Evening star., 1945-12-13
Biz Unionism Attitude
Held Affront to Public

Held Affront to Public
Stand on Fact-Findins Board
Breeds Fascism, Says Writer
By David Laurence
Some years ago an executive of a
New York corporation, In a moment Of
evaporation, cried out: THE public be
damned" 1t was typical of the attitude
OF big businessmen Of those days toward
the public interest. An era Of drastic
regulation of big business by govern
naent ensued.
Today big unionism is saying in ef-
feet that the public be damned" A
simple proposal by the President Of the
United States that he be empowered
to create ctsinding boards to get at
the facts Of labor disputes and make
recommendation has encountered the
bitterest kind Of opposition from labor
leaders.
The argument they make Is that Ia
Dor. under the Constitution, has the
unlimited right to create havoc In the
economic life of the country, to stop
electric light and power, to put all hos
pitals into sudden darkness, to tie I'D
streetcars and buses and all forms of
distribution Of fuel and food and all
telephones and telegraphs and other
businesses essential to the public safety
and government has no right on be-
half OF the public to intervene.
Congress Seen Fearful.
Members Of Congress-the elected
representatives of the pe6ple-are being
told they must not legislate in any way
so much as 30-day limitation On the
right to strike, even in businesses or
Industries whose continued operation II
necessary to the maintenance of public
health, safety and communications.
Many members Of Congress, fearful
OF labor's vote at the polls, are hesitat-
ing to pass such legislation. Parliament
tary methods Of delay are being resorted
to by labor groups and their henchmen
in Congress in the hope of preventing
President Trumans simple piece OF
recommended legislation from passing.
If ever the labor union leaders needed
public relations counsel to tell them
they are making a grave mistake, 1t is
today. For the American people can
understand the issue. 1t will soon be
marked out clearly as a choice between
economic anarchy and orderly recon-
version.
The trend toward anarchy in the
economic life of the Nation has been
growing lately. Instead of creating Jobs
and housing for returned veterans,
bottlenecks are being added every day
and eventually the whole country will
feel, in serious depression. the effects
OF the last few months of industrial
strife and maldistribution of products.
1t Is bad enough for the Nation to
face $300,00o,0 100000 debt and to try
to steer away from inflationary dangers
on that account, but it is worse to find
big economic groups endeavoring to die
tate what shall be produced while Gov-
ernment seems to be intimidated and
appears unwilling to act in the public
interest.
few more weeks of economic stag
nation will breed a bitter feeling on
every side. Perhaps the demand for
some strong man in the White House"
possibly military man-will soon be
heard in the familiar tones that come
from persons with Fascist concepts OF
| government.
No Gain for Labor.
The E6lor unions have nothing to gain
by breeding Fascist-minded groups and
yet experience abroad shows that swings
toward Fascism have come when labor
unions and left-wing groups have in
sisted on extreme positions and have
not accommodated themselves to the
anates from the mistakes of the right
wing.
What is needed. of course, is cour.
ageous national leadership which, hav-
ing announced a particular policy, does
not hesitate to champion it. The Pres
ident has made no answer to those who
have attacked his fact-finding pro-
posal. He has made no effort to place
the full responsibility for attempts to
block his legislation squarely on those
groups which demand for themselves
special privilege and the right to the
exercise of an economic power which
supersedes the interest of the public.
If Mr.. Truman is content to let his
legislation drift without making a fight
for it, he will be beaten. He has ex-
pressed optimism that Congress would
pass the bill before Christmas. Secre-
tary Schwellenbach is not so sure. He
sees delay on Capitol Hill What Is
needed is a mobilization of all persons
who decry both communism and fas-
cism and the attempt by any economic
as well as political group to set up a
dictatorship.
In such campaign, an overwhelming
majority of the people, including large
proportion of the workers themselves,
would be found behind the President
and against the labor politicians who
have attempted to block the proposed
bill designed to get at the truth about
the issues in industrial disputes.
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