Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-14
BY CASPAR NAMES
Star STAFF Correspondent

PITTSBURGH. April IA
message analy2ing the relation
ship of the Nations prosperity to
Christian ethics will be presented
to the third National Study Con-
ference on the Church and Eco
nomic Life Today.
The statement will call upon
the churches to face realistically
the problems created by the
current unprecedented prosperity
and suggest courses of action
they might take in helping solve
them.
The document will be acted on
tomorrow by more than 400 Gov
eminent, industry, labor, agri-
culture and church leaders at
tending the four-day conference.
DR. Justin Nixon, chairman
Of the 25-member committee
charged with drawing up the
message. today declared the cur
rent national prosperity is full
OF promise and of peril We
want to bring the insights of the
Christian faith to bear in meet
ing the problems it presents"
Sponsored by ECC
Dr. Nixon, professor emeritus
OF Colgate-RocheSter Divinity
School. pointed out that the doc
ument viii only speak for the
study conference and not for the
National Council Of Churches
which is sponsoring the meeting
or its constituent bodies.
Among the questions to be dis
cusSed in the statement will be
the following: How should We
share our abundance with peo-
plies who have far less? What
sort OF aid Is most practicable
for not only present relief but
future self-development? How !,
the power of various forms OF
economic political power-hu2t
business. labor and agriculture,
organization--to be controlled /
the interest OF all the people?
Two representative of indus.
try and labor agreed yesterday
that both groups must share The
responsibility in meeting the dis.
location caused by automation
But they sharply disagreed re.
garding the social results Of au-
donation TO date
A. Howard Bode Of Baltimore
industrial relations director 0.
the BendiX Radio Division, Ben.
dix Aviation Corp, foresaW moth.
ing but benefits acCruing to so.
ciety from an improved stand.
ard of living.
Coal Situation Cited
Al Whitehouse of Washington
executive director OF the Indus.
trial Union Department, ALL.
C1O, pointed out that thousands
OF workers-more than 100000
alone in the coal fields-havt
been thrown out of work by
.automation.
THE steel industry is pro.
ducing S per cent more Stec
with $4,000 fewer persons thar
two years ago Mr. WhitehouSC
said. That is what we. in The
unions. call autOmation. Further
we believe the industry has not
yet accepted its responsibility
for such shattering dislocation.
Mr.. Bode retorted that unions
Should be careful in their de-
mandS and industry in accedlnp
TO them. Only in this way would
1t be possible to pass on some OF
the benefits Of automation tc
the consumer through reduced
prices"
THE only way TO share is
through both reduced prices and
higher wages Mr. Whitchoust
insisted
Age Factor Stressed
He further charged that in.
dustry will not hire workers II
their fortles and fifties unless
forced to do So
When Mr. Bodc observed that
persons Of all ages were rctrainec
for new Jobs during the war, Mr.
WhitehouSc snapped back, This
could only happen in wartime
when the labor market wa'
tight a"
Former Secretary of Agncul.