Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-25
Would Union
Ge+Conscripi
U. S. Labor?
Time to Find Out About,
Enforced Membership
By wEsTBROOK PEGLER

word that has been said in !
the move toward the conscrip- |
ton or, il you prefer. the control !
of labor by the national govern !
ment in the interests Of total !
/ war, including Paul V. McNutt's
ideas on the subject and those
of Frances Perkins. who quietly |
disagrees. but nowhere have
found any commitment on the
key question that will have to
be answered if we come TO the
labor compulsion.
Do people thus called up for
war work, assigned to war
tasks and ordered to stay put.
have to join the unions?
Never mind the evasions.
The questions is. does George
Spelvin, American, ordered to
work in a war plant at wages
established by law or by execu-
tive power, and subject to pen.
atty for refusal, have to join the
union having jurisdiction and
a contract with the employer in
that place?
When he Is transferred from
job in Bayonne TO another in
Wichita. does he have TO pay the
Wichita local $50 as a transfer
tax?
If so, let's have II.
If not, why doesn't some one
in the government lay that on
the line?
IF MR.. SPELVIN, American
L has 10 join the union and cord
form to union rules and disci.
pline. he is being forced into q
political subsidiary of the gov
erning political party which.
naturally, is moving now TO re-
elect itself again in 1914.
In that case. millions OF citi.
Zens who are Republicans or
anti-New Deal Democrats will
find themselves compelled to
contribute to the political funds
of a party which they oppose
and il is very likely that they
will refuse.
For refusing. they will be SUBJ
ject TO expulsion from the unions
and black-listed from all war
jobs and. thus, IL would seem 10
follow. exposed 10 punishment.
including. perhaps. jail terms. as
civilian slackers.
Mr.. Spelvin probably won't
refuse duty as civilian worker
under more or less firm orders
from the government. for the
good Of his country, but he isn't
likely to let any one take adj
vantage OF that willingness to
herd him into an irresponsible
private organization having a
power to tax his income and TO
push him around for lese
majecte TO the business agent
of the local.
Unions have some pretty
" harsh ideas on the subject
OF union loyalty.
Criticism of the locals big
shot may be very serious of -
Tense and the slightest show Of
inquisitiveness as to what is
being done with the money il
likely TO be regarded as a dirty
SANDER against the sacred honor
OF the finance committee which
may be composed of a lot On
burglars.
Mr.. Spelvin. however. is thu
kind OF man who would be likely
10 criticize and ask questions
and for that he would expose
himself To expulsion, discharge
from his war job and the charge
OF slackeriSm.
If he doesn't have TO Join the
union. then is the government
going TO see TO IL that the union
lets him do his stuff unmolested
on the job and protect him
from harassment in his homer
Nobody would think of per-
hitting the American Legion,
for instance, nor would the
legion think of demanding the
right to compel every soldier,
sailor and marine to join its
ranks.
Still more fantastic would be
any suggestion that a soldier
transferred from, say, Camp
Lee. Va. to some post in Calf
fornia be compelled to pay a
transfer tax 10 the local legion
post in the California camp.
Does that illustrate the idea?
AS to whether compulsion is
necessary as yet, McNutt and
Mrs. Perkins are of two minds.
He doesn't come right out and
demand labor consumption now.
but he is dutching himself up
TO il.
Mrs. Perkins. on the other
hand, said n few days ago in
Cleveland that the manpower
requirements of some areas had
been overestimated and, further,
that new talent and upgrading
might see us through arbitrary
controls.
PUT. eventually. McNutt prob
- ably will be right. although
there will always be some waste
OF manpower from various =.
causes.