Evening star., 1951-09-20
Officials of AFL
Warn Of Drive
For Pay Raises
Ineffective Controls
Forcing New Action,
Union Chiefs Soy
By james Y. Newton
Stor Stoff Correspondent


ficials served warning today that
in the absence of any real stabili-
cation of prices their member un-
ions will launch new drives fol
higher wages.
The officials pointed out that
living costs are still rising and ir
recent days the Ofice of Price
Sterilization has raised ceilings or
automobiles and some beef cuts
They expected these to be followed
by increases in other items.
"Sinee there obviously is no eff
fective control over prices" one
official at the AFL's convention
said, eve are instructing our un-
ions to hit for higher wages. 1t is
the only way we know of protect
ing the living standards Of our
members in these times. Frankly
we would be happy = forego fur
ther wages increase if we could
be sure that the price of food and
other things would be held down.
But the opposite is true"
Don't Blame Administration.
The official said that he and the
other labor leaders do not blame
the Federal administrators of
price control law for the present
situation.
Responsibility for the contin-
uing upward trend of COSTS" he
said, should be placed squarely
on the shoulders of Congress.
Congress gave us the present in
effective law. They knew when
they passed it that it was infla-
tionary."
The remarks were made on the
eve of an address by Eric john
ston, Economic Sterilization Ad-
ministrator. He will speak late
today. Tomorrow Price Director
Michael v. Disable will address
the convention.
Solidly Behind Amendments.
The AFL is solidly backing the
administrations request for
amendment of the stabilization
law which took effect August l..
This calls for modification or
repeal of three sections Of the
new controls law which are re-
garded by the AFL as infiationary.
One forces the OPS to allow for
all cost increases incurred by
manufacturers since the Korean
fighting started in setting cell
ings on manufactured goods: a
second allows distributors their
pre-Korean percentage markups
on goods, and the third prohibits
OPS from setting quotas for
slaughterers of livestock.
Secretary of Interior Chapman
told the convention today that
what the people of the troubled
world want most is ''to be free
free from the oppression of the
money-proud overload on the one
hand and of the hate-inspired
totalitarian on the other
Defends Democratic Regime.
Mr.. Chapman defended 18 years
of Democratic administration.
and outlined it's accomplishments
and its plans for the future.
"This Fair Deal policy is under
constant attack" he said.
eve are living in a very trying
time. The present international
crisis compels us to spend huge
sums for national defense. The
spending of that money sets up
inf1ationary pressures which. If
unchecked could wreck the whole
program.
"The pressure groups are busy
every hour of every day, trying
to get the special concessions
which. when added together,
would compel the wage Garner
and the farmer and the ordinary
consumer to pay for this defense
program and would let the special
interests get bigger and fatter at
our expense. Meet them head on.
Show them where American labor
stands, and make that stand effec-
tive"
Praises Bargaining.
Mr.. Chapman said the Interior
Department has pioneered in de-
veloping a collective bargaining
program for Government en-
ployes. He said that excellent"
collective bargaining agreements
had been worked out with unions
representing workers at some OF
the big public power develop
ments of the West.
"They prove that organized
labor and units of the Govern
ment can bargain successfully, -
he said.
President Truman, in message
to the convention, said in these
times labor and other groups must
work harder than ever before "to
safeguard our country and its
institutions, for they are threat
A