The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-12-03
ON THE
CAPITALS CUFF
BY HENRY ION

BY HENRY ION
, Revealing in the extreme is con
trast between house action on pric
control legislation and houes action
on labor control legislation.
Price control has been pending be
fore the house since August. Presi
dent Roosevelt has written a message
to congress to emphasize its import
lance. Administration big-shots have
pulled all kinds of wires to get II
lpassed.
Price control legislation is still q
long way from becoming law.
Legislation depriving labor unions
of their vital rights was introduced
and approved by committees within a
week. Unless there is a sharp shift
for the better, the house will approve
bill within days.
Also extremely noticeable has been
the fact that the most ardent oppon-
ents of price control are the warmest
partisans of union-busting legislation.
Southern democrats threatened to
oppose revision of the neutrality act
to permit arming of merchant ships,
a measure that the administration
argued was vital to the defense of
the nation, unless their labor policies
are written into law.
The same southern democrats vent
their spleen on the price control bill
and even before house action on the
measure, 1t was obvious that the best
that could be hoped for would be a
cumbersome and ineffective measure.
The connection between control of
prices and strikes has been pointed
out time and again on the floor of
the house.
Working men and women who,
within the past eight years, have
found that In organization there is
strength are not going to sit idly by
while prices reach for the sky and
wages falter by the wayside.
There are signs that the southern
democrats appreciate this connection
full wei land are determined that the
LII SdL " plOlllS ny bliOn6
unions shall be erased.
There is talk that strong measures |
are needed now in anticipation of |
labor shortage later on. No scabs and |
strong unions means curtailed profits
in any language.
For time there was the hope that |
he price control bill could be made
he instrument of anti-unionists by
for control of wages. The
was that wage increases
,ause price rises.
That profits are outstripping wage
Increases by far is the conclusion of
! number of economists. A recent
itudy made by university professors
Ieclares:
people who yell about high wages
IS inflationary are quiet as mouse
bout the tremendous upswing in
'rofits. Yet high profits are danger
usly inflationary."
On the basis of the record there is
rolling profits than legislation con-
rolling unions.
Government reports show that pro-
uction is now at least 40% higher
han in the peak year of 1929. Re-
orts also show that the number of 1
lan-days lost through strikes is min G
to compared with the number of |
worked.
Reports also show that profits of |
OS Industrial, commercial and public t
tility corporations for the first six '
lonths of 1871 were 1870 above the i
anne period last year, despite In 7
reased taxes. Profit increases Of c
)O0%o and more are on the record. /
But it's labor unions that congress C
ants to control. Not profits. To n
ontrol profits would be to destroy t
zee enterprise and the nation was
lilt on free enterprise. To make
zen slaves would preserve the prin- Ii
plies upon which the nation was b
'unded. v
The best explanation of this strange n
shavior is that most of the southern
emocrats do not represent the people
their district. They represent only D
lose wealthy enough to pay the poll (,
x, descendants of those who fought v
keep slavery as a national insti- =
tion.