The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-12-03
First Hundred Days
Nv ARTHUR KROCB

versv that was long drawn out and had al.
ready led to conflict or was lmplnging on it.
Bad news, on the other hand, has voice of
brass and dominates public attention. 1t was
therefore a useful service by the President
today to report to the people what hopeful
facts and signs he has been able to discover in
the troubled industrial situation of the United
States.
Coming as it does from our highest national
source, Mr.. Truman's report Of what he con-
siders promising and constructive in the
progress toward reconversion and Stable,
prosperous economy will be noted by the
American public and marked down as bal
ancing item against the disturbances and stop
pages in industry and governmental dis
putes on the policies of reconversion, deploy-
ment and the economic and social planning of
the future. The President obviously believes
that the balancing factor is considerable and
that his Administration has enough good points
in its score to claim record Tar from failure.
So believing, or perhaps just SO hoping, it was
natural for Mr.. Truman to offer the points to
the public.
How much Of an offset they are to the facts
and statistics in reverse, and whether some of
them also will go into the minus column, can
not be computed until 200 or even 300 days
since VI Day have elapsed. For instance,
the Presidents report includes the statement
that steel-ingot production, on the hundredth
81 per cent capacity, as compared with so
per cent on VI Day. But in the morning pa
pers, printed only few hours before Mr. Tru-
man made his report today, it was announced
that by vote of the steel workers their leaders
have 5-to-1 mandate to order strike some
time after Jan. l If their demands are not
met for 81 daily increase of pay despite the
fact that the OPA has found no basis on which
to authorize rise in the price of steel. Al
steel strike, especially if prolonged would soon
obliterate this point in the report Of progress
Another passage that rises above fact and
reality in an apparent attempt to find silver
Innings in the clouds that hang over our econo-
my is that under the heading Labor Dis
putes'' The President comedies that 'there
has been an upsurge of strikes since VI Day.
but ascribes that Sin part to the fact that all
parties held their grievances in check during
the war and observed the no-strike pledge
Wherever Mr.. Truman may have got his
authority for that statement he did not get it
from his newly appointed adviser on labor rela-
tons, Or. John R. Steelman. That official has
made detailed list Of the wartime strikes in
violation OF the pledge and the losses in man.
hours and production, and it demolishes the
Presidents sweeping assertion. And if more
evidence were desired bearing Immediately
on the strike condition in Detroit there is |
available the recent statement of the Ford
Motor Company, widely circulated and read,
in which it made cool, factual recital of the
broken pledges in wartime which forced the
conclusion that in certain unions such promises
are worthless
At the end Of his report the President, as
often before uttered a warning that ''infla-
tionary pressures are still great" and as
serted that I'VE must continue to hold the
line" with special eye on real estate, whole
sale and raw materials prices. But these
pressureS are sure to be increased, and at the
weak point of the line where wages are reg
ulated, if several of Mr.. Truman's own pro-
posals to Congress are approved. Among
these are new and expensive programs that i
will increase the Federal deficit until such
time as industrial peace and full production
bring up the national income anywhere near
the stated postwar goal. But outstanding
among them thrust against the general
wage-line is the Presidents recommendation
of an increase for Government workers -
which his spokesman have set at 20 per cent
without dissent from him - and maximum
salary of $25 900 annually for members of Con-
gress now at $4,000.
Government workers in many branches got
a 10 per cent increase only four months ago, |
which was deserved because they had been
neglected in the effort to keep earnings in
pace with rises in the cost OF living But if
they now receive another 20 per cent, their
pay will be far in excess OF the cost-of-living |
AAsSs, WAA1Cl1 Tie FTeSlQenC IN MS report To-Day
said had been sharply halted in their upward
trend and offered statistics to prove it. Few
persons doubt that, if Congress creates this !
precedent, industrial workers everywhere will
demand the same treatment and enforce their
demands with an argument the President and
Congress will find difficult to rebut
Should Congress raise it's pay to Mr.. Tru-
mans top figure of $25, O00-or to $2O, 00O-only
optimists who live remote from all reality will
believe that demands from workers for large
rises, regardless of employer capacity to pay
or their effect on the price ceilings, will not
come with force that Congress will be in a
very poor position to resist Congress deserves
an increase, its pay having stood still for
years without respect to the cost of living
But the 100 per cent which Administration
bills now propose is beyond right or wisdom in
the present atmosphere.
How the line can be held and all these re-
Communications be adopted the President did
not attempt to say-New York Times.
QUOTATIONS