The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-04-27
Asks That Labor Be Giver
The Same Guarantees
As Awarded Farmers

Washington (FPD.-NIore and better
price control is the need of America,
Go President Philip Murray told the
Senate banking committee April Is as
he urged continuation of the present
act without any weakening amend
Hents.
The present price control act eX-
pires June 80 unless renewed.
Murray said the "CIO vigorously
supports the continuation of the act
without any weakening amendments.
1t is the position of the CIO that to
effectuate our national. economic sta
bilizations policy We need more vigor-
Gus price control-not less.
For this reason it behOOves con-
greSS To continue the price control act
with an expression to the OPA that
the powers already vested in it should
be exercised most vigorously to etfec-
tuate price control, prevent any eX-
tortionate profits, extend rationing tn
all essential goods, expand the sub
sidy program so as to protect con
Sumer prices, and continue its rent
control program"
The CIO chief said his organization
has consistently supported and will
continue supporting the Presidents ma
tional economic stabliZation policy.
But he was sharply critical of the
failure of the OPA to carry out the
mandate of the price control law that
,.;. t., l.. in,
tained in the relationship that existed
on Sept. II, 1912.
Murray reviewed the figures pre-
sented by the United SteelworkerS
tCIO) in their brief To the National
War Labor Board setting OUT that the
cost of living had advanced 43.5%
from Jan. |, 1941 to December. 1943,
and told the senator's that wages had
actually been stabilized, while the
promise to rollback prices has not been
fulfilled
He explained that it was because of
this failure TO do aS promised that
labor was asking wage adjustments to
compensate for the loss suffered as Il
result of the rising living costs.
Senator Robert A. Taft OR, o. got
into several verbal exchanges with
Murray and each time conceded that
roughly" Murray was right. Taft ad-
mitted after some argument that
farmers had won increases in prices
to meet the rising living costs and
Murray followed through with Il de-
mand that you give American labor
the same guarantees you give to the
farmers All labor asks Is decent
treatment" tn ,D
Corporate profits and the rising
share Of the national income going to
farmers and corporations were cited
along with the reduced share Of the
national pie given Ia Dor.
Other CIO witnesses included Presi-
dent X. j. Thomas of the United Auto
mobile Workers; President Albert J,
Fitzgerald of the United Electrical |.
Radio 4 Machine Workers; President
Faye Stephenson of the Congress of
WOmen'S AuyilinrieS, Annie Stein,
member of the United Federal Work
ers and CIO Secretary Treasurer
James II. Carey.
Thomas denied that labor is seek
ing II government subsidy of its gro
Gerry bills, explaining ii was seeking
price control because ii is IN essen
lial part of the war program, Fitz-
gerald opposed all amendments to the
act and said the people demand more
price control and not less. " Carey
warned the committee that proiiieers
want II green light from the congress
and then they can deal with OpA
themselves and destroy price ceilings