Evening star., 1958-03-13

Nations t1scal policy VIII not
suffer for long.
2. Immediate adoption Of
improved Federal standards Of
unemployment insurance which
will not only increase the dura-
ton of benefits. as you have
suggested. but which will i'm
prove the benefit structure it
self. as you have repeatedly
suggested, in vain, to the States.
In addition, the improvements
we suggest would eliminate
many Of the technical and
h eartless disqualiflcations
which presently deny some
third of the jobless of any un-
e ploymen compensation
whatsoever. The program we
suggest would do even more to
meet the goal you outlined in
your proposal of extending the
period Of jobless insurance-the
placing of purchasing power in
the hands of those who need it
the most, today's unemployed
workers.
Defense Increase Asked
8. We urgently underscore
the need for increases in de-
tense spending, both as a mat
ter Of national security and as
an economic rehabilitation
measure. We do not agree that
our defense posture should be
measured by any yardstick save
our actual defense needs.
4. We strongly urge immedi-
ate action authorizing a broad
program Of public works. In
so doing, we specifically elimi-
nate, by definition, all so-called
"make-work" projects. We do
not believe these are necessary
now We believe that by enact
ing the public works legislation
for which we call, America will
avoid the necessity of resorting
to leaf-raking projects.
The projects we recommend
are the very ones that must,
sometime be built with Federal
funds. We say that the some
time" is now.
We refer, of course, to the
need for classrooms, often cited
by yourself but not included in
this years message to the Con-
gress. We include the need for
increasing home building as
you have recommended, but we
do not believe that higher in
tereSt rates on home-construc-
ton loans will contribute in the
least to eliminating the housing
shortage or putting building
tradesmen back to work. We
believe America must build
roads and that road-building
funds should be accelerated;
that we need hospitals and
dams and urban redevelopment
and flood controls and airports,
to cite but a few Of the Ma
tons current needs which
should be filled.
S. We believe that increases
in Social Security benefits and
in the minimum wage are long
overdue; that action to help
chronically distressed areas
can be both an anti-recession
weapon and a demonstration
Of humanitarianism in govern
ment.
Joint Problem Seen
All Of the matters we suggest
are jointly the problem and the
responsibility Of the admins
tration and the Congress. They
are every bit as much the con- |
Germ and the responsibility Of
all the American people.
AS the representatives of mil !
lions Of workers and as the only
organized voice Of the workers
who are today jobleSs through
no fault of their own, we ear
nestly plead for action without
further delay. We can see no
need for waiting for more sta
tiStical evidence of suffering
and hardship before acting. AS
a matter Of fact. every current
economic indicator-such as
sales. advance orders, factory
hours worked-makeS this clear.
Waiting for the next monthly
unemployment figures would be.
in our opinion, unnecessary and
unwiSe.
Finally, Mr.. President, we
pledge the wholehearted and
unstinting cooperation of the |
American Federation of Labor |
and Congress of Industrial Or
ganizationS to you and to the |
leaders Of the Congress in
achieving a practical, immedi- |
ate and effective program to
combat this crisis in our eco
nomic life.