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Show WASHINGTON Conservatives in Congress are deeply fearful that the advocates of "big Government" in Washington will succeed in using, the present economic recession as a vehicle for a further devastating attack on state's rights. It is pointed out that the campaign now in progress to federalize the state unemployment compensation system sys-tem would if successful be another serious blow at government on the local level. Ironically, this controversy comes at a time when an Eisenhower-appointed commit- iee is seeking to aevtiop a pro-.gram pro-.gram of transferring back to the states as many as possible of the functions now performed by the Federal Government Legislation is pending in Congress Con-gress Introduced by both Republicans Re-publicans and Democrats to provide by federal subsidies supplementary sup-plementary unemployment benefits bene-fits in addition to those now authorized au-thorized by state laws. ' AH major industrial states now have a maximum duration of 26 weeks for unemployment compensation, com-pensation, except Pennsylvania which provides benefits up to 30 weeks. Additional Coverage Identical bills Introduced In Congress by Rep. McCormack of Massachusetts, the Democratic House leader, and Rep. Mills (D. Ark), chairman of the House Ways and Means Comrr.itiee, would extend federally financed benefits for an additional 16 weeks. Payments would be 501c of the worker's weekly wage, but not to exceed two-thirds of the average wage In the particular state. In many cases, these bills would increase maximum benefits above those now paid. Since the Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction of the legislation, Chairman Mills Is in an excellent position to push it aid Democratic leader McCorm. ack served notice to the House that "we expect to move very promptly" on the measure. Extended Payments Another bill, introduced by Senator Case of New Jersey and seven other Republican Senators, would permit anyone whose benefits were exhausted in 1958 to receive extended payments until Jan. 1, 1959. Thus, anyone who exhausted benefit rights would be entitled to benefits for the remainder of the year at the expense of the Federal Government. Govern-ment. The Eisenhower Administration Administra-tion also has proposed a program pro-gram to provide federal unemployment unem-ployment compensation benefits for those out of work who have exhausted their state benefits. This was revealed by Secretary of Labor Mitchell in his recent address to an AFL-CIO meeting in UU.H.-l - -h-j ki pleasure plea-sure Congress for enactment of anti-recession legislation. Federal Fund The Federal Government has a fund, set up by Congress, and now amounting to about $200 million, from which any state may borrow if its unemployment fund is depleted. Authority exists ex-ists for congressional appropriations appropri-ations to replenish this fund if it is exhaused. Howevor, state's righters point out that the state unemployment reserve accounts now have available avail-able nearly $9 billion and the Federal Government is facing a period of deficit spending. In this situation, they ask: why are the states which, after af-ter all, have the primary responsibility respon-sibility not permitted to solve the problem? The basic policy question is whether the Federal Government should supersede the state legislatures legis-latures by assuming the power to dictate how long unemployment benefits are paid. Because the state legislatures have dealt with this legislation for two decades, they know the facts and the problems Involved. The state laws are delicately balanced. Great efforts have been made In the rtates to develop, over the years, sound programs that offer strong Incentives for employment stabilization. Opponents of federalization contend that the program must not be permited to be "liberalized" "liberaliz-ed" to the point at which It would become a vehicle for the Immobilization of the labor force for the maintenance- of great pools of idle men living on government gov-ernment subsidy. |