The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-09

a threat, but some OF the indus
trialists interpret 1t as verging on
a promise.
OF course, it's assumed that
Uncle Sam will pay fair rentals for
the facilities referred to, If he
commanders" them. as the ex-
preston is And advocates Of the
plan urge its adoption only on 4
rental basis; they don't propose
outright confiscation. The indus
trialists aren't altogether indis-
posed to take Uncle Samuel up
on II.
Washington's simply swarmIng
with their Representatives and a
scattering Of their principals to-
day. They don't say for publica-
ton that they'll welcome having
their plants governmentally COM
Wandered, but it's easy TO over
hear EN- whispering II to one an
other.
The ideas this:
The government. in letting It's
contracts, is driving a succession
OF pretty hard bargains-accord-
ing to the industrial spokesmen's
account, at any rate.
They're afraid 1t may get tight
er-hsted yet, too, with all the gos-
sip there is about enormous emer-
gency profits and with congress
just starting an investigation If
production bottlenecks. strikes and
other stoppages. Labor's being
popularity blamed for a consider
able share in obstructiveness, but
arrangements coming in for a
stable proportion Of public crit-
cism.
Little Profit Seen
Now, the industrialists' version
is that they're not due to make
much money on the strength OF the
bargains they've concluded thus
far, and some say their concerns
Will be lucky to break even.
That's as OF this moments writ
ing. 81
What worries the industrial folk
more especially, however, is the
prospect, foreseen by them, that
their costs Of operation will In
crease very rapidly and formid-
ably. Their workers already de-
mand higher wages, as limited at
by the current strike epidemic.
The tale Of the strikers employers
Is that they can't stand it on the
basis of their existing contracts.
Besides. they think (or profess to
think that big '"lge in the costs
Of their raw materials is imminent.
If their apprehensions are real
lied, which they're dismally gam
bling on, they predict that they
shortly will be losing financially
like fury.
The head Of big Atlantic ship
building company was in Washing
ton recently. negotiating with Dr.
rector Bill Knudsen's Office Of
Production Management. l can't
quote him by name, but he told me:
I'VE can't agree TO the govern
ment's shipbuilding terms except
at desperate risks to our owner
ship. Yet we've GOT to agree to
EN-, or be branded as unpatriotic.
What we hope is that we'll get so
much repair work that It'll keep US
busy up to the limit Of our ca
pacity. We can charge only rock
bottom figures even for repair
work, but there's a little more
margin on that than there is on sc-
tual building. Our danger is that
repairs won't fully occupy US; that
wen have to build, too. under gov
eminent regulation. That'n ruin
US"
How II Would Work
But II a plants governmentally
Communicated:
Then its ownership will get It's
rental from Uncle Samuel, anyway.
At worst. it won't be running at a
loss. And Uncle Sammy will have
all the strike headaches Or, IL his
workers do strike on him. he can
conscript EN-. at whatever rate OF
pay he dictates. A private en-
ployer can't do IT, He's between
the upper and the neither mill
stones.
I've no intention Of arguing the
industrialists' case for EN-. I'm