Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-08-01
Behind the
Scenes In
Politics
By
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman

told that we must never use
the term "class conscious" un-
less we want to be regarded
as members or stooges of the
Communist party.
We have been told that the
term is un-American. The
spokesmen for big business
who wish to keep the workers
fooled contend that there are
no classes, in the economic
sense, in America.
1t is definitely the position
of the kept press, various
radio commentators and many
magazine writers that workers
must not consider themselves
as an economic class. The con-
tention of spokesm n for
Labor, that the laborers, farm
worker skilled craftsmen,
small business men and pro-
fessional workers have a COM
mon bond of interests is
scoffed at by the big business
spokesmen.
This is free America we are
told, where there are no
classes and tendency on the
part of the low income groups
to regard themselves as mem
bers of an economic class is
downright subversive.
For, in this country every
one has an equal opportunity
to become we'll off-even rich,
and those who miss the boat
should only blame themselves
say the apologists for big
business.
THE RECORD
Almost two-thirds of the
manufacturing facilities of the
country are controlled by $50
corporations.
OF these corporations 100 per
cent are controlled by eight
banks.
All the liquid assets of the
1900 smaller corporations
could be purchased with the
liquid asset holdings of the 63
largest manufacturing corpo-
rations,
Two thirds of the one bill
lion dollars spent during the
war on federal research de-
velopment went to 68 large
corporations.
One-tenth of one per cent
of all manufacturing corpora
tions own 52&o of the total
corporate assets. Less than
four per cent of all manufac-
turing corporations"
These figures are taken
from the CIO Economic Out
look and were secured from
official government reports.
This is how income Of the ma
ton is distributed.
Let us also examine the
government statistic on the
profits of the $50 corporations.
In 1945 they accrued profits
amounting to $9,000,000,0 900;
in 1916 $12,000,0O0,0O0; in
1947 the estimated profits
based on the first three months
is $1,000, 900, 900.
This is the story of mo-
nopoly. 1t cannot be called by
any other name.
THE DANGER
Such trend, unless stopped
and corrected, can only result
in another depression, a new
world war and eventually the
complete collapse of civiliza-
tion.
The record shows that the
billionaries and their kept
stooges are quite we'll aware
of the eXistance of economic
classes. The record also shows
that they know to which
economic class they belong.
They are d ef in itely class
conscious.
We of labor must recognize
that we make up the principal
part of the largest and poten-
TALLY most effective class in
society. In other words, we
workers, belong to the produc-
ing and consuming class. We
make the products and we
buy them.
The billionaires as a class,
consume no more food and
other goods in proportion than
the rest of us would like to be
able to consume. 1t is there
fore the workers and farmers
who must have adequate pur-
chasing power to assure a
demand for consumers goods.
This is the only way it is
possible to assure enough jobs.
Therefore, we must have a
more just and sound distribu-
tion of the national income to
prevent economic collapse.
The bilIionaries will not cor
rect the situation, but we can.
We can purchase goods
through consumers co-ops and
we can support candidates for
public office who represent
the people instead of the bill
lionaire interests.