The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-07-31


The fat boys do not like Higgins,
not only because he is fresh up
nomic shrine of Wall Street, but also
because he believes in doing business
with organized labor.
When he came down to New Or
leans, he threw CONSERVATION into the
ranks of the non-union employers by
calling in the heads of the labor UNI
ions and mapping out plans with
them All of his help is strictly un-
ion, both black and white.
Higgins is no silk hat boss. He
donns overalls and goes right out
among his men, rubbing shoulders
with them, swearing with them, chew
ing tobacco and smoking with them,
and even taking a drink with them.
He talks a language they understand
his language. He is tops with them.
Physically he looks like he could
build a ship all by himself
The smaller business men are with
him, since he has made them prosper
Gus by giving employment at good
wages to thousands of men. Closing
of the yards, it is said, would create
serious local unemployment prob
lem
A few months ago, organized labor
| (AFL) promoted Higgins as the prin-
cipal speaker at the Southern Con-
ference for Human Welfare meeting
held at Nashville. Higgins isn't so
hot as a platform orator, but he said
something about the economic eman-
cipation of the negro that shocked
some of the southern elite.
All of these facts make it more
than necessary that the reasons for
the cancellation order be cleared up.
The senate Truman committee and
subcommittee of the house merchant
marine committee have announced in
vestigations.
At this writing, it looks like Hig-
gins is out. But fellows like he can't
be counted out. He blames the Steel
Trust dollar-a-year men for his pre-
these dollar-a-year men aren't worth
the dollar year that the government
is paying them.
Whichever way you look at it, the
dollar-a-year men are responsible not
only for the predicament that Higgins
finds himself in, but also the predica
ment that the country finds itself in,
in having to curtail plant production
because of raw material shortage. |
There is more truth than poetry to
what Andrew Jackson Higgins says
about them.
Air Transport Service
Although Donald Nelson is keeping |
secret a report made last week by a |
special committee which had been
making study of air transport, in
Guiding cargo planes, it is known that
it points out the feasibility of such
service on large scale.
Air transport on a big scale, it is
said, would virtually wipe out Hitler's
of operating on interior
which means shorter - lines. Only
obstacle to developing air transport
is the shortage of raw materials, par
aluminium. For this we have
Alcoa to thank.
A modest air transport building pro-
gram has been underway for several
under supervision of the
Army Air Transport Service. OF
course, the program is woefully made
quate We are, however, training
pilots for this service, selected from
persons over rs years of age, reserv-
ing pilots under 26 for combat serv-
ice
Testimony Not Wanted
Last week, Benjamin Marsh, exec
utive secretary of the Peoples Lobby,
was to have been given opportunity
to testify before a subcommittee of
the house committee on interstate and
foreign commerce relative to the pro-
posed Western Union-Postal Tele-
graph merger Before he was to be
called to the witness stand, the COM
mittee clerk inquired of the nature
Of the testimony he had to offer
Marsh informed him that he would
recommend that the government take
over and operate the two companies.
Result Marsh was not called as a
witness.
An argument that one frequently
heard here some months ago against
labor was that union condi-
ions tended to restrict production.
Now, since the organized plants have
shown better record
han the >unorganized plants, one
Doesn't hear that contention advanced ]
my more.
News from the Egyptian front tell
If fierce and bloody fighting on a !
title rise of ground near Ell Almain
,alled the Hill of Jesus. The irony |
If a battle-ground named after the
Prince of Peace reminds us that man. \
lind has yet to learn the lessons He
aught nearly 1000 years ago. T
Judging by the eructation, it is polit- I
cal hot air that is upon his little I
ummy. Thank goodness he got it L
ut of his system with no other ill t