Evening star., 1954-05-11
Lack Of Jobs Critical, ,
Reuther Tells Officers
OF Clio in Talk Here
By jones Y. Newton

C1O President Walter P. Reu-
tfer told a union "full employ
ment" conference today, 1--WE
must find d way to take the
television cameras from Low
Blow Joe Mccarthy and put
them on things that count"
Mr.. Reuther addressed a two
day conference Of 800 CIO Of
f1cers from over the country.
They were called here for the
purpose Of focusing attention on
continuing high unemployment,
particularly in the ass-produc-
ton industries, and on the eco
nomic problems of workers in
general.
Later in the day, the confer
ence was to hear from Treasury
Secretary Humphrey, whose tax
policies were attacked by Mr..
Reuther and other CIO leaders.
Mr.. Reuther said the CIO was
not trying to embarrass the
Republican administration by our
fight for full employment" add
ing that the fight transcends
party lines.
Tax Policies Criticized.
But he hit hard at the admin
istration's "do-nothing policy" on
what he termed the current busi-
ness recession. and bitterly as
sailed tax policies, which he said
offered "truckloads" of relief to
the wealthy and "a few crumbs"
to those who need relief.
The CIO president estimated
that on the basis of hours of
work lost the present number
Of unemployed persons is about
5 million. He figured this by
adding persons on part-t time
work to the number of jobless.
He said these million un-
employed represented an eco
nomic loss to the country of $25
to $50 billion a year. adding that
wealth not made is wealth lost
forever" Mr.. Reuther called for
a continuing hard fight to per-
suade Congress this session to
increase personal tax exemptions
from $500 to $500. If this is
done. he added, it will be the
equivalent of wage increase of
Sl2 cents an hour for workers.
Full Mobilization Held Need.
We've got a fighting chance
Of winning this tax fight in the
Senate" he said, "but only If we
can mobilize all of our people,"
Senator Humphrey, Democrat,
OF Minnesota told the conference
America should set it's sights to-
ward a $500 billion economy by
1860.
Our total national production
ought to grow by at least 4 per
cent every year in order to keep
up with our existing needs" Sem
ator Humphrey said. I'm other
words. We must grow by 4 per
cent each year in order even to
stand still-and all of us want
to do more than that"
He said this would mean 10
million jobs, an overall increase
OF 40 per cent in living stand
ards. an average weekly wage of
500 for production workers, and
an increase of farm production
of from 20 to Is per cent.
No Raiding Pact Endorsed.
Yesterday the CIO Executive
Board decided to go through
with a "no-raiding" pact with
the AFL, even though it was in
dicated that some of the larger
unions of both organizations
would not ratify it.
The board directed it's repre-
sentativeS on the CIO-AFL Unity
Committee to meet with the AFL
to exchange signatures to the
pact of those unions which are
willing to go along. The meeting
will be held in the next few
weeks.
Under the agreement, the sig
natory unions agree not to en-
roll members already signed up
by those going along with the
pact. considered "the necessary
first step" toward outright mer-
ger. There will be nothing to pre-
vent raids between the signatory
unions and those on the outside.
The AFL's biggest union, the
1.3 million-member Teamsters,
has refused to sign the no-raid-
ing pact. although over 10 of the
AFL's more than 100 interna-
tionals have decided to go along.
1t has been indicated, also, the
powerful CIO Steelworkers also
might refuse to sign. The Team
sters and the Steelworkers. to-
gether with John L. Lewis inde-
pendent United Mine Workers,
have been working closely to-
gether of late.