Evening star., 1946-08-16
Labor Breathing Spell
Prediction Called MYTH
Great Lakes Strike Is Beginning
Of New Series of Threats
By David Laurence


The so-ealled breathing spell from
labor troubles predicted a few weeks
ago has proved myth. The Great
Lakes shipping strike is a major work
stoppage. 1t is causing an interruption
In the flow of coal, iron ore and oil.
The seamen of the CIO National Mari
time Union have tied up the ships.
Several sporadic strikes also have
occurred in Detroit, where the auto
industry is still trying to keep the
assembly lines of production going, only
to find that small strikes In the plants
of those who supply key parts are
causing delays.
The Clio, far from assisting in any
truce on strikes and labor difficulties
so as to enable industry to get started
on an era of production, has announced
new series Of threats The head of
the CLIO auto workers union wants
the National Wage Sterilization Boards
standards revised where price increases
are granted and he insists also that
contracts will be reopened on the cost
of-living issue wherever there Is any
clause thai can be construed as giving
such an opportunity.
Again the Vicious Circle.
Thus, the managers OF industry can
not foretell what their costs are going
TO be. The Nation is again caught In
vicious circle-due primarily to the
refusal of the administration to tackle
realistically the whole problem of recon-
version.
Apparently President Truman has
adopted "do-nothing" policy. He has
just left on an 18-day cruise on a
palatial yacht. Nobody begrudges the
President vacation nor the attendance
| at lawn party when the Nations
transportation system is about to be
tied up, as happened few weeks ago.
| But 1t looks to the country as If Mr..
| Truman really cares little whether the
economic system gets relief from its
burdens. So far as he is concerned, it
appears to De matter of supreme in
difference
Having been intimidated by A. F.
Whitney Of the railroad trainmen Mr..
Truman hasn't said thing about his
abandonment of pressure for all labor
legislation in the last Congress. Nor
| has he indicated that he will even put
| into effect of his own initiative the
study of labor management relations
which he so feebly advocated in mes
sage to Congress.
Now the CIO is demanding a labor
management conference, and Mr.. Tru-
man may, of course pay attention when
ne gets back from his cruise Whatever
the CIO-PAC may say or do commands
attention at the White House. It is
significant that the head of the CIO
auto workers union now says that
unless some action is taken to protect
the peoples living standards the stage
will be set for the next depression"
Ready to Shift Blame.
Labor leaders know that a depression
Is coming and they are getting ready
to shift the blame by a propaganda
campaign accusing industry of with
holding production. The same charge
was leveled with respect to the excess
profits tax last year. but this year, when
many corporations are in the red, that
charge is being plainly refuted.
/ 1t is customary, however, for the
labor politicians to take the total figures
of all profits and show that these are
higher than the year before. What they
do is lump together all the successful
companies, but they never mention the
accumulated losses of the companies
in the red whose abandonment of active
operations would cause widespread
unemployment.
The larger businesses, especially those
concerned with consumer goods, may be
making profits today but small COM
petitors in many lines are having
hard time getting needed supplies and
meeting the constantly increasing wage
costs.
The President of the United States
is looked to for leadershoip in trying
times. Mr.. Truman is doing nothing
about the major problem that faces
the country-the irresponsible behavior
Of many labor unions which have made
a mockery of collective bargaining and
have long ceased either to bargain in
good faith or to maintain written con-
tracts providing against work stoppages.
Not a word has come from the Presi-
dent in condemnation of the things
that are retarding production and
generally undermining the economic
system Apparently the situation will
have to get critical again before public
opinion is fully aroused, and that may
happen to be next autumn when the
Northern Democrats who are up for
! reelection feel the protest vote of the
! electorate Mr.. Truman isn't helping
his party win the election.
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