Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-10-06
Woce Demands In Steel
THE ANNOUNCEMENT Of p

FEn1E J. OIL IISSAoCllt
il Philip Murray of Go and the United
Steel Workers Union that the steel work
are after new wage increases should sus-
prise no one. Not even high and
mighty moguls of the steel industry. Presi-
dent Murray hit the nail right on the head
when he told his steel workers that profits
in their industry - as in all other IN
dustries are unnrecedentedly high.
"The industrialists in the steel indus
try" Mr.. Murray declared, "are making
so much m o n ey that they don't know
want to be told what to do with it. OF
course Mr.. Murray went on, 1--WE hope
that we shall be able to convince these
industrialists that our demands are just;
and that we will not nave to strike to gain
our just demands. However" Mr.. Murray
warned, I'VE shall not run away from
trouble If 1t becomes necessary to gain
our just wage demands"
We certainly hope that Big Steel -
and Little" Steel as well - will under
stand that the steel workers are entitled
to higher wages. And that these higher
wages will be granted to their workers
WLl1OuI lie ICICoolLJ u q III viz
most basic of all industries.
Furthermore, we hope that these in
creases will be granted without a further
hike in the already exorbitant prices that
exist today. The steel industry is operat-
ing on a profit level that can well absorb
the wage increase that the steel workers
are asking for. On the other hand If the
new wage increase will be added on to
prices the cost of living will take another
great jump upward and wipe out what
ever increase may be granted while at
the same time hike the profits of the cor
porations still higher.
X
WHILE WE ARE talking about the
steel industry we should not overlook the
announcement by Commerce Secretary
Sawyer to the effect that steel production
capacity in the next two years will be
increased by about 1919. We are told that
virtually all of this expansion will be car
ried out with no government help"
This, of course, Is not true. The fact
Is that under the new tax law, adopted by
the Congress just before it adjourned,
new plants or production facilities may be
built by these firms and charged off in
five years against their profits.
This means that actually, because OF
the special tax benefits, all OF these new
plants will be built at government expense
since, without this special tax allowance,
new plants could not be charged off
against profits In a brief five-year period.
On top of this the government has set
aside about So, 900 million to finance
necessary plant expansion in defense
industries. The steel industry is certainly
a defense industry. How much of this
huge sum will be made available for ex-
panding steel plants, of course, cannot
now be known. But the money is there and
If past practice is any cireterion, this
money will be used to build defense plants
that will someday be sold to these private
concerns - just like at the end of World
War / and II - for "ten cents or the
dollar"
We mention h things simply to
point out that business should lave no
complaints to meet the just demand OF
their workers for higher wages. And that
these wage hikes be granted without fur
ther price increases.
UWo Hans% Knnw