The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-12-01
Fair Enough
Nv WESTBROoK PEGLER
WRIGHT 1945. nv King Features Syndicate)

NEW York,-By the tenor of his welcome
to the labor-management conference, Presl-
dent Truman intinated that this Would be
the last chance for these two undisciplined,
brawling giants to agree to some code OF
rules for the protection OF the nation and the
public. There was no reason to hope Tor sue
cess because if there is no true labor move
ment in the country and if the union ex-
ecutives who purport to represent labor lack
both authority and unity then industry, or
MANAGEMENT, is likewise unorganlzed. 1t is
often charged that capital presents united
front against labor but if the president OF
the CLIO. is unable to make commitments
binding on the A. F. of L., then General
Motors is without authority to speak Tor Ford
They are not united. They are rivals.
However, the President seems to have
thought that the failure OF this conference to
produce results would prepare the public mind
for firm proposals and remedial laws. That
American labor would welcome such laws
when the futility Of conferences has been dra-
matically demonstrated is reasonable po-
litical assumption because the present pro-
gram of strikes is a series OF blows against
the nation itself, almost entirely composed OF
workers. only a small minority OF whom are
members of the unions.
To be sure, the entire union press, largely
if not entirely made up Of propaganda sheets
ouOuS0eQ
own deception, would damn such proposals
as vicious "anti-labor' moves. But they reach
only that minority and even among that mi
nority their old arguments and denunclatlons
have lost force. Too many hundreds OF thou'
sands of workers have suddenly found them
selves off the payrolls with jobs available and
ordered to turn out at midnight or at dawn
to picket for nothing when, at current rates,
they would be paid overtime for such hours
Too many of them have simply been ordered
off the job, regardless of their desires and
their individual necessities at home merely
because some loathesome racketeer. sitting in
the very cabinet of the A. F. of L., has de-
cided to shake down an employer.
To the larger element, the whole public,
Mr.. Truman will be able to say, if he is
alert to his psychological chance. that the
kind of strikes that we have had lately are
strikes against the security of the United
States and will be able to prove his case
by dramatic illustrations. The General Motors
strike is one such for here less than 100000
workers, imposed upon by clever manipula-
tors of mass psychology, have pulled the
switch, so to speak, on the entire process OF
conversion from war industry to peace in
dustry Mr.. Truman can point out that there
are no laws at present to stay the hand of
the reckless union executive, whether COM
mon gangster Of the A. F. of L. type, CLIO.
communist or ruthless individualist with die
tatorial powers over some key union.
In recommending laws to put the national
safety and the interests of the overwhelming
majority beyond such threats and danger, he
may count on a joyous response from the
public and quick action from Congress- in
Guiding even the Senate which hitherto has
been deferred from such action only by arbi
trary orders from the White House which
killed in committee, and without argument on
the Senate floor, acts that were passed by
the House.
The point to be emphasized in such an
appeal is that, after all, if the national gov
eminent of the United States cannot legally
protect itself and the interests Of the people
from this rising danger, then the government
must abdicate to a few private organizations
whose own rules are, up to now, strictly their
own private business, subject to no court or
law and whose officials may be declared enc
mics of the American form of government.
Such laws very well could restrict the right
to strike on such an issue as demand by a
group of union executives for the right to
limit profits and regulate the retail prices of
automobiles. 1t has been only during the last
few years that even the government has ex-
ercised that power and the regulation of
profits was accomplished indirectly by tax
alton and Of prices by special wartime laws
Here, small group of irrespohsibles de-
mands that power by which it could destroy
the automobile industry or "socialize' it and
because the management refuses to negotiate
the question, calls strike that may soon
blockade reconversion, including housing and
unemployment generally Mr.. Truman would
not offend public opinion but, on the contrary
would hearten the whole nation, including
labor, should he propose law to exclude
from the valid strike issues all demands of
THIS Kind which are only pretexts, anyway.
There is no danger Of Oppression of labor
in any OF the laws proposed. With the mod.
tcatlons that would naturally occur under de-
BATE these bills would restore confidence and
abate the present nervousness among the
people. They would remove from our scene
the surly menace Of the mass picket block
ade which is anarchy prevailing over lawful
government. They would eliminate the black
mail or shakedown strike and the jurisdiction
al strike in which rival union bosses inflict
woe on their own subjects, the public and
unoffending employers in their greed for
highways the brigands who collect tribute
from farmers and truckers which ultimately
is collected from the public through increased
prices.
Mr.. Truman has a beautiful opportunity
and, ironically, the most helpful spade-work
has been done for him in recent weeks by
unioneers who have frightened and angered
the whole people, the public Of the United
States.
QUOTATIONS