The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-08-11

eQ py the war LdDOT OOdIu
 Judge Sam Rosenman, close personal friend of the President, presided at the meeting and did his best to smooth out the dif- ferences between Leon Tender son who flatly opposed the wage increase, and War Labor Board Chairman Will Davis, who favor ed 1t.
 Rosenman even called in Don- aid Nelson to help him act as peacemaker. Nelson, however, cagily avoided taking sides, agreed there was lot to be said for both Henderson and Davis. In the end the meeting got nowhere.
 Henderson didn't budge from his position that all wages in war industries should be frozen and that the IS per cent increase ceil- ing Cover the Jan., 1941, wage scale), announced by the War La Dor Board in its steel wage de- cision, would have serious infla- tionary effects.
 The Is per cent formula, the Price Administrator contended, would create $3,5OO, 900, 900 of ex- tra spending power if universal ly adopted. With so much more money in circulation, he said, it will be extremely difficult to hold down price ceilings on scarce consumer commodities.
 War Labor Board Chairman Davis hotly refuted this argument. He contended that the boards formula would result in not more than $3OO,000,000 in increased wages, or spending power. This, he said, would not be an infla- tion) hazard If 1t were coupled with additional rationing of con- sumner goods.
 FETCHED TO LIVING COSTS
 Davis added that the IS per cent wage increase was equitable, in his opinion, since it was based on the proportionate increase in living costs since Jan. l, 1941.
 Henderson shot back that the WLB's $500 100000 figure was ab- surd, since 1t was based on pros pective wage boosts for organized labor only and did not include numerous non-union war workers who would receive voluntary pay increases under the boards formula.
 This brought quick rejoinder from Wayne Morse, VILE mem Der representing the public, who told Henderson that the IS per cent ceiling would bring an over- all leveling off of wage standards, which vary considerably in dif- ferent war industries. To freeze wages arbitrarily at their present level would work an injustice on lower paid workmen, Morse told Henderson.
 "Yes, but an injustice will be
 worked on the whole country
 unless we freeze wages as we'll
 as farm prices," Henderson
 countered hotly, pounding the
 table for emphasis. We will face an imitation worse than the
 last one unless we put the
 brakes on spending power.
 am unalterably opposed to any
 further wage increases"
 The meeting broke up with the warning factions as far apart as ever. Referee Rosenman had little to say during the meeting, and did not commit himself either for or against wage increases. THEORETICAL SWIMMER
 The restrictions laid down by the umpires in the Third Army combat training maneuvers in Louisiana are an endless source of restraint on the embattled soldiers. Frequently they don't see the sense of some arbitrary ruling.
 And with characteristic Amer ican verve, the hardy, high-spirit- ed soldiers do their best to outwit the umpire.
 For instance, a trooper on scouting patrol started across a small bridge over the Red River when he was stopped by an um- pire with, "YOu can't use this bridge. Theoretically, 1t has been