Evening star., 1945-11-15
Letters to The Star
Sees Salary Increase Proposal as
Squeeze Play Against Public

Squeeze Play Against Public
To the Editor Of Ths Star:
am wondering what is going to hap
pen to us, the average run Of American
people, in this. battle Of greed that is
being staged by our labor leaders, in
tiustrialists and the President and his
administrative appointees. Where is the
expected relief from the excessive costs
Of living to which we have been sub
jected throughout the war?
The labor leaders and their organized
followers, high and low, have so uni
formly and arrogantly shown their utter
disregard for the comfort, welfare and
general safety of the patrons Of the sew
eral services employing them that the
public can expect no consideration from
that source, as witness the recent un-
provoked and untustified strikes Of the
organized streetcar and telephone oper-
ators, nurses In hospitals, operatives OF
buslines and workers in our coal and
oil industries.
Industry, while not quite so obviously
callous to the comfort and sacrifice OF
the rights Of Its patrons, is equally in
different to the ultimate rights Of the
public to share in any benefits result
ing from confessed reduced costs of pro-
duction through improved methods and
appliances exclusive of the labor costs) :.
1t seems perfectly willing to pay labor
54-hour wages for 40 hours work, and
RI do oil nth tyiy fn nj "a
labor, provided only 1t is guaranteed
the power to raise Its prices at our ex-
pense to any extent necessary to make
good any excess diversions.
The only hope the average man can
entertain under these circumstances Is
that our Government, represented by its
executive, legislative and judicial Depart
ments, will protect him against the SELF
ish greed of both labor and Industrial
lists.
Officials Blamed for Imitation.
The President has expressed his con.
viction that the wages Of organized la
Dor for shortened time must be increased
and he is willing to give industry its
requested assurances of increased prices
to be paid by us, provided Justification
therefor Is proven after trial. 1t seems
never to have occurred to labor, indus
try or the President that we, the COM
mon run of American citizens, have any
right to look for return to prewar
prices or any reduction in war prices a.
the result Of lessened cost of manufac-
ture. On the contrary. the President
and the heads of the executive depart
ments Of Government, charged with
constituting and administering the laws
Of Congress as well as their own direc-
tives (often dictatoriaD unite in de-
claring that while labor shall not work
the extra hours for which it received
the time and half or double pay dur
ing the war, 1t must continue to receive
the same total pay for the shortened
hours and corresponding shortened pro-
duction. These schedules of pay were
understood during the war as incentives
to labor to keep production at the high
est peak only in order that our men at
the fighting fronts should be equipped
amply with arms and supplies.
The average citizen was content un-
der these circumstances to tighten his
belt and accept the trickle of goods
which was rationed to him and to bear
these excessive prices as a patriotic ne
cessity.
The question today is: Can we now
look. with the requisite confidence, to
the mainstay of the average man and
woman in all mocracies-namely, to
our representatives In Congress and to
the administrative branches Of our Gov
eminent. for that unbiased considera-
tion and relief we so sorely need?
Hints at Deliberate Timing.
At this critical moment the adminis-
tration, through its Civil Service Com
mission, comes forward with q cordial
invitation to Congressman to increase
their own salaries 100 per cent and the
pay of all administrative and judicial
officers and employees of Government
from 20 to so per cent in addition TO
other increases already voted the latter.
Is not that expert timing for a squeeze
play against the people? Who would
expect a member Of Congress to hesi-
tate to favor legislation countenancing
increased labor costs 80 per cent while
he is voting or expects in the near fu-
ture to vote himself 100 per cent in
crease in salary? Who could expect
an administrative officer to look with
disfavor on upgrading his subordinates
10, Is or even 20 per cent in addition to
an increased basic or other increase
already allowed when he so generously
is being dealt with by his Government
possessing ample power to borrow all
the money necessary to meet such ex-
penses and charge 1t back to us. the
people, either In increased taxation or
by the retention Of taxes, already levied
and maintained during the war period
after the war Is over? There is fly
in this ointment so opportunely offered
by the Civil Service Commission in Its
offer to the judiciary. The Constitution
forbids either the increase or decrease
of the compensation of judicial officers
during their continuance In Office"
But 1t is my hope and belief that
Congressman will not fall into this trap
SO naively and SO obviously set for them