The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-08

In France, a labor government
had its own way to such extent
under Blum that public reaction
veered in the opposite direction,
labor was in the public dog-house
and reactionaries were in the sad
die. Labor became bitter, sulky,
uncooperative, while big French
business had its sway.
Neither side would cooperate.
Both hated each other. So France
fell
Today, in the U. S. A., pub
lie reaction against labor hit the
full swing of the pendulum with
the anti-strike bill. Labor had
enjoyed the largest degree of
power under Roosevelt ever
achieved by American unions
in their entire history. Now,
as in France, labor is in the ma
tiOnal dog house.
Whether it remains there is the
big question; also whether labor
becomes sulky, bitter and I'M
cooperative as in France. Upon
the ability of both sides to CO.
operate, to see the toher sides
viewpoint is going to depend a
great many things in this country
not only winning the war, but
the kind of government we have
after the war is over.
WAR PROFITS
The War Production Board has
just made a study of certain war
industries, the result of which
is not going to help labor's mood.
The WPB shows the profits of
airplane companies from war
contracts, which even after de-
Quoting taxes, are enormous.
These profit figures are based
upon invested capital.
For instance, North American
Aviation, which suffered a strike
and seizure of its California OPP
Grafton by the government made
51.06 per cent profit in 1941,
after paying taxes. Before pay
ing taxes its profits were 13453
per cent. North Americans 1910
profits were even higher - 1873
per cent after deducting taxes.
Consolidated Aircraft, another
big company, made the gigantic
profit of "a per cent in 1941 af-
ter paying taxes. Boeing, which
turns out bombers, made Is per-
cent; Curtiss-Wright 41.9 per-
cent; and Douglas 81 per cent.
All these were after paying taxes.
Consolidated, incidentally, made
300 per cent before paying taxes.
Bell Aircraft, which is building
a big bombers plant in Georgia,
made SO per cent in 1941; Sperry
Gyroscope 379 per cent; Ryan
Aeronautical 38 per cent. Wright
AeronauticS, which the Truman
Commute echarged with manufac-
turing faulty engines despite gov
eminent inspectors opposition,
made the juicy profit of 45.7 per
cent in 1871 and $50 per cent
before deducting taxes.
These lush war profits, taken
together with Congressional
adoption of the Ruml tax, plus
Congressional veto of the $685.
900 salary ceiling, plus current
talk of a sales tax, is not going
to help lessen the rift between
capital and labor, already in
creased by the coal mine, anti
strike controversies.
NOTE: Labor leaders didn't an
nounce it, but on the day after
Congress overrode the anti-strike
veto, they launched plans to have
every worker in the country regis
ter so as to be able to vote in
1914.
AMBASSADOR JOE DAVIES
Ambassador Joe Davies, whose
film mission to Moscow" has done
a great service for better under
standing for Russia, has been sub
ject to a lot of INVITING from his
socialite pals.
The other day a group of them
attended a private showing OF
the Davies film. At the start of
the picture, Joe Davies himself,
looking very dignified, comes on
the screen and explains why he
sponsored the film, namely be-
cies, but the birth of three babies