The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-04-23
Facing The Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

within America, the nation can take
heart in the realization that labor
stands united for vigorous and vic
tOrious democracy.
The best news for America and the
worst news for Hitler in many a moon
came out Of Pittsburgh on April Z
when William Green and Philip Muir
ray stood together on Il public plat
form before Il roaring audience of AfL
and CIO workers and pledged the or
ganiZed workers of America to united
action for victory.
No Axis propaganda, no sinister
Fifth Column, can penetrate the united
front of millions of Stalwart, loyal
American workers these leaders repre-
sent.
In the entire labor movement today
there is but one Fascist shadow and
that is cast by the wings of the lonely
blzzard, John l.. Lewis, who is still
lowering around, silent and remote and
vengeful But this bird of ill-omen, this
scavenger of the labor movement, is
no longer a threat. He is an outcast,
despised by the CIO just as much as
by the AFL.
A New Way of Thought
AS labor faces the heavy tasks and
responsibilities of war, the workers OF
America must condition themselves to
Il new way of thinking.
10 Il a
still in full swing to rob American
workers of their basic rights on the
plea of the war emergency. These are
doomed to failure. Already, the labor
haters in Congress are in retreat.
President Roosevelt can and will put
their campaign to complete rout by an
nOuncing Il definite, clear-cut labor
program.
Our Government will give its full
protection to the maintenance of Il free
and untrammeled labor movement.
Our Government will not deprive
workers of their fundamental right to
strike, because the workers of this
country already have yielded the eXer-
duration of the war.
Our Government will maintain the
standard of the 4O-hour week which
does not limit war production but calls
for the payment of overtime for work
i'm excess of forty hours.
At the same time the government
will take drastic moves to control th,
cost of living and to curb excess
profits.
Te question then comes UP as t'
wages. \ strong feeling prevails
throughout the country that everyone
must tighten his belt and be prepared
to suffer hardships until the war il
won. Indscriminatc wage increase
just don't fit into this picture
The American Way
What is the answer? Certainly it j!
not inflcXibe wagc-freeZing. Tina
would result only in freezing injustice
1t would make II mockery of colIectiv,
bargaining, upon which the American
system of employer-empIoye relation
ships is based. 1t would, eventually, dc
stroy the trade union movement /
would bring about Il form of Govern
mental wage-fiXng comparable TO Hit
lerS methods.
No, Wa%e-ireezing is not the Amer
lean solution of this problem. Americ;
must remain the land of opportunity
70 wipe out opportunity for advance
mrnt by wagc-frccZing would Kill Tin
spirit of the American people.
1t seems to us that compulSion o
any kind with regard 10 wages is Tia
wrong approach. We are convince
that voluntary action offers the bcs
chances of success.
AS we said before the workers O
America must now condition then
selves to Il new way of thinking. The
must steel themselves to hardship
They must expect not 10 make NOR,
but to make less from their daily toll
The trade unions can help in thi
voluntary program. Instead of cncoul
aging induStryWide demands for 81
day wage increases, rs some have dont
the unions should foster discipline
Sali-r"Slraint and lorbearancc.
The door must never be closed to th
correction of injusticeS, to the adjust
ment of wage levels palpahly bcIoN
recent subsistence standards. But work
ers who are earning Il fair wage mus
be made TO underSland-if they, don
already realize it-that this is not TIN
time 10 ask for more.
Under such IL voluntary system, i
price and profit controls fail, the rem,
cdy for workers is still open. But i
prices and profits can be stabilized
the urgency for higher wages will no
arise
Let us moi abandon the American
way, even under stress, for that is TN
best way To victory
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