The people's voice., 1944-08-04
LABOR'S SUGGESTIONS

Iponder the words of Abraham Lin
coln-"Capital is the fruit of labor
and could not exist if labor had not
first existed Labor therefore de.
serves much the higher considera-
ton"
In such recommendations as are
made for legislation and other actions
designed to promote the welfare of
small business enterprise, we urge
that full consideration be given to
the fact that it takes many thousands
of skilled and unskilled workworn
hands to build the mighty basic tools
of wealth" from the vast resources of
the earth, bestowed upon us by Divine
Providence, and without which no
business, small or large, can exist
Surely if the brains, that guide those
vitally essential hands in their all i'm
portant work, see fit to build organi-
cations that they may better pursue
their chosen trades, then all who pro-
fess a sincere interest in the welfare
of the people of this great nation
can do no less than to extend to those
organizations the same consideration
and the same respect that is given to
an organization of lawyers, or doctors
or any other professional group. The
man with the shovel, the axe, the
tractor, the hammer is just as neces-
sary to our existence as any man
among us, but even today, too many
business leaders would seem to ignore
such a self evident fact Some of
them continue to support such anti
labor organizations as the Associated
Industries and similarly named en-
ployer groups, the record of whose
activities proves conclusively that
they have but one reason to exist
to discredit and to smash labor unions
in so far as possible, that they may
better exploit cheap labor without ef-
fective challenge. These groups
guided by shrewd and rabid labor hat
ers and often financed in secret by
big capital are not to be confused
with what labor considers legitimate |
employer organizations Obviously |
true collective bargaining indicates |
the desirability of organization on |
both sides of the table, but not that |
Of the Associated Industries variety.
We recommend to those interested
in the problems of business, that they
consult the records of the LaFollette
Civil Liberties Committee for factual
letails of the tyranny and brutality
which labor has suffered at the hands
If anti-union employers and their
lirelings. Much similar local infor-
nation of less brutal, but neverthe-
ess significant nature, is in the files
If practically every State Federation
If Labor and Central Labor Council
n the country. We sincerely hope
hat such records and files may soon
,e closed for all time as a black chap
er in the industrial development of
his nation wide workers, led by the
lnions of those workers, have brought
bout the miracle of production which
S now in an ever growing wall of
,ower and steel, crushing the life
rom fascist tyranny throughout the l
World.
We bring these serious matters to {
our attention with the idea in mind g
hat no full consideration of post war [
lans can be adequately given with |
ut some understanding of the human /
opes and fears of workers concern
lg the treatment they must look for i
rard to when the material aspects of a
ost war work begin to take shape. e
The history of organized labor is /
ne of militancy in the cause of ap-