WIRE er WRITE to
Year Ceagressaea ia
Pretest Ajiissl Mil
ARTI-LABOR Bills!
CHARLOTTE
LABOR JOURNAL
VOL. XVII; NO. 26
CHARLOTTE. N. C.. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 6. 1947
Subscription $2.00 Per Year
Prices Of Food Products Expected To Soar M 1948
Agricultural Economics.
The huroou’s forecast Indi
cated higher prices wore on the
way for several commodities,
•owe of which appeared headed
toward peak levels reached dar
ing aad after World War 1L
On livestock and meats, the
bureau said prices probably
will continue high and meat
production was expected to drop
about 10 pounds per person
from the 1947 average per cap
ita rate of 135 pounds.
Egg and poultry prices also
art pxpected to average higher
than this year, and dairy prod
ucts may be higher the Rrst
six drouths of next year than
ia the first half of U47. There
may he a drop in tiro- last half
the- bureau said.
Prices of wheat, which in
Chicago soared to the highest
arork for the December future
delivery since 1917, were fore
cast by the boreau to be gov
erned largely by the site of
next year's crop. Export de
mand was expected to continue
large until the middle of 1949.
December wheat at one time
this week was quoted at S.1.1B \
bushel while in the rash mar
ket No. 2 red, wheat was sold
for SS.lt H, the highest price
since 1929.
The bureau's outlook on corn
and other livestock feeds was
that prices were expected to
average higher than this year
and because of this j*ar’s poor
corn crop the total feed sup*
plies would be smaller.
Prices for potatoes early in
1948 probably will be higher
Than last winter, the bureau
said, while continued high prices
were predicted for wool during
the first half of next year.
Fruit prices were expected to
be about the same as this year.
Moderately lower prices were
foreseen in a larger rye crop,
while somewhat lower prices
also were predicted for com
mercial truck crops.
As wheat at Chicago and
other big markets continued its
upward trend, there was an
other increase in bakery flour
prices at Minneapolis, moving
1# cents higher per hundred
pounds to S7.85. Also on the
upgrade in markets were rub
ber, scrap steel, cocoa, butter,
lamb. corn, rye and cotton. In
the livestock markets prices of
bogs, cattle and oats declined
WOLL ASKS RELIEF FOR LOW INCOME GROUPS
Congress Urged To Revise Minimum Wage Act
CONGRESS STRONGLY URGED TO RAISE MINIMUM
WAGE TO 75 CENTS AN HOUR.
Washington, D. C.—The AFL strongly urged Congress
to immediately raise the minimum wage to 75 cents an
hour and to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to extend
its coverage to workers new excluded by the wording of
the original law.
Walter Mason, national legislative representative for the
AFL, in testimony before the House Committee on Educa
tion and Labor, presented the AFL's policy on minimum
wage legislation as adopted at the recent convention and
attacked those who are opposed to the upward revision of
fka minimum Wfktff* IaVpI
Referring to the national wage'
policy adopted by Congress with
passage of the Fair Labor Stand*
aids Acts, a policy which recog
nised a legal obligation to main
tain the minimum standard of
living necessary for the health,
efficiency, and general well-being
of the nation’s workers, MrJ Ma
son declared:
“I am calling upon the mem
bers of this committee to face
reality—to acknowledge that the
present 40-sant-an-hour minimum
rate no loiter carries out our
national wage policy and to take
the corrective action necessary to
make this policy effective. The
American Federation of Labor
ii proposing an immediate in
crease in the minimum wage to
75 cents an hour. We do not
feel that this proposed minimum
will provide the standard of liv
ing contemplated by the original
act. It is, however, what is
needed immediately to correct the
gross inequities which now exist.”
In answer to critics who have
forecast dire effects for the na
tion’s economy if the minimum
wage is increased, Mason declared
that such an increase would have
two beneficial results:
“First, the productivity of the
individual worker who had been
receiving substandard wages will
increase. You may ask why this
should happen. The answer is
very simple. Workers receiving a
substandard wage cannot be ex
pected to contribute to' their full
est extent to the_ welfare of the
enterprise. Because of the lovr
waves, they canno provide thera
| selves or their families with ade
quate food, housing or clothing.
I The individual worker in such
von-fitiens is easily fatigued, has
a' very low morale and because
of his other worries cannot con
tribute the full measure of his
capabilities. With a minimum
wage which will provide a decent
standard of living his productivity
naturally rises.
“Secondly, the imposition of the
minimum wage will mean greater
managerial efficiency. Since in
most cases, substandard wages
have been a subsidy to the less
efficient producers at the ex
pense of the workers, the effect
of the minimum wage will fall
heaviest on those less efficient
producers. It will thus force
j these operators to re-examine
their methods of doing business
so that they can maintain the
same level of costs as their com
petitors. In other words, the
minimum wage will force pro
ducers to improve the efficiency
of their operations.”
In addition to increasing the
wage level to 75 cents an hour,
Mason urged extension of the
law’s coverage to include seamen,
employes of retail and service
establishments with an annual
volume of business amounting to
(Continued On Page 4)
Doherty Urges Raises
For Letter Carriers
Washington, D. C.-—'William
C. Doherty, president of the
National Association of Letter
Carriers and an AFL Execu
tive Council member, called
upon Congress for the prompt
revision of the Civil Service Re
tirement Law to provide high
er annuity payments for re
tired employes.
In an editorial in the No
vember issue of the associ
ation’s journal. The Postal Rec
ord, Doherty protested the “sto
ical indifference” shown by Con
gress in return for the volun
tary relinquish asent by *be let
ter carriers of their right to
strike or to engage in collec
tive bargaining procedures.
Mr. Doherty stated that the
retirement law, aa amended
from tiase to time, is a good
law “basically” but “the annu
ities under the law today
simply will not permit retired
letter carriers to do much more
than exist.”
“The Langer-lAaves hills, in
troduced in the flrst session of
the 80th Congress, would have
gone a long way toward cor
recting this inequity. Simple
justice demanded that a liber
alised retirement Mil be enact
ed. It is needless to point out
at this time that letter carriers
are still waiting for the passage
of such a MIL
“It is not a question of
striking against oar Govern
ment; we have never enter
tained the idea. Moreover, W
never will. So far. so good.
But why in the name of social
justice and fair play, must oar
retired men bo compelled to
struggle on through the sun
set of their lives on a totally
inadequate annuity? The ‘quid
pro quo' we receive for our for
(Continued on Pago 4)
U. S. Labor
Praised By
Win. Green
» ' I
New York City. — AFL
.President William Green, in
a prepared broadcast for use
on the State Department’s;
“Voice of America” program
beamed to Russia, emphasized
the freedom enjoyed by Amer
ican workers in political
matters, in the selection of
their upions, and in the de
termination of their nation’s
poliofe*^
The program consisted of a se
ries of questions put to Mr.
Green which brought out the‘ba
sic differences between the labor’
movement under a democratic
government and under a totali
tarian regime. For purposes of
the broadcast, the Nazi system
was chosen as an example of the
totalitarian form of government.
On the general question of the
basic difference between a demo
cratic labor organization and the
Nazi totalitarian labor movement,
Mr. Green said:
“Basically the difference was i
between freedom and slavery. A
democratic labor organization like
thfe American Federation of Labor
is free and self-governing. Its
policies are determined by the
members themselves and its ac
tivities are carried on by union
Officials elected by the members.
Certainly the AFL is completely
free of government domination
and control. Frequently we are
opposed to government labor
policies and we do not hesitate to
express our opposition.
“Now contrast this free system
with the slave conditions which
Hitler imposed upon German la
bor. First, he destroyed the free
labor unions of the Reich, con
fiscating their property and im
prisoning* their leaders. Then he
organized a labor front, which the
government compelled workers to
join. These workers had no voice
in the selection of the directors of
labor nor did they have any say
over such fundamental policies
as wages and working conditions.”
In reply to a question on polit
ical matters and the freedom of
workers to express themselves and
exercise their right to vote, Mr.
Green reiterated the AFL’s* non
partisan political policy. He said;
“In our country the unions are
free to support whatever party
they favor and of course all un
ion members enjoy the same free
dom.
“The American Federation of
Labor itself has consistently fol
lowed a nonpartisan political pol
icy and has refrained from giv
ing a blanket endorsement to any
political parties whose records
convince us that they are friendly
to the cause of organised labor.
Nor do our unions attempt to in
fluence their members to support
any particular political party.
“We have confidence in the
(Coetianed on Page 4)
FOOD PRICES\A T NEW
PEAK AND CLIMBING
New York City.—The diffi
culty of making end* meet be
cause of the soaring coot of
living has added a further
complicating factor in Ameri
can family relationships, al
ready dislocated because of
wartime conditions, the Family
Service association reported.
In a survey of lit family
service agencies in American
cities, all affiliated with the
FSAA. H have noted that
mounting living costs had in
creased the number of prob
lems families have brought to
the agencies in recent months.
In discussing the report,
Frank 1. Hertel, general direc
tor of the FSAA, said that the
current abnormal economic sit
uation is causing not only
short-term family problems but
is sowing seeds for the future,
since “children growing up in
an atmosphere of frustration
and uncertainty in one genera
tion tend to carry over the
same instability of home life in
the next."
Marginal income families are
the most affected, but the re
port noted that many higher
income families for the flrst
time are seeking agency assist
ance. Among the difficulties
noted are inability to pay for
needed medical care, improper
diet, increase in the number^uf
mothers going to work and in
ability to pay for proper day
care for children of working
mothers, inadequate housing,
children leering school to help
support families, exhaustion of
savings and mounting debts.
Board Decides On
Bargaining Unit
___ i
Washington, D. C.—The first
decision under the Taft-Hartley
'aw on the question of what con
stitutes a proper bargaining unit
was rendered by the National La
bor Relations Board.
The board followed policy es
tablished under the old Wagner
act and carried forward in the
new law. It dismissed the peti
tion of the AFL's Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers for an elec
tion among twenty employes of
the French Broad Electric Mem
bership Corporation at Marshall,
tf. C.
Board members held that the
unit was too small because it
failed to include the company’s
twenty-one other employes at
Burnsville and Bakersville, N C.
The N. L. R. B. assumed jur
isdiction of the case on the
ground that the co-operative util
ity, owned wholly by its costo
mers, sold $2,980 worth of power
across the state line in Tennes
see and brought 40 per cent of
$131,000 in supplies from sources
outside North Carolina.
AFL CONVENTION URGES ACTION TO BRING ABOUT
WORK HOLIDAY ON ELECTION DAY
The AFL convention at its session in San Francisco voted
unanimously to use all practical means possible to bring
about the observance of election day as a legal holiday in
order that all workers may have the necessary time to vote.
In place of several resolutions introduced on the subject,
the delegates voted for a substitute report submitted by
the Committee on Resolutions which supported the policy
“of mobilizing labor’s strength so that it can be made most
effective on election day.”
The committee report is as follows:
“In connection with election day, your committee recog
nizes the fact that the primaries are of equal importance
to election day, for it is then that he candidates for public
office are chosen. In many Southern States the selection of
candidates in the primaries assures their election.
“To secure legislation making either primaries, or elec
tion day, or both, legal holidays presents difficulties which
may not be immediately overcome. Your committee recom
mends that the American Federation of Labor and State
Federations of Labor apply all practical means possible to
establish election day as a legal holiday, and in states where
the primaries are the determining factor that primary day
be made a legal holiday. —
“In the meantime your committee suggests that as a
first step it is advisable that affiliated organizations
and their local unions in negotiating agreements with em
ployers, include provisions which would assure the worker^
a holiday or an adequate opportunity to perform their es
sential obligations as citizens, and to demonstrate the ef
fective part they can, and which they should play in the
election of public officials.”
URGES HIGHER PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS AND THE
REPEAL OF EXCISE TAXES
Washington. D. C.—Matthew Woll. AFL Executive Coun
cil Vnember, charged that the majority report of the Special
Tax Study committee appointed by Chairman Knutson of
the House Ways and Means committee, would, if enacted,
“shift the tax load from those more able to those less able
to bear the burden.”
Mr. Woll’s charge was made in a minority report which
he submitted to the House Committee in the belief that the
majority report is contrary to the “best interests of the
nation and the welfare of our people.’*
Mr. won pointed out tnat me
majority of the special committee
refrained from submitting; recom
mendations on income tax rates
and exemptions on the theory
that such matters are the prerog
ative of the House Committee on
Way and Means. He said, how
ever. that the com mitt ee pee*
ceeded to make 38 recommenda
tions for specific changes in in
come tax provisions of the Inter
nal Revenue code.
The net result of these recom
mendations, he said, “would wreck
the effectiveness of the surtax on
individuals, almost as devastat
ingly as any surtax scale revis
ion that might have been con
templated.” He added:
“Their purpose seems tot be to
attain by indirect and complex
means the result of income tax
cutting for the favored few grhich
they do not dare recommend by
an outright reduction in surtax
rates.”
Mr. Woll criticised the major
ity report for its failure to take
cognizance of the revenue re
quirements of the Marshall plan
| for aid to Europe and for other
\ essential expenditures of the
I Government. He declared:
“There is no indication in the
majority report of what the net
tax loss would be. It is certainly
reckless tax planning to make
recommendations without knowing
the cost.”
Mr. Woll found in a majority
recommendation “that the excise
tax structure be retained and
strengthened,” a step in the di
rection of a Federal sales tax
which would constitute an unfair
and capricious burden on consum
ers and businessmen alike.
He concluded that the 46 major
proposals of the majority would
oe oi sugnt application to per
sona with incomes of less than
$5,000 a year which comprise
96 1-2 per cent of the taxpayers.
In this respe't he said:
“The program of the majority
is consistent with the across-tho
board percentage program for re
pwtMNiils now being made by _
certain groups for some form of a *
Federal sales tax.”
On the proposal to allow all
married couples to divide their in
oomes for tax purposes, Mr. Woll
pointed out that this would be of
particular benefit only to couples
with incomes above $5,000 and
urged that such action be taken
only after reduction of taxes on
low incomes and the elimination
of certain excise taxes.
Mr. Woll presented a positive
program for tax revision which
called for the increasing of per
sonal exemptions for low income
taxpayers, elimination of excise
taxes on 10 commodities, and the
plugging of existing loopholes in
the tax laws.
He recommended that “the
highest priority be given in any
program for reduction of individ
ual income taxes to increasing
personal exemptions, and that $2.5
billions of revenue reduction be
utilised immediately to grant
such relief to the lowest income
groups.”
On the subject of excise taxes,
he urged the immediate repeal of
the tax now levied oh oleomar
garine, transportation of persons
and property, electric light bulbs,
matches, women’s purses, toilet
preparations, and lubricating oil.
In addition Mr. Woll recommend
ed cutting the tax on admissions
and on telephone and telegraph
service by 60 per cent.
N. Y. Firms Face
Serious Charges
Washington, D. C.—In an
other action designed to stamp
oat tho trend toward monop
oly control hr .big bnainoaa in
ternets, tho Jsstke Depart
ment charged that 17 New
York investment bankers hare
a stranglehold an the nation’s
security hnsinaas.
Attorney General Tom C.
Clark annannead that a salt had
been instituted in the New
York Federal Coart charging
the bankers with riotstions of
the anti-tnut laws in handling
•t per cent of tho stock and
bands issaad daring the last
nine years, and valued at $14
billion.
The Gamnaent asked for
injunctions against the banking
houses and their partners, and
asked siso thst the Investment
Bankers Association of Amer
ica be broken sp by court or
4or.
The Government suit accused
the bankers of conspiring to
dominate the stock and bond
business by txiag the prices
and terms of new issues, and
by strangling competitive bid
The
with
wore charged
not to
On hm 4)
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