Evening star., 1942-05-19

fairness or David Lawrence.
equity as they may apply to other
citizens in the country. Here are
some conspicuous examples of spe-
cial privilege which Congress has
done nothing as yet to remedy:
/. The farm group, over the pro-
test Of the President, gets ITO per
cent Of parity and also is given
financial subsidies, Notwithstanding
the argument that imitation is thus
encouraged.
2. The labor group. with the acqui-
escence of the President, gets union
maintenance" or compulsory union
ization, Notwithstanding the Bill of
Rights, which implies that right to
work In America Is inalienable and
cannot be abridged by an private
organization
3. The Justice Department finds
time to 60 back into the 1920s to dis
cover technical reasons for prose-
cutting during wartime today the
production arrangements Of many
important companies busily engaged
IN war tasks, but shuts its eyes to
the violations of the Federal Cor
rupt Practices Act by high person
ages in connection with the 1886
and 1910 campaigns.
Court Viewpoints Cited.
1. The New Deal judges who rule
that 1t isn't a violation of the anti
trust laws to use physical violence
and conduct a it-down strike. ac-
tually stopping shipments Of goods
from such a plant as the Apex Man
ufacturing Co. in Philadelphia, but
holding it is a violation for manu-
facturers to try to prevent retailers
from gypping the public in install
ment sale financing.
S. The Supreme Court majority
which. in the Hutchinson case, ex-
empted union labor from prosecu-
tions under the Sherman antitrust
law, even though the effect OF the
unions activities was to restrain
trade and keep the costs Of housing
up to high levels.
s. The Treasury Department which
rules that lecturers, actors and
celebrities who give their services
free to charitable organizations need
not count as a part of their incomes
the constructive value Of their per-
sonal services, but nevertheless rec
ommends to Congress that colleges,
churches and charitable institutions
struggling to survive in wartime
shall be permitted to receive only a
limited amount of bequests from the
estates of philanthropists.
7. The Senate, which passed the
Wagner law after assuring the pub
lie the act meant that no man need
1oin a union to get job or keep a
lob. Yet the Senate permits the
War Labor Board to make dues pay
ment a condition of employment,
and refuses to pass any legislation
governing labor unions.
Discrimination Required.
8. The War Labor Board itself.
which insists that employers must
discriminate as between two sets Of
employes-hring some for not pay
Ing dues because they were once
members OF q union and keeping
fellow workmen In their jobs even
though they do not pay dues to
union because they happen not to
be members. This gives financial
security to the relatively few-the
union organizers and paid officers
but denies freedom OF action to the
MANY workers who are forced to pay
dues and under union law cannot
withdraw from q union once they
have joined.
9. The members OF Congress and
the administration who insist on
regulating prices by price control
legislation and profits by heavy tax
legislation but who refuse to freeze
wages or to tax the billion dollar
Intake every year of labor unions or
compel them to disclose their finan-
cial operations to the public.
10. The members OF Congress who
hesitate to pass sales tax because
1t might work hardship on low in
come groups and yet permit without
protest the labor organizations to
collect dues and initiation fees from
those same groups amounting in
some cases to a tax Of 3 per cent a
month on all earnings.
Equity Pushed Aside.
The list could be extended to cover
many other items OF class legisls-
ton and executive decision that have
been recorded during the last eight
or nine years as Washington gradu-
ally has brushed aside principles OF
equity both with respect to human
rights and property rights Special
privilege existed, to be sure, under
the preceding administrations, espe-
cially in the enactment Of tariff
laws, but two wrongs do not make a
single right.
1t was Thomas Jefferson, founder
Of the Democratic party, who pro-
claimed the principle of equal rights
for all and special privileges for
none. So maybe some day when the
people fully understand the issues
the *" Club will be spelled another
way-the "Ex", Club Of former legis-
lators and officials who didn't follow
Thomas Jefferson.
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