Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-07-26
Political
Action
by
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman
of the

a very valuable lesson in poll
tical action. The lesson is thai
the amount of pressure any
group can bring to bear upon
elected officials is directly in
proportion to the amount o1
votes said group can deliver.
In other words the CIO is
quite capable of organizing
lobbies to appear before the
national and state legislatures
and explain what we propose
in the way of legislation. The
CIO is also quite able to or
ganize rallies in support OF
progressive legislation. In ad-
dition the CIO has formulated
and is promulgating a legisla-
tive program designed to pro-
vide for jobs at living wages
plus adequate social security
for all. Yet it must be recog-
nized that altho such activities
are important and essential
they are not effective enough
to insure passage of social
legislation.
The PAC conference of July
22nd adopted resolutions call
ing for state laws to provide
effective price and rent con-
troll. A committee was ap-
pointed to call on Governor
Lausche and present our re-
quest that the special session
of the Ohio legislature which
was to convene on July 25th,
consider the following pro-
gram.
y A rent freeze as of June
10th, y some needed state
price controls, 81 an increase
in compensation and pensios
to prevet suffering because of
soaring prices.
The governor told the COM
mittee that he thought 1919
increase in rent was justified.
Also that he had intended to
present bills to increase COM
pensation and pensions, but
having been informed that the
legislators were not disposed
to consider any issue other
than rent control, he was not
going to present these bills.
This answer reveals many
things. For one thing caucus
of the state legislature must
have met and given the gov
ernor to understand that the
legislators did not choose to
take up any issues other than
rent control. These are the
supposed representatives of
the people. For another thing,
it is equally clear that the
governor is not disposed to
propose legislation which he
has been assured will not be
passed.
The governor, who is sup
posed to represent the people,
does not want to propose legis-
lation that the legislators do
not want.
The vast majority OF the
people of Ohio would benefit
by passage of this legislation
that the governor does not
want to present because the
legislature is not disposed to
pass it. A small but wealthy
minority benefit by this legls-
lation being squashed.
The Columbus conference
re-emphasizes in a very clear
fashion that the chief respon-
sibility of the CIO-PAC is to
get out the liberal vote on
election day.
That responsibility we must
fulfill by making our Ward
and Township organization eff
fective. There is some discus
sion among labor groups as to
whether or not it is feasible
to promote a third party
movement at this time. The
crying need right now is an
effective Ward and Township
organization. No political or
ganization can possibly be sue
cessful until the Ward and
Township clubs succeed in
getting the liberal vote out to
the polls.
In order to effectuate our
we need more mem
bers in the CIO-PAC. If you
are not a member join now
and become active in your
neighborhood Ward or Town
ship PAC club.
1t is also very important to
the legislators with
mail letting them know what
we want in the way of legisla-
ton. Elsewhere in this issue
S the Flash From PAC which
tells the story on legislation.
Everyone should write to their
representatives on the bills re-
ferred. The S tors are
James Huffman and Howard
Taft. The Representatives are
Homer r a m e y and George
Bender. Address mail, to Sen
ate Office Bldg. or House
Office Building.
the people. But we can full
r.1N Il