Evening star., 1949-04-17
HdnIOn
Continued From Page C-1)

nations and q determination OF
how much of our resources will be
drawn of to maintain the cold
war"
It will be noted, however. that
labor's public works program. Tor
the present, Is limited to specific
geographic areas" as Mr.. Murray
put it. in which unemployment Is
now q serious problem.
Aside from public works. the
labor program for legislation to
arrest unemployment deals with
increasing social security dement's,
increasing the minimum wage
from. 40 to Is cents an hour. re-
organization Of the United States
Employment Service to put 1t back
under Federal control and re-
yamping the unemployment COM
pensation program. to put 1t un-
der Federal control and increase
the benefits. - ~.
The administration has bills
pending In Congress dealing with
all these matters except unem-
ployment compensation. They are
in various stages of the legisla-
tive process and most Of them are
expected to encounter stiff oppo-
sition from the Dixiecrat- Repub-
lican coalition which 80 far has
blocked most Of the Truman do
mestic program.
Bill Waits Introduction
The Administrations unemploy-
ment compensation plan. which
bears most Immediately on the
problems created by unemploy-
ment. has not yet been intro
duced. A chilly reception awaits
it. In the House. Chairman
Doughton of the Ways and Means
Committee and in the Senate.
Chairman George of the Finance
Committee. have suggested the
log jam on other legislation would
prevent their committees from
giving any early consideration to
such . bills
The average payment Is now
about $19 o week and the average
period for which this amount may
be drawn is about 20 weeks. When
unemployment compensation was
first adopted In the depressed
l930s, the general idea was that
1t would make up about half OF the
wage loss by the unemployed. In
recent years, because OF imitation.
it has worked out at about 50 per
cent on the average and the CIO
wants this raised to SIS per cent Of
regular earnings, with additional
allowances for dependents and
for travel in quest of employment.
Want Unified Job Service
The effort to return the United
States Employment Service to
Federal control Is based largely
on the argument that one unified
employment service can do bet
ter Job than the present system
Of 81 State and territorial sys-
TENS. As an example OF the as
serted inemciency Of the present
system, 1t Is argued that only .
nth Of the job openings In fac
tories have been listed with the
present service.
Organized labor's interest In the
bill to increase minimum wages
Is indirect. Few IL any labor con-
tracts provide for wages rs low rs
rs cents an hour. or $50 for q
40-hour week. but minimum wages
Of at least that amount. 1t Is
thought. would provide . door
under the higher wages generally
received By organised labor.
How 1t III works out may prove
or disprove the thesis advanced
before the Senate Labor Commit
tee By Prof. Nathan Feinstnger
M Wisconsin University. former
public member Of the War Labor
Board. He told the committee
the Taft-Hartley Act provisions
for Government Intervention In
the employer -employe relation
ship may have set the pattern for
labor to use II conditions develop
to make that advantageous to
labor. Among the possibilities he
suggested in that connection was
governmental review Of the neces-
sity for layoffs and discharges.
which would mean examination OF
the books Of employers and
scrutiny Of the salaries and bo-
muses. paid 10 management
tpy srrsnssnent With ths %. Lsais Post