The Wilmington morning star., 1945-09-25
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

Copyright, 1915, by King Features Syndicate.)
NEW YORK, Sept "a - Returning service
men, who find themselves barred from jobs
known as 1.-The public" will labor under a
great handicap in their efforts to understand
the impending political fight on the picket
lines which will be falsely represented by
many politicians and a portion OF our daily
press as labor disputes
The trouble is that this is very complex
political subject which great majority OF
Americans and almost all service men and
women have refused to study because it is
dull, or they were just too busy. Good under
standing requires serious reading Of laws,
court decisions, union constitutions and the
recent history of the union movement.
The union movement is always disguised as
'labor'' which is a sly political misnomer en-
ployed to appeal to the sef-interest OF all who
work for their living and to class-hatred, OF
all {he Americans WHO labor. and some esti-
mates hold that prosperity requires steady en-
ployment of 60, O00 600 workers. not more than
10, 900, 900 at present are members OF the I'M
ions, and majority of these members were
dra gooned by a combination OF the unions,
greedy for money and political power. and the
miscalled labor agencies set up by the Roose-
welt government. They had to join and pay
whether they wanted to or not. Millions OF
them were fatty informed during the war that
if they did not join and pay they could not
build tanks, weapons, ships and so forth.
At any rate, it is obvious that these unions
do not wholly constitute or represent Ameri-
can labor.
When separate 1.-The public from the union
movement am not being arbitrary. The un-
ions. themselves, and the Roosevelt govern
ment long ago recognized separation and
conflict of interests here. This was faux pas
on their part which may plague them now
because it might remind the public that
politics has placed this vast majority OF the
American people in the middle OF tight, with
no organization or political representation to
battle for their rights
We see the distinction in the composition OF
the Var Labor Board which was divided into
three parts There were union representatives,
industry representatives and public mem
bers. In practically all such arrangements. the
Roosevelt government loaded these bodies IN
favor of the unions by ~electing In each case
at least one "public'' member who was known
to be sympathetic to the unions. Even so, when
decisions did 60 against the unions, they some
times refused to comply with ensuing orders
and sabota ged production, usually with pre-
tense that the workers" themselves, were so
incensed at outrageous disregard OF their
rights that they refused to obey union dlscl-
pline. The union bosses said they were power
less. but they are powerful enough to collect
their dues and fees on time.
Many intelligent Americans have ignored
this menace to their political economic and
social freedom throughout the years OF the
new deal merely because so Tar, 1t DID not
hurt them, personally Millions Of words writ
ten for their information were either neglected
or scanned so carelessly as to leave them
still ignorant OF the laws and decisions. which
now restrict their rights, and OF outrageous
boycotts income taxes, inter state import
taxes and political taxes amounting literally
to billions Of dollars by private organizations
having the actual power Of a sub-government
and no responsibility
Some wer. casually interested for day or
two by persistent revelations Of spectacular
criminal racketeering. particularly by the
gangsters of the American Federation OF La
Dor.
But when George Spelvin. American, read
of boycott against certain brand of electri-
cal REFRIGERATOR for example by local union
of the construction trades, he refused to con-
slider how this might permit another manufac-
turer, paying tribes to the boss unioneers, to
the local field and add per cent
or 100 per cent to the price of his own refrlg-
orator. If Spelvn read that a big union OF
needleworkers by exorbitant demands, forced
a sacrifice to buyer who CHANGED to be
cousin of the union boss, who then was able
to compromise the dispute" that was just
another stuffy item in the news OF a busy
day. Spelvn hasn't bothered his mind to rea-
lie that these things happen under laws os-
tensbly designed to help labor which. IN &C.
tual effect, however. degrade him. personally,
to the status of subject and benefit the union
bosses and those politicians who sell out to
them.
Surely not more than one American in a
thousand has ever read union constitution
and few, having read some typical constitu- |,
tons, would appreciate without instruction
and attentive study, just wherein most OF these
constitutions violate the civil rights guaran-
teed by the national and state constitutions.
These constitutions are hard to get Some
unions don't let even their members have
copies.
1.-THE public including the returning serv-
ice men, have failed to inform themselves OF
the actual fact that, under the Roosevelt gov
and by pretense OF serving labor
the whole people have been placed at the
mercy of ruthless, reckless, dishonest men
with no legal responsibility and with legal I'M
munities that are not granted even to the
states, themselves.
sThe public has been mentally lazy and
careless and so has been easily fooled and
entrapped AS a result, now. without even a
nretense of an honest vote or, with no vote
at all. few dozen union bosses may keep
noi1lions of Americans out Of work. and, for |
their authority, rely on the Wagner Act, the