Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1953-11-20

pdSL WcSh.
"Both Mrs. Housewife and Mr
Farmer might well pause to con
slider the effect on their pocket
books of the constantly widening
spread between farm prices ant
GAL 2-LABOR VIEWS -. -. =.
the cost of agricultural product
to the consumer. Since the farm
er continues to receive less anC
less for the commodities he pro
duces, you would think the cos
| to the consumer would similarly
decline. The latest cost of living
index report shows prices contin
uing to climb The obvious
conclusion is that the middlemar
who handle farm products before
they reach the retail store are
exacting greater profits at the ex
pense of both Mrs. Housewife and
Mr.. Farmer"
But Secretary of Agriculture
Benson still goes his serene way.
Great Scott, what will it take to
awaken him to the realities of the
market place?
Our At First
One wisecrack has been widely
reported, but it's worth repeating.
Said one disgruntled Dodger fan
after the World Series:
"You don't have to pass any
laws to break up the Yankees
Just put their farm system under
Sec. Ezra Taft Benson"
Whaf's Good For :"
Nine months ago, you may re-
call, Sec. of Defense Charles E.
Wilson coined the classic phrase
that whats good for General Mo
tors is good for America"
Now G. M. reports its profits
after taxes for the first nine
months of 1853 are the highest
ever reported by any corporation
Ito be exact $453 million, or over
a million and quarter day.
On this same day, the govern
ment announced that the cost of
living had reached an all-time
high, for the fourth successive
month, and the cattle growers and
farmers were frankly saying they
were smack In the middle of
depression.
Obviously, those million-and-a-
quarter day super-profits are
good for General Motors; but a
lot of workers and farmers can't
quite see how they're good for
them, too. Perhaps Sec. Wilson
can give us an answer.
The Labor Dept.
Willard Shelton, the veteran
newspaperman has an alarming
story.
He writes that lot of New
Deal-Fair Deal people at the La
bor Dept. are going to lose their
Jobs, because certain Administra-
ton leaders don't want hold-overs
from the Roosevelt-Truman era in
any key posts.
Mr. Shelton has reputation
for accuracy. We would hope in
this case that he is wrong; or we
would hope that, if his story is ac
curate, those Administration lead.
ers will quickly change their
minds.
The Labor Dept, the smallest
unit OF government, was not estab-
lished to be political football. 1t
has built up a corp of loyal and
devoted public servants with great
I, technical skill and knowledge of
their field. ~
To strip the department of
these people On the basis of the
Fact that they were appointed by
Democrats would be to destroy la
boris confidence in the depart
ment-a confidence that has been
shaken already by the Durkin af-
fair
Mr.. Shelton's story, it seems to
us, deserves quick comment from
Sec. Mitchell or the White House
The Labor Dept, by statute, is de-
signed to serve the nations work.
ing people. That service cannot be
performed if the public servants
are to be thrown out brutally in a
political purge.
y Sec. Benson may be blamed for
,ne thing, Sec. Humphrey for an
,ther, but eventually the whole re-
sponsibility rests in the man at
he pinnacle under the American
constitutional system, in the stark
onelineSS of the Presidency.
Questions for Employers