The Omaha guide., 1947-01-11
lMNTAAX 49, by ERIC lass
Ell c%@a \ " WEEKLY PEOPLE
Released by Calvin's News Sc


Released BY Calns News Service
Between 1000, 600 and 100000 agricultural workers
will drop out in the next five or six years from the southern
labor market because of mecnanization in the processes of
producing cotton. sugar and rice.
This isnt my forecast? It's the forecast Of Evan Ciague,
director Of the Labor Departments Bureau Of Labor Stats
lies. Mr.. Caguo has his fingertips on more facts concern
ing employment and production than anyone else in the
o-s-ntry. He ought TO know.
And what does Mr.. Clague propose doing about this gigan-
tic tragedy that is about 10 strike the American workers? /
hope you listen to this carefully because Mr.. Clague's answer
il as eloquent 4 testimonial as ! have ever heard To The cal
Iousness Of Tie so-called '-hserai' mind.
Mr.. Cague was speaking before the American Public Vel
fare Association at Baltimore, Maryland. He said that the
next few years would not only see archaeological unemploy
mcnt soar in the Souill-particularly among Negroes-but
that improved technology would also cut a swaih Of jobs in
urban industry All over the country. Then he added:
''FEis should mean a widely increased unemployment in
surance and extension Of such insurance to agricultural work
es. 5cial insurance is one of the mSsi constructive sys-
lens / know Of 10 make free enterprise work"
Some folks may think I'm a little hard on Mr.. Clague, that
Mr. Clag-1 i a real lberal+ninded gentleman who wants to
see to il that when workers are kicked ont Of Their jobs by
the '.irOn bouncer' they don't starve. Well. in my own de
Tense want TO say that / don't like to see workers starve Ell
lher. The difference between Mr.. Clague and me is this;
Mr.. Clague accepts a new wave of chronological unemploy
ment as inevitable, like the recurrence OF the seasons. |
don't. | hold that chronological unemployment il inevitable
ONLY IF WE KEEP THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM. 1t we
were to get rid Of The capitalist system, then instead of kick
ing workers out of their jobs the new machines would kick
hours out of the working day!
Please nOte that Mr.. Clague talks about feeding technolo-
acaIIy displaced workers and making free enterprise work
all in one breath. Now to the capitalists, who are the bene-
ficiaries Of this system. that probably makes sense. But
how much sense does it make to wage workers To the PEG
pie who risk the fate of being tossed on the industrial scrap
heap? Does it make sense 10 You?
We've come a long way 10 the year and a half since VI
Day. Then the politicians we're still talking about "ful en-
pIoymeni' and 6O,OOO,OOO jobs" The Congress passed an
Employment Act Of 1916 that was supposed to erect a
Actually, the Act is a lot of legaistic stuff and nonsense
which provides s'fuI employment for only three people
The Presidents economic advisers who get $4,000 a year
each.
The other day, these advisers submitted their first report
and it was a lulu! Ii was what the late President Roosevelt
would call .iffy.' In effect, it said thai if business is coca
we won't have a depression in 1917! President Truman
liked it, probably because it made no recommendations:
hence can be filled like a used weather report.
1t looks like the labor displacing machine and depression
have got to take their toll of jobs before any great number
Of workers are going to get fed up with this starve-awhile,
eat.awhiIe system. For ~far-sighted folks however, now is
the time to think hard about how to make the indicated
changes in u social order. For the sake of our children
and all the posterity to follow us, let us not regard unem-
ployment insurance as the goal; let us rather set as our goal
a social system in which there will be jobs fr all, and peace
and a~Iundance. ~-H~--r