The Wilmington morning star., 1944-03-24
Buddies Again
By ROBERT r. MULLEN

BY ROBERT r. MULLEN
Don't be too surprised one of these days
fairly soon if the CI.O and the A. F. of L.
kiss and make up. Probably the first public
sign of the reconciliation will come when
the two join hands and trundle up to Congress
20 ask for higher wages.
There is quite a story behind this, and it
must be admitted that at this precise moment
in Washington the two labor groups never
seemed to be further apart, but events have
been set in motion which make Cancellation
and even close cooperation highly essential
for both. And both camps, after a week of
trying to deny to themselves that they have
been unanswered into such position. are
now presumably, trying to adjust themselves
to this new picture of wage adjustments.
1t will be recalled that when the President
two years ago got around to doing something
to combat initiation, he said to Congress- in
effect you hold down farm prices and I'll
hold down wages"
That was in accord with the pattern pre-
viously obtaining under the New Deal, where,
as they say in Washington, farmers are the
baby of Congress and labor the baby of the
White House.
Subsequently, the War Labor Board evolved
a so-called Little Steel formula for wage
increases This formula was simply an
order limiting increases to an amount not
exceeding IS per cent above scales paid be-
tween Jan. l, 1884, and May l, 1942-to COM
pensate for higher living costs.
This was never an Act of Congress- It was
an executive act first affirmed by a board
responsible to the President and, later, in
his executive order Of April 8, 1943, specifi-
cally supported by the President himself.
To the credit of the C.I.O and the A. F.
OF L., it must be said that for the most part
they co-operated admirably with the Presi-
dent in holding the wage line. But when
John L. Lewis and his United Mine Workers
surged against the line and Gin the opinion
of most workingmen, at least) preached it,
and when the railroad workers won their
concessions, internal pressures on the two
union groups leaders grew appreciably.
It then became something Of a race be.
tween CLIO. and A.F. of L. to see which
could break the Little Steel line first. And
the heat went on the President who was
supposedly sensitive in an election year, and
especially did it 60 on the Presidents War
Labor Board.
The A. F. of L. made frontal approach,
fatty asking the War Labor Board to estab-
fish more "realistic'' line. The WLB plainly
seeing that usual tactics would not apply,
appealed to the President The Board said
it would like to send over a small committee
Of labor and public and industry members
Ito talk about more realistic" line.
In the meantime, the c. l. O. had begun
it's attack It's potent steel workers group
filed series of demands with the WLB, the
most outstanding of which was demand
for II cents more an hour, a sharp violation
of Little Steel.
The Boards counter to this was to appoint
a panel to decide whether the demands OF
the steel workers were in order and whether
they should be heard.
Early last week. the President refused to
see the committee from the WLB to tall,
about a more realistic line. Further, il
was learned the President, or his closest ad-
visers, pointed out that the Sterilization Act
adopted by Congress specified that wages
were to be frozen at the levels Of Sept IS.
1912. Moreover, it was pointed out this Act
expires next June 80, that the Senate Bank
ing Committee is currently having hearings
on renewal, the OPA being first under con-
sideration, and that, therefore, the Senate
Finance Committee was the proper place for
labor to apply for relief.
This, repeatedly, gave A. F. of L. leaders
a sharp reaction. They had felt they had
been sde+racked by the President, who want
ed to give the CLIO. the political prestige Of
breaking the wage line with their steel case.
So, A. F. of L. members on WLB seemed
to 20 cold on letting the CLIO. steel case
come up for consideration.
But in the midst of this came a second
wave of unofficial emanations from the White
House. The Little Steel formula is here to
stay, went the reports. The President is in.
flexible He believes price controls will col
apse if it is preached any further.
That leaves Congress the last resort. Will
liam H. Davis, chairman of the WLB, is
expected to appear before the Finance Com
rnittee soon to support the present wage line.
That, or very soon thereafter, will be the
moment for the A. F. of L, and the CLIO.
to state their case. And before Congress
that has shown no bones about adopting anti.
strike and other legislation, only the most
United and cooperative Of labor fronts can
be expected to make any dent
That is why you may see the CLIO ana