The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-09-28

SAlCttiASSN bAtC ENN~ publican employees, if he docs break 1t, and he will be damned by his friends in organized labor if he doesn't
 Although the administration is committed to upholding the prin- ciple of wartime wage StablliZation as means of eurhing imitation, there are a number of outs and alibis which might be presented ln Justification of authorizing wage in- creaSeS,
 GREATER "TAKE.HOME"
 PAY GRANTED
 The most peculiar argument is that the Republican platform is against arbitrary wage freezes,
 Aside from that, 1t can be argued that the Little Steel formula has already been broken by the mine workers and railroad brotherhoodS' wage cases, in which the government gave those groups concessions in the form of portal-to-portal pay, over time and other extras which, while not technically increasing base rates of pay over Little Steel formula lim- itationS, did give greater taSe.h pay than Q strict interpretation of the formula would have warranted.
 Or, the buck can be passed to Congress for not carrying out all the provisions of the Presidents seven. point program to keep the cost of living from spiraling upwards. Spe- citically the President recommend. ed more subsidies, limitation of pro- fits, limitation of salaries to $25, 900 a year maximum, revision of tho parity formula for agriculture and still higher taxes, none of which the Congress saw flt to give him, If that line is accepted 1t can be argued that point three of tho seven-point StabilizAtion program - calling for ceilings on wages--should also be raised,
 It may be argued that the Little Steel formula Is based on false figures, the Bureau of Labor Statis- ties Cost of Living Index giving an untrue picture of wartime living conditions, Labor has eontended this all along If such contention be accepted, then the Little Steel formula could be mathematieally rec vised with the technical excuse that the stabli2ation program Is not be- ing broken at all! Perish the thought The Little Steel formula is being applied Ns it was intended to be,
 LABOR WANTS WAR
 PAGES PERPETUATED
 You may well watch, however for Q new line of argument in authoriz- ing tho granting of wage increases, This comes from the realization that the war against Germany is about over and Q concerted effort by labor is necessary to keep the present take-home pay-ineluding the over- time-aS the postwar base rate of pay, In other words, what labor would like to have Is the present, wartime, 49-hourS pay for 70 hours Of postwar work
 Tho attempted Justification for this Is that even with overtime the present average industrial labor take -home pay Of S48 e week is just WbOdb Wliub " bbhSb w bSv Oll hi these days of higher prices and that any reduction of this take-home pay will mean that industrial work CTS will be forced to sell their war bonds. reduce their standard of liv- ing, or go into debt. As means of keeping up the national Income, maintaining the present consumer buying and spending power, develop. Ing postwar industries and Stimu. lating business, it is seriously argued that those higher wages rates are an economic necessity to prevent postwar depression.
 It will take more political courage than there probably is in the whole world to stick by the Little Steel formula and try to live Up to tho principals of the wage stabiliSation program. But how any yielding Of the line on wages can mean any, thing else than higher prices and Q generous measure of postwar in- fiation B something you'll have to get from the great rationalizer himself.