The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-11-13

l w oohih6 eoh tLi n iAC idhoi
movement in Japan is inevitably
going to be a political movement
because ''the lives of japanese
workers are not determined by col
lective bargaining as they are in
the U. S. but by government poll
cies and every action effecting
trade and finance"
That prediction was made here
last week by James S. Killen, a
vice president of the Pulp, Sulphite
& Paper Mill Workers-AFL and
for the past year chief of the labor
division of General MacArthur's
military government in Japan.
Killen, on brief leave in the U. S.
from his post in Tokyo, declared
that japanese unions will have to
be active in the political field to
protect the daily lives of their
members.
"The extension of democracy in
Japan SO far has been successful"
said Killen, "even though the Com
munists confuse the meaning of
democracy. But because of the dire
economic conditions, the japanese
look to US for an economic solu-
tion as we'll as political liberty.
The most effective way of spread
ing democracy is to give every
possible aid to the Japanese-con-
cretely, food and clothing"
Since August l Of this year food
imports into Japan arranged by
the U. S. have been enough to sus-
tain basic ration Of 1910 calories
day with an additional $50 calo-
ries expected this month Killen
said. During the war years the
japanese were getting between
1850 and $500 calories daily.
"Union members haven't been
satisfied of course, with the amount
of calories in the food they are re-
ceiving," Killen continued. "In col
lective bargaining with employers
food discussions take a most pro-
minent place. Private employers
have been known to buy food in
the black market and some en-
ployers who won't pay wage in
creases will agree to get food for
their workers.
Government unions, for exam
pie, have asked for enough pay to
buy 2400. calories day and agreed
that if they obtained it they would
not press for more wage increases.
All unions are increasingly tran
stating their demands into food
costs. They may be able to win
monthly wage increase of two or
three or four more yen but they
find it eaten up by prices. There
has been perhaps a 100% increase
in wages since the first of the
year but a sharp reduction in real
Killen emphasized that Ameri-
cans must realize that Japan is
now have-not country. "Its from
tiers are destroyed and its popu-
lation increased because of the re-
patriation of hundreds of thous-
ands of Japanese from the Asiatic
mainland and scores of Pacific is
lands," he said. There are now
100000 on four little islands |
whose resources are extremely linn
ted. They are economically poor
in every sense of the word and
that is why the unions will be poll
;ical-minded. Almost everything the |
government does touches them eco
There are 100000 workers in !
he Japanese labor movement to-
lay in $4,000 local unions, practi-
ally all Of them industrial unions,
said Killen. There are two major
'ederations, the Japanese Fedora
ion of Labor, and the Natl Con-
yress of Industrial Unions, each
With about 1,250,OO0 dues paying
members. Government unions, of
which the railroad workers are the
argest, comprise 40% of the entire
abor movement and are indepen-
lent of both the JFL and the NC
~.
The Japanese Federation of La
,or contains small remnants of the
,re-war labor movement. "The So
.ial Democratic Patry is militant
md active in the JILL" Killen re-
ated, "but they're in a tough spot
,ecause being the government par
y they have to support the wage
program. Just as in
he u. S. in wartime and after,