Evening star., 1945-10-12
Little Realism Seen
In Labor Situation
Tendency of Timid Politician
Is to Draft and Hope, Says Writel
By David laurence

by Ddvtd Laurence
There is as yet no realism here OF
the labor situation. The tendency is Il
drift and hope that, somehow or other
things. will right themselves.
Yet Secretary of Labor Schwellen.
bach admits he is growing exhausted
over the ordeal. He said to reporter,
apropos of the coal strike negotiations
I am getting awfully tired-I was ur
late last night and the night before"
Here is one man in the cabinet sad
died with the task of mediating major
labor disputes. He cannot mediate them
all. 1t is sad commentary on the lack
OF Federal machinery to handle labor
controversies that affect the public in
terest.
1t would appear also that efforts are
being made to drag President Truman
into the labor disputes as a mediator
or negotiator Of a settlement. If he
agrees, he will find it necessary to side
track other important national busi-
ness, just as Mr.. Schwellenbach must
give his time to particular disputes to
the exclusion of other matters so vital
to the administration of his depart
ment these days.
Truman Little Disturbed.
The President isn't apparently as
much disturbed, on the other hand, as
is the country over the labor problem.
He said in public speech the other
day that the labor disputes were "just
blowup after a letdown from war"
and added: I'VE still have a few selfish
men who think more of their personal
interests than they do of the public
welfare, but they are not going to pre-
vail because you are not going to let
| them prevail"
The foregoing is not sufficiently ex-
pllclt to know Just what persons or
groups the President had in mind It
isn't too important either to identify
them because basically the President is
much mistaken if he thinks the present
wave of labor troubles can be blamed
on few individuals.
The present labor problem is due pri-
marily to the failure of timid poll
ticians in Government who may or may
not be selfish in thinking about their
own reflections and hence of their
fear of political reprisals from either
management or labor groups.
The failure Of the administration to
evolve constructive program for the
settlement of labor disputes and to post
pone until some time in November con-
sideration of such a program at the
M n O OK
Gates lack of awareness of what is
going on in America today.
Cut in Take Home" Paw,
The labor controversies arise pri-
marlly because, despite seeming wave
OF high profits, "take-home" pay of the
worker is being cut. The 48-hour week
permitted workers to get higher in
comes than ever before, but prices are
higher, too. Likewise, it is not easy to
take away 80 per cent increase on
prewar scales in basic wages by remov-
ing suddenly all the income from over.
time. Management is aware of this
difficulty in many instances, and there
have been proposals to split the diff
ference or otherwise to adjust the wage
scales. But this is major operation.
1t affects the whole army of workers in
America. Only governmental guidance
can help solve it.
Clearly when wage and salary stabil-
ization was completely in the hands of
governmental agencies the problem
could be dealt with in an orderly FASH
ion. Lifting the controls without a
substitute program is what has caused
the present labor unrest and, while
there are undoubtedly selfish men in the
picture both on the side of labor unions
and management, the problem is obvi-
ously a product Of war conditions.
Hence in the absence of a clear-cut
transition policy by Government the
labor crisis can hardly be dismissed as
the mischief of few individuals on
either side.
Congress has played a rather curious
role, too. 1t pays little attention to the
labor disputes and prefers to let nature
take It's course-which is one way to
accelerate economic anarchy. The ad-
minlstration can still save its prestige
with both management and labor by
bringing out at once a simple proposal
to establish a national mediation
agency before which all disputes must
be submitted and all strikes can be
ordered postponed at least until de-
clsions or recommendations of such an
agency are made