Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-10-29
Regional
Views
By Richard Gosser
Vice>President
international UAW-ClO

sisters, is not phrase used at the closing SER
vices for our brothers and sisters who have
made the supreme sacrifice, but an attempt to
bring you to a realization of the facts and
problems that now face you and which will
grow more difficult
While the buying power of the dollar de-
creases each day, prices of all commodities
keep on zooming and wage increases seem pitt
fully inadequate to keep up with the cost OF
living. The cost of food, clothing, furniture
and other commodities are out of proportion
to wages and salaries and practically every
person has had either to dip into his savings
or reduce his standard of living. Now, ask
yourself this question, "Who dips into his saw
ings (if he has any?) Who has to reduce his
standard of livng?" You get one answer-the
workingman.
While the cost of everything has risen
about so per cent since the war the value of
money has been steadily decreasing wonder
how many of you know that the actual pur-
chasing power of your dollar today is .42c-
the lowest it has been in As years. Yet, the
cost of living has set an all-time record. Every
time I hear someone say (and it's usually
Republican politician or someone from cor
porate interests) that high prices are the re-
suit of high wages just wish could take that
person and force him to take the average work
ingman's salary and responsibilities and I'm
sure he would be the first to gripe.
All know is that when total the amount
of wage increases given the workers over the
past few months and then compare it with the
increase in the cost of living, we'll it just seems
to me that no matter what we do for the
workers it is all ''undone' by the manufac-
turers by an immediate Jump" in the price
of their product. Then, there is storm of pro-
test and comment Gt can't be from the work
ers who have benefited by the increase) from
some source that says, "f they just wouldn't
be continually asking for wage increases per-
haps things would gradually become normal.
Why is it they (?) expect the group of people
who can least afford it to stand still and fight
the rising cost of living (inflation), when the
manufacturers are the obvious ones to do the
fighting and standing still in their prices on
their commodities. Why is it and who is it that
expects all this from the Workingman? I'm not
so smart when it comes to physics and such,
/ leave the splitting of atoms up to the sclen-
fists. One thing do know-when I add and
and don't get something is really wrong
and / start looking around for the trouble.
Well, I've added the wage increases and added
the price increases then took look at the pur-
chasing power of my little dollar and can't
make it add up. The majority of the people in
this country are in this position AS one little
guy alone, you or can't do anything BUT,
together there is something we can do We can
see to it that we have democratic system of
government functioning properly FOR ALL
and not for favored few as the practice is
now. The results depend on US. We can do a
great deal to improve our present status. We
know who our proven friends are in the White
House. Senate, Congress and State Legislature,
and we know those who aren't our friends (if
we don't know then we should take time out
to find out They won't change just because
we ask it. Only, when we the voters elect men
who are committed to safeguard the welfare
of all instead of misrepresenting us, will our
goal be attained.
Endorsement, talks, publicity are OK but,
they will not take the place of ballots on cleo
tion day. 1t is estimated that 100000 AmeTi-
cans of voting age did not vote on election day
in 1946.
word of warning-if you are indifferent
this coming November End, you hurt yourself
and family. You can't afford to be Indifferent
it is your responsibility as good citizen and
a good husband and father or wife and mother
to vote. If you don't then you have no right to
"holler" about later results, so vote. Vote for
the man who is going to help you.
Ask yourself these questions-"does the
money l earn, even with increases, meet the
high cost of living? Am able to live decently
and provide for my family? Can l look for
ward to old age with feeling of security?
How much money have ! saved; is it enough
to pull me through an emergency? What sort
of legislation has been passed that will benefit
me, or what can be done and who will do it?
Then, after taking this mental survey go to the
polls and vote for the men who will make it
possible, through legislation, for you to live a
normal darent dofI Ixyipo