davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Outlook in the New Conqress:
There's Steam Behind
Toft-HortIey Changes

ferent employer. Employer-employe
relations are casual.
Down through the years, the
contractors have depended on the
building trades unions to recruit
the craftsmen they need. The
unions supplied the men. bringing
them in from another city when
there was shortage of local labor.
Contractors Are Satisfied
Most contractors liked this ar
rangement They found they got,
by and large, more skillful workers
at much less cost than if they had
to do the recruiting themselves.
There were abuses, but this was
found to be the best arrangement
that could be worked out for the
industry.
The union and contractor en-
tered into a pre-hire contract.
That is the wage rates and working
conditions were agreed to before
the craftsmen were actually hired.
Naturally, the union called in only
union members, or they saw to it
that those who were not members
signed card before they got job.
This was the closed shop.
But Hartley both made the
closed shop illegal and raised the
possibility that the pre-hire con-
tract was illegal. The law made
the close relative of the closed
shop, the union shop. legal only
after a majority of the workers
involved asked for it in a formal
election. If the union shop was
agreed to, the law said new en-
ploye was to be given 30 days in
which to join the union.
Aside from the fact that literal
obedience to the law would have
brought turmoil to the industry by
wrecking its employment system,
the impracticability Of the 30-day
clause and the impossibility Of
conducting q union shop election
at every building site were soon
recognized by Senator Taft, the
NLRB and others concerned with
Taft-Hartley.
AS a result. the industry has
continued to operate just as it did
before Taft-Hartley "outlawed"
many Of its practices. The NLRB
General Counsel has looked at the
problem practically.
Changes Attempted
Several times, the last in 1854,
efforts were made to amend the
law to either exempt building and
other industries of casual" en-
ployment. such as shipping and
entertainment, from some TIL
provisions or change them 50 those
industries could live" with them.
Among the amendments recon-
mended by Mr.. Eisenhower three
years ago were ones to make pre-
hire contracts legal in building,
maritime and entertainment, and
to reduce the 30-day period in
which new employe had to join
under union shop conditions to
seven days.
But a more practical solution to
the building industry's problems,
one advanced in Mr.. Mitchell'S
meetings with industry officials.
would seem to be to draw up rules
specifically adapted to the indus
try which could be made either a
separate law or q separate section
of aft-Hartley.
It Is difficult to rewrite the law,
the experts say, to adapt it to
building industry conditions and
at the same time maintain its
suitability to labor relations of
other industries.
In addition, because Of the heavy
pressures from the other industries
against changing Taft-Hartley,
Congress would be more likely to
act If the building industry's prob
lens were considered separately.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13

assessing the reasons for the eco
nomic difficulties Of Eastern Europe,
attributes the situation to three
major factors: % Administrative
difficulties" (presumabl the
standings of Communist bureau
cracy plus the lack Of enthusiasm
in the great body of the workers.;
(2) q Gripping shortage Of labor,
both skilled and unskilled; and 90
q continuing serious shortage Of es-
sential building materials.
Moy Be Eosing
The ECE report recognized trends
in the Communist countries that
may we'll ease the economic situa-
ton during the coming year. The
pressure of national unrest and re-
sistance to Russian domination is
bringing q noticeable relaxation of
arbitrary controls. Wage rates have
been raised, a more effective con-
troll Of consumer costs has been in
stituted, and the drive for collec-
Invitation Of agriculture has been
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
BY DAVID KOONCE


The never-ending farm contro-
versy has, since the election. settled
down into a sort of armed truce be-
tween the combatantS-CongresS
and the Agriculture Department.
Last January, as an election year
began. the cries Of the farmer and
his friends in Congress were loud
and bitter in denunciation Of Ad-
ministration farm policy. The times
were SO bad (hogs at Sill a humid
red pounds and production costs
still rising) that it was easy to re-
call the depression. the thirties and
the old farm country ditty:
"How in the world con poor mon cot
ron five cent cotton and 20-cent meot?"
In the months of struggle over
farm legislation that preceded the
campaign, the administration lost
several big battles but won the war.
The flexible" crop supports plan
of Agriculture Secretary Ezra Taft
Benson carried the day.
Several members Of Congress
promised at that time that the
85th Congress would see efforts to
return to the Democratic-favored
formula of high and rigid supports.
But today. as the 85th Congress
begins. there appears to be little
inclination on Capitol Hill to press
the fight.
EIlender Is Calm
Chairman Allen Ellander Of the
Senate Agriculture Committee, for
instance. doesn't expect any real
farm battle this year. Senator FL
lander, who last year coined the
epithet "Bensonitis". now says
calmly that I'VE must give the
present law a full trial"
Nor is Chairman Harold Cooley
Of the House Agriculture Commit
tee eager to launch q new drive for
the high. rigid supports so abhorred
by President Eisenhower and Mr..
Benson. Although a high supports
program was part Of the Demo-
cratic Party platform last year. he
suspects that lit might not be wise"
to try to stand on that plank be-
cause of the danger Of another
Eisenhower veto.
There is reported to be soften
ing attitude on Capitol Hill. too.
toward the administration desire
for authority to sell or barter sur
plus crops to RuSsia's satellites.
Last year Congress refused to grant
such authority, but the Kremlin's
troubles in Hungary and Poland are
believed to have made Mr.. Eisen-
howers plan more appealing this
year.
The only areas promising any
wrangling in the least similar to
that of 1856 are the soil bank and
its administration and the almost
annual discussion over whether to
complete the changeover to a new
formula for figuring parity, the
yardstick used to compute price
supports.
Nine years ago it was decided to
bring parity figures more in line
with the size of today's dollar by
computing it on the basis of costs
and prices in recent years. 1t is
now figured on the basis of prices
going as far back as 1909. The
change from "old" to modern"
parity was to be made, gradually.
It was a shift that never was viewed
very enthusiastically by farmers.
since the "old" formula was more
advantageous, except for tobacco
growers.
Last year, Congress ordered the
changeover halted. And now it
must decide whether to continue it,
stand by the "old" method, or start
fresh. The administration wants
to go ahead with the transition.
but there is widespread support in
Congress for the older formula.
The soil banks operations in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
OF CHAOS
By FRED THEROUX

The nations Of EUropo-both
Communist and non Communist
are entering 1857 in q state Of poor
economic health.
The swift international develop
ments Of the last half Of 1855 shook
economic structures. wrecked plans,
and distorted the fragile framework
of foreign exchange.
To Western Europe. the Middle
East blowup with the resultant
shutdown of the Suex Canal
brought a industry crippling oil
shortage. Emergency imports of
oil and other commodities from the
Americas drained treasures Of their
dollar reserves. The direct military
costs Of the brief war in Egypt put
additional strain on the British and
French economies.
To Eastern Europe, unrest and
outright revolt against Russian
control had profound economic re-
suits. In Hungary, the disorders.
strikes and slowdowns in the fac
tories. in the mines and on the
collective farms all but halted pro-
duction even of essentials. In other
satellites, protest against Red regi-
mentation in industry and agricul-
ture caused serious lags In produc-
ton. Economic plans for 1856.
carefully worked out by Communist
bureaucratS, collapsed far short OF
goals.
U. N. Assessment
The United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (ECE) has
assessed the economic repercus-
sions Of the events OF the last six
months Of 1855 and found them
to be gloomy.
In Western Europe. even with
the maximum step-up In oil ship
ments from the nations Of the
Western Hemisphere and with a
huge increase in coal imports for
fuel, ECE foresaw: An inevitable
drop In standards Of living as in
dustrial output sloweh: a significant
increase in import costs as dollar
OUTLAWS melted away reserves:
soaring prices. rejecting the world
situation, pushing consumer costs
inexorably upward; general ten
dency toward imitation as available
money competed for increasingly
short and higher-priced products;
and dangerous drop in investment
capital.
And in Eastern Europe, the pros
poets were also dark. Despite q
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Whatever Happened
To That Farm Issue?

1856, starting late in the planting
season, was little more than a trial
run. In some areas, there were
reports Of abuses Of the program.
Chairman Cooley's committee be-
gan hearings on the soil bank OPP
Grafton in the first week of the
new Congress. and already there
are signs of two developing view
points of the programs proper
operation.
Treated as Insurance
One view at least partially ig-
nores the primary purposes of the
decentralization of SURPRISES
and soil building-and regards it
as an appendage to existing crop
insurance plans. For instance, it
is argued that the headlines for
coming into the program should
be extended into the growing sea-
son so that the farmer will be able
to use the soil bank for crops that
become the victims of weather or
pestilence.
Melvin P. Gehlbach, chairman Of
the Soil-Bank Association, told the
committee that "A true soil bank
needs to be based on an expansion
Of soil-building acres"
Mr.. Gehlbach also pointed to q
number of loopholeS in the pro-
gram which defeat the purpose of
the soil bank. He deplored the
practice of reducing the acreage OF
high profit crop through the soil
bank and replacing it in an ada
cent field with substitute crop. An
illustration would be the reduction
OF corn acreage and the replace
ment of it with another feed grain
crop. One farmer. he said. told
him: I'm going to grow grain
sorghum for my hogs, corn for the
Government. and get paid acreage
reserve equal to corn for my clover
that I would have planted anyway"
Conflicts between the soil bank
and supports program also have
come in for some criticism. 1t is
asked. for instance. why should
farmers be paid Federal money I'M
der the supports program for crops
which another program. the soil
bank. offers an incentive for not
producing?
One knotty problem is corn. But
there is little indication that there
will be any heated dispute over this,
since both the Agriculture Depart
ment and farm policy makers in
Congress appear to be disappointed
even disguised - with the action
OF corn growers on December II in
rejecting a control program for
their crops. leaving them without
any program at all.
Truce Into Armistice
When these matters are ironed
out the agricultural truce now ex-
listing will become an armistice, at
least for a year.
The truce has not come about
through the capitulation of the
high-Supports faction in Congress
alone There has been some COM
promising in the administration,
too.
Some Congressman feel that the
administration has softened con-
siderably its position. formerly one
Of yelled animosity. toward a num-
Der of programs. such as agricul-
tural conservation payments plan
and the farmer committee system
that operates 1t.
The current lack of hostilities has
been credited to two Developments:
A slight, but significant decline of
the hard-headed influence of Mr..
Benson, accompanied by a steady
rise in the influence of the Presi-
dents brother. Milton Eisenhower,
in agricultural policy.
1t may be a result of the change
that 1t has been some months since
anybody demanded that Mr.. Ben
son resign or be fired.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
By JAMES Y. NEWTON

10y VEANAGO NEW AON
The new Congress will see the
first real effort in three years to
amend the Taft-Hartley labor law.
Prospects of success appear brighter
than they have since the law was
passed nearly 10 years ago.
This opinion is strengthened by
indications that the Eisenhower adj
mipistration is ready to press ag-
excessively for improvements" in
the law, something it didn't do dur
ing its first four years in Office.
Secretary of Labor James P.
Mitchell has been working hard on
the changes he feels will make for
more harmonious relations between
employer and employee. In drafting
them he has sought the advice OF
union and management leaders.
The fruit of these efforts, to be
submitted to Congress by President
Eisenhower next month. presum-
ably will differ considerably from
the 10 Taft-Hartley amendments
suggested by the White House in
1854. Mr.. Mitchell and his helpers
now have three years more expert
ence with the law to guide them.
His program of labor legislation,
featuring revision of Taft-Hartley
and extension of coverage of the
wage and hour law to protect more
workers, is near and dear to the
capable MIR. Mitchell. 1t is safe to
speculate that Mr.. Eisenhower
agreed to an extra effort to get the
labor legislation through Congress
in persuading the Secretary to re-
ject q lucrative private job offer
recently and remain In the cabinet.
Durable Low
Taft-Hartley, 10 years old next
June, has been q most durable law,
successfully resisting efforts to re-
peal or amend 1t, even though the
late Senator Taft himself, who had
most to do with its enactment, sug-
gested % changes.
Taft-Hartley Is probably the
most-violated law since prohibition.
It is flouted daily by arrangements
and unions with the knowledge Of
the Federal agency set UP to enforce
Its terms-the general counsel's Of
fee of the National Labor Relations
Board. In fact, the NLRB regional
director in Seattle was almost fired
In 1948 when he started to enforce
in building industry case the Taft
Hartley provision which says COM
pany unionism is taboo The NRLB
field manual forbids agency direc-
tors from issuing complaints in
such cases.
What's wrong with Taft Hartley
that the experts, including its CO.
author, Senator Taft, believed
should be corrected? The basic
fault, most everyone agrees. is that
it fixes dos" and "don'tS" to gov
ern all labor management rela-
lions, disregarding the fact that
conditions and practices vary in
different industries.
Let's take some Of the building
and construction industry's diff
culties with the law. Secretary
Mitchell is working with a commit
tee of building labor and manage
ment officials on amendments that
would correct deficiencies in that
area.
1t was discovered ut the start
that the building industry couldn't
operate under many Of the Taft
Hartley rules which were written to
cover industries where employment
Is more permanent.
Except for Q skeleton stan, a
building contractor has no perma-
nent payroll. His bricklayers and
carpenters are on the payroll only
for . specific Job. Then they 60 to
another Job, probably with . dif-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
By HERBERT BRATTER

New buyers of "E" Savings
Bonds and other Government in
vestments designed for the small
saver may soon get more interest
on their money.
Because higher interest rates on
other investments are hurting
Savings Bond sales the Treasury is
considering asking Congress to let
it pay as much as per cent on
Savings Bonds held to maturity,
as compared to the present 3 per
cent ceiling.
Unless all other money rates un-
expectedly and materially ease
such q request this year is most
likely.
Hiking the return on new "E"
bonds to per cent would, under
today's conditions, restore the
preferential position accorded the
small savers back when the "E"
bonds ancestors, the so-called
"baby bonds" were first issued
nearly % years ago.
At a recent hearing on high in
terest rates and tight money"
Representative Wright Patman,
Democrat Of Texas, asked: How
can we with straight face go out
and try to induce people. small
savers, to put their money into
UNITED States savingsl bonds that
will yield only per cent after
10 years, when they can go right
in the market right now and buy
bonds that will pay them UP to
much over 31z per cent?"
The Treasury now is hearing the
same sort of question from the
State directors of its Savings Bonds
Division, who UNDERSTANDABLE find
it hard to sell E-bonds. J-bonds
and the like in competition with
Treasury bonds available on the
market at prices TO yield some
31a per cent, and with other good
investments.
Redemptions Exceed SoIes
In fiscal 1856 more savings bonds
were redeemed than were sold-and
the excess of redemptions seems to
be growing. During the last half
of calendar 1855 redemptions ex-
ceeded sales by about $95 millions.
The next six months the figures
had grown to $69l millions. During
the six months ended last Decem-
Der 81, a period of increasingly
tight money and sinking prices in
the Wall Street bond market. 1899
million more savings bonds were
redeemed than were sold by the
Treasury.
Lenders and savers are being
wooed today with increased interest
rates by building and loan associa-
tions, Federal. State and local gov
eminent securities as well as cor
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
AFTERMATH OF CHAOS
Europe Will Suffer in 1857 for the Turmoil of 1856

slowed and even, In some instances,
dropped entirely.
Decentralization Of economic de-
velopment. particularly in Hungary
and Poland. and major relaxa-
ton in regulations limiting private
enterprise on a small scale. is ex-
pected to do much to restore vigor
to the faltering production systems
in the satellites.
In the field of foreign trade. both
Western and Eastern Europe saw
stable jumps in imports over ex-
ports during 1856. This situation.
the ECE experts reason. reflects
growing inability of the domestic
production facilities to satisfy ex-
panding consumer demand.
For the Communist orbit depend
encies, of course, government fiat
can put an end to imports. or slash
them to bare essentials. But in
Western Europe the solution is not
as easy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
Import Controls Used

France, Finland, and the Neither
lands led all the nations of Western
Europe in the rapid rise of imports
in relation to exports. In Britain
and Denmark, consumer demand
requiring imports has been deliber-
ately discouraged as means Of
maintaining dollar stability. But
despite these rigid controls. the rate
Of imports continues to rise.
Financially. the depletion Of re-
serves in Western European nations.
although dangerously expedited by
the Suez crisis, has not as yet
reached calamitous proportions In
general, the losses so far simply
wipe out the gains made during
1855. But the trend seems certain
to 60 on during 1857, and will grow
more serious unless the forces for
production expansion again pick
up momentum.
ECE sees for 1857 prospects for
continued. but slower, growth Of
consumer demand in both Eastern
and Western Europe; strongly
possible drop to still lower levels
Of investment a general decline in
production. possibly leveled-off II
the Suez Canal is restored to COM
merce soon. and q continuing in
crease In imports. with consequent
inflationary effects.
A more serious threat, although
not an imminent one, is the posi-
bility Of dangerous depression II cap
ltal investment continues to decline.
The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1957-12-12
Reinersville Methodist Charge


Harvey H. McPheron, Pastor
Reinersville - Worship service
1000 a. m. Semon ''The Birth of
Our Saviour"
Sunday school, 10:45 a. m.
W.S.C.S. to meet in the grange
hall Thursday at 7:30 p. m.
Mystery pals are to be revealed.
Smiths Chapel Sunday
school. 1000 a. III.
Worship service, 11:00 a. m
Sermon "The Birth of Our Saw
Jour"
Prayer meeting Thursday at
7:30 p. m. St. John, Chapter 10.
Keith - Sunday school, $50
a. m. Youth fellowship, 7:30 pm.
Dungannon Sunday school,
1000 a. III. Youth fellowship,
7:30 p. m. Prayer meeting Tues
day at 7:30 p. m.
Forest Grove - Worship Ser
vice, 1880 p. m. Sermon "The
Birth of Our Saviour"
Special numbers. The Christ
mas story in colored pictures.
Public invited.
The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1957-12-12
0 n ette'
Joy--In Trusting God
PhiIippians 4

Again we want to stress the
thought of Paul's letter to the
Philippians: "The Christian life
is one of constant JOY" This
joy is experienced in fellowship
with fellow-Christians as they
worship their Lord, as they
cooperate in propagating the
Gospel, and as they have q
practical love and concern for
one another. This joy is also
realized in consistent Christian
living, and in daily walk and
communion with the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Chapter four of Philippians
teaches that JOY is also the result
of trusting God. That is, taking
God at His word and being
obedient to his will or COM
mands. The Christian life, on the
highest plane, is a daily, moment
by moment, trust in God. A con-
sciousness of complete depend
ence on God for the Physical,
material and spiritual necessities
of life.
Instead of worrying, fretting
or being anxious to the degree
of being in state Of mental
turmoil and conflict, the Chris
tian has the privilege of present
ing his need to God in prayer
and supplication {not forgetting
to be thankful for blessings
already received). The promised
result is that ''the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus" (verse y.
The Apostle was writing from
experience. There were times,
since he had become a Christian,
when he had all that was neces-
sary by the way of food, clothes
and shelter. At other times he
had gone hungry; he was with
out shelter and no change of
clothes. He knew what it was
to be q guest in the home of the
well-to-do, and he knew what
it was to be a prisoner in a dark,
dirty prison. He knew what it
was to be loved and to be hated.
(Read II Corinthians 1l:2428).
Whatever he had been called
upon to go through as servant
Of Jesus Christ and a child of
God, he had learned that Gin
whatsoever state I am, herewith
to be content"
Paul had learned two truths,
namely, Il can do all things
through Christ which strength
eneth me-" and "My God shall
supply all your need according
to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus" (verses 13 and l9). Every
Christian can claim these prom
ises or truths for himself. Acting
upon these promises will result
in peace and contentment.
Peace of heart and mind and
being content spells JOY.
Joy is experienced in trusting
God. Roy E. Wikander