The union times., 1945-12-29
King Committee Has New Haven In l9-City Poll
Negroes, Vets, And Aged Top Post-War Job
 Casualty List

NEW 1ORA-\rT)- )-r dll- ure of reconversion planning in the period following VI Day has resulted in a huge cas- ualty list among American workers, with Negroes, wom- en, veterans and aged persons most widely affected, Presi- dent Truman was informed last week in a report by the National Committee on the Human Aspects of Reconver- sion.
 The social workers survey on the aftermath of victory in lo cities found confusion and tension throughout the nation, with anticipation of an in creasingly grave situation few months from now" Conclusions of the survey were in sharp contrast to a recent optimistic report on re- convesion issued by Truman.
 NEGROES, VETS, AGED
 s'Problems of the Negroes, vet erans and aged workers were found to be the most acute of all,'' said Clarence King, professor at the New York School of Social Work and chairman of the committee. 'sThese groups are already begged down by unemployment, housing shortages and discrimination to the extent that their plight becomes a serious threat to whole localities. The insecurity that is developing among these people can have a permanent corrosive effect on their lives and that of their families, from which the wider population will also suffer-"
 The committee proposed 6-point program to avert widespread human suffering: CD immediate action for federal responsibility for full em- ployrnent, (2) extension of federal so- cial security measures to include a category of general relief and special relief for transients, (3) increased unemployment insurance benefits, (4) federatization of U. s. Employment Service, (5) permanent national FEPC, (6) amendment to the wage hour act to increase minimum wages.
 Here are conclusions and highlights of the committees survey, which cov- cred Detroit, New Haven, Conn, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Portland, Ore, Wichita, Kans., Trenton, N. J., Oklahoma City, Montgomery, Ala, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Fort Worth, Bal timore, Denver, Chicago, Minneapo- lis, Los Angeles, Washington and Greenboro, N. C.:
 CUTBACKS
 1. 'sMany cities are already fac ing an unemployment problem due to abandonment of war plants and cutbacks in war-expanded indus tries.' Chiefly affected are aged, Negroes and women.
 2. Greater acuteness will be felt in few months when unemployment insurance and savings are exhausted, and as veterans return" Pittsburgh ''It is estimated that there will be one half million unemployed in Pennsyl- vania in 1o46" Dallas: "When say ings have been depleted and benefits have been exhausted, workers will either have to leave the county, ac- cept the few marginal jobs that are available or remain unemployed" De- troit: "250,000 Detroit veterans are still in the army with about 100000 expected home within the next four or five months. They are coming to city wholly unprepared to meet them and at the same time keep the non veteran in his job and in his home. ,
 JOBS SUB-STANDARD
 3.ssJobs available are substand- ard." Milwaukee: "5O% of the jobs available here are said to pay soc an hour or less." Forth Worth 1: 'sA large number of the 3,395 job openings listed Sept. 9, 1945, offered salaries from soc to 85c an hour." Baltimore: "The United Auto Workers office tells of cases of people who are being denied compensation because they refuse jobs in our low wage canneries, where wages are often less than $2O week."
 4. If these people fall on local relief funds, localities feel they cannot adequately meet the problem = in