Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-12

TeauSLlc men II I'll tIIct SIOuPS
What they think will happen is
this-when the inevitable impasse
comes between the operators and
Mr.. Lewis, the strike threat, as be-
fore, will seem very real.
Even though aware that Mr.
Lewis is blufhng, the terrible con-
sequences of a strike are such that
the Government cannot afford to
call the bluff. 1t again will take over
the mines. The miners. OF course,
cannot strike against the Govern
ment and will go to work.
Thus, there will be no important
decrease in production, and no slow
ing down of industry, as stockpiles
are big enough to last few days.
Following the taking over OF the
mines there will ensue further
negotiations with Government Off
Gals.
Fringe Raise Expected.
In the end the customary COM
promise will be reached Mr.. Lewis
will not get all he has demanded.
He never expects to- But he will get
fringe" increases on special items
which, in effect, will be a general
increase of some millions of dollars.
This will be passed on to the con-
sumner by the operators, who then
will get their mines back, taking.
of course, the usual loss.
That is the way 1t worked before
and that is the way it is expected
to work again. 1t has. all the ear
marks of a rugged game by which,
through devious means, Mr.. Lewis
puts more money In the pockets OF
his miners and the administration
saves its face by preserving, on the
surface, the Little Steel formula.
One wonders how many times the
process can be repeated. One won
ders why the people stand for it. 1t
is hard to blame Mr.. Lewis for get
ting away with it If he can. OF
course, he ought not to be allowed
to. but, after all, he is doing no more
than CIO and ALL labor leaders
have been doing-and are now try
ing to do. The difference is that he
is less hypocritical and far less unc-
tuous than they.
For example, nothing could be
more piously fraudulent than the
loud attack upon Mr.. Lewis by CLIO
leaders in New York, in which he
was denounced for a strike plot
against the Nation"
No matter how reprehensible Mr..
Lewis course. this brazen effron-
terry from a labor organization which
for eight days had $4,000 men out
on strike in Detroit's vital war plants
and still has II 900 out; an organiza-
ton which proclaims a "no-strike"
pledge, but recently finished a year
in which there were 5000 strikes,
a majority of which are charged
against it; an organization which
now is engaged in an attempt to
break the anti-inflation lines set
by the President and has scuttled
the workout fight bill urged as es-
sential by the Commander in Chief,
the Secretaries of War and Navy
and the joint. chiefs of staff.
Coming from this source, the cry
Of strike against the Nation is
not only ridiculous but revolving.
Sees No Royalties.
Mr.. Lewis will not get his plan of
a Decent royalty on production for
his union though Mr.. Petrillo did
defy the Government and get
exactly that.
II this plan should become estab-
Gshed, labor unions could usurp the
Government field of taxation. They
would become competitive taxing
agencies and industry would be
crushed by double taxation. 1t is
the shortest road to Communism
yet discovered.
Congress, of course, should enact
a law prohibiting unions from levy
ing taxes on the output of any
industry. But Congress will not do
this for the same reason Congress
has not passed any effective bill
regulating labor abuses since the
war began. This is because it can
not get the support of Mr.. Roose-
welt. Instead, he has opposed every
effort in that direction.
When the House by large ma ority
passed regulatory bill and the SEN
ate was about to do likewise, the
President personally asked Senators
to refrain. Later, when again, as
Mr.. Mark Sullivan points out, SEN
ators introduced bills, the President,
in person. asked that they be with
drawn and in difference to him,
they were.
Finally, when bill passed both
houses, the President vetoed it and
it was then passed over his veto.
1t is an Intellectual law but all we
have. 1t has not stopped strikes
or even slowed them down Since
then the CLIO has increased in po-
litical influence and with a support
ing President, the difficulties of get
ting legislation are clear.
The real trouble is the supporting