Show e. e J i Dont Don't trade unemployment for socialism Now that the Democratic National Convention is in the history books it is isa isa isa a good time to take a hard look at ata a major plank of that party's platform that could be devastating if it becomes national policy The plan calls for fora a r reduction of the adult unemployment i irate rate to 3 per cent within four years On its face that goal is laudable enough No one likes unemployment The problem is that behind the mild sounding Democratic plank lies a horrendous proposal called the Hum- Hum Hawkins Bill which has become a keystone measure on Capitol Hill among a wide swath of Democrats Humphrey-Hawkins Humphrey named for its i h sponsors Sen en Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota and Rep Augustus F. F Hawkins Hawkins Hawkins Haw Haw- kins of California in essence proposes proposes pro pro- proposes pro pro- poses to repeal the business cycle and limit unemployment to 3 per cent by making the government the employer employer employer em em- of last resort The bills bill's sponsors spon- spon sors sors dont don't bother other filling in the details- details that little matter is left to the White House It is estimated that Haw Humphrey-Haw- kins could increase the federal budget by around 45 billion Persons employed employ- employ ed in the private sector if not sa satis satisfied fied fled with their wages under the bill could quit their jobs and demand that tha y Uncle Sam hire them at the highest prevailing wage rates for their it II l P I specialties A common figure on Capitol Hill Hillis Hillis Hillis is that an estimated 10 million workers now making less than the highest wages in private jobs would become unemployed so they the could go to work for the government In a year when major political candidates candidates candidates candi candi- dates have fallen by the wayside because because because be be- cause of their close ties to Washington Washing Washing- ton it seems incredible that such a bill billas billas billas as Humphrey-Hawkins Humphrey could be riding as high as it now is The bill is a monument to the power of special interest groups at the the- expense of the public as a whole In this case the groups pushing Humphrey-Hawkins Humphrey hardest are labor leaders and blacks- blacks abetted by many Democrats Jimmy Carter himself is on record favoring one recent version of the bill which has been amended over and over Although the nations nation's unemployment rate rose in June for the first time since September its general trend is still clearly downward It would be a tragedy of major unleash proportions ing an inflation rate seldom if ever seen in this to country abort the current economic progress with anything anything anything any any- thing akin to Humphrey Everyone wants a lower rate of unemployment But no reasonable person wants to trade unemployment- unemployment especially an improving rate of unemployment for b 11 w. w p J. J 1 Nt t q |