The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1943-03-26


ing the Austin Wadsworth compul-
sorry service bill as dangerous to the
nation and to the labor movement,
President William Green of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor put the fed
GRAFTON on record as "unalterably"
opposed to the measure, in testimony
before the Senate Military Affairs
Committee.
Compulsory assignment of workers
to industrial jobs would be "involun-
tary servitude in violation of the 18th
amendment to the Constitution" +"
President Green told the Senate COM
mittee.
Green branded the Austin Wads-
worth bill "potent and dangerous
drug" rather than a cure for any ex-
listing ills and declared the measure
would interfere with the process of
collective bargaining, particularly in
the matter of the union shop. Provi-
sions of the bill provide an opportun-
ity for an "open-shop" drive, he
charged.
Bill Held Blow at Morale
'Is it not self-evident that this pro
posal must be defeated?" the labor
chief asked "Are we to say that free
labor has lost it's most crucial battle?
Are we to announce that slave labor
can be defeated only by slave labOr?'
Passing of the bill, Green asserted,
would take from millions of workers
'the very essence and meaning of this
war"
''The American Federation of Labor
must be and is unalterably opposed to
these bills, and to any similar pro-
posals that so directly undermine the
most important props of our democ-
racy," Green declared.
'Let me make it clear as | know
how that the opposition of the AFL
has been reached only after the most
careful and minute study of the pro-
VISIONS oI IHSSC Uilio, CilS oee'eSo hNet
sons for their necessity, and their pur-
ported relations to the war effort. The
federation has come to the conclusion
that so drastic and unprecedented a
measure is unnecessary"
No-Strike Record Cited
Senator Holman, Republican, of
Oregon, interrupted Green's testi-
mony at one point to charge that be-
cause of strikes men in the armed
forces had been denied some of the
equipment they needed. He said the
committee had been informed that
three recessions in plane production
in the last two years were attributed
to strikes.
Green vigorously challenged the
statement, pointing out that organ
lied workers had a ''near perfect"
record of no strikes and had done
wonders" in production.
Reading statement by Robert P.
Patterson, Undersecretary of War,
that $500 planes had been produced
in February, he added:
"Here's Patterson's statement-he
ought to know"
"Yes," Holman re tor d, "but
what's his standard? What's the
goal?"
"This is a record production, the
most planes ever produced" Green
replied.
II know" Holman shouted back,
''but that doesn't mean anything.
What's his standard?"
"You mean to say that the state
ment of the Undersecretary of War
doesn't mean anything?" Green de-
manded.
Holman Harps On Standard
"Not unless you know what the
standard is," Senator Holman insist
ed, adding that because he ran 100
yards in 25 seconds for the fastest
time he had ever made at that dis
tance didn't mean that he had accom-
plished anything noteworthy
Green asked Holman if he knew
that deaths and injuries among indus
trial workers have been more than
five times greater than the fatal cas-
ualties of Americas armed forces in