The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1948-11-18
Unions Change Of Heart

In mid-October, the Utility Workers Union, Clio
affiliate held its convention in the national capital On pre-
sympathy for which would lead to public owner
ship the utility industry This tme however judging by
number of resolutions passed. there has been an
One resolution endorsed private ownership of utilities
long responsible management and good
relations exist Another opposed tactics to drive public
utilities into public hands, along with any unfair acqulsl-
conscaon Still another pledged the union to full accept
OF the American concept Of democracy and reserva-
This comes as a refreshing contrast to labor organi-
which hedged the basic issue of social
Sorsng the communist line difficult see, IN the
light of world events of both the present and the past how
position In every country in which socialism, communism
other system based dictatorship has been adopted the
workers have lost the rights and prerogaves which are
guaranteed to them under capitalism Even in socazed
England there is of forced labor and in certain
major enterprises can change his job without the
permission of the politicians in power And in the real police
STATES labor caousy used to the whms of the mas
ters
Where-except for the capitalist natons-have work
the right and the to bargain equal basis with
they desre Where have they the right to strike?
is obvious that these rights never exist where the
ployer is the state The state apowerfu and it's edlcts
no matter how unjust, must be obeyed.
The utility unions opposition to public ownership is
particularly important is fitting for government to own
and operate kind of enterprise it is fitting that it own
and operate all kinds of enterprise precedent once it is
precisely the way nations go step by step down the road
that ends in oppression and augmentation and the cynical
OF human TO De
lated the position has taken in critical and dangerous
lime. AvrsI. so asiTs sS~s vHSst
The Chicago Tribune recently series of articles
on what it terms he dam building program Of the Federal
bureaucracy One of its staff visited of the % projects
Tor which the Army Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation
have appropriations and gathered data the rest Accord
ing TO Tribune editorial two things apparent from this
snrveyFrst the sponsors of the projects have con-
sstenty msreresented the for which they have
asked for Federal funds Second their real objective is to
socialze the power industry of the nation"
1t is significant that power has been highest in those
sreassuch the Pacific Nqrthwest-where the Federal
dominates power development In other words
policy of specialization and Federal monopoly of sites
has blocked normal expansion by the private utilities Else
where the electric industry has gone steadily ahead spending
billions for plants transmission lines and distribution
few shortages which have occurred have been relatively
minor and of brief duration.
at is time that the myth of Cheap government power
was exploded That power cheap only because tax
payer the country helps to pay the bills of those who
it. 1t taxfree, in whole in part-whie the private
utilities pay than 20 per cent of their total earnings in
t-yes
The Tribune hit the big point when it said that the
real objective is socaze the industry OF the
nation Will country which is the buwark of freedom in
divided world permit thatand follow the policies OF
dictator states which would like nothing better than to
Il their policies?