Evening star., 1954-07-08
d
Drive for More
Pay for JobIess
To Be Pressed
Bid to Congress Due;
Witnesses Agree on
Need, Differ on Rotes
By Don 5. Worren

Members Of the welfare and
insurance subcommittee of the
House and Senate District Com
nnittees. meeting jointly today.
said they will press for enact
ment at this session OF Congress
of a bill liberalizing the Districts
unemployment compensation in
surance law.
All witnesses testifying before
the joint group recommended an
increase in payments to the job
less and lengthening of the
duration of jobleSs relief. Sharp
conflict Of opinion developed,
however, as to how much and for
how long.
Senator Beall, Republican of
Maryland. declared at the con-
clusion of the hearings he was
determined to have a bill in
some form taken before the
Senate District Committee for
action tomorrow. Representa-
tives of business and labor were
scheduled to confer this after
noon with committee staff EN-
ployes to work out a compromise
Conflicts over many details as
well as major points. however,
left this somewhat doubtful.
Members of the staff said they
would work all night If necessary
to get the work done.
$40 Boost Urged.
Government and labor groups
threw strong support to a bill
which would raise the maximum
benefits from. $40 to $50 week
and increase the duration from
20 weeks to 26 weeks. The
Washington Central Labor Union,
AFL, and others, however, said
the program should be made
much more liberal than that.
One labor spokesman recon-
mended a maximum of $38 a
week and another said it really
should be raised to $44.
The Washington Board of
Trade, speaking for II major
business groups, as well as itself,
held out for a competing bill
which would limit the duration
to maximum of % weeks. The
trade body also contended the
maximum benefits should not
be higher than $27.50.
Compromise Bill Revised.
The District Unemployment
Compensation Board originally
drafted a so-called compromise
bill for $50 for % weeks, but the
Budget Bureau stepped IN to
foster a revision to raise the du-
ration to 26 weeks and provide
for other liberalizations.
he}hearing was conducted by
the welfare subcommittee of the
Senate district Committee, head
ed by Senator Beall, and the in
surance subcommittee Of the
House District Committee, head
ed by Representative Tale, Re-
publican, or Iowa.
At the outset, Arthur Larson,
UnderSecretary of Labor, urging
the more liberal bill. told the
joint group present District
benefits were the lowest in the
country. Senator Mansfield,
Democrss,, of Montana, ex-
pressed arnazement and declared
This is very bad situation"
Mr.. Larson said the Districts
5000 weeks system was
distinction shared by only three
of the States"
Representatives Friedel, Dem
ocrat. of Maryland. quickly in
dorsed the mansfield view.
Mr.. Tale said That's why
we are meeting in joint session,
with the hope that we can do
something promptly"
Still at 1943 Level.
Mr.. Larson brought out that
the benefit program here had
not been changed since 1943
despite the fact that the average
weekly wages have nearly dou-
bled. Concurrently the cost of
living has shot upward.
The Labor Department official
and other witnesses voiced strong
objections to provisions in the
measures for stepping up penal
ties for fraud by benefit claim
ants and suggested numerous
changes
Clement F. Preller and j. C.
Turner. for the Central Labor
Union, urged a change in the |
legislation to raise the weekly |
benefit to $38 and to increase
the duration to at least" 26 |
weeks.
Mr.. Preller charged it would
be a dangerous concept" to ap-
prove proposed provisions for his
disqualification of benefit re-
cipients. He said this could
means tina tthe DUG board
could disqualify a claimant for
as much as five to 20 years.
Hardships Stressed.
Mr.. Preller, pressing for action
said many unemployed suffered
hardships last winter because
benefits were too little. He said
without real liberalization there
might be need for emergency re-
lief action by Congress next
winter to prevent "the danger Of
starvation"
Andrew j. Biemiller. former
member Of the House, speaking
for the AFL. said the benefits
should be raised to $44 but that
as matter of practically. a
lesser amount would make inn
mediate action more likely.
Mr.. Biemiller. as well as Mrs:
Katherine Ellickson for the CIO,
recommended elimination from
the bill of everything except sec
tions boosting the payments and
the Cillrati0n