Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-04
DC. Employers
Hit New Plan 10
Lift JobIess Paw
Bill Would Permit
Benefit Payments
Up to $54 q Week
NJ nnN G VUARREN
BY DON s. WARREN

ton OF the Districts unemploy-
ment compensation insurance
program. The proposal goes be-
yond a liberalization that went
into effect last January /.
The attack came at a hear
ing by the Welfare subcommittee
of the District Committee,
headed by Senator Mcnamara.
Democrat, of Michigan, a for
mer labor union officer.
The bill, sponsored by a BIZ
partisan group of seven Sena-
tors and. in general at least, sup
ported by Eisenhower admins
tration spokesman, would elimi-
nate the present maximum $50
a-week benefits for the jobless
for maximum of 26 weeks and
substitute a formula under which
benefit payments could go as
high as $54 a week.
Under the new plan, the maxi.
mum would be raised to 81 ne,
cent of the average wages of all
covered" workers, now including
Government employees.
Eases Disqualification
The proposed new law also
would soften disqualification pro.
visions for workers who quit theil
jobs, are fired for misconduct OF
refuse to take new job offers.
Today's attack on the bill
which is said to be in line with
the recommendations of Presi.
dent Eisenhower and Labor Sec.
rotary Mitchell that the District
law be made a model for the
States, was led by representative.
of the Washington Board Of
Trade. They were backed up by
spokesman for the Merchant.
and Manufacturers Association
the Washington Restaurant AS.
ISOLATION, the fuel industry Of
the Metropolitan Area, the Dis.
trict and the American Trucking
Associations and the laundry.
dry-cleaner association.
Opposition also was expressed
by the majority of the District
Unemployment Compensation
Board. whose position was ex-
pressed by c. A. Warton, di-
rector.
A contesting viewpoint was
voiced by Mrs. Katherine p
Ellickson, executive secretary OF
the Social Security Committee
of the CIO, who upheld posi-
tions taken last week by CLIO
and AFL representatives and
Labor Department Undersecre-
tary Larson.
Calhoun Spokesman
Speaking for the Board of
Trade was Leonard j. Calhoun,
an attorney who formerly served
as an assistant counsel to the
Social Security Board and as
chief of the House Ways and
Means Committee staff.
He and other opponents said
the proposed new law.
Would promote the present
trend of Washington business
firms to move to suburban Mary.
land and Virginia, to escape tai
loads here.
Would put the District out oil
line with the laws of most of the
States.
Would raise a serious question
over a necessary incentive in job
less insurance legislation for a
jobless person to try his best to
get back to work.
Would pose "a highly question
able and "unrealistic approach
to the determination of maxi
mum benefits because of the new
formula would be based on the
average wage of covered EN-.
ployes in the District including
presidents Of banks, members Of
the Presidents cabinet and many
others earning anywhere from
$4,000 to 100000 a year.
And would constitute a black.
ward and dangerous step" in thu
proposed changes in the dis.
qualification of persons who quit
refuse new jobs or are fired fol-
misconduct.
Fears Aid to "Chiselers"
Washington employers, Mr.
Calhoun said, don't want tc
pay taxes for the benefit Of
chiSelers."
He argued. also, that last
Years law raising jobless bene-
fits here from a maximum Of
$40 for 20 weeks to $50 for a
half year had gone into effect
four months ago and that as
yet there was insufficient time
to gain any real experience as
to how it is working.
Mr.. Calhoun also declared that
the labor-backed bill woulc
Jump total benefits to be paid to
the jobless by 261 per cent, az
much money as was paid under
the law that was in effect only
five months ago.
One major question involved
he said, was the inclusion OF
the exclusion on a hit-or-miss
benefit payment plan of persons
who are in-and-out employees
raising the question as tc
whether they are really members
Of the regular labor force in the
District.
John S. Cockrell, representing
the Washington Restaurant As.
ISOLATION, emphasized that vol.
untary quitting" of jobs by res.
taurant employees was a major
problem of his industry.
Over the week end, he said
he polled 10 of Washington;
restaurants to find that out oil
Ala of their employees now draw
ing jobless benefit payments, 22e
Or over so per cent-"hao
walked out on their Jobs"