The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-03-30
Brief Cites Profits. Shows
Wage Boost Necessary

Washington FP). - An exhaustive
1G6 page brief documenting its case for
a II cent an hour wage increase, from
"a big steel corporations was laid be-
fore n panel of the National War La
bor Board here by the United Steel
workers of America (CIO) as the long
delayed case got under way.
The SteelworlierS make their case
or number of ma. .Or points that in
cude some definite SURPRISES These
points include:
Support by the I. S. Dept. of
Agriculture of laborS report that the
cost of living has risen over 40 per
LabOr'S Bureau of Labor Statistics
figure of 23.4.
2-Figures showing that while both
farmers and corporations have govern
mental protection against lowered in
come, Through parity payments for
farmers and tax refunds for corpora
tionS) there is none for the workers.
3-ProOf that all labor is suffering
from Il reduction in its share of the
national income from 1889 while both
farmers and corporations are enjoy
ing increases Il . taken from labor's
part.
4-TableS and compilations on cor
porate profits showing that with 1886
30 as an average year, corporate
profits in 1910 were up G4 per cent be-
fnr T., 4 IN,
In 1913, this table says, profits before
taxes were 4OG per cent, and 175 per
cent after taxes.
The SteelworkerS picked up regu-
lar monthly bulletin of the Bureau of
Agricultural Economics which had
made il study of the cost of living for
farmers. This study covers the same
items used by the BIS Index for wage
and showed that between
January, 104l and December 1043, the
prices paid by farmers for commod
ities used i'm farm living had increased
1916 per cent. The Labor report for the
Presidents Cost of Living Committee
showed an increase of 43.5 per cent
for the same period for wage carncrs,
while the BIS insists on just 234 per
cent.
TO show labor's lowered share of the
national income, these figures were
presented: In 1880, Corporations got
: per cent, farmers 50 per cent and
labor G5.7 per cent. In the last quarter
of 1043 the division had changed to
Corporations 13 per cent; farmers II
per cent and labor 59.3 per cent.
In carrying out its contention that
industrial proiteering and not wages
have caused the intlationary rise in
prices, the USA-CIO brief said "a
wage increase that is met ont of eX-
reSsive profits can in no sense be called
The brief also charged
that 'whOleSale food grOcerS realized |
twice as much on every dollar of sales |
in 1912 aS i'm 1880. Sales were up 4}
per cent but profits before income |
taxes rose over 300 per cent.
Another target for the heavy artil- !
lery Of the USA-CIO brief is the L. s. |
tax structure. 1t charges that tax
measures have imposed wage cuts on
low income groups and continued Spe-
'ial privileges for high income groups. |
II also says that the tax measures of ;
l342 and 1913 reflect Il deliberate !
Of the national economic sta
oilization policy
Failure To roll back prices to the .
level of Sept. u, 1912 also comes in .
for criticism, with tn" brief saying
organized labor accepted this policy |
II good faith, and endeavorcd with all |
If its resources to obtain its accom-
)liShment.' 1t is pointed out that the
roll back depended upon subsidies and |
hat labor accepted wag" Stnblization !
n the belief the whole program would .