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1936 › William Lemke (Union) › Minimum wages

A 'living annual wage' -- $1,800 for a family of five -- by federal law and a constitutional amendment if necessary

pledge_forwardspecific_pledgesurrogateevidence B Federal–State RelationsLabor & Employment similar solutions · similar reasoning

Solution

Coughlin's plank for the Union candidate: amend the Constitution so 'free unbridled competition must submit to reasonable Federal laws' guaranteeing a fair annual wage to every willing worker.

Rationale

'The hourly wage system of modem capitalistic industrialism must pass out of existence.'

Statements (2)

1936-09-12 · Father Coughlin's radio broadcast (Associated Press, Evening Star) · generalsurrogate ✓ verified

"At the present cost of living, the gum of $1,800 per year is a minimum for a family of five. But which of the presidential candidates will adopt this principle? Unfortunately only one--the impoverished leader of the Impoverished Union Party."

Source: Landon at Portland, Me.: amend Constitution for minimum wage law if necessary (Evening Star, Sept. 13, 1936, p. 4) (1936-09-13)

1936-09-12 · Father Coughlin's radio broadcast (Associated Press, Evening Star) · generalsurrogate ✓ verified

"Both capital and labor must not Only advocate, but seek with their full powers an amendment to our Con stitution. If necessary, by which free unbridled competition must submit to reasonable Federal laws to the end that a fair annual wage will be paid to every American capable of working and willing to work.

Source: Landon at Portland, Me.: amend Constitution for minimum wage law if necessary (Evening Star, Sept. 13, 1936, p. 4) (1936-09-13)

Follow-through

not_applicable

The FLSA set a 25-cent hourly minimum (about $500 a year) -- a federal wage floor, but far from the $1,800 annual wage and without an amendment.

Enacted by others

1938-06-25

Franklin D. Roosevelt

statute Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

A federal minimum wage, far below Coughlin's living annual wage. source

Reception (1)

news_coverageaccuratesalience medium Evening Star (Jerry Vessels), St. Paul 1936-09-26

Coughlin whipped a 50,000 crowd at the Minnesota fair into pledging support for Lemke 'to destroy the sham battle in Washington', unsettling forecasts for the State.

The strange event was climaxed with the great throng standing and pledging ■upport to William Lemke, Union party presidential candidate

Source: Coughlin's speech increases doubt in Minnesota (Evening Star, Sept. 27, 1936, p. 32)

1936-lemke-living-annual-wage-by-constitutional-amendment · created by claude-fable-5-1 · review: unreviewed