The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1945-03-09
BOARDS DELAY AND
DECEPTION Barred

Washington, d. C.-The unjust and
deceptive nature of the report of the
public members of the National War
Labor Board in which they decided,
despite the obvious facts, that wages
have kept pace with the cost of living,
was exposed in the dissenting opinion
filed by the AFL members.
The following excerpts from the
AFL opinion show the delays and the
statistical jugglery resorted to by the
NWLB public members to justify
their conclusions:
"At long last the public members
have commented formally upon the re-
quest of the American Federation of
Labor that the National War Labor
Board seek authority to modify realis-
tically the Little Steel Formula. One
whole year has elapsed since the
American Federation of Labor pre-
sented it's petition. For one whole
year the American workers have
awaited action of the public members
of the board"
Historically, the National War
Labor Board has attained it's high de-
gree of success by controlling wage
rates. To be sure, the board could
have used "take-home pay" as the
measure of wage control. AS honest,
competent students of wages, how
ever, the public members perceived
the essential inequity of regulating
wages guided by the behavior of gross
earnings or 'take-home pay" They
Joined with the labor members in re-
nouncing this criterion of wage sta
bilization. Even as recertly as March
of 1943, when the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor first protested the
Little Steel formula, the public mem
bers took cognizance of the difference
between stabilized wage rates and the
cost of living.
"In this statement, however, the
public members have adopted new
basis of wage stabilization. They have
now decided that adjusted straight
time hourly earnings is more proper
measuring rod This decision repre-
sents a compromise between their his
torical measures-wage rates-and
the demands of the employers that
'take-home pay or gross earnings
should be used Despite the statistical
adjustments made, the new measure
is essentially kind of 'take-home pay
figure
"One basis of the decision to change
the measuring rod of wage regulation
must certainly have been expediency
Adherence to the historical pattern OF
wage regulation by control of wage
rates would have forced the public
members to recommend substantial
increase in the Little Steel formula
The labor members have accepted the
burden of wage control by regulation
of wage rates. They adhere still to
that position The modification in the
position of the public members car
, fairly be interpreted to mean that tx
continue their successful achievement
of wage stabilization they are willing
, to protect it in this manner.
''There is fundamental defect Il
the adjusted earnings measure t.
which the labor members object. Spe
officially, this average earnings figur
: represents adjustments in wages t.
particular individuals, since genera
: wage increases under the Little Stee
: formula have long been exhausted
: However, these average increases t
{ some workers have been charge
: against all workers. For example
t when ten men in a plant received a
S increase of 10 cents per hour, tn
h average process is used to show tina
Y the wage adjustment is equivalent t
/ 20 men receiving 5 cents per hou
v increase. The adjusted average hourl
i figure is depicted as being cents pc