The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-07-23


the part of a necessary tool, but the
part of pilot steering definite course
toward better world. l believe that
this course includes two aims: to be-
come as efficient as possible, so labor
may do its full share in the war effort
and to become as democratic as pos
sible, so labor may make better
world by making better men.
Efficiency for maximum production"
is the keynote of labOr's part in the
war. Cooperation with the country
with the government and with manage
ment-will make the program success
full. This cooperation is already well
under way in the coop committees
which Mr. Donald Nelson has request
ed be established. Labor has shown
that it can offer valuable advice to
management, and both are benetiting
by it. Only few hindrances stand in
the way of maximum production. Sci
fish restrictions by few labor unions,
jurisdictional strikes, high initiation
fees, and monOpolies of labor markets
these slow down production and
ALLEVIATE the public from the whole of
organized labor. When labor has swept
up these untidy corners, then it will be
doing near-perfect job in the war
effort.
LabOr's part in the postwar period
is to create working democracy" in
its own organizations and in the cOun-
try. This job can start right now. 1t
doesn't have to wait until treaties are
signed and laws are passed. Part of
this job is continuing the fine work
which the Workers Education Bureau
of America has carried out. Men must
be we'll informed in order to make a
democracy work. For better world,
public and labor alike must come to
understand and appreciate our prob
lens, and then must proceed to work
out solutions for these problems.
A three-point program has been sug-
gested which labor should follow both
now and in the postwar period: That
labor unions have an open door policy,
that is, membership available to all
who are qualified, regardless of race
or creed; 2-that labor unions have i'm
partial placement of workers accord
ing to ability; 3-that labor unions
strive for democratic organization and
administration, with tyrannical bu-
| reaucracies discarded. Such house
cleaning of labor unions is main part
of labor's postwar job.
Labor has another part to play
which will help both labor and the
country as Il whole. This is the pre-
| vention of a postwar depression. If
such Il depression is not averted, the
war may have been fought in vain, for
| the seeds of discomfort will grow
abundantly, and dictatorship will find
Il ripe field for harvest here in the land
hard. BY fully cooperating with gov
ernment and industry, labor can help
greatly. For this purpose, the present
coop committees would be valuable in
struments. They could show how we
could best reconvert our war tools and
machines back to peace production. But
the real job would be the prevention of
an excessive postwar boom. Such a
boom would flood the market with
goods and start another great depres-
sion. Labor must, for it's own sake,
help the government and industry
maintain some restrictions on the
amount of production which may be
undertaken. There will be heavy de-
mand at once for radios and cars and
refrigerators and all the other war
victims but this demand should not be
allowed to cause excessive production
at once For the best interest of all,
labor must help contral postwar pro-
duction.
Labor has big part to play in all of
our affairs, both in war and in peace.
Labor has earned many rights and
privileges in our modern world. Labor
is prepared to do its share, and it is
undertaking OTIS duties and response
Dlities. Labor is, and will be, helping
| 10 maintain and to extend democracy