Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-06-04

miscellaneous equipment and sup
plies. 5 per cent below schedule.
Encouraged by federal policies
which placed members and spon-
sors of the CIO in key admins
ltratiye and legal berths through
out the government agencies
guiding industrial and manpower
programs, organized labor has
! found the war a rich bonanza:
In all the new war plants,
compulsory union membership
was imposed either as a condition
of the government financing or
the contract award. Featherbed
rules limiting production likewise
were sanctioned In every major
war industry, often over the vig-
orous protest of the army or
navy.
Illustrating government support
Of virtually all union demands was
case OF the disclaimers Go.
! before the War Labor Board. The
boards plan for settlement Of the
dispute contained 141 clauses and
conditions, which the company
promptly accepted. But the Go
then rejected 95 of the clauses.
Among the actions which the
union held to be not a cause for
discipline of workers by manage
ment were the following: Q)
abuse of tools and equipment: CD
waste of material; 90 fabrication
of a time card or work ticket;
(4 refusal to work on jobs as
signed by the plant foreman; (5)
deliberate showdown OF produc-
ton; 90 disobedience and inSub-
ordination, and (0 punching an
other employees time card to
cover Hardness.
RICKENBACKER SPEAKS
Speaking at Los Angeles in
February, 1913. Capt. Eddie Rick
enbacker said to a group of air
craft workers:
THE perpetual showdown In
war industry caused by alb
senteeism, particularly In the
aircraft plants, where IL exceeds
an average of 10 per cent, Is
probably the most hagrant
abuse of your obliga ton since
Pearl Harbor.
"Tn the Boeing factory the
day after Christmas, 20 per
cent OF the employees were ali
sent. In the Douglas plant
there was an absenteeism of
1900 employees the day after
Christmas shocking and de-
plorable condition"
ARMY POwERLESs
An inquiry by the House COM
mittee on military affairs discov-
cred, in May, 1912, that under a
White House directive no legal
action against an army contractor
could be initiated without the
prior approval OF the department
of labor, II the lawsuit involved
in any way the issue OF delayed
industrial performance attribu-
table to union rules and regula-
tons.
The judge advocate general of
the army thus was powerless TO
enforce military contracts in the
federal courts if the legal pro-
ceedings might expose labor shop
rules as hindeFing or retarding war
production.
Harry Bridges, Pacific Coast
maritime labor organizer, who
earlier had been identified as a
Communist in federal deportation
proceedings, was one of those who
spoke bitterly against Capt. Rick
enbacker.
This chorus of derogation and
invective against Rickenbacker
soon resounded from coast to
coast. In matter of only weeks,
dominant radio sponsors had got
the news from the federal commu-
nications commission that Capt.
Rickenbacker's speeches did not
represent the official best in pub
lie discussion.
Thus had the vast and powerful
international underground which
manipulates the puppets of gov
eminent in Washington once more
sealed venture in public debate
touching the vested position of
radical labor leadership.
TOMORROW-The Rise and
Fall Of OPA.
Copyright, 1914. The Bobbs -Nefrll Co.,
Distributed by King Features synd., Inc.