davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The union times., 1947-11-15

materials he cited was rough siding. which sold at about $25 per thou sand feet in 1889 and now sells at $9O.
 To the charge that labor is Hess productive than before the war;" Gray replied; We went through eight years ot depression, when handmade work and boondoggling were encouraged. Then came five years of war, with the cost-pluS type of contract under which employers hired far more work CTS than necessary in order to increase their fees from the government.
 They prohted by wasting man. power. Thus, we have gone through a l3-year period when low production was encouraged. You can't correct that overnight
 STOP "BUCK PASSING"
 Its unfair to blame labor for the situation" he emphasized. Instead of management passing the buck to labor. or vice versa, the solution is for both ot us to get together and try to work out the problem comparatively"
 L. M. Raftery, secretary of the Painters, exposed the paintbrush story, which is probably the most widely circulated.
 'The size of the brush depends on the type of work we do." he de- clared. ''On some types, the four inch is the most feasible and efici- ent; on others, a larger brush is used. Contrary to all these stories. our union has no limit on the size of brush to be used.''
 Also the union has no ban on spray guns, but it does insist that where they are used the workers be protected against inhaIing the fumes and undermining their health.
 Further, he denied that the spray is cheaper than brushing, emphasizing the time required to set up and clean the equipment and the amount of paint lost ill the air.
 WHOPPER NAILED
 The claim that the unions require three coats of plaster was knocked down by Bates.
 The union regards three coats as necessary for the protection of home buyers, but if builder calls for only two coats he gets it" Bates stressed.
 It would take columns to answer all the SmearS.
 One of the witnesses summed it t1p pretty we'll. He was Professor Corwin D. Edwards of Northwestern Univer- Slty, who headed Department of Jus tlce study of the home building indus try from 1889 to 1944.
 Only two local attempts to limit work were discovered, he said.
 1.-The rest was all rumOrs; just rumOrs," he declared.
 This was very disappointing to Gwinn.
 O'DWYER BACKS UP UNIONS
 Mayor O'Dwyer of New York City confirmed the union leaders.
 Noting the charges that are being hurled at the unions, he quoted from report put out by the New York Building Congress, an official group of the building industry.
 'LabOr unions in the building industry have not opposed labor saving devices," the mayor said. ''This report of the Building Con- gress shows that labor has not been restricting production, but is gen. orally giving "a fair days work for a fair days pay"
 Charges that the unions are holding back the training of mechanics were refuted by a representative of the De- partment of Labor, William F. Patter- son, director of the apprentice train ing service, testified that the difficulty IS. with the contractors. Only 50 per cent of them are participating in the program, he revealed.
The union times., 1947-11-15

"FEATHERBED''
 Just before the hearings opened, the Wall Street Journal started pub- fishing a series of articles on the building industry. These articles bore down heavily on the unions, too.
 Several gentlemen responsible for the Journal articles were called as headline" witnesses.
 They repeated in great detail the familiar ''featherbed'' charges, re- peatedly made by the Real Estate Lobby.
 i've are not foolish enough to do those things" was the reply of union spOkesmen.
 The other side of the story now comes from the heads of the building trades who have had long years of on-the-job experience and who un- doubtedly know more about the situa- tlon than a group of reporters who probably have little or no knowledge of building operations.
 HAVE AGREEMENTS
 First, as to curtailment of output We have had agreements with re- sponsible associations of contractors for 40 years and in that time these contractors have never charged us with limitation of output" declared the veteran chief of the Bricklayers, Harry C. Bates.
 We have no contract with any con- tractors calling for curtailment of production"
 Then Bates flung a challenge to anyone ''tO offer proof that our union agreements are responsible for high costs of building.
 These charges have been made time and again" he continued. "They are just a smokescreen to cover up excessive costs and profteering in many building materials"
 Bates and other building trades chiefs also made the point that If unions are responsible for high home costs, why is it that in many cities, where residence construction is almost entirely open shop, costs are at least as large, if not larger, than in cities where home building is unionized?"
 In Washington, where home con- structiOn is practically all open shop, the cost is second highest in the nation.
 PLUMBERS ANSWER
 Charges made against the Plumbers were answered by President Martin F. Durkin.
 We use machines to thread pipe everywhere" he declared We have no restrictions and we will handle any power machinery the contractor chooses to supply Also we lay down no rules as to the number of men re- quired. The employer is sole judge of that"
 Durkin also blasted the charge that the union resists installation of pre- fabricated plumbing layouts.
 ''That's fantastic,'' he said. ''The fact is we have members working in the pre-fabricating plants pro- ducing these units. On many large jobs, prefabricatiOn of units is done right on the site.''
 He also hit another claim that costs are increased because the plumbers in- sist on unloading plumbing supplies delivered at the construction site.
 Such a practice actually means saving to the contractor, because we know all the fixtures by size and we know where they are to go," he ex- plained. If laborers were given the task we'd have to direct them anyway and that would simply duplicate the wage expense"
 MATERIAL COSTS SKYROCKET
 Wages have not increased any, where near as much as the overall cost of construction" declared Richard l. Gray, president of the A. F. L. Build ing Trades Department.
 One example of the skyrocketing
The union times., 1947-11-15

First union to hold national con- ventions and organize on a national basis was the Natl. Cooperative Assn. of Journeymen Cordwainer, started in 1885.
The union times., 1947-11-15

Make The Union Times work overtime. After reading. hand it to a non-subscriber.
The union times., 1947-11-15
Are You on the Honor Roll?

THE UNION TIMES does not pay commits siOns to subscription canvassers. Its circulation has been built up by volunteers. Is your name on the roll of those who have secured a new reader?
The union times., 1947-11-15

''Through the union labor the con. sumner has knowledge that the men and women who make the product work at fair wages and under decent conditions"
 -President Harry E. TrunlGn
The union times., 1947-11-15

JAMES BREWSTER STATE STATE LIBRARY & COURT D1s. HARTFopn CONN
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17
GOOD MORNING
Nothing good ever comes of violence.
Luther.
There Is A Lesson

The economic plight Of the trained nurse
has been receiving considerable attention
recently.
AS an example of the nurses enlivened in
terest not only in their welfare but also that
of the public, Thelma Laird, assistant execu-
tive director of the American Nurses Asso-
citation, spoke in Asheville Wednesday and
pointed out that low salaries and long work
ing hours "are contributing to a serious
crisis in the profession.
mo matter how idealistic a young woman
may be, we find she is hesitant about enter
ing the nursing profession even though it
is one of the most satisfying vocations," Miss
Laird said.
She supported her assertion with Federal
Department of Labor statistics which showed
that nurses in the United States receive an
average monthly salary of between S170 and
SITS, with one out of four receiving less than
s145.
Despite an average 44-hour week, one out
ofsfour nurses works so hours or more, she
added.
There is a striking similarity between Miss
Laird's remarks and past comment on the
salaries of the nations school teachers. 1t
was about two years ago that patrons of the
schools really realized the tremendous
dangers education was subjected to because
of the low rate of compensation for those
who make teaching their career.
Belatedly but with considerable force,
partial relief from this unfavorable situation
has been effected in North Carolina and 9TH
err states. But it was almost too late. The
quality Of the schools had deprecated be-
cause they were no longer attractive to
many of the better teachers. But the long
delayed increase in salary schedules has re-
duced the number leaving the classroom for
more lucrative fields, has made those who
remained better satisfied and has boosted
the interest of others considering the pro-
fession.
There is a clear parallel between the
teachers plight, although it has been re-
lieved somewhat, and the present one of the
nurses.
It is so apparent that only the stupid,
selfish or indifferent will fail to see a warn
ing in it which demands concerted corrective
action. Otherwise, the lesson gained from
damage to the schools because of a callous
attitude toward the teacher will be lost in
protecting standards of medical care which
after all, have an Importance comparable to
education in the public's welfare.
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17

mage in price cannot be blamed alone on
domestic initiation. The fact that the price OF
cocoa has climbed to 40 cents, 900 per cent
above the price in 1899, is quite a factor
And as the Greensboro Daily News points
cut. it is comparable to the piratlcal prices
Tho British-Dutch rubber cartels used TO
charge for their products"
"The stick-up game is going on . . at a
time when we are strainlng plenty OF
nerves, including financial ones, to keep
Great Britain from going bankrupt the
News comments.
Chief victims of these exorbitant prices are
the public and some 1000 small Onlteo
States candy manufacturers But the anus
ing thing is that while we are aiding Britain
she is taking advantage of high prices to pro-
mote both American initiation and her trade
revenue. The candy bar may be a small mat
ter but nevertheless there is a greater prln-
ciple involved.
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17
AS To Britain

Two able writer's of quite different social
and economic viewpoints have recently VISIT
ed England and come away with the same
conclusions. John Dos Passes, in a magazine
article, and Henry J. Taylor, in a series OF
newspaper stories, nave decided that Eng
lands greatest difficulty is not the dollar
shortage, but the stumbling inefflclency OF
a socialistic bureaucracy.
Mr.. Dos Passes tells of a town OF form
filters and form filers." Mr.. Taylor relates
the story Of a farmer who spent SOU raising
a crop of cucumbers, sold half of it - be-
cause of unrealistic pricing regulations TOT
s72. and took the rest home and fed 1t 10
the pigs.
The United States saw much of the same
thing during the war. The British govern
ment, both writer's agree, has a lot of smart
Young theoreticians who know more about
running businesses than the people who nave
done it for more years than the smart boys
have lived. Production is stifled by over
regulation and paper work. There are
bureaus and sub-bureaus and s~ub-suo-ou-
reauS ana mucn req Tape.
Furthermore, it is apparent from reading
both writer's that the party in power IS en-
phasizing RESPONSIVENESS, on the one
hand, while it levels class distinctions on the
other. The living standard is drastlcally
lowered for many. But for the pre-War nave
nots, the present mode Of living, bad as 1t IS
is a distinct improvement over what they
have known.
This, it would seem, is bout the smartest
thing that the Labor government mas zone.
Its bumbling practices have brought the
limited KINGDOM to the brink of economic
disaster. But in the midst of this degradation
the government apparently has never Tor
gotten for a moment it's obligation to the one
third or more of a nation which supports It,
There is less food and less clothing ano
less comfort and less pleasure tor Eng4lSh-
men in general today. But, though 1000 may
be Door and badly distributed, there IS more
Of if for the pre-war poor. They receive q
little money for the support of their chlloren
and the children receive free, nourlshlng
school lunches. Millions of voters remember
that it wasn't like that under the Tories.
Eor s,,cb reasons Labor has not lost a by
election since it came to power ror all the
present drab austerity, a great percentage o.
the British people never had it SO good
British socialism has failed, obviously.
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17
BY MARK SULLIVAN

our official policy and popular
mood was to be friendly with
Russia as an ally in wartime,
to when we were compelled to
learn what we now recognize.
Out of this experience Mr..
Byrnes has written a book. It's
intention and spirit is implied
by it's title, Speaking Frankly"
The purpose and glowing effect
is to tell America what it must
accept and expect. This is not
put as a formal conclusion, Mr..
Byrnes avoids that. It is con-
veyed as the unacceptable effect
of experience. A good way to
transmit the sum of these 300
pages of experience is to quote
a few of them.
About the occasion of
Mr.. Byrnes' recognition of a
tragic truth, following a dinner
alone with Molotov during a
meeting of the Council of For
eign Ministers at London
in 1915: "After failing in every
to reach an understand
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17
FRIDAY, o II, 1947
Star Program

State ports with Wilmington favored
in proportion with it's resources, to in
clude public terminals, tobacco stor-
age warehouses, ship repair facilities,
nearby sites for heavy industry and
35-foot Cape Fear river channel.
City auditorium large enough to
meet needs for years to come.
Development of Southeastern North
Carolina agricultural and industrial
through better markets and
food processing. pulp wood production
and factories.
Emphasis on the regions recrea-
ton advantages and improvement OF
resort accommodations.
Improvement of Southeastern North
Cardinals farm-to-market and pri-
mary roads, with a paved highway
from Topsail inlet to Bald Head is
land.
Continued effort to attract more in
dustries.
Proper utilization of Bluethenthal
airport for expanding air service.
Development of Southeastern North
Cardinals health facilities, especially
in counties lacking hospitals, and in
Guiding a Negro Health center.
ENCOURAGEMENT of the growth Of
commercial fishing.
Consolidation of City and County
governments.
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17
Circulation Up Sc Per Cent

Mr.. D. Tenant Bryan, president OF the
Richmond Newspapers, Inc, told clrculat'oil
managers during their recent annual con-
vention in Richmond that tWenty-seven
newspapers in North Carolina and virginia
increased their circulation more than 10 per
cent in the last decade. This, too, IN spite
of competition from radio and magazines.
The gentleman failed, so far as we can
learn, to note that the percentage OF increase
would doubtless have been greater had there
been no shortage of newsprint or the freez-
ing of circulation during wartime %str1ngen-
cies.
But it is his reference to competition that
engages our attention. The fact that news
paper readers have multiplied SO largely
is convincing evidence that competition IS
still the life of trade. 1t sets at naught the
pessimistic viewpoint held by many that'
with the introduction of radio, newspapers
would soon be going the way OF the dooo
bird. The point we would emphasize IS that
whatever possesses inherent worth cannot be
crowded out by something else which ap-
proximates similar worth. Rather each helps
the other.
The same gloomy opinion was widely held
when elevated railroads came into existence
in New York. There would be no more
business for surface car lines. Might as well
dig up the tracks and 60 out OF business
before operating costs dissipated the capIal
invested IN them. Nobody would take a caole
car to get from here to there any more-not
those slow things-when chugging engines
could do such a speedier job alo1t. YET
the cable cars had larger patronage after the
els came than before. And the sltuat'on
was much the same for years after the SUD-
WAYS were built. Only the increasing use o.
motor cars started the els down hill.
The radio and a great influx of new and
valuable magazines, especially among the
latter those that deal chiefly in news COM
ment. are not decreasing newspaper patron
aoe but stimulating it. And the reason IS
not hidden. The people who listen IN on ar
commentaries dealing with the days events
for the most part have either read aoou'
them in a newspaper or buy one torthWlth W
verifv or disprove the radio report AS 1or
the news magazines, the public has had op-
portunity, and utilized it, to become familiar
with the event itself through the columns
of their favorite newspaper first.
Naturally, the gains in newspaper clrcula-
ton are gratifying to publishers ana eoltorS'
But they do not overlook the fact the gains
represent a challenge and that only by &C
~cepting it can they maintain the enVlaole
position their product holds.
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17
speaking Frankly"

ing, I finally gave up and went
home. It was a gloomy Sunday
evening for the American dele
cation. We talked over this in
terview and the problems Il
raised for a long time. 1t seem
ed that the Soviet Union was de-
termined to dominate Europe
About an earlier and at the
time partial realization of the
same truth, evoked by a con-
ference of Mr.. Byrnes and his
associates: Zone of the things
that gave us particular concern
in these talks was the unmistak-
able evidence Of Russian expan-
sion. -. her determination tc
dominate the Balkan States had
become apparent"
About the attempts to make
progress toward the peace
treaties, and Illustration by the
Russian delegates, in order that
prolongation of a state of wal
and economic chaos might pro-
mote the Russians ultimate pur'
pose: because we wished tt
proceed with the peace treaty
he (Mo1otov) would delay the
treaty, hoping thereby to force
us to agree to various proposals
in which he was interested. .
the Soviet Union, alone of al
the major powers, was not eager
to obtain an early peace settle
ment."
More about the Illustration G:
peace treaties BY the Russians
and their purpose, learned by
Byrnes in a series of heart
breaking Establishments. "The
experience of our representa-
tives on the Council. . and my
own experience in the Council
of Foreign Ministers, force me-
to the conclusion that the Sovie
Union has no intention Of con
Guiding a treaty with Austrl;
as long as it can be avoided
That it desires a prolonged &C
cupation, during which time
every effort will be made t.
gain control of the economic ant
political structure of the coun
try and firmly tie it into the
Eastern bloc"
About the tactics of Moloto1
and his associates: "The recore
of these negotiations ampl,
demonstrates the ingenuity O
the Soviet delegation at bargain
ing and log-rolling in the pursui
of their detectives: It illustrate:
their willingness to block agree
ment on a non = controversial
universally accepted proposal, il
order to obtain concessions OF
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17

There seems to be every in
dlcation that the United States
will adopt a sound position on
Korea during the coming debate
in the United Nations. Ameri~
can representatives, It appears,
will advocate election of a No-
rean assembly and creation of
a Korean government under the
supervision of United Nations
observers prior to the with
drawal of American and Rus
sian troops from the country.
This reasonable proposal, if ap-
proved by the. United Nations
and accepted by Russia, would
do much to assure Koreans the
kind of government a majority
OF them want. 1t would avoid
the calamities that would result
from imposition of any type of
government on the Koreans by
either Russia or the United
States. While it almost certain
ly would result in formation of
a government that would be
Left Wing by the standards of
most Americans, it would en-
able Americans to say with
truth that they liberated Korea
and gave its people a free po-
lltlcal choice instead of forcing
a form of government upon
them or permitting the Rus
slams to do so.
i There will be another test Of
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17
The ZhdanOv Plan
BY T EDISON

ternational Refugee Organiza.
ton. In all, $1,4O5, 900, 900.
Going one step further, the
Marshall Plan proposes that the
U. S. will help European coun.
tries if they will first get to-
gether and help themselves
The amount of this new U. S
aid - including an immediate
stop-gap program has yet tt
be decided by Congress.
Summing it all up, the Ameri.
can plan offers something fol-
the belly, plus some immediate
security and material aid so the
people of Europe can get back
on their feet and become self
supporting.
What does the Zhdanov plar
offer to match that? 1t offers
them words. An information bu.
reau. A bi-weekly magazine.
Ideologies.
People have been known tc
die for their ideals. But any
country having nothing more
substantial than propaganda for
breakfast, dinner and supper
may darn soon find itself awful.
ly hungry.
Of course a major part of the
Moscow line is promises. Com
munists can point - correctly
to the uncertainty and confusion
existing in non . Communist
countries. They know about
this, having helped to build il
up. Then assurances are freely
given that under a Communist
run three-year or five = year
planned economy, everything
will be dandy.
The issue which the European
countries have to decide is
whether they take these empty
promises or tangible American
aid.
The significance of the Zhda-
nov plan and the new Comm
tern manifesto is that it de-.
clares theological warfare mot
the shootin' kind. If that is the
challenge, what it calls for is
a stronger counter propaganda
drive - a better Intelligence
Service and a bigger Voice OF
America and Overseas Infor,
nation program for the U. S.
Any day the U. S. can't put
out a better bi-weekly magazine
than can be published in Bel
grade, Yugoslavia, it ought to
quit.
And since the U. S. can de-
liver the goods it offers, instead
of empty promises, there should
be less uncertainty about the
outcome, in the long run. Hun
cry Europe asks for bread. The
Zhdanov plan offers it only the
stones of propaganda.
1t is a confession that the
Marshall Plan can be effective,
and that the Communist bloc
has nothing to pat up against
lit but words -AusA...az~~
The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-17

some wholly unrelated Issue
they consider important. ,,
Some of the reasons and The
amendments he offered were 50
irrelevant and absurd they IN
dictated a deliberate intent to
make certain they could not be
accepted. The discussion
made it clear that he had no
idea of discussing the treaty ID
a serious manner, but was SIM
ply looking for excuses for DE-
lay. And my patience was e'
hausted.
The outcome, the place we are
at today, is termination OF ne
idea of one world, the arls,1S
of two worlds, a Western 1''
arming to check RusSla'
advance. The Russians l
characteristic uouSness
charge us with responslollI'
But Mr.. Byrnes puts it accuf'.% .
ly: "Tactics such as these d.
M. Molotov and his satellite ~
sociates served to create "!
Western bloc that he charge
us with seeking to bullo. 10
we wanted to create a bloc -.
did the job far too e%ffe'tl'S'
for us to have interfered.
Copyright, 1947, New fo'A
Herald Tribune, Inc