The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-12-17
. Clapper
Green Light for Labor
Is Changing Color
Upsefs Possible in
New Congress
Country Not Ready 70
60 Back 10 Harding
But Patience Soon May
Not Be . Virtue
ny RAYMOND cLAPrER

WASHINGTON - Some labor
people have picked a very poor
time TO make trouble.
The new congress, which comes
IN just after the new year. Is
certain 10 be more anti-union
than the old congress. Labor has
had some scares IN the recent
congress. but labor Is going 20
Be far less secure from now on
less secure than II has been at
any time since Mr.. Roosevelt be-
came president
Congress il 10 be less under
White House influence than be-
fore. Violent anti-lsbor southern
Democrats have new allies in the
Republicans who have come back
In droves from the middle west
farm section. which In now q hit
ter anti-union section.
Not only that. but this Is not
1898. Now there is plenty Of
work at good wages. The politi-
cal attitude during the depression
was quite different from what II
Il today. Then n 40-hour week
was desirable spread-the-work
arrangement. Now IL only gets
IN the way. There was more
time and patience 10 go through
the wrsngling that the Wagner
act involved. Now there Is no
time and there il less patience.
The war hits everybody and no
body cares 10 make an exception
for labor. The whole climate
here, which In 1888 was warm
toward labor legislation. Is now
chilled.
You would think that labor peo-
pie would see this and act ac-
cordingiy. The smarter ones do.
Philip Murray and William Green
are busy trying to keep good pu-
lie relations with unity-for-vic-
tory speeches. They know that
II IL important for labor to hold
steady now. and that II Is in
danger Of having It's ears pinned
back unless It does hold steady.
When the railroad brother
hoods demand q 80 per cent IN
crease. II jars the whole structure
Of wage sterilization Some OF
the engineers and firemen earn
more than some Of their bankers
now.
Members In other unions begin
pressing their officials for simi-
lar demands. Tool and die maxi
err. whose work II urgent to the
war. are threatening . strike
over maximum wages. CLIO air
craft workers on the Pacific coast
are threatening to make new
wage demands II congress alb
rogates the s25, 900 salary limi-
tation ordered by President
Roosevelt
When the independent union In
New York stops delivery Of
newspapers. II 10 making q dra-
matte display Of its nuisance
value and adding to the weight
OF public disapprovsl that falls
on all organized labor.
Labor people ought to be
smart enough TO see that they
are in bad now. They ought TO
see that they have overplayed on
the public's sympathy and have
got the public against them now
instead OF with them ~ In the
early Roosevelt days.
Did you see how quickly Pres
ident Roosevelt killed off WPA
after he saw the last election
returns He Is an old sailor
and knows a storm before II hits.
He Is trimming sail because he
knows the weather Ii blowing
up. Labor leaders would be
smart to note what the seasoned
skipper does. y
/ think reactionary Republicans
are reading too much into the
last elections / don't believe
people in this country are ready
10 20 back to Harding. But they
don't see that labor needs 20
much feather-bedding IS IL did
when times were hard. Labor
legislation won't be repealed be-
cause Of speeches by the officers
Of the National Association Of
Manufacturers nearly as quickly
a IL win through public disgust
With labor's conduct
This l. q time. too. when labor.
Nke al consumers. win Be gouged
nv imitation unless the federal
government can hold stable the
whole structure Of prices and
wages.
Mr.. Roosevelt has just barely
been able to hold congress from
giving in to the farm bloc and
tipping the lid TO permit lacking
up prices Wage demands BY
labor make IL harder TO keep the
balance Nobody can charge
what the traffic would bear in
these times Of shortage
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