The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-12-21

the majority opinion is that there
will be Slow improvement, as wal
orders increase.
Customs Duties Decrease,
But Business Is Improving
The difference between 1910 and
Understanding that the similarity
of improving business during a cam
paign holds goodwill be, as it is
viewed now. that there will be more
people worrying about where the
continuance of the Roosevelt policies
Will lead. 1t was one thing to have
the government spend vastly more
than it takes in for a three-year
period, with obviously improving
conditions apparently resulting. 1t
might be quite another to have eight
full years (including the last year
OF Hoover) in which the government
spent billions more every year than
1t took IN, with recurring periods
OF recession and mild improvement.
Especially as during the eightsyears
the national debt had been(increased
until it is now dangerously close to
the legal limit of forty-hve billion
dollars.
There seems to be every prospect
that Roosevelt's hopes with respect
to increased federal revenues will
be gratifed. 1t is true that Gus
toms duties are decreasing rapidly,
and will continue toedecrease if the
war lasts. But it is also true that,
due partly to war orders, general
business is improving. This will not
only mean an enormous increase in
corporation income taxes-the gov
eminent takes 10 cents tax of every
dollar any fair-sized corporation
makes, and slightly less, down to
1914 cents, for each dollar of the
small concerns. It will mean also
heavily increased individual income
taxes.
It is on the spending side that real
difficulty impends. 1t will be simple
enough to cut the budget estimates.
That has often happened, even I'M
der Roosevelt. Notably in the first
fiscal year of his administration,
But it is dangerous to rely on that.
The key will come not when the
first appropriation bills are passed,
but when the last deficiency bills
appear on Capitol Hill
Arnolfs Drive on Labor
Is Worrying NerU Dealers
Probably as left wing as any one
in the administration, Assistant At
torney General Thurman w. Arnold,
is nevertheless the most unpopular
OF all New Dealers among labor
leaders. The answer is his deter
mined drive against certain labor
practices, and especially his pro-
posed application of the antitrust
: laws to labor unions.
Reports from American Fedora
ton of Labor circles indicate that
word has reached the office OF Will
liam Green that President Roose-
Welt is not in sympathy with Ar
noh's policy in this particular. But,
reassuring as this may be in GER
tain quarters, there is no sign that
the White House intends to pull Ar
mold off.
Indeed there are some who sus-
pect the President would be very
loath to take this action and might
be very uncertain as to what course
Arnold might follow If he should.
Whatever the President may do,
it is now apparent that Arnold's pol
icy on the application of the anti
trust laws to labor unions still has
to face a court test. This policy
boils down to the proposition that
union activities are legitimate only
when directed against employers.
This is the essence of his declara-
ton that jurisdictional strikes re-
sulting from union rivalry violate
the antitrust laws because they do
not concern wages, hours, health or
safety conditions, ETC., or an en-
ployers refusal to bargain collec-
lively.
Arnold's doctrine is that a union,
which has contract with an en-
ployer, is entitled to the same pro-
lection afforded by the antitrust
laws as business man who is the
victim of a combination in restraint
of trade by other business men. De-
partment of justice officials won't 20
SO far as to say that sympathetic
strikes are outlawed by their inter
probation of the antitrust laws.
They say, indeed, that where one
union is striking for a legitimate
object sympathetic strike by an
other union IS legitimate.
Stand on Non-Union Goods
Not Restraint of Trade
In taking a stand against strikes,
boycotts or coercion by unions which
have no reasonable" connection
with hours, etc., Arnold does not
classify refusal of union labor to
handle non-union products as an il
legal restraint of trade. As for re-
fusal of one union to handle the prod
ucts of another union, Arnold lieu
tenants will not peep now but admit
thew NAV have to face that question