The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-12-08
Fair Enough
Nv wEsTBRooK PEGLER

Copyright, 1915 BY King Features syndicate)
NEW YORK, - Friends, ! am telling you
the jam is fixing to bust.
seen it bulge 1t budged a foot when
President Truman, who does seem to have
lot of Spelvin in his makeup, busted his hands
of that conference Of the unioneers and bust
ness men and took his case to the people by
way of Congress.
To be sure, he went on about fact-finding
and his message was another Of those political
blue-plate specials built around veal but he
put the public interest, the rights OF the people
and the welfare of the nation above the prlvl-
leees of the union bosses and this IS the first
time that shat equation has been stated by
the President of the United States since
Franklin D. Roosevelt deliberately set about
creating the terror and the fascist controls
back in 1884.
There is no need of fact-finding as to the
faults and dangers that have been imposed on
the people during this time In detail, in speci-
fic disputes there are always new and pecu-
liar facts but there are already in existence
number of bodies to sort them out.
Even as Mr.. Truman was announcing his
new position the National Maritime Union,
whose controlling personalities have been con-
sistent in their observance OF the communist
line, were running 24-hour strike ostensibly
in sympathy with American soldiers overseas
who want to come home
There are several items to be remembered
in connection with this sudden show Of at
lection for the American soldier. First, Joe
Curran, the president Of the N.MU., didn't
seem 10 care how many Of them might be
slaughtered in premature assault on the
French coast when he and Charlie Chaplin,
another vicarious hero, were hollerlng Tor
second front to relieve pressure on the Rus
sian armies and save Russian lives Second,
this union struck ships in New York lew
weeks ago in cooperation with the communist
attempt to install Harry Bridges longshore-
men on the Atlantic seaboard and got bad
name with the soldiers overseas whose return
was retarded by that tie-up. This is part OF
new propaganda intended to make the SOL
diers forget that strick. And third. this is
fine example of that phenomenon which Don
aid Richberg the author Of the Halliburton
Hatch bill, had described a. the political
strike.
This is a strike intended to eoerce the ma
tional government and impose its own will
Some time ago, the same outfit threatened
strike 10 compel the government to stop GER
tain exports to Spain with which nation this
one enjoys friendly relations. That. too, was
consistent with the communist policy. So here
we find private organization, which always
agrees with Russian policy and often disa
grees with our own, striking our ships in an
acknowledged plan to substitute for the deci-
sions of our Cabinet the desires Of small
group Of unioneers.
There is no question Of wages or hours or
working conditions involved in such strikes,
o1%1 to- (oIA $Nyy inc
on such matters are dragged in. In this case
the employers have no dispute with the I'm
ion. It is a strike against the government OF
the people Of the United States.
Another matter that Congress undoubtedly
will consider now that the White House has
actually invited legislation is the unlimited
taxing power of unions, subject to no control
or supervision These few bosses have the
right today to collect income taxes, and they
do, which come before all public taxes and
in some cases. have taken as much as 10 per
cent off the top Of the victims earnings. They
collect their own Social Security taxes, too,
and divert portions Of such collections to for
eign causes disguised as relief projects re-
CARELESS Of the desires Of the members who
nevertheless will lose their right to work for
a living in the United States If they refuse to
pay. They collect political taxes in the same
arbitrary way and again, during the recent
mdyOrdlLy campaign IN new 1OrK, nOmlnally
free Americans had to turn out for political
rallies for candidates favored by the union
executives or pay fines.
These bodies still collect private tariffs on
interstate commerce, a right which the Con-
stitution specifically denies to all of the states
themselves, and they openly and arrogantly
decide which products may be shipped tnio
certain market areas and which shall be ex-
cluded as Mr.. Schwellenbach. the new Secre-
tary of Labor, very well knows because he
once was counsellor for Dave Beck of Seattle
who excluded California beer from the north
west in favor Of the resident breweries
They also collect sales taxes on monograph
records, clothing and coal.
These are facts that need no finding. They
have been on record for years and there is
no excuse to continue to rely on the con-
science Of the union bosses to cease and de-
sist. They won't stop until laws are adopted
and enforced and few Of the more arrogant
brothers are convicted and sent to prison.
But the jam is beginning to stir. Mr.. Tru-
man tick1ed the key log and the whole thing
breathed and heaved and budged.
Editorial Comment
FAvORrTE U. S. INDOOR SPORT