The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-05-21
Facing The Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

y sure sigh I1laI laDoT : ellPlllleS are
being routed on all fronts is discern
ible in an editorial in the Scripps-
Howard newspapers which makes the
following admission
"In our own business the mechanical
departments of most newspapers have
operated amicably under the closed
shop, through no Government duress,
even during years when organized Ia
Dor was by no means on the upgrade
The editorial takes the United States
Chamber of Commerce to task for ad-
vocating at its last convention that the
closed shop, wherever it exists, should
be OutIawed.
Such stand, the editorial states, is
grave tactical error. 1t calls the
Chamber of Commerce fanatic ON
this subject. 1t suggests the proper
strategy would be seek legislation for
fidding extension of the closed shop
during the war.
Well our opinion is that the Cham
Der Of Commerce is at least honest in
its opposition to labor whereas the
Scripps-I Howard papers are merely
hypOcritical.
If the closed shop has operated we'll
in the mechanical departments Of the
newspapers, as theScrippS-Howa ed
torial admits, why shouldn't it be eN-
tended to other Industries?
If the closed shop has resulted in
amicabe labor relations i'm the news
paper industry, why isn't it safe as
sumption that it will bring similar
beneficial results i'm other fields?
More Good News
The editorial accuses the Chamber
of Commerce of trying to make hay
during the nations greatest crisis, but
it inierentially charges unions which
seek to extend the closed shop with
he same tactics.
There is no comparison. The facts
are that the necessities of war are
compelling trade unions i'm this coun-
try to suspend and restrict their activi
Ties in behalf of workers. Under the
circumstances, it is only fair that these
organizations be assured of some meas
urc of security TO prevent unprincipleo
groups like the United States Chamber
of Commerce from destroying them.
| Even the employer members of the
| War Labor Board are coming around
TO this sensible, practical point of view
When the Scripps-IIoward news
papers slap the L. 5. Chamber of Com
| IA II ,.hiIn am.
I plOycrS for Waging an outright war on
| the closed shop, they are admitting
| tacilIy that the fight against union
security is lost.
While we were giving three cheers
! for this development, we found some
more good news in Samuel Gralton's
column in the Philadelphia Record. II,
says the Saturday Evening Post, now
under new cditorShip, has an editorial
praiSing labor'S heroes. We hadn't
noticed it. If true, it certainly is Il
new departure for that publication
| Mr.. Grafton continues:
And reporters, making Il 24day
tour of the country'S factories under
the guidance of the National ASSocia-
tion of Manufacturers, are talking
about the heroic army of Labor Ii
seems that once the reporters entered
the factory gates they discovered
| thousands of Americans to be working
hard. The revelation seems to have
knocked some of them over"
It's about time!
\ similar recognition of labOr'S fratS
on the production front comes to us
in an article in hast Saturdays New
York Times written by Louis Stark.
lie says:
1T has long been an axiom in indus
try that if the greatly" impulse of
those who man the nations machines
could be harncSScd the result would be
an enormous increase of production.
The nation is now Witnessing the
release of these creative energies on an
unprecedented scale"
Never were trucr words spoken. But
how long has labor waited To hear
them spoken, If this truth had been
brought home To the American people
i'l@ ''S'r Nli'ii II N''N 'NiN''lil W 'lliN
one who wanted to take the trouble t.
look, the nasty anti-labor campaign
through which We have Just passed
never could have got started.
The American people are fair. They
would no more want to harraSS and
hinder the nations production soldiers
than they would want 10 place OBJ
staclcS in the path of our armed sol
dicrS and sailors.
But they We're fed oodlcS of false
and vicious propaganda. EVIL forces
spread the word that labor was lying
down on the job, that American work
crS were luaiing, that they We're trying
10 squeeze the last cent out of industry
and the Government, that unions were
blocking and delaying war production
Such rot was not widely believed
but organized labor has been forced &c
concentrate all its energies in recent
months to nail tn" lies that did sur
Niyo. II was Il tough fight but Il sue
ccSSful one, not because we We're able
10 contend with the false propaganda;
un tn" same extensive scale aS 1t was
disseminated, but because the trutl
| finally prevails. We are happy, indeed