Evening star., 1962-04-17

IldNIIlS dUSOTUeQ TWO Ut LIlTe6
wage increases without
raising the price for its prod
uct, finally decided it had to
do so in order to meet in
creasing competition from
Europe's ultramodern plants,
the President of the United
States branded the company
as almost traitorous. The at
tempt was smashed by as
ruthless a display of Federal
power as we have ever wit
messed in this land.
simultaneously, the news
wires carried another story
from Chicago that the huge
Merchandise Mart-l8-story
building with 80 acres Of
floor space and 71a miles
of corridor y was raising its
rentals because of increased
operating costs, principally
labor and taxes"
The owner of Merchandise
Mart does not have the prob
lem that Big Steel does of
constant and expensive mod
ernization. Its space is main
ly devoted to showroomS for
the home furnishings and
appliance in duStries. It's
labor costs must be infini-
tesimal as compared to those
of Big Steel and the infla-
tionary affects Of its act pro-
portionately are as great as
Big Steers price increase.
Despite these facts, there has
been no blast from the White
House. Could this be because
the owner Of the Mart is
none other than Joseph P.
Kennedy. the father of the
President Of the Unite d
States?
Charles w. Carter.
1t has become extremely
serious the way the Demo-
Gratis coddle the labor un-
ions and attack with such
vehemence the large corpo-
rations. Actually there is
quite a similarity between
the way the Democrats op-
crate against big business
and favor labor unions, and
the way the Russians at
tack the U. s. and WOO the
neutralS.
When the steel corpora
tions decided to raise the
price Of steel, the TRADE
heaped upon their heads by
this administration was fan
tastic; especially when one
compares the slap on the
wrist given the Electrical
Union when they demanded
and got a 25-hour work
week.
Where labor unions are
concerned, this administra-
ton is strangely silent, but
let a large corporation raise
its prices and a terrific crisis
develops with threats of
breaking up monopolies, in
vestigations and prosecution
by the Department of JUS
tice.
The Attorney General has
busted himself with minor
issues, world tours and var
ious other activities, but nev-
er has he uttered a harsh
word against the giant labor
monopolies.
Where this will end is any
body's guess, but elevating
the labor unions and crush
ing our country's great in
dustries certainly is not the
answer. A. L. Beall.
4 =
The other day at President
Kennedy's press conference
he lashed at the big steel
executives for being non-self-
sacrificing at a time of crisis
and for causing initiation. His
motive for this was the at
tempted price increase on
steel.
I feel that President Ken
nedy has yet to realize the
main cause of the present.
day initiation. The cause is
excessive Government ex-
penditure. This is a contro-
verSial subject but many
Americans are aware that the
Kennedy administration is
spending far too muc h
money. This decreases the
value Of the American dollar
and thus our economy will be
wrecked. So I think President
Kennedy should think twice
before he attacks the steel
executives as the prime cause
of initiation.
Peter A. Cavanaugh.
+ y
Three cheers for President
Kennedy for standing up so
quickly and decisively to pro-
tect the public against the
effects of the shocking steel
price hike. The steel industry,
by its callous action, dra-
matically pointed up its own