Evening star., 1943-03-23
Holding the Line

~'' e''O -ss'
The administration, through the
President and the War Labor Board,
has acted with commendable deter
mination to hold the line against
labor demands threatening to break
down the none-too-adequate safe
guards against all-out imitation.
The f1rst move came In the form
OF a telegram from the President to
the United Mine Workers, which put
the miners on notice that the Gov
ernment expected them to remain at
work and settle their dispute with
the operators through the processes
OF collective bargaining, Cancellation
and final determination, If necessary,
by the War Labor Board" Since
John L. Lewis. the leader of the
miners, previously had said that
their dispute never would be sub
mitted to the board, this amounts to
a presidential command that he
reverse his position. In l94l, Mr..
Lewis, by resort to similar tactics,
succeeded in wrecking the National
Defense Mediation Board, prede-
cessor of the War Labor Board.
Evidently Mr.. Roosevelt Is determined
that there shall be no repetition of
that performance.
Furthermore, the President insisted
that any pay adjustments which may
be made must be in accord with the
Price Control Act and the executive
order stabilizing wages. If this posi-
ton Is adhered to. it is difficult to
see how the miners can be given the
two-dollar-a-day pay raise which Mr..
Lewis has promised them.
Shortly after this teleeram had
gone out to the miners and the
operators, the War Labor Board an
nounced that 1t had turned down a
union-inspired petition which called
for the abandonment OF the little
steel formula. In general, this
formula limits wage increases to IS
per cent above January l, 194l, levels
an increase designed to bring
workers abreast Of the rise in living
costs from January, 1941, to septem-
ber, 1912.
Labor spokesmen contended that
the formula had outlived its useful
ness as living costs had advanced
another 5 per cent since its promul-
cation. 1t is true that there has been
rise In living costs, but, as the
board has pointed out, the increase
IN the earnings Of workers, particu,
larly IN weekly earnings, has been
relatively much greater.
In its recent decision In the pack
ers' case, the board showed that, as
OF last November, the cost of living
index was 1873 per cent above Janu-
ary, 1s41. But as of the same date
the average weekly earnings of all
factory workers-to be distinguished
from hourly wage rates-had in
creased more than so per cent over
January, 1941. Hourly payments,
including overtime, were up about so
per cent, and, with 48-hour week
going into effect throughout the
country, there will be few, II any,
wage earners whose real incomes will
not have been increased by more
than the advance in living costs.
In these circumstances the board
could not, in good conscience, have
set aside the little steel formula.
From the comments of labor men,
bers, who dissented from the deci-
sion, it appears that their purpose
was to use the higher wartime living
costs as a lever for boosting wage
rates. But, II that is to be done, It
would be futile to attempt any effec-
tive control of imitation.
1t is essential, however, to keep in
mind the boards warning that a
radical change in the price Of food"
might force an upward revision In
the wage formula. At the moment
there are bills pending in Congress
which, If finally passed, would force
food prices up. In view Of the de-
termined effort which the admins
tration is making to stem the demand
for higher wages, Congress has 4
solemn responsibility to consider the
adverse effect on this effort that the
passage Of the farm price Legislation
almost certainly would have.