The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-04-28
The PUBLIC AND LABOR RELATIONS

| time it has happened that a common
dislike for the board makes the par
ties get on better together Well
that's as it should be. eff both fac
tions, or neither shall abuse you, vol
will probably be about right. Beware
of being assailed by one and praised
by the other"
Now about the second phase of the
boards work, the task of wage-stab
ilization, which started in October
I1942 Sterilization against initiation
Involved a gigantic task. With bio
logical exertion much greater than
that commonly achieved by the bio
llogist's hero, the amoeba, the board
by one portentous fission divided it.
self into IL regional war labor boards,
while at the same time preserving
itself, as the original ironing board,
at Washington. Invigorated by this
mass-pafturition, the national board
plus the regional boards proceeded to
obtain definite guides, on a nation
wide scope, for the setting of wage
scales Actual going rates, not mere
ly averages, were gathered occupation
by occupation, industry by industry,
area by area, over the whole contin-
ent. AS many an industrialist or
little business man discovered, no
such intimate information had ever
before been compiled. The interior
ence, the imposition on company rec
ords, was both new and bothersome,
but on the whole it was well under
stood that it was not so much the
government which was being so inter-
fering, but the war. Even by October
1912 the war was really reaching into
everybody's personal affairs. By now
think it is generalyl appreciated that
in wartime such controls, however
burdensome, are vital. The important
thing to say is that so far the con-
been a Nuisance, and maybe they |
haven't worked perfectly, but they |
have worked; during 1913 there has |
been no substantial initiation. Any
one who cares to inquire around in a
market for uncontrolled commodities,
ouCA dS OCCOAu-udllu Gals, Will
ciate that statement.
George Taylor, vice chairman of the
National War Labor Board, has re-
Gently covered all this ground so thor
)ughly in a speech which is available
IN wage-regulation, that there is no
point in my attempting to discuss it.
is of course only one
sector of a rounded and interdepen-
lent program. The war labor board
S not an Independent or capricious
lgency. 1t is bound to operate on the
principle derived from the act of Octo-
'er 2, 1912, that wages and prices
hould be stabilized so far as practic-
BILE as of September Is, 1912, and I
he previous Presidential message of I
lpril 81, 1912, that there should be
lore general wage-increases in war
ime Support of that principle is
lealy given by the Presidents latest
lessage to congress. But as | have
aid, the sterilization program in in p
"A realistic tax law, Il
a continuation of the law for the u
e-negotiation of war-contracts" and $
1 cost of food law"-these measures Il
lie President declares to be indispen-
lble accompaniment of the re-enact-
ent of the Act of October 2, 1912,
st as in his message of April 81, &c
AZ he grouped together into an in .e
whole each of the ele- ~
ents essential to successful stabili- VI
tion. What one can report about ~
43 is that the sectors round the in
role have substantially been held III
ITS of people have suffered, or have ~
ought they suffered, to achieve the III
ct of no significant initiation so far pd
there had been initiation, or if there "
ould be, the suffering would be
lch greater
The battle isn't over AS John Bun W