The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1946-07-04
Behind The Scenes
American Business
BY John Crdddock

BY John Craddock
New York. - To most Ameri-
cans our national debt is a
number with a long string of
ciphers behind it. Accustomed
to doing business in dollars,
tens, hundreds and thousands,
we find it difficult to think in
terms of hundreds of billions.
Every so often economists talk
concernedly about the size OF
the debt, and most of us agree
that it certainly is a whopper,
but what can we do about ii.
Well, apparently they are doing
a little something about it in
Washington. At least the peak
seems to have been passed and
for the past four months the
government has been whiting
it down. if only a little. Since
the end of February, according
to the Federal Reserve system,
1912 billion dollars have been
retired. On June l., the Treasury
paid off 2 billion dollars of debt
and on June is another 1855
million dollars was scheduled to
be retired. Most of the funds to
pay off this debt came out of
the surplus funds received from
the last war loan. Whatever the
source, it is heartening to think
that instead of getting farther
into debt we are beginning to
reduce our obligations for the
first time in a number of years.
al GEMENT = LABOR
ROUND TABLE - A new trend
in management-union relation
ships may grow out of the re-
cent joint meeting of plant
foremen of ski Industries, Inc.
Philadelphia ball and roller
bearing manufacturers, a n d
union stewards of the United
SteelWorkerS of America &C. I.
o.. The joint meeting, pro-
posed by ski President Will
liam L. Bait, followed signing of
a new labor contract affecting
5000 wage employees. Bats Of
fer was accepted by Clinton S.
Golden, international vice pres
ident of the union, who said the
dinner meeting was the first
time in his knowledge that
management had offered TO
celebrate peaceful settlement of
collective bargaining negotia-
lions. The significance of the
meeting was emphasized by Mr..
Golden: ION the management
side is the foreman who at the
actual production level symbol
ICES and carries the authority
and executes the policies of
management. His are the most
intimate, personal and super
visory contacts with the produc-
ton employees. On the union
side is the shop steward, a key
man in the union organization
because of his intimate contact
with the organized employees
and his familiarity with the
union = management agreement
and union policies -. This
group of key management and
union representatives express
their hopes and earnest desire
that this event marks the be-
ginning of a new era in union
and management relationships
THINGS TO COME - A port
able air conditioner with no
moving parts. It is designed for
the heating season in home or
office, can be plugged into any
electricity outlet. It humidifies
the air through a unique meth
cd of vaporizing water in the
cabinet A new plastic for
filling wall and floor cracks.
Made of a resinous substance. it
is tough, jar-resistant and can
be applied with a putty knife
|. A new ruSt-prOOfing tech
nique. It protects metal during
manufacturing stages and per-
mits a tighter bond for paints
. "A new tennis racket string
made of nylon yarn filamentS,
The new woven fiber prevents
splitting and is expected to ex-
tend wearing life.
AIIROA CURVES - The
quicker the railroads are able to
increase their fleets of modern
lightweight streamline trains
the better chance they may
have of keeping pace with their
rapidly mounting labor and 9TH
er operating costs. Not only
have the colorful speedsters in
troduced by many of the lead
ing rail systems in recent years
been their most effective ag-
ency in combating passenger
traffic competition by the ali
and bus lines, but, according to
Champ Carry, president of Pull
M n-Standard Car Manufacture
ing company, there has not
been a single one of them that
has not proved a money maker,
Garry, whose company built the
nations first streamliner and
more than 10 per cent of those
that have followed. told a Chi
cago meeting THE streamliners
had a great deal to do with
changing the railroad passenger
curve. Railroad passenger bust
,I.:-l l-- --- " t..