The union times. (New Haven, Conn.) 1941-1948, 1944-03-25
AL Asks For
Joint Group
On Postwar
Union Industry Farmer
Committee To Make
Policy Urged ByLabor

DETROIT - ALL. Presi-
dent William Green this week
assailed the Baruch Postwar
Report in an address here be-
cause of its failure to provide
for labor, industry and farmer
representation I'm the fOrmu.
latiOn of basic policies.
Speaking at luncheon of the
Economic Club of Detroit, Mr..
Green called for the establish
ment by Congress of Recon-
struction Commission, on which
all elements of the population
would be represented, to lay
down the guiding rules for the
nations postwar program. He
said:
''This Reconstruction Commits
sion would not, of course, attempt
to administer the postwar pro-
gram. That task can well be en-
trusted to the hands of a single.
competent Administrator, as the
Baruch report suggests. But the
Commission would be charged
with the responsibility of formulat-
ing the general policies to be fol.
lowed by the Administrator. In that
way we could achieve advance
agreement and secure prior COM
mitment to fundamental policies.
%! have heard only two objections
to this plan. The first is an evasion. It
suggests that industry and labor can
safeguard their interest through advis-
DRY committees already established
under the War Production Board and
which operate in consultative capac-
ity. My impression, however, is that
industry and labor have had enough
of such consultation which usually
comes after the fact and which con-
stitutes merely an empty gesture to-
ward real and democratic representa-
ton.
Secondly, some of our more
subtle bureaucrats are heard to
object to pOlicy-making by pres
sure groups That phrase, pres
sure groups is part of the new
terminOlOgy of some government
officials whose ideas on America
are bounded by the ten square
miles of Washington. resent the
term. 1t is an insult to the workers.
the businessmen and the farmers
of America, who, together make up
the vast majority of the American
people. Organized labor. industry
and agriculture are asking for rep
resentatiOn in the formulation of
postwar policies because they rep
resent the American people. They
demand voice in decisions, not to
promote their particular selfish
interests, but to safeguard the Am
erican way of life for which mill
lions of American boys are now
fighting"
To assure success of the nations
postwar program, Mr.. Green recon-
fnended prompt liquidation of Gov
~ AAAANAAI WILL lo OTC1 1dDO1 dlIQ III
dustry and the Inauguration of large
scale production drive.
One project which he specifi-
calIy urged was the launching of a
huge housing program to supply
the needs of the American people
and to provide employment.
In addition, Mr.. Green said Am
erica must inject the transition
period cOurageously by providing
more adequate form of Social
Security for the workers"
He asked that the National EN-
ployment Service be recognized
to serve displaced war workers and
demObilized soldiers who will be in
urgent need of jobs. He added:
Il urge that preparation be made
now to move boldly and swiftly when
the call comes for overnight CONVEX
sion from wartime to peacetime pro-
duction.
American private industry faces the
opportunity of century in the post
war period-the opportunity to pro-
duce for peace on scale even great
er than it has shown it can do for
war; the opportunity to establish an
economy of plenty in America, instead
of scarcity; the opportunity to sup
ply jobs and provide increasingly bet
ter living conditions and educational
advantages for the American people;
the opportunity for people to save and
invest-in short the opportunity to
justify the advantages of our free en-
terprise system"