Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-09-08
Your Congressman Reports
BY o BURKE

BY TOM BURKE
w 1850 this week, ne assured pensions to nearly 100 million
more persons over IS years Of age and raised those pensions by
so to LOG per cent.
At first glance, these increases may seem pretty big, but
when one considers that there has been no increase in pensions
since 1889, while the cost of living has been soaring, larger PEN
sion checks seem only reasonable.
Persons already retired stand to gain appreciably under TIFF
new law for their pensions go up Immediately. In addnionY
where they previously could earn only SIS a month and keep
their pensions, they now may earn as much as $50 a month
after retirement and continue to receive pensions. After the age
of rs, the pensioner may earn an unlimited amount without
FORGETTING his pension.
The increase is going to mean slightly less take-home pay
for persons now employed, but since it adds up to savings
against the day when they cannot work, I doubt if many work
ers will complain on this score.
The bill is not, of course, all we had hoped for, but except
for the fact that many farm workers, farmers and self-employed
persons are excluded, the pension section represents a big
improvement. Most disappointing is the unemployment COM
pensation section containing the Knowland Amendment which,
in effect, permits a state to deny unemployment compensation
benefits to a person who refuses to take a job left vacant in q
labor dispute-in other words become a strike breaker.
In signing the bill President Truman indicated that he
would continue to seek improvements in the law. Il shall con-
tinue to urge action on this unfinished business end l know that
the committees of Congress are now preparing to give these
matters serious consideration" he stated.
I am very proud of having been named to the conference
committee of House and Senate members to work out differ
ences in the bills each house approved to provide for new
schools in communities overcrowded because of federal activity
in the community. 1t is unusual for first term, or even second
term, congressman to be appointed to these committees.
l find that working on this committee is not unlike negoh-
ating a labor contract with both sides represented by hard
headed, keen-thinking men. The committee is meeting daily for
there are quite a few points of disagreement on the issue.
Some interesting facts were brought to light in the Educa-
ton and Labor Committee Hearings on my Accident Prevention
bill last week. Two Toledoans, Heinz Sieve and James Ryan
were in the delegation from the Foundry Division of the JAW
CIO who testified before the subcommittee.
They pointed out that accident rates are highest in small
foundries, those hiring from 10 to 500 workers, but. that thu
union, in collective bargaining, is unable to get as good sanitary
and safety conditions for these smaller, less profitable plants as
in larger plants. For this reason they advocated federal safety
rules enforced alike in all plants. This, of course, also would
eliminate the competitive advantage which unsafe plants have
over those whose production costs are higher because of ex-'
penditures for safety devices.
The labor people maintained that in order to enforce the
safety rules, a provision should be added barring employers
who violate them from selling their products in interstate COM
merce.
Chief opposition to the bill came from the National Coal
Association. They advocate state rather than federal controls to
insure the safety of workers that are particularly anxious to
exempt the coal mining industry from the bill. AS a matter of
fact, the bill was not intended to include the mines, since Rep.
James Golden (R, Ky.) has introduced a separate Mine Safety
Bill. Should this bill be reported favorably, l would accept an
amendment to my bill specifically exenpting the coal mining
industry.
The $40, 153, 400 900 Appropriations Bill which has gone to-
the President for signature is, in some ways, an Improvement
over the version which the House passed some time ago. For
one thing, it restored the full amount asked by Mr.. Truman for
the Point Four program. Another Improvement is an amend
ment which permits the Budget Bureau to decide where cuts
in expenditures can best be made. The House had voted a direct
10 per cent cut in all departments and agencies, which would
have sadly crippled some of our most important government
functions.
Emergency funds for Korea and national defense, generally
are included In a separate bill which passed the house last
week and now is in the hands of the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
The Kelley subcommittee has approved a bill providing
equal pay for equal work by women. The bill, introduced by
Rep. Chase Going Woodhouse ID, Conn.,, would make 1t an
women in payment of wages, discharging of personnel and
other employer employee relationships.
This bill is similar to one I introduced last year and has a
companion bill in the Senate which has been approved by the
Sentae Labor Committee and is now on the Senate calendar. ' \