The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-14

in such official
quarters as William S. Knudsen's
production management outfit. by
Clarence A. Dykstra's associates
on the national mediation board
and by labor departmental concili-
ators Of the type OF John r. Steel
man, James F. Dewey and Father
Francis Haas.
It's q policy, It is agreed, which
might prove fairly satisfactory In
the case Of a company equipped to
turn out defense supplies but i'm
movably opposed to acceptance OF
orders for them, except maybe at
eXtortionate prices. However, there
aren't many, II any, companies like
this. Contrariwise, as I've had &C.
casion to remark before, quite a
few concerns are rather willing to
have their plants governmentally
taken over for awhile at reason
able rentals.
Labor troubles are what cause
most Of the deadlocks in defense
outputs and aid the democracies
activities.
Now, assume that factory is in
q state Of suspended animation due
to strike. Its management won't
yield to the strikers and the strik-
ers won't yield to the management.
So the government takes charge,
with the management more or less
acquiescent, since 1t will be receiv-
ing rent, anyway, which will be
better than having its property
lying idle on account Of the strike.
Thereupon, 1t will be up to the
government, thus, to establish an
expert management Of its own.
1t may be pretty difficult to i'm
proTse on short notice.
What About Strikers:
But suppose the government
succeeds, as to management. Then
what about the strikers? It seems
a fair guess that they'll demand as
good conditions from the govern
ments management as they did
from the original, private one. Win
the government grant them-even
II they're excessive, as contended
by the previous, private manage
ment? Or will 1t refuse? In that
event, it would appear to be a rea-
sonable conclusion that the strike
will continue. And obviously It
will be a darned sight meaner sit
uation to have a lot Of workers on
strike against the government
than against a private company.
Chairman Hatton W. Summers of
the house of representatives judi
ciary committee already has told
what he'd favor doing about 1t. He
says Il quoted him few days ago,
from a congressional speech he
made) that he'd advocate declar-
ing the strike leaders enemies Of
the country and sending EN- to the
electric chair. 80
From talks I've had with any
number Of his fellow legislators,
though, don't believe he could get
a majority for as strong a law as
that.
Think OF sending John l. Lewis
or Phil Murray TO the electric
chair
Some more moderate chaps sug-
gest conscripting industrial strik-
ers into the military service II they
won't work in factories. The flaw
in that proposition is that, even IL
so drafted, they still wouldn't be
getting their factories going again.
Besides, lot Of EN- aren't Of mill
tary age.
Well then, it's urged, conscript
'em industrially, regardless Of age;
MAKE EN- work, as slaves. That's
another scheme / don't believe,
from my chats with congressman,
that 1t would be possible to get
majority for,
SO what?
Would the government, In
charge Of a Communicated plant,
have to accept its strikers de-
mands for higher wages and
things?
And In Other Plants?
II 1t did so. wouldn't workers In
un-commandeered plants tnmedi-
ately strike for similar boosts from
their private managements? And
wouldn't strikes quickly become
rampant everywhere Wouldn't
the government have to comman-