davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09

The amendment to the Wage-Hour
Law raising the minimum wage to Sl
an hour is being labeled by insiders
as the miracle of the Saith Congress.
The minimum wage victory represents
the first time in recent history that
the coalition of ultra-conservatlve
Northern Republicans and ultra-con-
sentative Southern Democrats have
lost control of Congress on an eco
nomic issue of primary concern to
the South.
The S1-an-hour minimum wage,
signed into law without comment by
President Eisenhower, came within an
ace of defeat at least twice during
its stormy passage.
Behind the-scenes maneuvers very
nearly succeeded in scuttling the 81
minimum and substituting the 90
cent wage floor which President Eli
senhower was pushing for.
AS result, an estimated 2,O00,-
600 of the nations lowest paid en-
ployes will receive about 5000 year
more than they would have, had the
Presidents 90-cent minimum been
adopted.
HOW 1T HAPPENED
Here is the story of the miracle
of the minimum wage bill as it was
told to THE MACHINIST by those
who helped to make its enactment
possible:
Two members of Congress, Rep.
Carroll Kearns (R-Pa.) and U. S. Sen.
Paul H. Douglas (D-Ill.) were the
principal miracle makers.
The ST minimum wage bill sailed
through the Senate Committee on
Labor and Public Welfare without
much difficulty. The sponsors of the
bill had decided that their only chance
was to limit the bill to a simple wage
increase without attempting to extend
coverage. The question of extended
coverage was laid over until next year.
Opponents of the bill had decided
to make their fight in the House
Committee on Education and Labor
where Chairman Graham Barden ID
N. CO. was known to be less than
Barden delayed the hearings on
the bill until late in the session. Then,
after more than month of hearings,
sympathetic Congressman led by
House Speaker Sam Rayburn d.
Texas) finally forced the issue to
vote.
<EARNS TURNED TIDE
Before the vote, an informal poll
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09
Recent Federation Convention Told
Recent ederato
Labor Must Fight To Save JobIess
Insurance Pr0nrnns

very successful employer have been recent
weakening unemployment compensation laws
outlined detail to delegates to last months annual
Montana State Federation of Labor Mssoula
McBreen Portland General Vice President Int Asso
Machins Mr. McBreens speech emphasized how
seriously unemployment benefit laws have be-
employer legislation and also made
what labor should attempt do
We suggest read his talk is loaded
with information be valuable future date
EDITOR.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09
Inside Story
MIRACLE OF THE ST MfNIM JIM

I showed the lineup on the 81 minimum
wage to be 15 to IA in favor of the
Presidents recommendation for 90
cent minimum However, Rep. Kearns.
the remaining member, was not vet
on the scene. An accomplished musi
clan, he was on his way back to Wash
ington after serving as guest con
ductor for the U. S. Air Force sym
phony orchestra at concerts in Ger
many and Denmark. On the morning
of the committee vote, Republican
members held a caucus in the office
of Rep. Samuel Mcconnell (Pa.),
ranking minority member of the COM
mittee. The Republican congressman
were advised that the President was
insistent that they vote for the 90
cent minimum.
Kearns informed them that the 90
cent minimum was unrealistic for the
working people of his area. His dis
trict includes Erie, Meadville, Sharon
and Mercer, Pa, region which, like
many others, has been plagued by
runaway shops.
Kearns declared he would support
a S1.25 minimum.
When the committee convened,
Chairman Barden ignored his col
leagues of the Democratic majority
and Immediately recognized Rep. Nc
Connell Mcconnell moved the 90-cent
minimum.
When the committee voted on the
9O-cent proposal, the tally showed
a 1916 tie including the chairman's
vote. Thus the 90-cent minimum had
failed ito win the majority. Kearns
had cast the decisive vote.
Thereafter, a Democratic proposal
for a $1.10 minimum was shouted
down. Only then was the 81 minimum
wage moved and adopted by sub
stantial majority, Fl to 9.
When the bill came up for vote
on the floor of the House, two at
tempts were made to substitute the
9O-cent minimum for the 81 recon-
mended by vote of the committee.
Both failed on teller votes, one by
the narrow margin of five votes. The
ST minimum finally passed on roll
call vote of 362 to Sd.
Shortly afterwards when President
Eisenhower returned from the "sum-
nit" talks at Geneva, Republican Con-
gressmen were invited to breakfast
with the President at the Statler
Hotel. In the course of his talk, the
President made plain his displeasure
with those Republicans who had re-
fused to string along on the lower
minimum wage.
FIGHT IN SENATE
The fight, however, was not yet
won. There were differences between
the House and Senate bills that forced
the measure into conference commit
tee. The Senate bill provided for an
increase in the minimum wage in
Puerto Rico, the House bill did not.
The Senate bill became effective Jan.
/, 1856, the House bill March 1, 1856.
Barden, leader of the House con-
ferees, was still less than enthusiastic
for the ST minimum Because of i'll
ness and other reasons, Senate repre-
sentation on the conference commit
tee was, for all intents and purposes,
left to Senator Douglas, a sick man
himself at the time.
Strong pressure was applied on
Douglas at number of conference
In order to avoid deadlock
at adjournment which might have
killed the bill for this year, the Sen
ate conferees had to go along with
The House provisions. This saved the
81 minimum.
House and Senate agreed by voice
votes to the 81 measure three days
before Congress adjourned. = THE
tSecurity'-Not Socialism"
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09
THE LONG-SOUGHT
"LOOPHOLE"?

When first confronted with this
proposal, labor's initial reaction was
that the enactment of such a provision
by a state legislature would conflict
with the Federal Unemployment In
surance Standards and requirements
contained in the Social Security Act.
1t was argued by the employers,
however, that such was not the case !;
that there were no standards in the
Social Security Act relating to eligi-
bility provisions. If this is true, then
the employers have discovered the
loophole for which they have been
seeking-under which, with sufficient
control of the state legislature, they
can completely nullify the Federal
tax offset requirements that resulted
in the original enactment of the State
the enactment of severe eligibility
Unemployment Insurance laws. By
the enactment of severe eligibility
provisions in the state laws that will
render 500 to 900 of the workers
ineligible for benefits, employers can
under experience rating get their
rates down to zero or
virtually zero. Because the Social Sc
curity Act permits these reduced
rates to count as though the full tax
had been paid for purposes of meet
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09
LABOR MUST FIGHT TO SAVE
PROGRAM

1t appears to me that Unemploy-
ment Insurance, on a nationwide
basis, was at the time it was enacted
and should again be in the future
one of the major programs for pro-
viding security to American workers.
1t is worth trying to save. If we are,
to save it, labor will have to exert its
unified efforts to the following ends:
% To obtain amendments to the
Federal Social Security Act to pro-
vide minimum eligibility, benefit and
disqualification standards with which
all states must comply;
(2) To examine the operation Of
the program, state by state, to deter
mine which Security agencies, so
as to block Improvements in state and
federal legislation, and to see to it
that the continuation of such indi-
viduals in those positions become an
issue of major political import in
those states; and
60 To elect to State Legislatures
individuals pledged to improve I'm
employment Insurance as a program
designed to protect the security of
workers and to oppose the efforts
of employers to scuttle the program
to obtain tax reduction or to turn it
into an instrument of punishment and
control.
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09

-
known as the Interstate Conference
of Employment Security Agencies.
This group has, by and large, become
the political pressure instrument of
an employers lobby maintained III
Washington, D. c., and headed by
Mr.. Stanley Rector, former official
of the Wisconsin state agency. The
Interstate Conference has used pub
lie funds and the influence of Gov
errors offices to bring pressure on
Congress to prevent the liberalization
or improvement of the Unemploy-
ment Insurance system.
Is it any wonder, in the face of
such an onslaught on the Unemploy-
ment Insurance program and its pro
gressive deterioration, that some seq
ments of labor have turned to the col
lective bargaining table to obtain the
desired security against unemploy-
ment?
The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09

workers form benefits to which they
are otherwise entitled, so as to keep
the employers tax rates down.
A NEW ANGLE TO WEAKEN
PROGRAM
At the legislative sessions in the
Pacific Northwest this year, we en-
countered a new approach by en-
ployers to the problem of avoiding
the payment Of taxes for Unemploy-
ment Insurance. Contrary to the basic
theory they had sponsored before
that Unemployment Insurance was to
compensate for normal" or "regu-
larly-recurring" unemployment-the
employers came up this time with
the approach that this was exactly
what it was not designed to compen-
safe for. They therefore proposed
that the eligibility provisions of the
state laws be changed so as to deny
benefits to individuals whose unem-
ployment was regularly recurring. In
some instances this took the form of
proposed seasonality provisions, the
idea being to deny workers benefits
during certain seasons of the year.
In Alaska, certain employer groups
came up with new idea which short
ly thereafter was echoed in the states
of Washington and Oregon.
The essence of the employer pro-
posal was that an unemployed work
er would be entitled to Unemployment
Insurance benefits for current week
only if he had had employment in the
corresponding month of one of the
two previous years. Subsequently, this
initial proposal was modified in
Alaska to provide that a worker would
be entitled to benefits in any current
week only if he had had employment
in the corresponding calendar quarter
of one of the two previous years. But
the idea and purpose were the same.
The employers argument was that
if a worker was unemployed in a
week or month of the previous year,
then he ought to expect to be unem-
ployed in the same week or month of
the current year. If the unemploy-
ment is expected or anticipated, then
the worker should not be compensated
for it.
However ridiculous this idea of
Unemployment Insurance may seem
to you, this proposal was actually in
corporated in bill which passed the
Senate in the Territory of Alaska
Moreover, employers in the North
west have given every indication that
in their quest for lower tax rates they
are going to make an about effort i
in the next legislative sessions in 1857 |
to obtain enactment of such eligibility |
provisions.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
knOwIand Says Reds Hold
Over 800 6ls ii China
sy he Assoeiossa Pres

cHIAGo, Jan. Ex-senator
Knowland. Republican. Of Cali
fornia says he believes Red
China holds something over 500
other GIs" In prison besides the
is American airman they ac-
knowledge holding.
In . speech to the Cicero
Manufactures Association. last
night. the Senate minority leader
said:
I'VE have strong reason to
believe they hold more than the
i5 they acknowledge Of holding y
The men showed UP neither
in the Little or Big Switch pris-
oner exchange following the
Korean truce in 1853. Knowland
said. Names Of the imprisoned
Americans, he said, were learned
from Red propaganda broad
casts. other released PoWs and
Pentagon reports.
Senator Qnowland said q
compilation of the various re-
ports led him to the strong
belief the Red Chinese held
several hundred other GIs in
prison enclosures" He later
set the figure at something over
800 other GIs."
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Mccarthy Harmful
In Asia, Envoy Says
By The A.,osIat.d Ptsss

CLEVELAND, Jan. 2i.-Sen-
ator Mccarthy, Republican Of
Wisconsin. has done more harm
to democracy in Asia than any
other man, the Ambassador from
Ceylon said last night.
r. S. S. Gunewardene. address
ing the Council on World Affairs
here. declared:
"No man has done more harm
than Senator Mccarthy among
the nations Of Asia"
The envoy continued:
"The whole mind of the East
is disturbed by him. They won-
der how he affects democracy as
q whole"
Mr.. Gunewardene said the
small nations in Asia want to be
partners with the western de-
mocracies, "but they don't want
to be junior partners"
"The people Of Asia want Asia
to belong to them. Asians must
not be told they are incapable Of
managing their governments or
their own methods Of defense"
He said communism can be de-
feated by giving Asian nations
assistance in raising their stand
ards Of liying--not by warning
with the Soviet Union or Red
China.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Rev. I. A. Wright, 10,
Mizpah Church Pastor

The Rev. z. A. Wright, 10,
pastor Of Mizpah Church of
Spiritual Science which meets
in the Pythian Temple, died
Wednesday at his home, $50
New Jersey avenue Sc, after q
years illness.
Mr.. Wright was born in
Charles County, Md, and had
lived in Washington for 65 years.
He had been a Spiritual Science
pastor here for many years.
Survivors are his widow. Nell
lie: a brother, James E., 3l19
Seventh street NE, and three
sisters. Mrs. Leslie freeman Of
the Seventh street address, Mrs.
w. H. Black of 43i2 Pennsyl-
vania avenue Sc. and Mrs. N. j.
Fitzhugh of 4210 Pennsylvania
avenue Sc.
Services will be held at 10 am.
tomorrow in Chambers funeral
home, SIT Eleventh street Sc.
Burial will be In WASHINGTON
National Cemetery.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Nebraska Chief Justice
Considered for CAB Head
BY The A.sesie,sd Press

Robert Glenmore Simmons,
chief justice of the Nebraska
Supreme Court, was reported to-
day to be under consideration as
chairman of the Civil Aeronau-
tics Board.
An aide to Senator Curtis, Re-
publican, Of Nebraska, said the
Senate has been informed that
the appointment is being con-
sidered. The source of the, infor-
nation was not given. However,
1t was understood the Republican
National Committee has notified
both Nebraska Senator's Of the
possible appointment.
Judge Simmons was q member
Of the House for about 10 years,
starting In the early 1920s. He
also was Republican nominee for
the United States Senate In
1894 and 1885.
The CAB has been without O
chairman and without one Of its
five members since January /.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Alexander Akhonin,
MetaIurgist for U. 5.

Alexander Akhonin. 81. a
metalurgist who was born In
Russia, died Wednesday at his
home at 1869 Delafield place
NE. At the time of his death.
he was employed by the Govern
ment in a sensitive" job In de-
fense work.
Born in Ekaterinoslay, Russia,
Mr.. Akhonin was educated there
in the Technical Ordnance
Academy. He served as a cap
tain in the Russian Imperial
Army during World War and
later in the White Russian Army
during the revolution.
He was evacuated in 1920 and
went to Constantinople, Turkey,
where he stayed three years, He
came to America in 1898 and
worked in metalurgy in New
York and Dayton, Ohio. {
Mr.. Akhonin was q member
of the American. Society for
Metals and of the American
Ordnance Association.
Besides his widow, Vera. he is
survived by q daughter, Tania,
II. both Of whom live at the
Delafield place address.
Funeral services win be held
at pm. tomorrow at the st.
Nicholas Church. 1859 Church
street NV. Burial will be In
Rock Creek Cemetery.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Ives Bill Asks Study
OF 0yer-45 Workers

Senator Ives, Republican, of
New York today introduced a bill
that would establish a commits
sion to study and recommend q
solution to problems involving
older workers.
He said the commission would
be expected to recommend legis-
lation that may aid in finding
employment opportunities for the
rapidly increasing number Of
persons in the rs to 65 age group.
He said a companion bill will be
introduced in the House bv Rcn-
resentative Coudert. Republican,
Of New York.
Senator Ives said the proposed
commission would be required to
,ubmit to the President for trans
initial to Congress its findings
and recommendations for legis-
latiye action. It would submit q
final report to the President by
July /, 1856.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Gov. Craig Sees President, ,
Wont Take Army Post
By the Assoeioied Press

Gov. George Craig Of Indiana
conferred with President Eisen-
hover today and afterward
characterized as absolutely
false" a published report that
he might be named Secretary
Of the Army.
Gov. Craig had breakfast with
Mr.. Eisenhower and told news
men the discussion dealt ex-
clusiyeiy with roads and har.
bors."
In reply to question. the
Governor said there was no
mention whatever Of any Feder-
al job for him.
He declined TO 60 into detail
regarding hts discussions with
the President,
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Mrs. Waller jackson,
Resident Here Since 1920

Mrs. Walter jackson. 90. q
resident here since 1920. died
Monday at Prince Georges Hos
pital. She lived at 55o3 Ken
nedy street. East Riyerdale.
Born in Essex. Ill.,. she was
the former Arminda r, Dean.
She taught school in Illinois un-
til her marriage in 1895. Her
husband recently retired as q
Diamond cab driver.
Besides Mr.. jackson, she is
survived by a daughter, Mrs.
Violet Woodend, Topeka, Kans..
and q granddaughter.
Services win be held at ! pm.
tomorrow at Deals funeral
home. Burial will be In National
Memorial Park Cemetery.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Robert P. Tfistrom Coffin, 81,
Moine, S Folklore Poet, Dies
Pulitzer Prize Winner
Noted as Lecturer;
fought at Bowdoin
Bs The Asso<ieisd Press

PORTLAND. Maine. Jan. 21.-
Robert P. Tristram CONN, So.
Pulitzer Prize poet whose works
depicted his native Names folk
lore. died Unexpectedly last
night.
The poet was stricken as he
was about to address . Portland
college club audience.
Mr.. Coffin won a Pulitzer Prize
in 1895 for Strange Holiness. "
q collection Of poems on Maine.
He was composer Of many other
works including yoke Of
Thunder, "Kennebec. the Cradle
of Americans. first Of q series
Of books about American rivers.
He was an English professor
at Bowdoin College and travelled
extensively as q lecturer.
Stricken In College Chapel.
Mr.. Cofiin was stricken in the
Westbrook Junior College Chapel,
A physician and nurse in the
audience gave first aid and Mr..
Coffin was taken to the hospital
by ambulance.
Mr.. CONN successfully COM
bined the roles Of poet. prose
writer, artist. teacher and lee
turer.
He took his poems and ideas
about poetry to the people, lee
turing all over the United States.
in q Woodworking effort to Wild
en- appreciation Of the art.
Tall and portly, Mr.. Coffin had
curly hair and sweeping mus
taches that covered goodly part
of his ruddy cheeks. He once
described himself as looking like
q pirate"
There were no pirates but a
lot Of seafarers in his family. He
was descendant of the Coffins
Of Nantucket, a famous early
American whaling family.
Born at Brunswick, Me-, the
site of Bowdoin College. Mr..
Cofiin grew up on q saltwater
farm titled by his father on
Great Island, in the nearby town
of Harpswell.
Books Built on Life.
One of his early books, Lost
Paradise" was built on his mem
ories OF island life, Later he en-
titled a collection Of poems "Salt-
Water Farm"
A biography Of his father. en-
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Gen. Thomas Darrah,
Former Commander
OF Canal Zone Sector

Brig. Gen. Thomas Walter
Darrah (U. s. A.. ret.), 81, for
mer commander of the Pacific
sector Of the now defunct Pana-
ma Canal Department IN 1882
"a. died at his home in New York
today.
Gen. Darrah was the holder
Of two Silver Star Medals for
gallantry in the Spanish -Ameri-
can war and the Philippine Is
lands insurrection near the turn
Of the century. He also took part
in the Meuse- Argonne offensive
in World War ].
Gen. Darrah was graduated
from West Point in 1895. His last
duty station in Washington was
at the Army War College in 1928.
He was appointed brigadier gen.
eral in 1881.
Among his commands were the
4th Army Corps area from 1924
1926, the 34th Infantry Regi-
ment from 1926-1928 and the
Sd Army Corps area from 1928
through 1921
He was born In Marquette.
Kans.. and married the former
Rose Wood in 1899. Mrs. Darrah
lives in New York.
Besides his widow, Gen. Dar-
rah is survived by a daughter,
Mrs. Warren D. Brewster of
Glen Cove, Long Island, N. Y,
and a sister, Mrs. Joseph p.
Tracy. 2126 Connecticut avenue
NV. Another daughter, the
former Jean Darrah, was the
late wife of Woodlief Thomas Of
1904 Raymond street. Chevy
Chase. Md.
Burial services will be held at
/ pm. Tuesday in the Fort
Myer Chapel. Burial will be in
Arlington Cemetery.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Robert P. vanderpoeI,
Finance CoIumnist
Bs The Assoeiessd Pren

TOLEDO. Ohio. Jan. 21.
Robert p. vanderpoel, 81, finan-
cial columinist for the Chicago
Sun Times, died yesterday in
Toledo Hospital Of a heart all
inent.
Mr.. Vanderpoel was admitted
to the hospital Saturday after he
became III on q New York Gen.
tral train en- route from Chicago
to Ashtabula. Ohio. He was a
lifelong Chicago resident and
was financial editor of the Chi
cago Herald-American from 1929
until 1850, when he Joined the
Sun-Times. During World War
! he served overseas with the
Red Cross.
Surviving are his widow Helen.
sons Robert p. jr.. Chicago, and
Waid r., Des Plains. H.: broth
er, John A., Seattle, and a sister,
Miss Tanetta A. vanderpoel.
Chicago.
Services and burial will be in
Chicago.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
]. H. Beswick, Army
transportation Aide,
Father Of Korea POW

! John H. Beswick, SO. whose
son. Major Byron H. Beswick,
was one Of the last POWs to be
released by the Reds in Sep
tember. 1853. died at Emergency
Hospital Wednesday after a
short illness. He lived at 2141 y
street NV.
Mr.. Beswick was employed in
the Office Of Chief Of Transpor-
tation, Department Of the Army.
He had worked for the Army
since he came to Washington in
194I. He was a native of Liv-
ingston, KY.
MIR. Beswick, q railroad en-
thusiast from boyhood. began his
transportation career with the
Louisville q Nashville Railroad.
He devoted most of his spare
time to building miniature rail-
road trains and put in 80 to 100
hours of work on each car. His
trains were featured in several
transportation displays.
During his sons imprisonment
In Northern Korea, Mr.. Beswick
never gave UP hope for the Ma
rine flyers release. Mai. Bes-
wick held four Distinguished Fly
ing Crosses and was awarded the
Air Medal IA times. He was
killed June % last year when his
jet plane crashed while on a
training flight In the Mojave
Dessert, Calf.
In addition to his widow, Mrs.
Ada Beswick, Mr.. Beswick is sur
vived by a son, Roger p. Beswick
Of SIS Eleanor drive. Alexandria.
Va: a sister, Mrs. Mabel Harmon
Of Louisville. KY; a brother, Ell
bert H. Beswick of Grant City,
H., and one grandchild.
Funeral services will be held
at 10 am. Monday at Hines fu-
neral home, 1901 Fourteenth
street NV. He will be buried
next to his son in Arlington
Cemetery at II am.