Evening star., 1959-12-27

and dictatorship in several trade
unions. Dave Beck, head of the
l.5-milliOn member Teamsters,
was forced to resign. He was in
dicted for tax evasion. His sue
cessor, James R. Hoffa. was in
and out cf courts several times
and dissident group of his union
is still trying to oust him.
The committee disclosures did
much to convince Congress and
the public that new legislation
was needed to curb the excesses
of Big Labor. The stringent
Observation-Disclosures reform
bill was passed in 1859. the first
m iCr labor legislation since the
Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.
The new law. however. did
nothing to solve one major prob
lem, newly emphasized by the
longest steel strike in history:
What can the Government do
when a major industry is shut
down and collective bargaining
fails?
The SoIk Vaccine
All was not strife and turmoil
in the Fiftios. Children here and
everywhere-adults, too-received
a great gift. Dr.. Jonas Salk de-
veloped a vaccine which helps
prevent infantile paralysis.
A variety of wonder drugs and
radioactive isotopes, a product Of
the atomic age, became available
to ease the pain of illnesses or
cure them altogether. The war
on disease had lifted the life
expectancy of Americans to near
ly 70 years.
But there was more, much more
to be done. New problems con-
cerning the harmful effects OF
certain food additives, insecticides,
pesticideS and drugs were posed.
A previeW of what the peaceful
uses of the atom will mean to
future generations of Americans
and others came early in the
decade when the NavyS submarine
Nautilus proved that nuclear
energy could be used for propul-
sion. And the Shippingsport, Pa,
generating plant turned out COM
morcial kilowatts, fueled by q
165-pound core of uranium.
The Honest Virtues
We we're getting ahead" fast
but there was an important ques-
ton which ran through the sos,
stirring the conscience of many
Americans. Had we forgotten the
solid virtues of honesty, thrift.
hard work, loyalty and patriotism?
It was a question brought on
by the problem of etl'ics in Gov
ernment-the mink-coat, deep
freeze DAYS of the Truman era,
and the gift-rug, hotel-eXpenSes-
paid days of the Eisenhower ad-
MINIS ration. There was the
shameful record Of large numbers
of American prisoners Of war in
Korea who collaborated with the
Chinese Communists.
There were the later days OF
rigged television quiz programs
and its Van Doren confession;
disc Jockey "payola' and other
scandals in the broadcasting and
recording industries.
There was wonder, too, about
the bearded beatniks. those dis
ciples of whats the use?" Despite
the mcr easing percentage Of
Americans VINO belonged to
churches. was the seemingly in
ordinate desire for a fast buck"
taking us down the road to ruin
once travelled by the ancient
Romans?
While answers to the above
problems are still being sought,
there is no doubt that in some
ways America today is bigger
ard stronger than ever before.
For the first time since 1912,
when New Mexico and Arizona
were admitted, a new State joined
the Union. Alaska became No.
49 and the largest of them all
last January. Several months
later, Hawaii became the 5Oth.
The United States had added
592,623 square miles for a new
total Of 3.6l5.21O
Meanwhile, our population sky
rocketeo. 1t stood at 150,597,361
in 1850. BY the end of this year,
the Bureau of the Census predicts
there will be l79247,135 Ameri-
cans, an increase of nearly 80 mil
lion in 10 years.