Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-21
Au+o Plants,
Others Due
To Tilt Pay
Increase to Little Stee
Seen as Starter
BY PAUL MALLON

by RAUL MAIlION
WASHINGTON, July 21.-
w Government award of "A
cents a day more TO Little Steel
workers was hailed everywhere
as an economic adjustment for
labor"
The wage increase formula OF
this initial war test Is pre-
sumably to be extended to the
Chrysler, General Motors and a
score of other cases pending be-
fore the War Labor Board.
The government announces
this as its method of handling
the cause of labor" although
probably no more than a million
workers are involved
Now again, as upon every
occasion in which a Go or
AF'L union tangles with govern
ment, the public will be led 10
believe that labor" as a whole
is involved.
The whole governmental sys-
tenn, and even the press handling
of such news, has encouraged
the fallacious notion that this
small AFL-CIO minority Of the
nations workers are labor"
TIiE War Labor Board was
Il set up by Mr.. Roosevelt TO
handle only union cases. Even
back before the New Deal era,
Congress and the government
gave no special consideration TO
the rights and interests of other
workers, excepting these organ
lied minorities.
There are 100000 workers
in this country. No more than
100000 belong to CIO and
AFL. The acute interest of the
other 100000 in our war
economy and in our preparations
for a managed post war sys-
tenn are ignored.
The AFL claimed 4,569,000
paid-up members last year and
no doubt has more now. The
Clio claimed 100000 members
but did not mention how many
were paid-up. and probably has
less than 100000 in good
standing.
I Attest figures from the Nc
IL Mutt public welfare head
quarters here officially places
the total number of workers at
50,800,000, including:
War workers 1880, 900
Non-war 2O,5OO,0OO
Agricultural 1900, 900
Self-empIoyed 100000
There are also unemployed
(meaning unemployable) 2,40O,-
900, and 5,500,000 are in the
armed services.
The national income division
of the commerce department
has figures showing that salaries
and wages were paid last year
to 33.887, 900 workers, skilled,
unskilled, white collar, etc, not
including agricultural or gov
ornamental.
These 1887 900 received
much more than half the ma
tional income. $50, 701, 200, 900, or
an average of 81 ,584. You must
add to these the $4,000 self
employed who received $780,
100000, or an average of $1,362
each. Also TO be added are
6,073.000 farmers who are
workers.
According to these inadequate
national in come figures, they
received more than the self
employed (little business men
mostly, about $8,482. 100000 an
average of 81, 400. This does not
include hired hands.)
THERE are four representa-
Il tives of the public on the
War Labor Board, along with
four union leaders and four
industrial representatives, but
no consideration beyond this
public representation" was
given to the interest of the great
bulk of the workers of this
country in this Little Steel case,
or any other.
Their interest, however, is
obvious. Whether the "A cents
increase is TO cost S22.000,000
a year for Little Steel alone, or
S44.000,000 for all the steel in
dustry. or hundreds of millions
when the increase is spread TO
unioniZed Chrysler, General Mo-
tors and the others, labor will
have TO pay it.
The cost of government con-
tracts will be increased by that
amount and the implements of
war will drain just that much
more from the treasury.
No one will arise to claim the
Little Steel increase was not
justified on a basis of the in
creased cost of living-the yard
stick which Mr.. Roosevelt has
fixed. But any thinking person
can see that political sham and
economic pretense that enters
into government managed
economy which considers only
the interests of a minority of