The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-01-02
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtchet Out
The Truth
. THE NEW SCHEME
. ADVANCED BY MURRAY
. ON DEFENSE WORK
. AND HOW 1T GOES

1t might be we'll to get this off
the chest without further ado. 1t
might be just as well to pay little
attention to the scheme lately ad-
vanced by Mr.. Phillip Murray as his
idea of how to get our defense work
done.
Mr.. Murray is thoroughly capable
and very sincere person. There seems
no need to debate that point.
But maybe there are some
things that his best friends won't
tell him. So heave away and let's
haul the cat out of the bag and
see what kind of color is it's fur.
Mr.. Murray proposes that defense
jobs be run by joint committees hav-
ing equal numbers of labor and en-
ployer representatives, with one gov
ernment representative as some sort
of presiding genius, or maybe umpire.
Sounds, good, doesn't it? Yes,
friends, it does NOT.
X x x
Probably no scheme devised by
man could more quickly gum up and
throw into a stall our vital defense
jobs.
First of all, which labor? CIO, or
AFofL? Since the plan is Mr.. Muir
rays plan, he certainly means CIO.
Second, which kind of employers?
Bankers who put up the money? Head
management, which must run plants
to make money? Or engineers
Generally, he who pays the fiddler
calls the tune. You figure it out.
With ONE labor movement some
thing like that might work. 1t might
approach democratic control of indus
try.
But today, it would mean chaos
and none should know it better than
Mr.. Murray.
Now about government. Mr.. Murray
proposes one government man. Why?
ALL of us elect our government eX-
ecutives and legislators. Government
represents ALL Of u.s.
Why should ALL of US have just
! one spokesman on such production
boards? Maybe Mr.. Murray has a
reason.
Few more fantastic schemes than
Mr.. Murray's have come along in
many moons.
1t sounds more like John l.. Lewis
and maybe it is.
Lewis has no less ambition today
than he had before he went out for
Willkie.
Lewis has a certain kind of clever
ness, which sometimes person can
see right through
Could this be an example?
1t is not likely that Mr.. Murray's
scheme will be adopted. 1t has some
thing less than chance in million.
But it is worth talking about because
Mr.. Murray will be back with some
thing else.
1t is time to keep your eye on the
ball-lest you wake up and find it
ball and chain.
Some folks will think that maybe
having Mr.. Hilman in the No. 2 spot
is about all CIO ought to expect in
running the defense business.
There should be a requirement for
better showing of sound judgement
before any further power is granted.
1t ought to be required that there
be something more, generally, than
a mere REPETITION of owe demand"
from folks who want to say how the
show is to be run.
That's shoe that anybody can try
on if he cares for little self-exam
nation.
We say-from the President on
down-that defense production is
paramount" that it must come
ahead of everything.
But at the same time the map is
spotted with those who say defense
production is paramount, if and when
"our demands" are satisfied.
Surely injustices must be kept out,
as far as possible. But one of these
days there are those who will wake
up to find that defense actually is
paramount. Won't it be just dandy
to have a shooting war start, with
guns still unmade because somebody
didn't "get him.? Mr.. Murray's pro-
posed board members would be the
busy little bees, unless some Of his
lieutentants have vastly changed
their stripes!
By putting forth this scheme, Mr..
Murray hasn't caused anyone except
said leutenants to increase their esti-
mate of his common sense. Piffle ped
ding should stop.-CMW.