The Wilmington morning star., 1945-10-28
Roster View
ny ARTHUR KROCK


WASHINGTON, - The Secretary Of Labor.
Mr.. Schwellenbach, told committee of Con-
eress today that he had been discussing with
labor leaders the factor Of productivity as
inst element in wage-hour demands and
thought he was making some progress
There have been few cheering prospects in
the widening field of labor disputes, but this
would be one of them If the progress the
Secretary thinks he sees should materialize
OF course. there are good many obstacles
before such plan could be cleared as bal
ancine element against initiation. Most people
in MANAGEMENT think of the test OF productivity
as applied to the individual worker; that is
the durability and size of his increased wage
would be in direct proportion to his output
But in organized labor circles THIS euqatlon is
not popular. They speak of productivity as a
general plant record, and this would greatly
output could, and probably would, be charged
by the union to the deficiencies of manage
ment And no agreement to reduce or limit
individual wage increases could be achieved
in the atmosphere of that type of dispute.
But, even if the individual work test were
agreed on and applied, it would not operate
as industry hopes if shop foremen are to be-
come an integral part of organized labor in
stead of remaining associated with manage
ment as in the basic industries they generally
have been. The disposition of foremen so affili-
ated would be to take the part of the individual
worker-comrade against management when the
lines were sharply drawn Or at any rate this
is the expectation of management as it awaits
ruling on the status Of foremen from the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board.
Thus, Secretary Schwellenbach's hope in this
quarter must be evaluated and accordingly re-
duced IN material promise if it should become
his achievement. But the general industrial
situation is such that any suggestion Of more
give and less take by labor is welcomed in
Washington.
Mr.. Schwellenbach is, however, not the only
official who is taking better than dim view
of the immediate future on this front. The
more optimistic argue like this:
When the war ended everyone was tired,
including the war-workers and especially those
in heavy industry. They had laid by some
money. Their union leaders informed them
that now was the time to make provision
against what history taught would be the inn
mediate effort of industry-to cancel the wage
and hour gains that labor had made during
the war. Since to strike was not more expen-
sive than to take vacation the strike weapon
was popular, and it seemed a good idea to
many to back their leaders for while during
which they could note (a) whether industry
would move as prophesied and co. what strikes
and high wage demands could do to discourage
this if it were attempted.
But after vacation 'aS in the case Of
John L. Lewis coal miners, the workers longed
for the payroll again. and, since an impasse
seemed to have been reached with manage
ment, they became restless over further delay.
that $50 runs the argument of the optimists)
explains why Mr.. Lewis called off his strike
suddenly. And this further fact is noted:
Twice during the war President Roosevelt
urged the miners to return to work on, say,
a Monday. Mr.. Lewis told them not to 60
back until the following Wednesday. They
Oho fho
recent dispute Mr.. Lewis told the miners to
go back to work on Monday, and they began
to stream back on the preceding Friday.
On this evidence the more hopeful officials
base the conclusion that the mood of organized
labor is not to strike but to work, now that
their war WEAKNESS has been dispelled by
vacation
Another bit of reasoning on the same line
is that price adjustments upward in certain
industries, but excluding steel, will automati-
cally settle wage issues in those industries and
avert initiation This is the formula by which
these philosophers expect that President Tru-
man will try to settle pending wage disputes
until his labor-management conference meets.
The trick, they hope, will defer or avert
drastic general showdown between manage
ment and labor and improve the prospect OF
getting an agreed broad formula from the con-
ference which will leave everybody reasonably
well satisfied and not raise prices sufficiently
to open the economic bikes to ''real inflation.''
Steel, these officials concede, is the basic in
dustrial index, but it wages and prices can be
at the base Of the hoped-for agreement, and
that will make everything all right.
The same persons, however, argue quite diff
ferently the case of the automotive industry.
An automobile, they say after company has
produced certain number, costs SO much per
pound to manufacture. The poundage can be
reduced without damage to efficiency or safety
enough to grant part of the wage increases
sought by the industry workers, and the rest
can come out OF INFLATED profits
There are great many economists and in
dustrial relations experts who will not be i'm
pressed with any part of this reasoning. But
as the argument of the few official optimists
to be encountered here it is worth putting in
the record. Meanwhile the ADMINISTRATORS hes
itation is explained by the statement that until
the conference meets no general solution can
properly or usefully be attempted.-New York
Times.