Evening star., 1942-08-10

give up it's right asssz #
to strike and David Lawrence.
interrupt production in wartime,
compensation must be paid for that
which hitherto was assumed to be
q matter of voluntary patriotism.
The President is acquiescing in
this new form of compulsory union
ization and allowing the war effort
10 be used for labor unions to ac-
crue an advantage valuable to them
after the war is over.
Far from opposing the Presidents
policy of giving an extraordinary
special privilege to one class of citi-
zens, there are some in the ranks Of
business who think that perhaps
employers ought not to fight this
special privilege but merely ask for
the extension of that same privi-
lege to their own affairs.
The latest suggestion is that gov
ernmental agencies shall sanction a
sort of maintenance-o of customers
system whereby businesses that now
give up their plants to war work
shall not lose their customers after
the war to unforeseen competitors
The theory of maintenance of
membership in labor unions is that,
having given up the right to strike,
an important weapon for coercing
men into labor unions or for max
ing them stay in such unions and
pay dues may be lost. The War La
Dor Board boldly champions the
idea that labor unions member
ships must not be permitted to dis
integrate during the war or to be
captured by competing union.
Huge Salaries Involved.
Now the labor union membership
business is tremendous affair run
ming into hundreds Of millions OF
dollars year and with salaries for
labor union executives ranging up
to SIS, 900 year in some instances.
1t is important for these salaried
men to have their incomes protected.
On the other hand, it is important
for many businesses engaged in war
production to have their security
assured, too. Thus, when a plant is
compelled by Government decree
not to manufacture any more goods
for civilian use, such business
loses overnight all It's customers.
The relations with customers which
have been built up over a period Of
years at large cost suddenly break
down and disintegrate. Many busi-
nesses are given over wholly to war
production with Uncle Sam as their
single customer and by the same
token many new producers are
brought into the field who will
amass enough capital subsequently
to enter into vigorous competition
with the original producers.
The Government does nothing to
protect these old customer relation
ships nor to safeguard the old pro-
ducer against new competition. One
way, analogous to that of the War
Labor Board scheme, would be for
some other governmental agency to
insist that all customers Of these
existing producers must remain
customers after the war. This
would be a difficult thing to en-
force. Perhaps better way would
Be for the Government to refrain
from putting an obstacle in the way
Of manufacturers who want to spend
money to maintain contact with
future customers.
Sales Forces Reduced.
Thus the Government in negoti-
ating war contracts does not allow
a single cent to be included as
overhead costs if these relate to the
maintenance of customer relation
ships for commercial sales purposes
in after -the-war markets. The SELL
ing organizations of most large
companies engaged in war work
have been disbanded or materially
curtailed and there are probably
more statesmen walking the streets
trying to find work to do than in
the depression days of 1882.
Many of them are too old or not
physically qualified for military
service. Here is white collar class
of men who work with their heads
instead of their hands and yet the
Government, through regulations
OF the War and Navy Departments
actually forbids companies from in
cluding in their business costs In
figuring war contracts any money
spent to maintain sales organiza- =
tions for future selling.
The administration having COM
mitted itself to maintenance OF
membership in labor unions, might
well consider sanctioning mainte-
nance Of customer relationships sc
as to protect not only the white
collar class of workers who have
given up their jobs. but the man.
ayers of small businesses who have
given up their right to produce OF
manufacture as they please
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