The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-01-04
CONGRESS TAKES
VACATION FROM
DOING NOTHING

With an almost completely blanl
record in the way of constructive leg
Iislation, congress is now on vacation
leaving the country's interests in
more chaotic condition perhaps thar
it has ever been The story or the
present session, so far, can well &c
down in history as outstanding in do
nothing and in party sparring for po
litical advantage.
Left up in the air" are among
many others of equal Importance, such
measures of vital interests to the pub
lie as the Full Employment legislation
minimum wage, fair employment prac
tees, unemployment compensation, ra
do control, housing, health. Botn
of the major political parties were
pledged to full employment during
the 1914 campaign, but efforts to get
basic legislation - the Full Employ
ment bill-passed are being stymled.
Senate passed bill in weakened form.
Hearings In house committee on ex-
penditures have been completed; a
drastically revised and practically use
less bill has been reported out by the
committee.
All efforts should be directed to-
wards getting house approval OF bill
as originally introduced More than
lis representatives, led by. Rep.
George Outland (D.-Calif.) seek pas
sage of original bill (H.R. 2202).
Millions of veterans face offers OF
less money in postwar jobs than they
received as underpaid enlisted men IN
army, navy, marines. They'll be JOIN
ing 10 million Americans who at peak
of war property" were earning less
than Csc an hour. These 10 million,
out of American workers, not In
Guiding those in agriculture, domestic
service, or professions have had far
less than bare subsistence wage. Aver
age enlisted man in European theater
with wife and two children received
almost double cash earnings, as well
as including medical care, lodgings
etc. over what he would receive at
65c an hour.
gressional inactivity on fundamental
legislation makes FEPC absolute ne
cessity. Those who would pit group
against group will use current and
economic crises to fan ra-
cial and religious strife. Enemy am
munition did not differentiate between
Catholic, Protestant and Jew, white
and negro, native and foreign born,
neither should employers bill CHR.
1922 to establish a permanent Fair
Practices Committee was
favorably by house labor COM
nittee on Feb. 20, is bottlenecked in
rouse rules committee. Two hundred
ind eighteen signatures to discharge
petition No. will bring it to the
1oor for passage. Seventy more sig
natures are needed
Mounting unemployment (conserya-
i've estimates are 10 million by
spring. has not moved congress to
Ease strain on individuals as they |
lave on corporations. Present unem-
,loyment compensation programs are
The Kilgore Is. 1870 and Forand
H.R. 3891) bills provided maximum
f S25 weekly unemployment compen-
alton for 26-week maximum period.
'assed by senate without SIS guaran-
ee, the house ways and means COM
1ittee is refusing to consider COM
anton bill A petition to discharge
ill is expected shortly.
The federal housing administrator ;
that by the time demobili- ]
alton is completed there will be ap-
three million more fami-
es in the United States than there {
re housing units for them to live in. l
enator Wagner estimates that, ex- {
Iusive of farm areas, we need to build
100000 units of housing each year
,r the next 10 years.
Modern science makes it possible to {
rolong life, reduce misery and suf- &
sring. Principal problem has been
nd remains the distribution of medi- {
al care. that scientific advances may l
Continued on Page Four) S