The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-06-26
(By Staff Writer)

WAS61NGlOIN, -. ~. JUNE As
plans to clean out the reds
from defense industries are flying
thick and fast here with all re.
sponsible officials favoring i'm.
mediate, action but expressing
widely varying views on the best
method of handling the problem.
The department of justice is
studying the situation and the
plan most likely to be adopted is
expected to come from the depart.
ment. One proposal known to be
under consideration is the crea.
ton of a special unit under the
department Of justice which
would hunt out suspects, examine
the charges against them and not
ify the manufacturer employing
them if their activities were found
to be dangerous to the best in
terests of defense work. The
manufacturer would then fire
such suspects.
It is believed that in such cases,
if the dismissed men were union
members and appealed to the Ma
tional Labor Relations board, that
board could tell them it couldn't
consider their cases because their
dismissal had been directed by a
government agency.
This is only one of many plans
under consideration, but it is evil
dent that some plan will soon be
adopted to serve as a dragnet for
employees believed to be engaged
in subverive activities. Growing
public anger over the defense de-
lays caused by reds is clearly evil
dent and many labor union lea
ders are just as anxious as the
general public to do something
about it. They realize that activ-
tiles of "reds" in labor groups are
creating strong sentiment against
labor itself, whether it is justified
or not. A recent Gallup poll shows
there is more feeling against Ia
Dor unions today than at any time
by administration forces, which
for the last five years. The much
debated measure, recommended
would give the President the
right to seize any property, is ex-
pected to get much more support
than it would have six months
ago because it is seen as means
of guaranteeing continued prod
uction in the face of labor diff
culties.
Sentiment for labor legislation
in congress, just as with the pub
lie, grows and wanes according to
the number of strikes that are
current, but there have been so
many strikes consistently in the
news recently that there is no
doubt the majority of congress-
men would now vote eyes" to any
reasonable proposal to remedy the
situation.
It is believed that the freezing
of Nazi and Italian funds in this
curbing anti-American activities
country will be of some help in
but the funds of the nationals OF
those two countries here are not
over $4OO,000,000 and good pro-
portion of them are probably IN
cash form and may be impossible
to find. However, it does give the
administration a new tool to use
against Axis groups in this coun-
try, since the freezing makes it
possible for the government to
stop German bunds and such or
CARNATIONS from operating.
The agreement of Eastern ship
ward workers to ban strikers for
two years has shown the public
that certain labor groups are will
ing to work for the best interests
of our country, but the continued
strike of West coast shipworkers,
in spite of plea for settlement by
President Roosevelt, offsets any in
creased popular feeling sympath-
etc to labor.
AS the new tax program for
paying part of our defense bill
reaches completion, indications
are that the whole tax structure
of both the nation and the states
may be in for major overhaul
ing. The treasury department has
set up a board of experts to study
all taxes and to make recon-
mendations as to what should be
taxed by the federal government
and what by the state govern
ments. It may lead. to a plan for
centering more of taxation in the
federal government, part of which
will be distributed to the states.
The present taxes on gasoline,
for instance, which are levied by
both the federal and state gov
ermnents, may eventually be all