The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1946-04-04
A-VISITING WE GO


THIS Is THE STORY of II visiting firemen
Their goal was Soviet Russia. Off they went
to see how the workers made out in that strang,
empire between the Vistula and the Ural noun
tains. Brothers, did they get an eyeful!
The visit lasted only days, but as was to bt
expected the visitors found everything in apple
pie order. There was peace with plenty of labor
and prosperity. And after having been dined anC
Wined by their gracious hosts, they set theil
names to report on Russian labor containing
such gems as:
"'The Russian workers take-home pay re-
mains the same as during the war, despite a
considerable cut in working hours;
Russian labor is now producing more goods
with better machinery and under better cond-
tions;
''rhe trade unions fully participate in all in
dustrial, wage and related matters"
In short, everything is hunky-dory Yet, what
with Churchill, bad capitalists and conspirators
everywhere ganging upon the Communist para
disc, life is sorry and dangerous affair 1t is full
of unexpected surprises just as the report of the
ClO leaders-yOu have guessed it by noW-is full
Aof hints which do not jibe with glowing descrip-
tions of Russian labor progress.
Let us consider the wage question. The re-
port says: Great emprasis is placed on wage
incentives of all kinds to increase output Piece
work is the predominant system, and progressive
pece-rates are common in many factories and
operations"
What, pray, would be the reaction of the
CIO if industry in the United States or elsewhere
outside Of the Stante domain were to resort to
pieceWOrk rates as the predominant method in de-
termining wages The answer is not difficult to
imagine. 1t will be combined howl and Bronx
cheer
There is more of the same blk Why does
the Go urge the American people to supply Rus
sia with machines, Industrial techniques and other
products if, as the report indicates there is more
machinery than skilled labor to use it? What with
Germany Austria, and half a dozen other coun-
tries stripped bare of their heavy equipment,
Soviet Russia must have an abundance, not a lack
of them.
It is difficult to read the latest CIO pieceI
Of concealment, half truths and clever evasionsI
with equanmty and charitable understanding.
True, the visiting firemen do not know what they
are talking about. The working men and women
Of America need not get steamed up over the ef-
frontery of men who had made up their minds
long before they set foot on Russian soil. And
who, by SO doing, reach the conclusion: eve WereI
impressed with the character of the Soviet trade
unions and with their many excellent activities.
While there are many obvious differences in the
systems and governments of the United States
and the Soviet Union we found parallels in theI
functionng of labor unions in both countries, us
indeed, throughout the world." -
There is an end to every story. The cat
,rawled out of the bag when Albert Fitzgerald of
,he United Electrical, Radio and Machine Work
ers intoned before a Russian labor audience: "You
nave gained friends who are going to insist that
our government do everything in its power to
lid you" Reid Robinson of the Mine, Mill and
5melter Workers, chimed in: "We must break
iown the propaganda that you have no democracy
Is we have"
Stain and the men in command of Russia and
Russian labor are undoubtedly grateful to the CIO
eaders for their valiant effort to take the Ameri-
an worker in. More than a quarter of a century
lgO a great writer wrote a book on the Russian
revolution 1t was entitled '"ren Days That Shook
he World" The CIO 8-day version Of 1916 leaves
he world cold and American labor slightly
auseated.