The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-08-02
Bruckarfs Warrington Digest
Unusual Strike Shows Fallacy
Of Broad Government Rulings
Dispute Over Proper Classification of Workers Results in
Stopping All Construction Work in City and Ties
Up Supplies for Public Buildings
somebody has to do the work.

| somebody has to do the work.
The Smoot strike, therefore, d.
reefs attention at one of the prob
lens that confronts this country. It
is serious problem. 1t has got
to be faced, and government must
race 1t. That is, government must
race 1t II this country is to carry
out the policies OF expanding the
army and the navy, of developing
an air force second to none and of
equlpping these forces TO shoe I'M
seen enemies back to the foreign
shores from which they are expect
ed to come.
No better illustration is possible
than what happened in France and
England. Their war preparation was
limited to lip service for months, be-
cause the government leaders were
unwilling to bear down and tell rack
eteering labor leaders that the time
had come for cooperation. Had
French government leaders adopted
a firm policy with the communistic
labor leaders and had those leaders
been told to keep their men at work,
France would have lasted longer
against the Hitler "blitzkrieg." In
stead, France refused to abandon
the 40-hour week and its govern
mental officials chose to coddle la
Dor leaders because of politics.
We have something of the same
basic situation in this country, right
now. II is well known, of course,
that Mr.. Roosevelt has favored the
labor leaders who could control
votes. He was not alone Others
have done the same thing-Republi-
can as well as Democrat.
Policy on Shorter Hours
Will Not Be Modified
Only lately, Mr.. Roosevelt said
at the White House that, come war
or peace, there would be no rnodifi-
cation OF the New Deal policy re-
speeding shorter and shorter hours of
work. This New Deal reform was to
stand, he said, and he is evidently
going to stand on that declaration,
just as the French did some months
ago. Since the President is so firmly
committed to this policy, am won
| dering when this nation is going to
draw its belt tighter and get down
W wal PREPARATION.
/ think, too, that attention might
be called to the recent appointment
OF Sydney Hillman as a part of the
national defense council and his des-
ignation as head Of the agency which
will have charge Of training Ameri-
can boys and girls for war work. 1t
was Mr.. Hlllman who broke through
and organized the textile workers of
this country into a strong, well-knit
union. He deserves commend alton
for that job, since most of the textile
manufacturers were about as rotten
in their treatment of workers as the
record of this country can disclose.
But, according to reports, Mr.. Hill
man has lost none of his antagonism
for the employer class" and that
does not bode well for a prepared
ness program.
There are some stories floating
around now to the effect that Mr..
Hillman has been smuggling I'D TO
some labor leaders whose penchant
for stirring up trouble is well known.
Indeed, If one may believe the re-
ports here in Washington, Mr.. Hill
man has given some indications that
he believes the federal government
should clamp down further on the
employers, war preparation or no
preparation.
Cause for Fear in War
n nd Nouu n~oo.k,..S