Evening star., 1952-12-07
WSB Resignation Letter

The text of the letter Of
resignation submitted by in
dustry members of the Wage
Sterilization Board to Presi-
dent Truman yesterday follows:
Dear Mr.. President:
A calm appraisal of your di-
rective of December 3, revers-
ing the National Wage Stabili-
zation Boards decision in the
soft coal cases, compels the con-
clusion that the wage stabiliza-
tion program is now nothing
. but a sham and mockery.
If your action means that the
small and the weak are to be
; restricted by wage controls.
while the big and the power
full are to be allowed whatever
excessive increases result from
the threat of a paralyzing
strike, then there no longer
exists the equality with which
all law and all regulation should
be- applied in a republic. The
Equality of sacrifice" for which
you have so often pleaded be-
comes a pious delusion. We
cannot participate in a program
which would require us to grant
special privilege to few. and
to make second-class citizens
Of all others.
On the other hand. if your
action means that all employers
and employees may put into ef-
feet increases as far in excess
of sound stabilization policy as
those you have approved for
the coal miners, then we must
advise again, as both we and the
boards public members advised
in our coal case opinions. that
wage controls become an empty
shell, and a fraud upon the
people.
Not only will there be no wage
stabilization if this action is
generally applied, but 1t may
we'll build irresistible pressures
under prices and once again
send imitation into an artificial
but nevertheless destructive
spiral. The consumers of this
Nation, including the pension
ers, the white collar workers.
and those with fixed incomes,
will be called upon to pay for
this special privilege to the coal
miners. Apart from the impact
upon coal prices the general
application of this action will
result in wage increases so
widespread and so large that
millions of dollars will be
dumped into the consumers
purchasing pool with resultant
upward pressure upon all prices.
We cannot agree with you
that the coal industry is SO
UNIQUE" as to require special
treatment under stabilization.
Every industry has its unique
. aspects. But even if we could
agree with you. the fact that
the wage and price impact OF
the coal allowance will reach
into all industry and affect the
entire economy makes it obvious
that we cannot call one industry
uioue and then put our heads
in the sand, expecting the ac-
ton to isolate itself.
Equally unfortunate is the i'm
piled invitation that a union
need only threaten a paralyzing
strike to break Government
policy. As American citizens we
cannot subscribe to the theory
that this sovereign government
should sacrifice the public in
terest to industrial hooliganism.
Your directive states an in
tent to turn over to the new
administration a "strong stabili-
zation program" functioning as
an effective entity" 1t is i'm
possible to turn over an "effec-
tive" program after it has been
emasculated. Until now there
has been much justifiable criti-
cism that the wage program had
become so flexible as to be a
stimulant to wage increases rath-
er than a stabilizer. Step by
step the regulations have re-
treated before the pressures Of
persons unwilling to share the
sacrifice of the war effort, un-
til the farce reached its first
climax in the steel decision of
this past spring. Now the last
pretense of firnness has been
shattered. What is being turned
o,,ar "a the ,,ew aSrniniStrat tiOn