Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-11-21
Behind The
Scenes In
Politics
By
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman

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| Political Action Committee
The American people are
now facing a great many
urgent social problems. The
high cost of living, the posi-
bility of a new depression and
the possibility of an impend-
ing new world war are not
issues to be considered lightly
Recognizing these problems
the President has called spe-
cial session of Congress. This
is the same 80th Congress who
recently passed the Taft-Hart-
ley slave labor act and whose
record for passage of social
legislation is close to mill.
One of the most urgent
problems is the task of pre-
venting starvation in Europe.
Of equal Importance is the
task of providing places for
the splac ed persons in
Europe to settle and become
useful citizens.
1t would appear that such
problems though grave are not
difficult to solve. The reason
they are very difficult, is be-
cause the representatives who
make the decisions on these
issues are not, for the most
part bound by humanitarian
considerations.
The vest d interests of
America are more concerned
with the effects upon their
ever mounting profits than
with the welfare of the harss-
ed and suffering population of
Europe.
Mea lie, winter ap-
proaches, and effective meas
ures to combat its ravages
becomes more essential.
CONVINCED
The American people as a
whole are certainly convinced
of the necessity of an adequate
program to feed the people of
Europe. For the American
people realize that such a pro-
is necserray to the cause of
world peace. However, many
members of Congress will be
primarily concerned, not with
starvation in Europe, but with
attempting to see that no pro-
gram of aid to Europe can
possibly interfere with mono
ply interests.
The whole problem of dis
placed persons will be decided
on the basis of the political
implications of any proposed
solution. This is the pay-off to
the American peole for their
apathy regarding general pub
lie elections.
The question of high living
costs will not be approached
in an direct constructive way.
AS soon as the issue of price
controls arises, the big bust
ness stooges in Congress will
demand that we have no price
controls unless they are acom-
panied with wage freezes.
In other words if the price
of butter is frozen at 99c a
pound, the demand will be
that wage earners will earn
$50, week (and there are lots
of them) are prevented from
getting any wage increases as
long as the price controls re-
main in effect.
From a logical economic
standpoint the reason for price
control is to prevent the
monopolists from taking ad-
vantage of the public. Wage
controls would be needed only
if there were more jobs than
people to fill them, and the
employers were outbidding
one another to obtain en-
ployees at any price. Such a
situation does not exist.
BASIC ISSUES
These are only a few of the
basic issues. There is also the
housing question, the Issue of
bringing pensions and compen-
sation in line with present liv-
ig costs, peacetime conscrip-
ton and many more issues of
vital interest to the people
which the 80th Congress must
consider,
In response to the acute
need and mounting pressure,
and also in sview of the fact
that this is Congressional elec-
ton year the 80th Congress
will take action.
We can say with certainty
at this time however, that
opNy cotton On iptarn ti0na1