Imperial Valley press., 1944-12-29
NEW LABOR POLITICS
christian Science Monitor)

christian Science Monitor)
Reports are coming in that the Politi-
cal Action Committee of the Congress of
Industrial Organizations is now being set
up on permanent basis in many States
and cities. This follows the decision of
the recent National ClO convention to
perpetuate the PAC. Something new in
American politics is obviously develop
ing. Just as the CIO answered indus
try's mass production by organizing
plant-Wide mass unions, now it is intro
ducing what one of its leaders calls mass
politics..
The CIO aims at much more power for
labor in government than the American
Federation of Labor has ever sought For
more than half a century the older wing
of labor has contented itself with reward
ing friends and Furnishing enemies, large
ly letting its members vote as they choose,
and putting a minimum of dependence on
government The CIO plans far closer
relationship between labor and govern
ment, and hopes to use government much
more to obtain what it wants.
Criticism of the PAC was overplayed
in the last election. Undoubtedly it con-
tributed to citizenship in bringing more
workers to the polls to vote. Its political
education, while partisan, had in 1t ele-
ments that were useful. 1t got its start
while backing a Presidential candidate
who has proved surprisingly successful.
But both PAC and the country may we'll
take more notice of certain factors in this
venture that are full of potential trouble
!. PAC has tended to make itself
simply another pressure group. II the
goal of political mass-action proves to be
only another me first" without broad
regard for the general welfare, success
will only increase the danger of govern
ment by bloc.
.. The political wisdom of labor
organizations tying itself closely to one
party-PAC'S nonpartlSanshlp permitted
it to endorse only one or two Republicans
out of several hundred in the last cleo
tion-is open to serious question. Another
danger which has not been emphasized
sufficiently is that of the unions being
taken into camp as adjuncts of the big
city BOSSES This is all the greater be-
cause PAC and the elements that fatten
on bad government in cities favor the
same party.
3. Mass voting engineered by the gen
erals of the CIO and imposed on the
rank and file with a thOrOughness and
zeal peculiar to the CIO seems to verge
on dragoonng. Many of its financial
contributions are voluntary only in
technical sense. And the contribution of
union officials time violates the spirit
if not the letter of the corrupt practices
laws.
a. The PAC will make numerous poll
tical enemies when mixing in politics who
will hit back when possible. While the
CIO is strong in certain industrial sec
tions. it runs from mildly numerous to
weak in other areas. Moreover, the Az
of L remains aloof.
Can PAC surmount these hurdles and
render high service to the public as we'll
as to labor? To do so it will have to pre-
serve all the genuine good in its venture,
and multiply it beyond anything the ClO
has ever evidenced in its political calcula-
tions.
II is estimated that 90 to 65 per cent
of our surpluses will be so purely mill
tary in character as to be unstable for
civilian use-Sen. James NJ. Mead of
New York.
Let us rebuild our power This is from
now on the chief aim of France.-Gen.
Charles de Gaulle.
By J. r. WILLIAMS