Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-02
Furor Hides
Dir+ylinen
OfUnioneers
Drive TO Le1gthen Week
Falsely Laid TO Nazis
BY wEsTBROOK PEGLER

oOilleDOuy named IL. MetCdlI6
Walling, described as admins
traitor OF the wages and hours
division of the department OF
labor, recently said that NaZi
propaganda was responsible for
the movement to abolish the 40
hour week.
/ don't believe he had anv
ground for this charge, because
he offered no proof. Further
more, this agitation over the 40
hour week is a diversion which
has temporarily switched public
attention from the corruption
of the union racket which the
administration and the profess
sional manhunters of the unions
have been trying to conceal.
The real issues are not the
40-hour week, but the compul-
sorry closed shop, the criminal
practices of some unions.
THE bosses of this great union
L power obviously must be glad
of any such distraction. so there
is as much reason TO suspect
them OF fomentlng this row as
there is 10 suspect the Nazis
on the word of an obscure re-
cent appointee in the labor de-
partment who doesn't support
his statements and whose Off
cial background creates sus-
picion.
Every word that Thurman
Arnold said TO the House judi
ciary committee about the pre-
datory brutality and thievery OF
unions was absolutely true and
proved. but he was not talking
about the 40-hour week, which is
quite another matter,
We can retain the 40-hour
week by paying for IL in higher
prices for war materials and
other goods.
This might bankrupt the ma
ton, but we probably are going
through the wringer, anyway.
IF WE realize that business
L firms and stockholders. big
and little, are not philanthro-
pists or governments with tax
ing powers and must take in at
the box office what they pay out
IN wages, taxes and all. we can
maintain the 40-hour week by
hosting the ceilings on prices OF
war goods and civilian commodi-
ties and services.
To be sure. this would mean
higher costs of living, and the
beneficiaries Of the overtime pay
provided by the 40-hour week
would be no better off than they
would be on straight pay.
But il is as long as II is
wide, so il would seem 10 make
little difference whether we do
or we don't.
DUT, there is something DELHI
- 'rately deteltful and dark
IN this persistent and stubborn
avoidance by our government OF
the sorry facts Of union opera
tons as they have been revealed
in these dispatches hundreds OF
times and stated by Thurman
! Arnold in his pathetic. futile
testimony 10 Congress on various
/ occasions.
Someeunions arc infested with
thieves and eXploiters and be-
trayerS Of labor, and they hijack
the farmer, the consumer and
the employer and beat up. rob
and horribly prosecute common
American citizens whose govern
ment ought 10 defend their right
TO work on war tasks free OF
any obligation 10 pay tribute
TO, any eXtortioner.
I PROMISED VIII Green two
L years AGO that l would show
up a whole rogues' gallery OF
crooks in positions of power in
unions. and don't let any of the
miserable frauds of the corrupt
union press tell you that i cited
only a few or that the proper
ton OF crooks in union leadership
has been no greater than in the
clergy or finance or commerce,
The unions. far from exposing
their vermin and pulling them
off the backs of the workers
and the whole community, have
fronted for them and refused tc
cooperate with the prosecuting
officers when they could have
done so.
Yes. l am an American. too
and so are millions of others
who are determined not to per.
NIT any one. the government
or any gang of corruptioneers
to exploit our sacrifices so as IL
substitute criminal gang rule
and compulsion for free in.
stitutions, which the nation i!
fighting to maintain.
Copyright. 1912. by King Features