Detroit evening times., 1945-12-27
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
PegIer


A LMOST imperceptibly the
"A public is gaining in the
great struggle TO diminish the
powers and abate the ferocity
OF the unions.
As hitherto noted, President
Truman has made several obser-
Vations in the last few months
which never could have been ex--
pected from his predecessor,
the most important being his
recognition of the public" as
an element with rights and in-
terests in the vast brawls de-
liberately inflicted on the nation
by few meH with no public
responsibility.
Last week. again, he timor-
ously suggested that if the
books of employing industries
should be examined in fact
finding inquiries. then, it fol-
lowed that the books of the
unions also should be Inspected.
MIR TRUMAN seems TO have
NA been unprepared TO pursue
the subject, a state OF mind that
easily can be understood when
II is considered that he is only
one man and neither a giant
nor runt but just George Spell
vim who, year ago. had no
hope but rather a fear that he
might suddenly be called on 10
know all the answers 10 such a
mass Of historic problems, in
-ettdinG ISSUES 0f peace or war
in a dlsorganized world.
On further questioning. the
President replied that he saw
no relation between wages and
consumer prices on one hand
and union dues on the other.
The question As put, excluded
important featS and considera-
tlonS. for dues" are by no
means the only revenues Of
unions and, moreover, when
dues amount 10 a gross in
come tax of 10 per cent OF the
workers wages, AS they have
been known 10. or even two or
three per cent, obviously that
money is not wages but an
extra impost, never handled or
even seen by the worker, which
must be paid in the end by the
consumer who buys the ton II
coal. the ticket 10 the movies,
the suit Of clothes or the
phonograph record.
OUCH collections hy unions,
~ whether they be called
dues or whatever else, do
represent an increase in the
cost of living to the general
public and, of course il is a
concern Of the national govern
ment that unions should not be
allowed 10 amaSS treasures Of
literally billions Of dollars, SUBJ
lect 10 neither scrutiny nor
regulation, 10 be spent or
boarded strictly according 10
the personal whinS or political
purposes Of this small group Of
ruthless bosses.
II all the employed workers
in the United States were en-
rolled IN unions and each person
were taxed. say. three per cent
Of his earnings, the total rake
Oft here would exceed by one
half the legal pay roll tax for
national social security. surely
no petty amount AS Congress
recognized in refusing 10 raise
the rate
And If the social security
fund disappears into a bottom
less pit, al least We have in the
treasury IOU's from self 70
self whereas up TO this writ
ing we do not know and have
no legal right 10 know what
happens 10 union collections.
INCIDENTALLY. the govern
ment figures recently re-
leased indicating that union
collections were no more than
some three hundred million a
year may be ignored as untrue
and deliberately rigged.
Congress did provide in the
revenue act that the unions
must make international re-
turns with view 10 learning
approximately how much tf1cv
were draining off the wages and
industry of the nation.
But the treasury first gave
these favored protegees Of the
Roosevelt government a long
postponement of the date of FL
ing and then so modified the
law, itself. as 10 permit the
unions 10 conceal most Of their
revenues
A ND moreover. even this con-
"A greSsional act came at a
time when the gangsters of the
HodcarrierS' and Ope ting
Engineers unions. two of the
most rapaCiouS rackntS- In the
sordid history of American
graft, had just about completed
their harvest in the vast war;
construction projects, the facto-
rieS, barracks, flying fields, res
ervoirs and, literally. whole new
cities, and this colossal graft
was not even included in the
intent of the law.