Evening star., 1942-09-03
Labor Protest

Labor Protest
The position taken by the CIO in
opposition to the naming of any
czar or supreme dictator to regulate
the economic affairs of the Nation"
is illustrative of the difficulty which
confronts the President in taking any
effective action to control the cost Of
living.
It is not clear from the CIO state
ment just why that branch of or
ganized labor opposes the naming of
an economic czar. The statement
says that such a step would be "thor-
oughly inconsistent with the basic
democratic principles of our Nation"
But what is the meaning of those
words? If anything has become
clear, it is that we cannot win this
war by fighting it in a manner strictly
consistent with our basic democratic
principles. Virtually every important
step that the Government has taken
has violated one or more of these
principles, in the sense in which the
CIO apparently uses the term. The
only valid test is whether particu-
lar step is necessary to the successful
conduct of the war. # it is, then it
should be taken, and if the temporary
loss of some democratic principle is
involved, the justification lies in the
fact that the larger good of safe
guarding the whole of our democracy
from destruction is being served.
In this instance, the controlling
consideration should be whether, as a
wartime measure, it is necessary to
set up supreme dictator" to save
our economy from destruction. The
CIO makes no showing that such
step is unnecessary, but contents it
self with the assertion that the War
Labor Board is the effective instru-
ment for accomplishing wage stabili-
zation. This is a point of view which
is easy to understand. The War
Labor Board, although it may be
credited with having done a reason
ably good job within the scope of its
limited powers, nevertheless has been
| generous to organized labor. 1t has
| evolved formula which assures
labor that wages, in all cases coming
before the board, will keep pace with
the rise In living costs. And in some
instances, on very dimsy grounds, it
has granted wage increases in excess
of the advance in living costs. Under
normal conditions, this effort to keep
labor from any economic loss would
be laudable one. But under exist
ing conditions, If it is at all possible,
it can be done only by correspond
ing depression of the living stand
ards of other elements of the popu-
lation.
Then there is the further con-
sideration that wage control is but
one aspect of the fight against in
fation. Other aspects are concerned
with farm prices, rationing, the prob
| lens of distribution, taxes, etc. Over
these the War Labor Board has no
| control and there is no concerted
effort being made anywhere to bring
them into balance. Yet if the seco-
nomic impact of this war on the
people is to be distributed equitably-
an important democratic principle in
itself-it is clear that an improve
ment must be made in the machinery
presently set up to control living
costs.
| This may or may not call for the
creation of an economic czar or some
supreme economic control board. But
if the President feels that the reali-
ties of our situation call for such a
step-and the evidence points to that
concluSion-it is to be hoped that he
will not be dissuaded from taking it
because the CIO would prefer to re-
tain its favorable position under the
War Labor Board. The President
said few days ago that the cost Of
living problem threatened to get out
of hand within thirty days. If that
Is correct, then the time has come
to turn a deaf ear to the demands
of all pressure groups.