Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-10-06

There is a great deal Of sbsurdHy being broadcast on the
subject Of infafion. One Of the wholesale distributors Of this
baIderdash is an editorial writer for the Toledo Times.
This week he +eed off on Vice President Richard 7. eosser.
As we predicted early in September. he tried TO blame Labor
for initiation. and used as his text the fact that the UAW-ClO
had won a 269 benefit boost at WHY'S Overland. which was
promptly followed by a z to 8 per cent increase in Jeep prices.
Gosser answered-an and The Times editorial writer came
back with what may yet become the most fascinating piece OF
Shmoo Economics Of the year. He said: All wage boosts are
infationary."
Let's take a look.
lnfIa+ion is bad.
+ionary.
Therefore wage boosts are bad.
The Times went beyond this idioey in its incredible asser-
+ion. 1t said: ALL wage boosts are inHationary." Which, by a
simple extension. would mean that ALL wage boosts are bad.
II would seem to follow that all wage cuts are therefore
good, and that if the wage earners had any brains they would
cast out all labor leaders who tried to get them raises.
On this basis, union conventions would be The scene Of
such banners as: Vote for Jones-He Cut Our Pay"
And, on a national basis, Robert Alphonso Taft would be-
come President Of the United States. for no man in modern po-
l+ieal life has done more TO drain money out Of the pockets Of
the wage earners.
But The fact Of The matter is that the Times editorial writer.
who peers at the modern world while standing on his head and
sazins into a mirror, thus seeing everything both upside down
and backside too, is wrong again.
Initiation can be good. In fact, initiation, at one fine in this
country. was SO desirable that the best brains Of the nation con-
ferrec in solemn gatherings for months TO try to bring it about.
There was a serious defa+ion-we called it a depression
- and it took a combination Of diluted gold content Of the dol
lar, restriction on the work day. wide open credit and a host Of
other measures to get The nations business rolling again.
The industrial and commercial brains of the country had
knocked the whole nation flat on it's face. II took political wis
dom to pick it up again. And it took initiation to accomplish the
task.
Everyone except The editorial writer for the Times remem-
bers this.
The principal attack on a collapsed economy was a gen.
eral raising Of wages and the most important step in this d.
rec+ion was the Wagner Act which was aimed at protecting I'M
ions in their right to organize. to bargain and to grow strong.
They did.
Under the Ieaky umbrella Of the Wagner Act an made
quate but strangely effective labor law-+he first mass organi-
za+ion in Steel. Auto, and such industries was accomplished;
wage rates we're raised, and prosperity began to flow again in
the country.
Those who accomplished this climb out Of a world shaking
depression applied one Of The simplest and most incon+rover+-
IDLE formulate known TO man. The only guarantee Of low prices
and high quality in an industrial society is HIGH wages.
is impossible to accomplish low prices for quality goods
without high wages. Not only +ha+-+he wages have to go up
BEFORE prices can be brought down for quality goods.
The thing is so simple that only editorial writer's could miss
The entire industrial genius" Of the American captain
Of industry is efficient mass production and fairly efficient
mass distribution. There il no other. This is the process which :
has set Americans in a favored position in an unhappy world
has given US all those bsthtubs. flashlights. coffee pots and can
openers which the writer's on economics tabulate to show how
lucky we are.
II goes like this:
One automobile. made by hand. slowly with cheap labor.
costs a lot Of money. Millions of automobiles. made by mass
production machinery, rapidly with high-rate labor. cost a
great deal less. Mass produced automobiles cost less PER NJ