Detroit evening times., 1945-12-29
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
PeoIer ID
DREsIDENT TRUMAN, Cen.

all the rest Of us have lost
sight of the most important
fact of all in the terrible fight
for power now being waged by
the CIO.
The fact IS that George Spei.-
vim, American, is a free human
being.
Under the Roosevelt govern
ment an attempt was made 10
deliver him over 10 the unions.
The government made a deal
with the union M ovem ent
whereby, in actual effect. Spell
vim had to join the union cover
ing his work or get off the Job.
Now what kind of organiza-
tion is that which Spelvins gov
ernment made him Join?
The government has been
absolutely unconcerned abory
that. The government 6,esnt
even examine the union's con-
stituuon. II doesn't require
free, honest elections 1t VIII
not even regulate the amrunt
of durs -tfrat M must pay or
forbid the extortion or arbitrary
assessments.
If SPELVIN is a Republican
l. and the union IS controlled
by Communists. he must con-
tribute his share toward the
overthrow of his government.
II can get together with a
whole industry and make terms
of pay and conditions for work
which forbid his advancement
in life. restrict his output and
his earnings and even shift him
from plant 20 plant or from
town 10 town.
l. IS no answer t1-Sav- that,
Of course, II is assumed that the
Unions viii bc conducted on
dCUOCTEtIC principles
Spclvn knows and President
Truman knows that there is no
ground for any such aSSump-
ton
They tGow that many Of the
unions are vile rackctS, many
are empires and many arr ruth.
less and brutal diCtatorShlps.
NOW citizen Spclvin never
" did grant 70 his govern.
ment any right 10 drive him
into any private ASSOCIATION
with starvation as the penalty
for his refusal
In fact. even the vicious
Wagner Act--VlciouS because II
was deliberately disguised as n
benefit 70 Spcivin-did not dare
say that Spclvln would have -
Join II came AZ h!m whccdhnC.
He was 20 be guaranteed tho
right 10 bargain collectively
through agents Of ms oWn
choice.
Those millions have bcon
forced 70 accept bargaining
agents designated for them by
the Labor Relations Board and
10 abide by the bargains ncEo.
tiatcd by those agents without
their consent
Furthermore. having been
driven into these unions. these
millions have had TO submit 10
the most outrageous violations
OF their civic and human rights.
The unions regulate their
speech as well as their earnings.
They collect income taxes
with no CompulSion % account
for tho money and they hold
over those millions Of SpelVns
the power Of economic punish
ment for the mere exercise of
fundamental rights guaranteed
by the Constitution
If CITIZEN SPELVIN ever
Il had granted the government
the right 10 make him JOIN these
groups he certainly would have
insisted that they be- honestly
conducted and that their powers
be closely restricted to co!loc-
tive bargaining and no more, all
under government supervision
But | doubt that even with
this promise Spolvin ever would
have conceded this right 20 his
government because in that ca o
tho government would be his
master whereas under the con-
Ccpi that he was taught from
childhood. in our country. the
people are the masters Of the
government.
] think he would have per-
celved that under this arrange
mont, with the government
regulating groups covering all
the citizens, We would have
something very like the Fascist,
Nazl and Communist labor or
CARNATIONS which serve tho con-
vonlcncc Of those who rule the
state.
NOW Spclvin sees enormous
~ unions trying 10 grab con-
troll OF the management OF the
big industries.
They already control hlm,
even 10 the extent that he can
be expelled from membership
and run of tho job for tho
common ofcnSe called "un-
uniOnllkc conduct"
Should they then control in
duStry too. they would want
rigid order and Grr, dieciplipn