Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-13
Firm HandIinq
Of Strikes
Approved
johnson Says No Recent
u. S. Act More Popular
BY HUGH s. JOHNSON

ment has been more popu-
lar than the firm handling Of
work stoppages in d defense
strikes.
1t was getting to be a national
scandal.
These settlements are very
gratifying, but the experience
still leaves an uneasy feeling
and a lesson.
Some informed observers and
commentators have long known
and frequently charged that the
brewing of nearly all the major
troubles was the work Of Com
munistic cells planted al the
elbow of union leaders, espc-
cially in Go, and sometimes
dominating them.
Now the top side Go leader
ship itself not only comedies this,
but in wisely getting out from
under, blames the whole trouble
on THESE iteuS.
THAT would seem 10 make the
Il opinion almost unanimous,
but il doesn't cure the evil.
Plenty of such cells remain.
The government knows who
and where they are and so must
the union leaders who now con
denim them when real conflict
with the government breaks.
Harry Bridges. Go West
Coast leader. who supported, If
he did not engineer. the avla-
ton strike. and who is at least
associated with the extreme left
pink wing. called the settle
ment Of that strike strategic
retreat but not a defeat
In some of the maritime
unions, including those connected
with ocean communications.
transportation and the handling
of ships are danger spots.
Mr.. Bridges himself was
leader in the deadly dangerous
San Francisco general strike Of
1884.
What has been revealed by
these sinister disclosures con-
corning Go unions and the sue
ceSSful prosecutions of thieves.
crooks and racketeers in AtL
unions is that the overwhelming
majority of decent patriotic
citizens in American labor unions
did not seem 10 have the power
10 purge their very leadership
of influences which. If they do
not threaten 10 make the very
institution Of organized labor a
menace, at least diScredit and
weaken it in popular favor and
opinion.
MIR BRIDGES also announced
WI that he thought the aviation
strike was Justified in view of
the huge war profits of the air
plane industry"
That is the argument most
frequently advanced for these
defense stoppages. T n 1t APP
preach is also dangerous.
AS profits 60 up, wages must
go up" and it might be added
prices will go up. profits VIII
90 up" and so without end. not
in n circle but in an ascending
spiral.
You can't make profits in
war industry caSt-iron ruh 10
measure wages in that industry.
Wages must be kept relatively
equable in all employment in
particular locality
Unfortunately high wages in one
industry tend TO cause inordi-
natcly high wages in all indus
tries or. in a labor shortage, TO
strip civilian services OF man.
power.
Any way you look al il the
public gets squeezed and pays
the bill.
War profitcering can not be
tolerated, but Enthusiastically high
wages is not the answer. II IS
up TO the government 10 prevent
any undue profits by reason of
war work. Confiscating taxes
on war industries 10 prevent
high profits is not the answer
That simply sends all prices
higher and higher and. again. it
is the great mass Of our civilian
population that gets no benefit
at all but bears most Of the
burden.
TTIE place to prevent profiteer-
Il ing is in the negotiation and
administration Of war contracts.
That is altogether the govern
mcntS own responsibility and,
Judging from the present tend
ency of all prices TO soar into
initiation. IL is hard TO be con-
WINGED that the government is
doing that job.
There are great dangers here
in the failure of labor 10 purge
its own leadership of bad men
and the apparent complacency
of government 10 inflationary
tendencies in prices, profits and
wages. These are two battle
fronts in the war that should be
guarded as carefully as the fields
of actual conflict.
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