The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-11-06

ond on the list, but he polled only
SIS per cent of the yes votes, being
only one-tenth of one per cent
above man named Henry Wallace.
Taking Roosevelt and Wallace to-
gether, they would poll only 1913
per cent of the votes in this I'M
popularity poll, which would make
them only about one seventh as
harmful as Lewis.
This poll, like all other polls, was
one of those sampling affairs, so it
may be stretching matters a bit to
say that 10 per cent of So per cent,
which figures out as 36 per cent,
of all the people in the United
States think John l.. Lewis Is dan
gerous man. But further analysing
the votes-for-Lewis by income
groups, the poll takers discovered
that this opinion was held by 76 per
cent of the salaried executives, 80
per cent of the factory labor and
Sc per cent of other urban labor
even the lowest of which is high
count.
POLITICIAN LEWIS
This survey Is of extra added in
terest at this time because of the
coal crisis, for which Lewis, of
course, gets the blame, being the
No. l personality in the dispute.
What would be of still more interest
would be a poll of government pol
icy makers on what they think of
John L. Lewis, for all through the
eight long months that the miners
wage demands have been kicked
around, there has been evidence
that this situation was being used
to the fullest advantage possible in
an effort to destroy Lewis personal
ly. There are plenty of people in
high government positions who be-
lieve it would be a healthy thing to
wipe Lewis out politically.
But just how dangerous is John
L., politically or otherwise? If
memory serves Alright, he was a
complete bust as a political Moses
in 1910. He tried to lead labor into
the promising land of the Willkie
camp, and he failed utterly.
Yet time after time during the
last eight months Of negotiations
over the mine wage, it has seemed
that there has been more interest
in getting" Lewis than there has
been desire to settle the coal con.
troverSy. The mine operators would
like to see him out of the picture,
naturally. To the Democratic politi-
clans he has committed the unfor-
givable sin of having broken with
Roosevelt.
AS often as not, these tactics have
played into LeWis's hands. He has
been counted out any number of
times, but he keeps on going. When
Lewis extended the time of negotia-
ton of new contract until October
81, on condition that the mines re-
main in government hands. Lewis
had to be put in his place.
THE LEWIS
ECONOMIC THREAT
Evidence still seems to indicate
that the coal case could have been
settled months ago, on terms more
favorable than seem likely now.
Permitting any case to drag on, I'M
settled, is the worst mistake that
can be made in labor negotiations.
The result, in the coal case, has
been that Lewis has been kept in
the limelight continuously, made
more prominent politically than he
may be.
The danger from Lewis today is
not political but economic. BY mis-
management of his case, through
political overemphasis, he has been
Unanswered into a position Of Gre
ating a real threat to the entire
sterilization program, the breaking
of the Little Steel formula, and dis
ruption of war production. Further
more, all this has contributed to
giving teh country the worst labor
situation 1t has ever had.