Evening star., 1949-11-08
One Citizens Association Dissents
From Federation Presidents View

From Federation Presidents View
To the Editor Of The Star:
The president of the District Federation
of Citizens Associations reported in the re-
cent hearings that the Federation was in
favor of radio in buses and on streetcars.
At the Connecticut Avenue Citizens As
sociation November the question came up
for discussion and vote. One of the delegates
to the Federation reported that the vote
there was very close, something like Al to
As, that he had voted for it, having no feel
ing either way. This agitation has come
largely to the fore during the summer
months, and many Of the associations, due
to elections, have had no opportunity to vote
on the question.
Friday the Connecticut Avenue Cit
liens Association, with very active men,
bership, and book membership of over
1,100 paid subscribers, did vote on the
question. They were not in favor of such
radios. and instructed our delegate to so re-
port to the Federation. Undoubtedly, other
associations will vote along such lines. The
presidents report to the Commission was
premature and deceptive.
CATHERINE CATE COBLENTZ.
Pensions for Select Few Workers
At Expense of General Public Deplored.
To the Editor Of The Star:
I wish to take isue with your editorial of
November 3 captioned "Steel Strike Break"
in which you approve the company-paid
pension plan of Bethlehem Steel. It is obvi-
Gus to anybody that it is not the company
but the public that actually will pay the
pensions. The money set aside for pensions
and insurance will be charged to operating
costs, and therefore will be included in the
price of steel, which in turn will be paid by
practically everybody. Thus we would see
the public being taxed to pay for the PEN
sions and insurance of the favored few.
But that is not all. II the steel workers are
successful in their fight for publicly paid
for insurance and pensions, it would set of
q round Of strikes in other industries for
similar benefits, paid for by the public. The
result obviously will be an increased cost Of
living for the general public without COM
pensating benefits.
II it is considered desirable for the steel
workers to have pensions and insurance paid
for by the public, it would be equally desir-
able for all workers, regardless Of the ma
ture of employment, to receive the same
benefits. There should be no discrimination
between classes and groups. All should be
treated alike.
If this finally should come to pass we
would be in Utopia. Everybody would be
paying everybody elses pensions and in
surance. Absurd? OF course. But it would
be fairer than taxing the public to pay un-
earned benefits to the select.
The only fair and reasonable manner to
handle the matter is for everybody to lay
aside out of his earnings the money neces-
sary to pay for his insurance and pension.
That is his personal responsibility. In the
case of Government employees the Govern
ment has made it mandatory in the case Of
pensions Six per cent is deducted from the
salary of all civil service employees and set
aside for old age. 1t seems strange that
since the Government should do this for its
employees the President and the Presidential
Fact Finding Board did not make similar
recommendations for the steel workers. Why
this inconsistency? Is not this supposed to
be Fair Deal administration?
:, SAMUEL r. BAUER