The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-04-16

Dear Mr.. Pr6Sldent-MY PfeSl-
dent: I listened TO you the other
night when you tola us that in
order to Oh, ,ec, democracy we
must all make sacrifices, and |
believed every Wcrd of it. Most
Ct nv friends believed it, too, but
do you know, Mr.. President, that
lot IF them aIe talking and
that lot of bovs in the army are
talking? These people-fathers
and mothers of the boys in the
army and the boys themselves
are asking questions. You can an
swer therhqand I believe you
should answer them.
MY son is making a sacrifice.
He had a. job that paid $50 per
week and he is now getting S2l
per month as a selective service
Soldier. THAT is a pretty good
financial sacrifice I, and all
members of my family are MAX
ing a sacrifice. too, because this
son contributed a large part of
his wages to help support his
younger brothers and sisters. My
own income is not nearly as great
as was his, $50 YOU can see that
all of us are making a sacrifice
in addition to that which my son
has made. All of us do this glad
ly' for ti3tfSsgRse9nefit of the country
as a whole, but along with lot
of other patents and lot of the
soldier boys, | am wondering
whether you really meant that
EVERYBODY should make a
similar sacrifice.
The chap who now has my
sons job is joining with group
which demands a wage boost of
Is percent. If they got it. the
wage increase would be about
double what my son is getting in
the army But he was satisfied.
He worked for corporation and
believed he was being treated
fairly. When he left, this cor
poration told him he would re-
cei-'0 his check for his vacation
Period, even though he will not
bq, bore when the vacation time
erriv"s | have since received
tho check and sent it to him. I
recently read the annual report
Of this same corporation and dis
covered that if employees last year
had received Is percent more in
wages, there wouldn't have been
anything for the stockholders. Is
it your idea that the corporation
stockholders. soldiers and their
families shall make all the sacri-
flee? Is that chap who got my
sons Job, which was a promotion
for him. then wants his pay in
creased Is percent, making the
kind of sacrifice you are talking
about?
And another thing about which
the fathers and mothers are talk
ing is the system now in effect
which seems to promote the idea
that if a man does not wish to
Join union he can starve to
death. I believe that a man has
right. to- belong, to a union if
he sosdesires. and ] am willing to
fight to defend that right But
I also believe that a man has a
right to STAY out of a union if
that DC his. wish, and that even
the government should defend
that right, This. Of course. is un~
der the assumption that we are
still democracy. People with
whom | talk are wondering.
Men who do not belong to a
union are presumably. citizens.
They ares pot exempt from taxa
ton. and, when they pay their
federal taxes thew surely must be
stockholders in the country. Yet
TIE same country will award a
contract tQr barracks and cann
eouiDn1ent for the soldiers, and
one Of the owners Of the govern
naent whieb let the contract is
fo~ce1 t9lRfs tribute to some Ia
Dor leadef. Before he can get job
on the .cusagsuctlnn for which he