Milford chronicle., 1948-04-16

GAA4GN
from one year to the next what it will be
called upon to produce.
Going on, the Commission urges intensi-
fed and better cOOrdinated research in all
phases of air Warfare-atOmic energy, guild
ed missiles, gas turbines and rocket engines,
landing aids, etc. In that connection it points
out that, while other nations keep mum
about their aerOnautical research, we widely
publicize our advances and says that "rigid
enforcement of wartime security measures"
is necessary. The Commission then recon-
mends strengthening and improvement of
civilian aviation and goes into detail as to
extensive changes in governmental Organiza-
tiOns which it believes necessary to its pro-
gram. There, in brief, is one projected
phase OF the preparedness program, and the
other arms are advocating theirs. The point
is to create highly developed but relatively
small peace-time establishment.
The cost will be tremendous. But any
thing is cheaper than war. The Commits
siOn's report states that 80 per cent of the
Federal budget for this fiscal year is in pay
ment for past wars and the maintenance of
our present military establishment-an that
S5 per cent of our total Federal budgets since
1915 have been for war, or preparation or
payment for war! And no one is bold enough
to even attempt to estimate the cost of an
other war if it should come. The effort to
reinforce peace plans grows more intense
daily. No one thinks that the people of any
natiOn-the millions who would do the fight
ing and the dying-Want war. The long
range goal is to find some means by (which
this mass repugnance toward war can find
it's reflection in the policies of governments.
Until then, the billions will flow out for mil
itary needs.
THE AMERICAN FEDERATION of
Labor raises war whOOp prOclaiming it's
determination 'tO coordinate State and Ma
tiOnal plans for conducting labOrs drive to
rid Congress" Of it's anti-labOr members in
the forthcoming election next November.
Now, there is no reason to charge, or be-
heVe that Congress passed the Taft-Hartley
Law because of it's enmity to organized la
Dor. AS matter Of fact Congressman who
voted for the Taft-Hartley Law believed that
there was positive need to include all labor
unions and all employers under the laws of
the country. Congress took the same posi-
tiOn as the courts decreed in the John L.
Lewis and coal miners disputes. The AFL is
subordinate to Congress and has no reason
to be exempted from control by Federal or
State laws. Labor unions still have a right
to strike. Employers have a perfect right
to stand firm when their own interests and
the interests of the people are at stake. In
the few months that the Taft-Hartley Labor
Law has been in operation it has proved to
be the best labor legislation ever passed. If
better labor laws, or changes can be devised,
let's have them. AS matter of fact nearly
the whole population of the United States is
friendly to labor as well as to the American
industrial system. Congressman are not "la-
boris enemies" If they had been they would
not have passed the labor legislation which
was intended to be-and actually iS-legis-
latiOn that is undoubtedly approved today
by the rank and file of labor union members.
1T is APPARENT that the restoration
of price control will be a major political is
sue this year, and that it will cut across
party lines. To the uninitiated, the idea is
obviously appealing. 1t suggests the econ
Omlc Utopia of a low cost of living coupled
with the highest family incomes we have
ever earned. 1t is difficult to puncture so
pretty balloon as this. Yet it is necessary
to report that no economist of reputation
thinks that price control would work, or
that it would create anything except chaos
1t has been an utter failure in Europe-even
when the toughest police state methods have
been used in an attempt to make it a sue
cess. Manufacturers and farmers refuse to
produce foods and commodities on which an
arbitrary low price deprives them of profit.
Scarce items-including many basic neces-
sities-can be purchased only in the black
market at fantastic prices The big money
is earned by racketeers and gangsters. The
shelves OF legitimate stores are bare, and the
living standards of workers decline High
prices in this country are the result of ire
sistible economic and governmental forces
They aren't the fault of retailers, manufac-
turers, or any other of the special groups
which are singled out for criticism. That
will still be true whether they go up or down
in the future. Price control here would mean
our acceptance of tOtalitarian device which
has never succeeded, and has been a depres-
sive influence wherever tried.