| Show r o I Locial ocial Security Program Labor Laws Face Congress CongressI I Legislation tion Would Bring Unions Under Definite Restrictions New Insurance Plan to Out Beveridge England's Program By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator II it U II Service 1343 II B Street NW Washington D. D C. C I As the ship of off state pulls out of e holiday doldrums skipper and andrew andrew ff rew ew are setting their jaws for rough feather eather There are cross currents head ead in the new congress which re going to set the old ship slip rocking Symbolic of conflicting move- move the debate of which will soon b be filling the Congressional Record re e these two A proposed bill to ring fifing ring labor unions into the restrict- restrict tl pale ig-pale g pale of legislation such as busi- busi liess fess ess has to contend with under the f trust anti laws and a social security program which some say will out- out B England's new Beveridge r elan plan lan That program its author Sir William William Beveridge says is in some ways a revolution The The holiday doldrums I men men men- were not a seasonal air this year There was the letdown while congress went home homed I d d the nation turned to festal There was also a pre- pre lull which was necessitated by the turnover in the last lection l The administration knew at no matter what was done in ine inae ine e ae e interim between November and nuary it would in some measure e e undone when anti-administration anti and the increased Re- Re minority got together in the ew w congress Gap Gap op-Gap Arranged Since manpower is the prime consideration consideration con con- of the moment a stop-gap stop was was' vas vas' arranged With much f fanfare Manpower Commissioner McNutt was ras given new powers and a far- far flung ng program m mas was as ballyhooed But mostly ball ballyhoo hoo and just bei before be be- fore ore ore Christmas wide publicity was i fiven iven to a document which was ob- ob the forewarning forewarning- that much regimentation of labor was wasn 00 jn n the wind The postponed long-postponed put t inevitable national service act raised its head again IThe The document was a draft of a ai amade i made by Grenville Clark an at- at lorney who suddenly emerged as a presidential residential advisor It was an- an i that he made a special trip tripI L I Lo England to study the British man- man p ower setup Clark remained silent til just before Christmas and after Congress had gone home but every Congressman received a copy of the legislation About two weeks earlier shortly fter ter the Beveridge report was jade nade public a cabinet officer was Heard card to remark Weve Veve got to get getsy sy and draw up a program that thatis its ts Americas America's needs a little better Han an an the Beveridge plan would But But the lull was still lulling then md rid when the President was asked it 1 a press and radio conference ife if ifie ie e 1 were preparing a message for angress on the subject that subject that was out the time of the remark of the binet abinet member member member-he he said no The Beveridge plan was the nat- nat ral iral result of the Battle of Britain hen Then a common danger brought the British people closer together The and under- under i had to be taken care of Class sham lass lines dont don't exist in the sham sham- les S. S A out bombed-out duchess can cane e e as cold and hungry as a waif ll Fhe he poor suddenly realized that if h Key hey y could be taken care of as well F r r better in an emergency they aught to have a little better of the ordinary decencies of life n prosperous peace times Wise x d 1 it 1 u. u ers t i L wan wat t LII ine W war I 1 was J aver er to face angry demands which night turn into real revolution Sir Beveridge's committee drew I th p the blueprint for what they called a 1 British revolution in the coun- coun tYs ys y's economic setup under which s is one spokesman described it the people eople would contribute by their wn preference to a national insurance ance ince fund rather than take a hand- hand tut jut from the state I Assurance IThe The goal of the Beveridge plan is isA jo A 0 lay the ghost of insecurity by neaps Deans of assurance Assurance Assurances Assurance's s 's the British word for what we all insurance and which really Ij I fines the commodity better than ur word word assurance assurance that men and omen men would have a subsistence rough sickness and unemployment ind d old age would have money to toke tooke oke ke ke the baby through its difficult any sarly stages enough for a decent urial rial without burdening friends or I I relatives would provide a working woman with a bonus when she married married married mar mar- ried so she wouldn't be penalized for enjoying connubial bliss All this would be done on the principle of ordinary commercial insurance except that the government would run the machinery both labor and capital would contribute as such and the people as a whole in accordance with their income would pay a share through taxes The plan is not new But it is a considerable extension of the present security laws such as Britain has had for a long time and such as the New Deal brought to America No sane American politician no I matter how far he leaned to the conservative side would suggest reI re- re 1 A I L II IJ Americas America s social social security laws It couldn't be done But the controversy will arise in congress when attempts are made as they will be to extend the benefits both as to amounts paid and to new categories of workers Such extensions extensions extensions exten exten- are contemplated in the plan I now cooking in Washington I Labor Regulation That is one trend we can look for Running counter to it on the surface but really also shooting at the greatest good for the greatest number number number num num- ber is the trend toward regulation of organized labor Probably a dozen bills have been drawn up all U of which tend to put the screws on labor unions Many liberals feel that the unions have it coming The growing number of strikes in wartime when maximum production is a matter of patriotism as well as necessity the existing union rules which tend to interfere with maximum t. t u II 11 tion the lilt various l restraints CUll con considered as evil as the restraint of trade resulting from monopolies all have been highlighted by war conditions Bills will be presented to root out these ills Much of the restriction of unions could be avoided avoid avoid- ed if the unions cleaned their own house In America as in England when a nation is called upon to make the sacrifices demanded by this war it itcan itcan itcan can be expected that the people will insist on a democratic distribution distribution distribution tion of opportunity and reward of effort when peace comes The war will also have taught that maximum production means maximum pros pros- There are plenty of people to consume peacetime products there are plenty of natural resources whose development can furnish the jobs for the consumers and provide the pay which makes it possible for them to buy what is produced Any group or institution institution farm farm labor la labor labor la- la bor management which management which stands inthe inthe in inthe the way of this maximum production is bound to have its wings clipped Meanwhile the people will demand and get greater assurance against rainy days which come even when prosperity is with us And in providing providing providing pro pro- viding it if Britain comes along America cannot be far behind Sightless Workers Lockheed officials report that 13 blind workers who are helping build fighting and bombing planes in the California plant are in some respects respects respects re re- re- re better than average and turnout turnout turn turnout out more work than their fellows because of higher concentration Including Including Including In In- two women these sightless workers passed a months month's placement test in the Lockheed factory and andare andare andare are now working as tubing assem assem- bIers roll burring l operators and d assemblers assemblers as as- of switch boxes One is a parts handler on a conveyor in the paint shop Guide dogs bring the blind employees employees employees em- em to the plant each morning and and doze all day beneath their masters masters' masters masters' masters masters' mas mas- benches Miss Hazel Hurst sightless president of a foundation for training blind persons worked at every job before selecting the blind worker to be placed in it However the number of jobs they can perform with safety will always be limited she said Lockheed hopes to find jobs fobs for more sightless work work- ers Its It's Uniforms Now The importance of Harry Hopkins' Hopkins bathrobe conferences with the President President Pres Pres- ident arc are on the wane as far as their importance goes The President is paying more attention to advisors in uniform |
