Evening star., 1946-01-25
Truman Called Naive
In Economic Comment
Impartial Attitude Is Needed in
Labor Crisis, Says Writer
By David Laurence

AdooI Nhls1S, DAYS WTueI
BY David Laurence
President Truman made naive COM
ment when he said unions and corpora
tions have too much economic power.
He said he didn't know what should be
done about it, but his discovery that
economic groups may carry on a battle
without regard to the damage done TO
innocent bystanders Is rather belated.
The American people as a whole feel
tnat something should be done about
the strikes and, particularly, about the
power OF big business and big unions to
tie up the economic system. But when
IL comes 10 concrete solutions, the pub.
tic isn't any more certain of what
should be done than is Mr.. Truman.
The truth is the United States has
grown In population and in economic
complexity to such an extent that what
many people really lean toward, but
never Will concede that they want, is a
system whereby the Government i'm
poses It's Will on all groups. Theoret-
lcaIiy the Government represents the
public interest and ought to know what
Is the maximum good for the maximum
number. Actually Government is a
political institution and the oficehold-
ers from the President down are inter.
esteo In the quantity of votes which or
ganlzed groups can marshal for them
on election day.
"Impartiar Attitude Hit.
Mr.. Truman's idea of the govern
mental function is to select arbitrarily
neure on wages. for instance, and
urge industry to pay. Then when in
oustry balks, he makes sarcastic remarks
ABOUT managements attitude. When
the labor unions defied him and refused
to withhold their strikes while a fact
finding board Investigated, Mr.. Tru-
man maintained silence. He didn't
criticize the unions, he just forgot about
this singular defiance of his request.
He wonders now why big business flouts
him, too.
The President can exercise great
moral power in any crisis and in anv
dispute. But he must earn the right
to exercise that power by adopting an
impartial attitude toward the con-
testants. Mr.. Truman has clothed his
fact-hnding boards with an aura of
validity which neither labor unions nor
management will concede. Yet the
President considers management's re-
iusal 10 accept a particular boards
recommendations as fragrant dis
regard of the public interest
II the President will retrace his steps,
ne may yet bring order out Of the con-
fusion for which, 1t is to be feared, he
ls-ln part at least-responsible. What
Is needed Is the elimination of bad feel
ing and intransigeant attitudes and par
ticularly the avoidance on the part OF
the President himself of any signs of
economic partisanship. As long as there
Is no law compelling the acceptance of
arbitration awards and as long as Gov
ernment fact-finding boards are purely
advisory, 1t is a mistake for the Presi-
dent to attempt to give them a position
OF greater importance than they really
have.
The strike situation, moreover, Is made
worse by psychological attitudes and by
plain violations of the law. Illegal pick
citing has aggravated management and
goaded 1t to point where 1t thinks
1t ought to strive to break up unions.
Labor unions. on the other hand, never
made bigger mistake in strategy than
to threaten mob violence and physical
coercion in picketing.
Public Tired of Rumors.
The public is sick and tired of the
rumors that big businessmen want to
use the present opportunity TO smash
unions and sick and tired, too, of the
publicity rubbish pouring forth from
union press agents on the subject of tax
carry-backs and similar irrelevancies.
If Mr.. Truman will use his position
to make constructive proposal for a
truce or period of economic stability, he
might then introduce competent media
tors into the picture who can make coll
iective bargaining work. Suppose the
unions were to agree to ask for no wage
increases for period Of two years and
suppose industry were to agree to grant
half OF the wage demands now and
examine the other half two years hence.
"SAA] eiAos AZ icdS6 dSSuTc an OppOf-
tunity for reconversion to be begun and
Tor both sides to take look at the sit
uation in the light of increased produce
ton?
Much of the hesitancy of management
toward granting wage demands now
stems from fear that the whole sub
Ject will be opened again after a com.
paratively short interval Why not as
sure period of operation at the new
rates? If two years is too long, then
a compromise on 10 months might prove
feasible. 1t isn't the wage rates alone
that keep management and labor apart
but the fear that the whole strike proc
ess must be gone through in another
few months. This is really behind the
determination to settle scores once and
for all" Unhappily, it dominates the
thinking Of leaders on both sides.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.b
Where Lobsters Are Lobsters
From the st. John TeeEraph-Journai.
Portland, Me, has grabbed a place in
the news because fishermen have taken
into that port a lobster weighing II
pounds and having an extreme length of
3 feet. Portland Is to be congratulated
for being permitted to view this cras-
tacean which was designated as being
too tough for eating and of doubtful