The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-02-01
Petrillo Chosen 18th Vice
President By AFL Council

Miami Beacn (LFA)-Ine Ex
ecutive Council of the American
Federation of Labor, meeting here
in mid-winter session, ele ct e {
James c. Petrillo, President of the
American Federation of Musicians
to fill the only council vacancy
AFL President William Green an
nounced the election the Afternoon
of Jan. %.
The new council member immedi-
ately flew here from New York
taking his seat Jan. % as the
AFL's 18th vice-president. He sue
ceeds the late Joseph n. Webber
Musicians president-emeritus, who
died last year. The executive coun-
Gil has Is members including Green
and George Meany, AFL Secretary
treasurer.
The first day, the council adopt
ed sweeping declaration calling
for broadened rent control and for
a large-scale housing program for
defense workers. The declaration
was critical of "many of the parti-
cular steps" in housing taken by
the government since the Korean
conflict broke out last summer.
The next day, Jan. %, the council
urged Congress to enact new and
workable" price control law so
that the cost of living can be stabil-
lied. Labor and the entire nation
are deeply disturbed by the con-
fusion and procrastination in the
establishment Of a practical, econ
omical stabilization program dur
ing the national emergency" the
council said.
The AFL leaders expressed trust
that Eric Johnston, who recently
became Economic Sterilization Ad-
ministrator, would act swiftly "to
clear up much of the confusion >
However, council members said the
AFL is Convinced that the first
step toward bringing order out of
chaos should be enactment by Con-
gress of a new emergency price
control law" Main trouble with
the present law, the AFL feels, is
that it covers neither rent nor food.
President Green declared the
AFL was ready to go along with
wage stabilization. However, he
said, "We want to make sure that
wage escalator clauses are protect
ed" The escalator clauses are those
calling for wage adjustments when
the cost-of-living index changes.
In housing, the government has
made "moves of desperation" in
stead of acting on the basis Of
Thorough analysis" the council
contended. On the basis of scant
information, the governmene de
cided that housing construction
must be cut to around 1000 units
a year and slashed the low-rent
public housing program adopted by
Congress year and a half ago to
less than half its original size.
Various controls have been APP
piled to both residential and non
residential construction, but mo
attempt has been made to work out
a rational overall program for the
entire construction industry" the
AFL leaders said. They insisted
that whatever policies are followed
should be adopted only after full
consultation with the unions in thel
building field which, they said,
should have policy rules. And theyl
pointed out that Only in this way
can the building trades unions in
innate knowledge of the material
and manpower resources of the
construction industry be utilized tol
the maximum advantage during the
present emergency"
The council members offered
policy recommendation under fivel
principal headings. Under public
housing" they urged that the pub
lie housing program of l949 bel
carried out as originally scheduled