Editorial
CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURN *L & DIXIE FARM NEWS
Published Weekly at Charlotte, N. C. __
g. A. SUlls, Editor and Publisher W. M. Witter, Associate Editor
Entered as second-class mail matter September 11, 1981, at the Post
Office at Charlotte, N. C., under Ahe Act of Congress of March 3, 1879
7sUBSCRIPTION RATES: 82.00 per year, payable in advance or
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ADVERTISING RATES for commercial advertising reasonable.
Official Organ of the Charlotte Central Labor Union and Approved by
The American Federation of Labor and the
North Carolina Federation of Labor
Address All Communications to Post Office Box 1061
Telephones 3-3094 and 4-6502
Office of Publication: 118 Blast Sixth Street, Charlotte. N. C.
The Labor Journal will not be responsible for opinions of corre
spondents. but-any erroneous reflecting upon the character, standing or
reputation of any person, firm or co*poration which may appear in
the columns of The Labor Journal will be gladly corrected when called
to the attention of the publisher. Correspondence and Open Forum
•pinions solicited. 1
f!
HIGHER WAGES BUYING LESS
Although the $50.97 average weekly earnings of factory
workers during October was slightly higher than the Sep
tember record, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
that the increase measured over a year kgo was more than
offset by soaring prices.
Thus, the 11 per cent gain in average hourly rates and
average weekly wages socred since October, 1946, has
meant nothing to the nation’s 13 million production work
ers. They have watched their weekly earnings measured
in terms of what they wi’.l buy diminish week by week
until now they and their families are worse off than a
year ago.
This fact is especially significant in view of the BLS
report showing, that the average workweek was the same
for the two periods chosen for comparison. It points up
graphically that an American worker putting in as many
hours per week in October, 1947, as he did in October, 1946.
and earning more dollars per week for his labor, is worse
ofT in terms of what that weekly wage will purchase.
On top. of all this, productivity has increased. Workers
are turning out more goods and services in the same num
ber of hours than they did a year ago. In return for their
improve efficiency, which according to the critics of labor
is the only basis for wage increases, workers have slipped
farther down the economic scale. They have had to tighten
their belts, reduce their standard of living, and draw upon
past savings in desperate attempt's to keep up with the
rising cost of living. They have been forced to make these
adjustments and sacrifices in return for their efforts in
boosting the nation's production to record levels.
And what have they seen during this past year of strug
gle to make ends meet? They have seen numerous reports
from reputable business concerns telling of the fabulous
profits reaped by industry, profits running in some cases
better than 100 per cent over a year ago. They have read
extra dividend announcements or notices that the regular
• dividend has been increased. They have read statements
from prominent leaders implying that labor is to blame for
everything. They heard Senator Taft denounce the Presi
dent for daring to recommend that the Government of the
United States take strong action to curb the ever-increasing
danger of inflation.
It looks as though workers and consumers have been
rooked royally during the past year. What is worse is the
fact that all indications point to a greater rooking for
them in the future. Living costs are still mounting and
wholesale prices, as reported by BLS. stood at a new high
for the third straight week. These prices will be trans
lated into higher retail prices in the weeks to come, throw
ing an even greater burden upon the nation's working force.
DENHAM CRACKS DOWN ON UNIONS AGAIN
Robert N. Denham, general counsel of the National La*
bor Relations Board, is finding considerable fault with the
affidavits filed by unions as-required by the Taft-Hartley
law.
He dedared he has rejected nearly 30 per cent of the
union financial and non-Communist affidavits filed to date
because "they have been incorrectly executed.”
Unions affected will be denied the sendees of the board
for bargaining elections and processing unfair labor charges
against employers until they file corrected forms, Denham
indicated.
The most common error, Denham reported, is the failure
of local unions to furnish their membership with the same
data as' that which they"are required to file with the Sec
retary' of Labor.
"The most common mistake is for union leaders simply
to post a copy of the union’s financial report on the bul
letin board, or to announce that the books are open for
anvone who wants to look at them.’.’ he said.
“This is not sufficient. Unions must endeavor to distri
bute copies of the required data to all their members."
Evidently Mr. Denham intends to go out of his way to
force unions to spend money and time in printing financial
reports for distribution to each and every union member.
He apparently is ignoring the common practice used by
most large AFL unions of printing their financial reports
in their monthly journals or other type of union publics
tiontion which go regularly to their members.
His action must be taken as additional evidence that he
is determined to crack down on unions whenever an excuse
presents itself.
Denham said local unions also are failing to file non-Com
« munist affidavits for each of their officers. He reported,
however, that so far 2,176 local and 125 international un
ions have completed the filing of these forms. They in
clude 1,434 AFL, 108 CIO and 634 independent local un
ions, and 70 AFL, 20 CIO and 35 independent international
unions.
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NATION WILL REQUIRE
500.000 NURSES IN I960
Washington, D. C.—Est'mates
of the future need for professional
nurses, released by the Women’s
lureau of the Department of La
bor, indicate that 500,000 to 550,
O00 professional nurses, are some
200,000 more than were available
in 1946, will be required by 1960
if current standards of nurs n„'
are maintained.
The 1960 needs cannot even be
approached, the bureau points out,
if training does not proceed at
the highest rate reached during
the war and if graduates each
year from 1961 to 1960 do not
number from 43,000 to 45,000.
The bureau report states that
the largest graduating class pro
duced as a result of increased
training initiated in wartime un
der the Cadet Nurse Corps has
been attained this year, with the
graduation of 44,700 nurses. Dur
ing the next few years, according
to estimates of the Natioital
League of Nursing Education, the
number of graduates will be con
sideraly smaller: 37,700 in 1948,
20,600 in 1949, and 26,700 in 1950.
FEDERAL CIVILIAN ROLLS
INCREASE IN OCTOBER
Washington, D. C.—At the be
ginning of November, 1947, a total
of 1.773,900 civilian employes were
in the executive departments and
a (render of the Federal Govern
ment in continental United SHates,
according to preliminary figures
announced by he United States
Civil Service Commission. Com
pared with a month ago, this
represents an increase of approxi
mately 7,300 employes.
In Washington, D. C., the total
at the beginning of November was
195-400, practically unchanged
.rom one month ago.
HOME BUILDING LOANS
AT RECORD $444 MILLION
Washington, D. C.—Construc
tion loans given to home builders
by the 1,477 Federal Savings and
Loan Associations increased 41
per cent in' the 12 months ended
September 30 over the compar
able period a year earlier, Har
old Lee, governor of the Federal
| Home Bank Loan System, report
i ed. •
He said the large increase was
spurred by veterans taking ad
vantage of the GI Bill of Rights.
The $444,000,000 borrowed from
the associations in the 12 months
established a record for the fed
eral-chartered institutions. Mr.
Lee said state-chartered building
and loan companies had reported
the same trend.
THE MARCH OF LABOR
E-TINTHOP
ONB PERCENT OP
ALL. AMERICAN
CORPORATIONS
OWN S2X OP THE
TOTAL. CoRfbRAIS.
ft
_jN ONE OUT OF FIVE NORMAL
FAMILIES M 1946 BOTH HUSBAND
AND WIFE WERE WORKING.
G§0 BUSINESS tVMCH DEPEMOS TOR
05 EXISTENCE ON PAY1N6 LlSS THAN
LIVING WAGES TO IT* WORKERS HAS j
AMT RlfiMT TO CONTINUE. IN THIS
COUNTRY* ^
FRANKLIN
9
I
SHE BEST IN BOTH MATS Aif>
■PS AW! UNiON-AiADB. TO
SC SUBS THE HAT OR CAP lOU
SUV <S UNlOH-MACC ICO* (Oft <
THIS UNIOM lA0£t UNDER THE
SWEATBANtX
‘KNOW THE ICE CREAM YOU EAT*
OUR PLEDGE OF QUALITY ON EACH PACKAGE
PET DAIRY PRODUCTS CORP.
M.K T
30,800 HANDICAPPEu
GOT JOB8 IN OCTOBER
Washington, D. C.—Secretary
of Labor Lewis M. Schwellenbach
reported that 30.800 physically
handicapped workers got jobs
through the United States Em
ployment Service during October,
a peacetime record.
Robert C. Goodwin, director of
the service, said that three-fifths
of the placements were handi
capped war veterans. He said
that for the first time the total
number of unemployed disabled
veterans registered at public em
ployment offices fell below 100,
000. October placements cut the
disabled veteran registration to
92,000.
After reading The Journal, pass
it on to year neighbor!
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