Milford chronicle., 1947-05-16

FRIDAY, MAY lb, l94|
A RELEASE BY THE Presidents Con-
ference on Fire Prevention, which met May
6-8 in Washington, d. g., clearly details the
extent of the fire menace
Losses for the IL months which ended on
February %, it points out, came to $581 ,347,-
OOO-the greatest the country has ever
known. This is nearly $2O,OOO,OOO more
than the highest annual loss yet recorded.
On the loss of life side the picture is
equally somber. No fire disaster IN l94| has
taken a toll of lives to compare with the
Winecoff and LaSalle hotel fires of last year.
Yet the death toll is mounting steadily be-
cause of the increase in the number of small
er fires throughout the country.
The Presidents conference was the first
organized national effort ever made to COM
bat the fire menace. Fire protection experts,
state and municipal authorities, scientists
and others joined to study ways and means
to reduce the loss-and to enlist the aid OF
the entire public.
It is forecast that if fire losses follow the
same trend as they did after World War |,
destruction will reach billion dollars year
by 1858. Here is a challenge to us all.
THE NEWS IN Washington is that the
President and the members of his Cabinet
and many powerful Democrats are opposed
to cutting taxes. AS might have been ex-
pected the high-taX folks argue to the effect
that the big taxpayers would get the best
breaks in tax reductions, and that the small
taxpayers would get the shOrt-end
The Administration reasons that the
Government needs the money. If it should
happen that the National Treasury had more
money than it needs then the surplus could
be used to make payments on the National
debt
The Republicans skip the "but' and they
plan for both tax cuts and reducing the pub
lie debt Besides, their plan would pass on
the largest percentage of tax reduction to
small taxpayers If the Republicans have
their way it is hard to say what will happen.
There is a lot of talk about Presidential
vetoes for tax bills and labor legislation,
Some of our best men in Congress have been
insisting that the active members of unions
that have been on strike are almost in revolt,
for the reason that they have lost so much
pay that it will take them one or more years
to regain their losses. And so the workers
say: whats the use?" This is interesting,
and everyone should keep track of this new
condition.
FROM NEWSPAPER HEADLINES one
might be led to believe that the labor-man-
tion of Congress for the last few months is 9
political ISSUE 1t has been "politics" ever
since the Wagner Act was passed nearly &
dozen years ago.
The daily reports for many weeks have
clearly indicated that the Republicans are
determined to amend the labor laws, and il
the words of Senator Taft, "these laws woult
have to be put together in fair and reason
able measure"-his idea being to protec
employers and workers. At every turn o
the political wheels the prophets have insist
ed that President Truman will veto any labO
legislation that might be credited to the Re
publicans.
The big labor bosses have particular oh
lection to the provision in the Republica
measure which would give the courts powe
to issue injunctiOnS against any kind O
strike
Senator Taft indicates that he is not q
all afraid of Presidential veto of a Reput
lican labor law, and he expresses the belle
that the Republicans will benefit from
veto, in the long run.
Senator Byrd of Virginia, has cracke
on the end of his whip. He declares that
President Truman vetOes uniOn-curbing PR
posals now before Congress "the people Wi
think-and properly so-that the only wa
they can get proper labor legislation will
to elect a Republican President.
Another outstanding Democrat, Senate
Tydings of Maryland, evidently agrees wit
Byrd that the Presidential veto would n
benefit the Democrats
Many years ago laws were put on the st
tute books providing, in short, for the settl
ment of labor disputes through coecti
bargaining. That is a workable basis f
reasonable settlements by employers and el
ployes. So why not be reasonable?
NSo&S
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING is contin
ing to slump, for the very good reason tn
there has been too many real estate racke
throughout the country, practically all
which boosted prices so high that prospect
purchasers decided-in great numbers
wait while before buying. That's why t
building boom has been hattaninu nut