Evening star., 1950-05-03
Job Insurance
Divides Union
And Employers
Conference on D. G.
Proposal Fails to
Reach Agreement
By Don S. Worren

A dispute between labor and
management spokesmen over the
proposed liberalization Of the Dis
trict's unemployment compensa-
ton insurance law today was re-
ported to the Senate District Com
mittee as it resumed hearings on
the measure sponsored by Chair
man Neely.
A. Julian Bryslawski of the
Board of Trade said an effort was
made yesterday to work with
spokeSmen for the Central Labor
Union in finding how many points
in the proposed law the two
groups could agree on, but this
failed.
He told the committee that C.
F. Preller of the Central Labor
Union had notified him late yes
terday that mo useful purpose
would be served by discussing
these matters with employers"
PrelIer Opposes Delay.
Mr.. Brylawski said the trade
body's willingness to seek an
agreement with the labor group
was contingent only on the unions
willingness to join with the busi-
ness group in asking postpone
ment of the Senate hearing to
allow time for the negotiations.
He disclosed a telegram from
Mr.. Preller stating that any fur
ther delay in the hearing would
be i'll advised"
Sponsors of the bill have in
dicated fears that delay in the
hearings would reduce, if not kill.
chances for enactment of the
measure at this Congress.
The hearings were begun three
weeks ago but were recessed at
the request of employer groups
who insisted that more time was
needed for study. The Board of
Trade and other employer groups
asked for a tWo-month delay, but
this was cut down to three weeks.
Long Comparison Offered.
The Board of Trade, in state
ment to the committee today by
Leonard J. Calhoun, renewed the
request for more time and pre-
sented a long comparison between
the District law and those of
the States.
The Nicely bill would increase
the minimum jobless benefit pay
ments from $6 to So a week and
increase the maximum from $40
to $33 week dncluding allow
ances for dependentS) and in
crease the duration of the pay
ments from 20 weeks to 26 weeks.
In addition, the bill would in
crease the maximum age for de- |
pendents of persons receiving job
less payments from 16 years to 18
years of age.
The measure received strong
support at today's hearing from
a number of witnesses, including
Robert C. Goodwin. director of
the Labor Department Bureau of
Employment Security. and Walter
J. Mason, representing the Ma
tional Legislative Committee of
American Federation of Labor.
Says States Have Passed ID. c.
Mr.. Goodwin said that while
the District law was once one of
the most liberal in the country,
it had not been amended since
1943 and other State laws "have
left it far behind in many re-
spects."
He said the present $40 a week
maximum payment was exceeded
in SO States and that two addi-
tional States, which have a maxi
mum basic benefit of $40. provide
allowances for dependents which
raise their maximums to $26 a
week.
Mr.. Goodwin found also that
the 20-week duration for benefit
payments here was exceeded in
% States. The Districts maxi
mum potential benefits of $400
in a year, he added, is exceeded
in "a States.
He said the District unemploy-
ment fund exceeded $45 million
and that the District was well
able to meet the costs of the
proposed liberalization.
He said the increased cost could
be met by using up some of the
large reserve fund or by some
increase in the employer tax. But
he did not think any immediate
rise in the tax rate was necessary.
The average employer tax rate
here now is 0.8 per cent. or one
of the lowest in the country. 1t
has been as low as 0.4 per cent.