The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-05-14
Rv STAFF CORRESPONDENT

eS to congress ana 10 tlle peopie
last month, is meeting strong op'
position from certain groups IN
congress. AS the President SAID
only two parts of his seven-poln1
program require legislation, ou'
all seven points are so closely
related that ineffective action on
those two would endanger the
whole plan.
The two points which are caus-
ing such widespread debate are
the Presidents demand for pre-
venting farm prices from going
higher than the parity figure and
his request for taxes heavy e.
nough to drain off war-inflated
incomes.
The strong farm bloc in con-
gress, which succeeded last year
in preventing ceilings on farm
prices below 40 per cent of parity
"a price which would give the
farmer, in terms of purchasing
power of nonfarm commodities,
an income of 10 per cent above
the average for the base period
of 19O9-1914) has no intention OF
approving the parity ceiling now
and the farm bloc has enough IN
fluence in congress to control the
situation.
Senators and congressman from
the farm areas argue that the
farmer would be doing more than
his share of the sacrificing if this
move went through, particularly
when no definite action to freeze
wages of labor has been taken.
The farmers are very conscious
of the high wages being paid to
labor and their representatives do
not intend to let the farmers take
the burnt of the war burden.
# the President had made a
definite proposal to freeze labors
wages the farm group would be
more amenable, but, believing
that the President already has
shown partially to labor, they.
are not taking too much stock IN
the statement in his speech IN
which he said, eff you work for
wages you will have to forego
higher wages for your particular
lob for the duration of the war"
Knowing that labor groups in
congress and in the administration
are strongly opposing any legls-
lation which would put a ceiling
on wages, the farm group does
MT intend to be the first to give
in.
The conservative element in
congress, which might ordinarily
favor both curbs on wages and on
farm prices, is not treating either
too warmly because it is disturb
ed over the Presidents failure to
mention economies within the
non-war activities of the govern
Ynent itself. Feeling that many
economies could be made which
would not hurt the war program,
this group is relating its demands
for such economies to legislation
of wage control, profit dontrol
and taxation.
There is a growing conviction
in congress that the Presidents
proposals will face heavy oppo-
sition until he takes some de-
finite step to force labor to share
in the sacrifices which he is ask
ing of other groups. 1t is pointed
out that the great part of the big
increase in national income this
year is due to the higher wages
paid to labor. It is estimated that
at least $1O,OOO,000,000 of the ex-
ira war spending now going on
comes from labor's fatter pay en-
velopes. Farm income has in
creased, but not in proportion to
that of labor.
The failure of labor to take
seriously the Presidents suggest
ion for curbing higher wages was
made clear when, week after
the Presidents talk, Phillip Muir
ray, president of the Congress OF
Industrial Organization, at a
meeting of the Steel Workers Or
ganizing committee, emphasized
his continued loyalty to the Pres
ident and in the same breath
said that he would seek a new ST
a day pay increase for 10000
workers in four steel companies.
"The position of labor in Amer
ica," said Mr.. Murray, ''is one of
unalterable opposition to any sys-
tenn of wage-freezing. This is true
of both the American Federation
of Labor and the Congress of In
dustrial Organization"
What congress will do about
this many-sided problem in an
election year is difficult to de-
termine-but present indications
are that it will take very little
action of any kind which it can
possibly avoid.