The Wilmington morning star., 1944-01-11
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER -
NEW YORK-Jennings Randolph, con-
gresham from West Virginia and member
of the House committee on labor has re-
vealed, incidentally, in an article on war labor
troubles OF this nation that there have been
1922 strikes since Pearl Harbor, 2470, or al
most half of them, in l943. To this disgraceful
figure probably may be added many more
stoppage of war production and construction
The John Lewis affair, which cost the coun-
trys industries and homes millions of tons
of coal was not a strike in the legalistic
meaning of the word but legal refusal to
work without an agreement on terms. In an
other case, in Rochester. N. y, union
racketeer pulled the operating engineers OH
construction job by declaring an epidemic
of an unspecified illness which could be cured
only by raise in pay. The same device was
used in the New York milk wagon drivers
walkout And elsewhere in important war
works. even in town in New Mexico many
of those young men had been lost to the
Japs OF Bataan early in the war, the workers
have been taken out of action by a trlck
called the continuous session whereby pure
ly fictitious union meeting is held, continuing
day after day. at which all members are
supposed to be present. In one such case the
men Just loafed around the bars and jukes
and the session, if any, consisted of nothing
more than conversations between the union
GERS in charge of the exploit
But whether or not these other stoppages,
which were strikes in effect are included IN
the 1922 that figure of itself is enough to
discredit the no-strike pledge of which Will
liam Green and Phillip Murray and their
underlings and the venal mental press that
serves their empires, have made such great
display even while strikes were popping like
firecrackers all over the country That pledge.
be it remembered, was given to President
Roosevelt in return for favor. The President
blocked certain legislation which otherwise
had a good chance Of passage, intended to
place restrictions a d responsibilities on
unions and their officials. In return, the OF,
ficials undertook to support MIR. Roosevelt S
position as the personal, and whimsical final
authority in all labor questions including dis
putes. This was a sly political deal IN con-
tempt of Congress and the very purpose for
which the legislative branch exists: and the
union rulers, promising beyond their ability
to deliver, have defaulted ANONYMOUSLY to the
great injury of all labor and the whole nation.
Mr.. Randolph proposes unified, CO.
herent board, with broad powers, operating
without fear of censor and without desire to
authority, irrevocable even by the President,
himself. But, while that does represent some
gain against the corrupt condition which has
developed under the new deals patronage of
the union movement it is only an eXpedient
for war purposes. 1t might be abused even
in wartime through the appointment to that
board of the same prejudiced sort of men
and women who have been named to other
bodies, notably and VIGOROUSLY the original
labor relations board in which the controlling
influence was generally consistent with the
communist propram And the proposal stout
| ly ignores the disproportion between the power
of union officials and their responsibility I'm
der law, a condition which exists in no other
element Of American society.
| However, there is a hope of some gain
here, for Mr.. Randolph proposes that his
idea be enacted by Congress not just willed
into being by the President This would be
the first constructive and remedial act of
Congress in all the sorry record of union
misconduct in the last 10 years, and other
reforms might follow, and probably would,
with the return of the fighting men to par
ticipaton in the domestic affairs of their
country. For surely these men will not be
willing to be ruled by dictators and kings,
aloof from their subjects personally, econom-
ically and politically.
Kings did 1 say? Yes, kings and more.
For what king today enjoys a better agree
| ment with his subjects than Daniel j. Tobin
president of the teamsters at $50, 600 year
for whom it is provided in the constitution
that to conserve his precious health among
other purposes, he may travel at will at
home or abroad, accompanied by his wife
and secretariat and servants, all at the ex-
pense of his subjects?
-V
/ Diogenes, thinks the man at the next desk.
would really have had d lifetime job if he
had hunted for man who kept all his New
Years resolutions.
| Paradoxically. the Jap reaches out for the
Chinese rice bowl and finds himself in the
| SOlln