Milford chronicle., 1943-05-14

Sz1IoI1CDl. !.
JAa4ES PREsross
/ Insistent demands that the farm
worker be paid wage that will
prevent him from migrating to wa
factory centers makes it almos
certain that unorganized farm
labor will obtain higher earnings.
In the near future WLB must de.
eide on the demands, of organized
labor in the West Coast airplane
industry for wage demands far in
excess of the Little Steel" prin.
ciple for some quarter of a million
workers.
The S2-a-day increase in anthra-
cite coal miners wages will be
brought up in the new contract. Mr..
Lewis has also called a meeting of
his union to formulate demands for
higher wages for soft coal miners.
While the heads of the Ladies
Garment Workers Union. the CLIO,
and miners agree that the Little
Steel" formula is no longer valid
because of increased living costs
since May, 1.250,000 railway work
ers are seeking up to 80 per cent
increases in wages. r. j. Thomas,
UAW-CIO President and a WLB
member. has demanded abolition of
the Little Steel formula and in
sists that WLB recognize a 80 per
cent increase in living costs since
January l. 1871.
II. l.. Derby, WLB member, has
denounced the Thomas proposal
and said that he and other employ
er members are determined to
hold fast" to the established wage
limitation.
Conservative Democrats and Re-
publicans interpret Vice President
Wallace's recent speech for post
war preservation of the free enter
prise smystem as recognition that
the New Deal must espouse this
postwar aim to satisfy the Ameri-
can people who are attributing the
outstanding war production record
to free enterprise as expressed
through our industrial system with
a profits incentive.
The net result of the Presidents
order transmitted to the nation
through Economic Sterilization Di-
rector Byrnes will probably be the
temporary relief of a serious man
power shortage because of longer
hours. but a very definite
help to imitation because of in
creased pay checks.
Extension of the 4S-hour week to
most steel-producing areas which /,
now have the 4O-hour week, it is
believed in some quarters, will I
have tendency to stem any great
cry from workers for basic adjust
ment of the WLB policy because,
to the steelmen as well as the
meat packers. As hours with s hours
at time-and-a-h half means 80 per
cent increase in pay.
In their study of the general agi- .
tation for wage increases on the /
part of the labor union leaders, /
recall the statements
Of Mr. Byrnes in his address to the
nation: IT he industrial worker
and his family today enjoy the
highest purchasing power that has
ever existed in this or any other
If we preserve and pro-
.ect this purchasing power, it will
constitute the basis of an unparal-
eled prosperity for American
workers in the postwar period.
There must be no further in
.reases in wages beyond the Little
Steel formula except in limited
md special cases to correct pat
,ntly gross inequities and to rectify
plainly substandard wages" The
)ES Director was the first Admin
stration spokesman to concede
reely that today "the income of
he family is far in excess of any
Increase in the cost of living to
he family
Legislation to give the ApprO-
Driations Committee corps of n
lancial experts to keep a close
watch OH budget requests and
pending has been approved by the
louise. The y"financial G-Men" will
ave broad authority to investigate
II phases of government expendi-
ures and check budget requests in
dvance of their submission to the
ommittee.