The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-07-15
K,EasiE}S|A 4

and so for another year congress
must sit back and watch the Hop
kins organization spend money vir-
tually any way it desires.
I think there ought to be les
son in this whole situation upon
which the country can look back
rather regretfully. The experience
gained by making lump sum APP
preparations certainly shows how a
bad habit can be contracted and
how difficult it is to cure that habit.
Seldom in history until this depres-
sion would congress ever vote lump
sum appropriations for executive
departments to spend as they will.
Having contracted the habit, how
ever, it is going to be difficult here
after to deny any President lump
sum appropriations, provided only
that he has a substantial majority
in the house and senate.
No doubt many persons will WON
der why this sort of thing consti-
tutes an important issue. The an
swer is simple. Governments are
wasteful and the federal govern
ment, being larger than state or To-
cal governments, is just that much
more wasteful and unable to handle
money carefully. If states and To-
cal communities have to bear ex-
penses of this sort out of their own
treasures, they see to it that only
those entitled to relief obtain it. I'm
happily, the national relief system
is caring for thousands upon thou
sands of men who could get jobs
and who could support their fami-
lies but who will not do so as long
as money is given them from Wash
ington.
Since the national debt is at the
highest point in the history of our
nation, there is a growing convic-
ton at the Capitol that a halt must
be called sometime. The present
trouble is that there are not yet
enough courageous representatives
and senators to force a stoppage in
such spending.
While the steel strike blazed forth
with battle after battle, blood was
sheds and property
Baker Taxes was damaged, lit
Labor job tie attention was
paid to a develop
ment here in the nations captain
the government itself.
While all of the sensational things
were happening on the steel front,
one Jacob Baker was resigning his
job as assistant relief administrator
and was accepting the job of chief
of a new labor unit to be associated
with John L. Lewis and his COM
mittee for Industrial Organization.
Mr.. Bakers unit is to be made up
of government workers themselves,
a labor union in the government of
the United States.
For some years, there have been
minor labor units among govern
ment employees. They were affili-
ated with the American Federation
of Labor. Generally speaking, they
were impotent and did little more
than create dozen jobs for the Off
Gals of the organization.
Now, however, the government
workers are to have a militant,
fighting labor union which will get
things done for Them" Such at
least is the press agent word that
has been spread under Mr.. Bakers
direction.
Mr.. Baker is familiar with the
problems of government service.
Undoubtedly he recognizes that he
cannot use the same methods in or
ganizing government workers that
are used in private industry. If,
for example, he would attempt
strike, I think probably it would
be the end of labor organizations in
the government of the militant,
fighting" type.
The advance notices concerning
Mr.. Bakers plans seem to indicate
that he is seeking members below
the, grades of official rank. In other
words, if the Baker plans are car
ried out, the new union will be made
up of the so-called rank and file.
This would seem to be an advanta-
geous arrangement because it elm
mates some of the dangers that al
ways develop where bureaucrats
and division heads assume too much
authority. Yet, it should be pointed
out that elimination of those who
have worked their way up from the
rank and file at the same time elm
mates much experience with the
very problems of the workers which
the Baker organization says it will
correct.
There is a danger also in confn-
ing the organization to the rank and
file because among the less expert
enced labor leaders there is always
a tendency "to flare up" That is
to say, lacking experience they may
say things or do things which are
aregrettable or which they have
cause to regret later on. The vio-
lence that has shown its ugly head
in the steel strike proves this point.
So Mr.. Baker has his job cut out for
him in this direction.
There are many grievances, many
injustices in the government service
that ought to be corrected. The two
labor groups in the government can
do much to straighten out these diff
ficulties if they operate on the basis
of common sense. If Mr.. Baker lets
his organization get out of hand,
however, or if he leads it out of
bounds, we may witness a situation
inside of our government that is
not now pleasant to contemplate.
g Western Newspaper Union.
The "FIowery KiugdonO