The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1945-03-22
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
~ HAZEL BRANNoN

At this time when Selective Service
and the War Manpower Commission are
complaining about the shortage Of man
power in vital defense industries and
the threatening shortage in the armed
service it is extremely discouraging to
see men walking h streets d. unable
to 20 to work at vital defense Jobs be-
cause Of undue interference from b
unions /. . and right here In Missis-
sippi.
Such 10 the case Of one Holmes county
citissn who finds himself unable to
take . Job at the Flora ordnance plant
because the American Federation OF
LAber's opsating Engineers Union
there demands the payment Of &ls6.0o
before he can 90 to work. The $4,000
figure rspssssnts back dues, fines, and
three months dues In advance.
This particular man was once . mem
bsr Of this union and has been engaged
In essential work for the government
In Panama for Is months. The job In
question 10 due to last only three
months so he doesn't feel he can pay
3l65y0O for the privilege Of working
three months on a job that will only
"a him $1.37 per hour. At this rate
he would make only $657.60 for the
three months on the basis Of 40 hours
per week.
II Is pretty steep to ask a mar to pay
S155.OO for the privilege Of working
three months and making a total OF
1857. go he would only get $502.60
for three months. Even from the latter
figure social security and probably sew
eral "deducts" would be made.
II the weather was good and 1t didn't
rain the man might have made as much
a. S3l6.24 overtime In three months by
working 81 hours . week but this
depends solely upon the weather. He
might not have made his 40 hours.
There must be thousands upon thou
sands of such cases in the country re-
Harding the wal effort through no fault
Of their own. 1t Is time that something
be done to prevent such.
When labor union racketesrs are al
lowed to get such . stranglehold on
labor this IL no longer the "land Of the
free"
To make q man pay tribute In the
form Of dues to any organization for
the privilege Of working at an honest
lob 10 bondage . . n our laboring
men who support such organizations
through choice or force can cease to
call themselves free mon" for they are
not free. Any man who relinquishes
the right to make his own decisions
regarding strikes 10 In the same boat.
Strikes have been called by these
racketeers causing curtailment OF pro-
duction which has resulted In prolong-
ing the war and causing more American
men 10 be killed. These men, in our
opinion, are traitors to this country
and murderers as well. They shouid
be dealt with as such.
When our fighting men return home
It will be a sad day to learn they must
pay tribute to a labor union in order
to get a job and work for q living -.
and this will be the situation unless
our Congress acts and acts now.
The record is very clear regarding
the handling of labor, the coddling of
labor union leaders, particularly the
handling of John L. Lewis. Each Of the
national leaders responsible for the
present state Of affairs will be judged
In the future by our returning service
men, many Of them already bitter over
the handling of many things in the
service.
No fair-minded government, working
for the interest Of all the people, would
sanction union membership as a re-
quisite for job-holding in any essential
industry or for the government. It Is
for the good of all the people every
where in the world this war is being
waged =. not to perpetuate labor
unions or one administration .
theoretically at least.
Congress 10 the only hope for the
future individual liberty in America
We should pray that 1t will deliver US.
n