The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-18
Fair Enough
Bv WESTBROOK PEGLER
(Copyrigfnt, 1916, BY King Features Syndica

2, zoo, O00 new homes 70 De puIt OF put together
by the end of 1947, outlined by Wilson Wyatt,
his new housing administrator, inevitably calls
for another round of roodles with union
racketeers and crooked contractors preying
on the rest of us just as they nave done in
most big projects of government enter
prises, including war construction and pro-
duction
The plan is set in motion just in time to re-
vve the graft of a pack Of cynical parasites
who had found themselves suddenly idle upon
the completion Of the training camps, flying
fields and war factories. 1t Wanly pines Tor
some reasonable concessions on the part OF
licensed looters in the public interest and
makes a special, but futile, appeal to
theoretical sense of decency for the sake OF
homeless veterans of the fighting war
All experience shows that we might as well
appeal 10 a communists sense of honor or the
sporting instincts of weasel in hen-house.
The only protection lies in prevention by
law, and Congress will fail us there because
the Democrats are the patron party OF the
racketeers and the Republicans will continue
their policy Of avoiding responsibility for
cleaning up a mess created by their opposi-
tion
1hls is going to mean revival of the in
creololy bold rackets of the common laborers-
docals on most of the sites, the same locals
That charged thousands of farmers and other
casual workers from $25 to $50 each for
mutation when the sites were being cleared
ana tne building was in progress as the ma
ton turned to war.
1t would be fine discrimination to say that
this is the dirtiest of the A. F. of L. unions for
the teamsters, the movie employees and the
building service workers unions have COM
parable records as has the operating engineers
For 30 years it never held a convention and,
as the CID gangsters sickened and died, they
were succeeded by patient subordinates until.
at last, the entire official roster, with one I'M
important exception, was made up of self
elected bosses whose quarter of million SUBJ
jects had never had chance to vote and yet
were compelled by the Roosevelt government
to pay them tribute and submit to their
brutal discipline.
This vile history was exposed in these es-
says shortly before the nation swung into the
war effort and was placed in public record
IN hearings of the House Judiciary Committee
in Washington. Yet the shakedowns continued
all over the land and included an astonishing
teat OF daylight looting in the very capital it.
self, and the same crooks will not be rude
enough to decline this invitation to do it again
In the housing program.
The veterans, whose housing problem is
emphasized for emotional appeal in this bold
plan set forth by Mr.. Wyatt will discover that
they are, as one practical unioneer put it. "a
dime dozen'' and will not only paw at least
SIS and as much $500 for union initiation.
plus dues aid periodic shakedowns, but in buy- |
ing their homes or renting them will get the
Dill Ior most ingenious system of Woodwork
and organized loafing Like so many of the
war workers, thousands of them will be laid
OH by crooked contra ctors, in collision with
the union gangsters, as soon as they have paid
the instruments on their initiation fees TO
make room for new initiates, and their gov |
eminent will express its gratitude for their
service in the war by upholdng and protecting
the crooks as labor leaders"
Mr.. Wyatts plan speaks confidently Of fab
ricated houses assembled %on-site' and pre-
fabricated dwellings in airy disregard of arti |
hclal restraints against not only such large
units but even factory twisted steel rods for
use in reinforced concrete work and against
pipe threaded in factories and sheet plaster. If
the use OF sheet plaster is permitted the price
Oh labor will be set at a figure not only high |
enough to Illustrate economy but in many
places high enough to pay for three layers of
plaster done by hand whereas two coats are
quite enough.
Inc contractors in many localities also have
tnelr unions or associations of "recognized'
1lrms whose only purpose is to exclude COM |
pettlon from their fields BY contracts with
the bosses of the building trades unions thew
are able to keep labor away from 'indepen-
oent projects undertaken by out siders and
the result, OF course is that they monopolze
and distribute the business among them
selves and pay labor as much as the traffic will
bear Wage rates and mock work rules mean
nothing to them because, with no competition.
they can set their prices accordingly, plus
their profits.
MIR. WAITS long discussion Of his plan con.
talns many recommendations but no frank
of these facts which are the rea-
son why new MONIES are not being built by |
individuals or spectators and will not be. His
legislative proposals bashfully duck the SUBJ /
ject.
otll, 1t is feasible plan on the assumption |
that Tor every 81 worth of housing, the buyer. /
renter or the whole body of taxpayers, via the /
treasury, shall pay third dollar of tribute to |
licensed and privileged extortioners.