System Wrecked?

When Franklin Roosevelt last fortnight told organized labor, "You cannot strike against the Government," Labor's bold reply was: "But we are striking." In this, Labor was mistaken. It was only trying to strike, and last week its effort petered out. Congress, embattled on greater issues, gave no sign of revising the 130-hour-per-month requirement of the new Relief Act, which so affronted aristocratic A. F. of L.; nor of rescinding the 18-months-&-off rule which hurt lowly Workers Alliance. Both organizations fumed and demonstrated sporadically last week, but WPA moved on oblivious. Grimly, Administrator "Pink" Harrington proceeded with his duty, imposed by the taxpayers' Congress, to cut 650,000 workers off the rolls by August 31.

More impressive than any Labor demonstration was a report addressed to all Congressmen this week by the U. S. Conference of Mayors. These gentlemen declared that if Congress does not rescind its requirement that localities contribute 25% of WPA project costs, the WPA money voted by Congress for this year will be "so far as many cities are concerned but an idle gesture." Alternatives, they said, were a further appropriation, or amendment of the clause requiring money so far voted to last twelve months. The mayors used alarming words like "wreck," "collapse," "destruction." Their most piteous alarm: "The nation has no alternative but to do this if the present economic system is to endure."

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