The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1942-05-01
FACING
THE
FACTS
Hold everything, please
With PHILIP PEARL

y
1t seems that some Of the state
ments contained in this column last
week have been misunderstood, SO we
want to set matters straight right
away.
We said that American workers will
have to condition themselves to a new
way of thinking during this war emer-
gency, that unions should teach their
members not to expect general, ma
tion-wide wage increases, that all of
US will have to tighten our belts until
this war is won. However, we en-
phasized that compulsory wage freez-
ing would only freeze existing injus-
open to lift pay rates that are palpably
out of line with living costs.
Nevertheless, some of our readers
apparently got the mistaken impress
sion that we were advocating a mora
torium on any and all wage increases
and that we were referring to specific
cases now being considered on their
merits by the National War Labor
Board or other official agencies.
Nothing was further from our
thoughts and intentions.
To set the record straight, let US
clarity our position. We believe that
America owes it to her loyal workers
that they receive sufficient compensa-
ton for their toll to keep themselves
and their families in good shape and
in accordance with American stand
ards of living.
Furthermore, we can't see how any
one can reasonably object to having
wage cases considered by the National
War Labor Board on the merits. Ger
tainly, no one is silly enough to be-
lieve that this government agency
would grant wage increases that are
unjustifed by the facts or that would
upset the nations war economy.
A Conscienceless Clique
Now that we've got that off our
chest, we'd like to save the rest of our
breath for telling off some Of the ma
tion's most concienceless employers
for whom the National Association of
Manufacturers is the front.
These babies have plenty of cash
and they don't mind spending it to
smear labor. The other day they in
vested large-sized chunk of cash in
newspaper advertisements putting the
heat on Congress to freeze the open
shop where it exists for the duration
of the war.
This propaganda was so reprehen-
sible that A. F. of L. President Green
and CIO President Murray joined in a
public statement denouncing it in no
uncertain terms.
They pointed out that the n. A. M.
was trying to run out on a distinct
agreement entered into by industry,
labor and the President and that this
aggregation of union-hating employ
ers was attempting to slip over fast
one on America.
After all, labor has yielded the ex-
ercise of the right to strike. If an
employer refuses to grant union Sc
curity, labor can turn only to the War
Labor Board for adjudication of its
just demands on the facts. But the
N. A. M. obviously is trying to take
advantage Of the war to obtain special
protection by law for anti-union en-
ployers that it would not have the
ghost of a chance to get in normal
times. Isn't that just too patriotic for
words?
No wonder the heads of the two la
Dor organizations used strong Ian
guage to condemn such employers
"who hate unions more than they hate
Hitler"
The Navy Must Clean House
There is another matter with ref
erence to the National Association of
Manufacturers which deserves atten-
ton and prompt action on the part of
the government.
The newspaper, PM, exposed the
fact week ago that James Selvage,
former publicity director for the N.
A. M. had gone to work for the Navy
Department as civilian consultant in
the Industrial incentives Section. This
section is supposed to build up morale
among workers in war production
plants and thereby spur greater out
put.
Now the stupidity of the Navy in
hiring propagandist for high-finance
open-shop employers to pep up wal
workers is too patent to need elabora-
ton.
But the story in PM also disclosed
evidence that this outstanding labor
batter had been hired by the Navy de,
spite the fact that he has been raising
funds among die-hard employers te
fight Roosevelt and the policies of his
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