The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-04-16
RI Management
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Grafton, because railroading by nature
requires more of a mans time than
the actual operation, we have an in
creasing flood of complaints reaching
agement, by ineptitude and bungling,
and by pennypinching practices at the
cost of delay to critical transporta-
ton, is wasting at the rate of mil
lions of man-hours of labor annually"
At another point in his testimony
he charged that carriers were letting
vital freight lie frozen in terminals
to save costs of prompt movement Eat
a time when railroad profits are the
greatest in history" This, he said,
was done in taking advantage of
rule which permits a carrier to keep a
man tied up for 16 hours at an away
trombone terminal without paying
for the time.
The witness opened his testimony
with a challenge to congress and the
administrative agencies to apply all
of the Presidents 7-point economic
policy and halt initiation. He asserted
that organized labor was solidly be-
hind this program in its entirety
In discussing initiation he discussed
the demands of the five operating
brotherhoods for a 800 wage in
crease, which will be submitted to an
Emergency Board of the National
Railway Labor Panel in Chicago dur
ing April.
81 mention this because | anticipate
that l shall be asked about it," Mr.
Whitney said. Il wish to warn that
it will not be constructive for any
citizen to look upon these or any
other wage demands as acts of disrup-
ton. Rather must they be inter-
preted as a legitimate challenge to
the makers of our laws and the adj
ministrators of the war program. 1t
is challenge to them to do a better
job.
IF better job had been done in
the execution of the Presidents T.
point economic policy, the Railroad
Brotherhoods would have had less
justification for such demands If a
better job of ordering the war economy
Of the home front is not done, all
labor will have ample justification for
making even more demands.
There is no end to initiation this |
side of ruination. That | thoroughly |
| also understand that |
many factors contribute to initiation
call them seven, if you choose. In
addition, l understand that wage stab
lization alone will not stop initiation
It can only guarantee to the workers
hat they will be robbed sooner and
Itarve longer while initiation runs its
leadly course.
"There must be sterilization of
very factor in the resultant of forces
hat is pulling us toward initiation.
II say to the congress and | say to
he administrative agencies concerned
With this problem: if you don't want
o do your stuff, if you want to con-
inue to shirk the duty that this war
AVE not the courage to apply the
even points, all of them-then don't
lame labor, if, in the desperation of
situation you by your non-feasance
ave permitted to develop, labor takes
ction to protect its economic inter-
sts
1--WE are for sterilization of retail
rices, wages, salaries, farm prices,
honey prices-for every measure nee
ssary to halt initiation. But in my
pinion, before the government can
tabilize its own policy This is the
lost serious point of instability which 5
ne American people now have to con- {
End with.
ut is not a solution to spread one 5
yer of impotent agencies over the
lilure of others. What we need
an integrated, monolithic war ad-
Illustration of production and man
over and supply on the one hand,
nd of economic policy on the other
le need to apply the principle of the
epper-Kilgore-Tolan bill We need
} make sure that this central author
y will be placed safely in civilian
ands." 2