Evening star., 1942-07-15
Fortnight Statement

In a courageous and fortnight
statement, Richard Gilbert, deputy
chief of the Office of Price Admins
tration, has brought into clear focus
the real issue involved in the battle
for general wage increases, which is
rapidly approaching a climactic
stage.
Mr.. Gilbert's remarks were ad-
dressed to the West Coast aircraft
wage stabiliZation conference, and he
said that his statement was prepared
with the assistance of the War Pro-
duction Board, the War Manpower
Commission and heads of other gov
ernmental agencies. In view of this
circumstance, there is reason to sup
pose that he was giving expression to
the considered position of the Gov
ernment on the wage increase issue,
although it remains to be seen to
what extent he will be supported
when the showdown comes
The first point made by the OPA
spokesman was that average wages
in the aircraft industry are above
the average for the West Coast and
the country as whole. Therefore,
they cannot be considered "substand-
ard" the rather vague term which
has been applied to wage standards
in which upward adjustments might
be approved, but fall within the cate
CORY Of general wage boosts which
Mr.. Gilbert said would be opposed by
Government agencies with all the
powers at their command"
His second point was that there can
be no equality of sacrifice" in the
war effort if economically powerful
groups are permitted to maintain
their individual living standards.
Before this war is over" he said,
"the living standards of the Ameri-
can people will be reduced below the
level prevailing at the bottom of the
great depression. Under these cir
cumstances no group can improve or
avoid reduction in it's living stand
ards except at the expense of other
groups"
This is point of view which mani
festly is correct. If the living stand
ards of organized labor groups are to
be maintained through general wage
increases, or if the farmers are to be
spared wartime sacrifices through
congressional insistence on encour-
aging Ito per cent of parity prices
for farm products, then it follows
inevitably that these SPECIAL ad-
vantages can be had only by depress-
ing still further the living standards
of the rest of the people in the coun-
try. Yet it is by no means certain
that this gross injustice to the people
as whole will not be perpetrated.
Spokesman for the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor and the Congress Of
Industrial Organizations already
have taken sharp issue with Mr. Gill
bert. And it is significant that they
have done so in a joint statement,
which says that "the drive to stabi-
liZe wages threatens to substitute
decisions by the Government boards
for free collective bargaining agree
ments, and to dictate a policy of no
wage increases. To stifle collective
bargaining is to destroy the free
labor movement in the United
States"
This is only less direct way Of
saying that the union leaders want
| to be left free to obtain such wage in
creases as their economic strength
may enable them to get, regardless Of
the adverse effect on the rest of the
country. 1t is clear that such a posi-
tion on the part of labor tends to de-
stroy the concept of a war economy
in which the burden would be borne
by all the people, share and share
alike. Yet it would be most unwise to
| take it for granted that Mr.. Gilbert s
equitable point of view will prevail.
On the contrary, it assuredly will not
prevail unless it receives a great deal
more active support from the admin
istration and the public than has
been forthcoming in the past.