Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-02-06
a Positive Program

degree than being for positive program.
While there may perhaps be some
slight justification in this belief which has
been carefully cultivated by the tradi'
tionaI anti-Iabor forces, it is completely
untrue that CIO does not have positive
program.
Those who believed that CIO was going
to make the Taft-Hartley Act the principal
snoint in the 194S elections and concentrate
on 'we're agin" it campaign, received
their answer last week when President
Philip Murray, speaking over nation
wide hookup, outlined the unions program
as follows:
/. Price control and rationing as the
most positive means of checking initiation.
1.- 2 A higher minimum wage and
broadened social security program.
3. A national health program based on
insurance principles.
a. An adequate housing program.
- 5. Progressive taxation with real rellef
fo those who most need 1.-THE low in-
come groups.
6. Federal aid to education.
This is a positive program to which
every voter-uhiOn or nOn-union-who
works for a living can support. 1t is pro-
gram, which, if it becomes reality, can
sIow down or stop, temporarily, the
rapidly approaching economic breakdown.
To be sure, CIO is opposed to the Taft
Hartley Act. 1t is opposed to the third
party. 1t is opposed to placing reaction
back in power, but in the main, it is hitch
ing its political and legislative program to
the positive, rather than the negative.
What President Murray told the nation
bears the careful thought of every member
of organized labor as well as the unorgan-
lied. 1t is program to which the farmers,
small businessmen and others who live
principally from their own work and eff
forts can give support. 1t is program for
Americans who cannot forget the New
Deal and cannot stomach the raw deal to
which the CIO president referred.
No sane person can deny the urgent
need for price control i'm the light of an in
flatiOn which wek after week brings closer
the ultimate breakdown of our economy.
No one with the slightest knowledge of
economic facts would stand in the way of
a realistic minimum wage law based upon
the conditions under which we are living
today.
The need for a national health program
Is apparent to practically everyone save
the medical profession and certain of its
highly placed friends who are closely ass
sociated with the medics.
Housing is such problem that its con-
tinued neglect by an indifferent Congress
is causing an ever increasing chorus of in
dignatiOn from an aroused nation.
Taxation, always political football,
must be based upon the principles of JUS
tice. The tax load must be borne by those
who are best able to carry it and not dis
tributed on the basis which the present
Congress is seeking TO establish. Tax relief
should go first TO those who are least able
to,bear the tax burden.
That federal aid should be extended to
education is so obvious that few would
have the courage to dispute the point Yet,
the fact is that there Is great need for fed
eral aid to an educational system which is
primarily dedicated to educating the boys
and girls of America for employment in
the nations industries.
g. This is the CIo program. This is the
program which must come into existance
unless we wish to hasten the day of reck-
sQning brought about by a reactiOnary Con-
Tress hell-bent for economic breakdown,
confusion and chaos.
Only by securing a program such as
that advanced by Go can we defer the
day of reckoning. This is legislative pro-
gram which, if it were adopted would do
more to stop the spread of Communism
than all the employee purges of federal
bureaus and the witch hunts which are
being conducted in the name of democracy.
To secure this program takes more
than wishing. 1t takes votes and many of
them cast in behalf of candidates for Con-
gresS who have the qualifications and
measure up to the requirements necessary
TO save the nation from the blind and
greedy forces which seem completely un-