuals would
rather be idle on $25 than work for $35 in
WHICH case tl1e ACTUAL pay IOI tle JOD WOULD
be reckoned at only $40 a week.
Now we find him recommending that the
maximum payment be raised to not less
than SIS week for the worker with Deepen.
dents, in other words, he would be pleased
if the pension were even higher, perhaps $50
or SIS. That scale of income would be taxable
under the income tax laws of the nation and
most states if it were earned by work or the
investment Of savings. But We never tax doles
oil Of 1xy;Ne to-
on street, and spending rs weeks q year
fishing or loafing, would go untaxed The man
next door who worked for his living at the
same rate of income, or less, would pay taxes
for the loafer's support.
We may assume that the relief client in
this case has been paying income tax during
the war boom Now he is going to get it all
back and much more. We must consider, Also
the temptation to his wife, who has been self
supporting during the boom, to give up
her job, too, and become dependent again
in order that the head of the family may
qualify for the unemployment pension at the
highest rate which is not necessarily $25 a
week but might be $50 or SIS.
Now, of course in many industrial areas
SIS week is no longer a decent wage but
in many areas it is still sufficient And the
reason why it is paltry in some regions is
that, from the beginning of the war boom.
Franklin D. Roosevelt refused to consider the
suspension of the 4O-hour week even though
there was work enough to keep all the avail.
! able talent busy all DAY Saturday and over
time on other days. Instead, overtime was
paid for hours in excess of forty week in.
| Gliding double-time for Sundays and bonuses
TOR certain inconvenient shifts. The result was
that the labor costs of the war effort were
greatly increased. Initiation naturally resulted
Notwithstanding the control of rents and some
| other prices. The luxury trades had a great
boom one beneficiary being highly patriotic
dealer In trash jeWelry in small city where
l am acquainted. He sold chip diamonds,
| cheap watches and novelty junk at high prices
on the instalment plan to factory workers and
young soldiers at rates of interest which
amounted to usury. There were no ceilings
on most of his merchandise and he had all
the business he could accommodate, but he is
firm believer in renegotiation lest profiteer.
ing contractors grow rich through the bloody
sacrlhce OF the same brave boys who were
buying his engagement rings and shiny little
jewelry service insinia for their mothers
| One excuse for the continuation of the 40
hour week, which was a job-stretching service
adopted during Mr.. Roosevet's depression.
was that the workers would be enabled to
save enough money to tide them over the
transition period. They were going to buy War
Bonds and put away all their overtime earn.
lngs When the war ended they were going
to draw on this, and the dole which Mr.
Truman now proposes in de luxe figures would
be unnecessary, now, however it appears that
very little of this inflationary pay was saved
and that it would be unwise anyway, to make
1t necessary for such workers to dump their
bonds in order to live This would depress the
bonds
Alr. Truman seems to have ignored the great
treasures of the unions which collected not
mere millions but billions from most of these
workers. This was possible under an arrange.
ment with the government of which he was a
part and the party of which he is now the
mead whereby such payments were comprl
sorry. Initiation fees in many cases were $500
and fees of 5000, $40 and $50 were common
Most OF the workers who paid these fees were
Just robbed as Mr.. Truman, of course knows
because he was the chairman of a COMMITTEES
which investigated all sorts of thievery and
graft. AS soon as their initiation fees were
paid up in weekly installments they were fired
New victims were then taken on the pavrolls
Who, IN turn, were swindled and laid off That
loot is inviolate. There is no suggestion that
such unions help to tide over the DISPLACED
workers or that any part OF the graft be taken
by taxes to pay the unemployment pensions
proposed by President Truman
There are some further points worth ron.
| slderation which l shall remind YOU Of in IA.
morroWs message to humanity.