The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-03-20
Facing The Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

Will Rogers would have tough
time if he we're alive today. All he
knew, he used to say, was what he
read in the papers. Such sources of
information are not what they used
to be. If VIII Rogers had to rely
on them today for accurate inform
alton, he wouldn't know what he was
talking about. And the millions Of
Americans who do have to rely on the
newspapers for their information are
being sadly missed and misinformed.
We refer particularly to labor news.
If we are to believe the labor news
published in the daily press, the entire
national defense is being crippled by
strikes. That is untrue. If we are
to believe the newspapers, defense
production has been seriously ham
pered and delayed by labor trouble.
That is untrue.
What are the facts? President
Roosevelt stated them succinctly at a
recent press conference. He declared
in a statement fully supported by
statistics that work stoppages due to
strikes have affected only one-fourth
Of one per cent Of defense production.
There is absolutely no cause for
public alarm about strikes, the Pres
ident said He denounced the news
papers for publishing highly Eek
aggerated" stories about labor trou-
bles. Public fears are being needless
ly aroused by these scare stories, he
emphasized.
Labor Speeds Defense"
We don't have to take the word Of
President Roosevelt alone, supported
as it is by the records and facts, for
this encouraging picture Of the de-
fense labor situation. Full corrobor-
alton comes from the National De-
fensefense Advisory Commission which
has been entrusted with the task of
directing all defense activities.
Under the title Labor Speeds De-
| Tense" the Defense Commission has
just published booklet giving or
ganized labor credit for having made
"a remarkable record" Of cooperation
in the defense program. This booklet
disclosed these facts:
"l-Work stoppages due to strikes
in American industry during the year
1910 accounted for an average loss of
less than two hours per year per
worker.
"2-This figure is put in perspective
when compared with the time lost
through industrial accidents. On-the-
| job accidents accounted for an average
idleness of more than one day per
worker, or upward of four times that
due to strikes. And the figure for ac-
cidents does not include the tremend-
Gus loss resulting from more than
1000 deaths.
"3-There has been a At per cent
decline in the number of man-days idle
due TO strikes during the first six
months of the defense program over
the corresponding period of 1899.
"4-The number of men involved in
strikes was only about half as great
during the first six months of the de-
fense program as when the United
States was actually at war twenty
four years ago. This is all the more
significant when it is realized that to-
tai agricultural employment is %
jer cent larger today"
Enemies of Labor
We have quoted these statements
because they are factual, because they
come from an official Government
source and because they expose the
scare stories published in the news
papers as just plain silly.
Then why, it may well he asked, do
the newspapers publish such stories?
As we see it, there are three possible
reasons. First is ignorance of the
facts-and the extent of ignorance in
most newspaper offices about labor is
astounding. Second is the headline
urge which prompts some editors to
blow up" insignificant stories far be-
yond their true news value Just be-
cause of lack of legitimately spec
tacular news.
But finally, and more sinister, is
the third reason-and that is that GER
tain newspaper publishers because of
their economic predictions would
like to see labor in the United States
5hackled by legislation. Newspapers
under the control Of these publishers
have been responsible for the greater
part Of the scare stories we have seen
in the press during the past few
months.
Now We Of the American Fedora
ton of Labor will match our patriot
ism - our unseIfsh patriotism -
against that Of any newspaper pub
Usher. We are deeply concerned with
the success Of the national defense
program. We are making sacrifices
daily to assure uninterrupted indus
trial production. We do not want
strikes. We are doing our utmost to
avoid them. We have succeeded in
avoiding them to d great extent. The
records will show that although the
A. F. Of L. is the predominant labor
organization, fewer than 10 per cent
Of defense strikes have originated in
A. T. of L. unions.
We want these facts to he known