Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Oct. 27, 1949, edition 1 / Page 5
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AFL Council Says Trend Of Business Depends On Lifting Of Buying Power St Paul.—The AFL Executive Council declared that the future tread of economic activity “will depend primarily on steady in creaaee in wages without turning prices upward again." The lifting of consumer buying power is essential to sustain max imum production and employment, the council said in its report to the 68th AFL convention. Reviewing economic develop ments during the past year, the report asserted that the recent business slump "has been a cor rective process, net an industrial depression. The report said in part: “During 1849,, the American economy has been going through a period or readjustment accom panied by declines in prices, pro duction and employment. This has been a difficult period for all con cerned. "For more than four million workers it has meant unemploy ment, and several hundred thou sand of them have been out of work longer than the unemploy ment benefit period so that their benefits have been exhausted. Many of those employed have had their incomes cut by part-time work. “For business, the recession has meant a 14 per cent reduc tion in total profits (after taxes) for the second quarter of 1949 compared to the peak 1948 levels, and an 80 per cent increase in business failures. Price declines reduced sales income, returning competition have brought difficul ties for employers and made them resist granting wage Increases. “The recession, however, has been a corrective process, not an industrial depression. Various economic maladjustments had arisen during the postwar busi ness boom. “During the recession, important progress has been made in cor DUBINSKY GREETS CHICAGO GROUP David Dubinaky (second from left), presiOeat of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and AFL Vice president, chats at) St. ml convention with (L to r.) Joseph Keenan, director of Labor's Leone for Political Education: William Leo. Chicago Federation of Labor, and Morris Bislis, ILGWU vice president, all of Chicago. In Belle's Men's Store Nylon Shirts 8.95 Wonderfully washable white nylon shirts that require little or no ironing. Fashioned of 100 per cent DuPont nylon. Regular collar. Sizes 14 to 17, sleeve lengths 32 to 35. Manhattan Shirts 3.65 Dress up in these excellent Manhattan shirts fashioned with a spread collar and French cuffs. In pastel shades of blue, green, tan, yellow and lavendar. Sizes 14 to 17 V4. sleeve lengths 32 to 35. BELK’S MEN’S STORE recting these maladjustments. The downturn in prices, which started with farm products about mid* 1948, as the world food shortage was overcome, extended to indus trial products late last year. Since then a general downward price adjustment has been under way throughout the economy. “Beside the price decline, other important economic adjustments have taken place since midsum mer of 1948. With the return of competition and the decline in prices and sale income, manage ment is showing new interest in cutting costs and increasing pro ductivity. Siuee the first half of 1948, productivity has been rising again at the rate of 2.3 per cent a year, a figure which is close to normal. • • “The recession has also brought drastic cuts in inventories, so that over a large part of industry inventories are in much better balance. This will permit new low cost goods to flow through quick ly to the market. “Since the end of the general consumer price rise (August, 1948). wage increases are no long er offset by price rises and work ers’ ‘real’ wage or buying power has been rising gradually, and reached $1.35 per hour in June. 1949. Wage increases won by affiliated unions in 1949 have for the most part been between 5 cents and 15 cents per hour, but even if these increases have been smaller than in _ previous postwar years, they have brought more benefit to our members because they have been real and not can celled by price rises. “The federation recognises that the corrective process now going on is essential to restore economic health, and that as it is completed economic activity will of itself re turn to normal relationships kept sound by competition.” JANUARY RALLIES WILL START GOMPERS MEMORIAL CAMPAIGN (Coatianed Prow Par* 4) gram, such as extended federal aid for hospital construction, school health and local health units. The AFL must continue to emphasise its long-standing position that the health problem of working people will not be adequately met except through a comprehensive and all inclusive system of prepaid health insurance so that the economic barrier between patient and doctor is removed. Taxation—Wartime excise taxes should be repealed. Federal, state and local tax systems should be integrated. Taxes on sales, pay rolls and amusements should be repealed and progressive tax pro grams adopted at all levels based on the ability-to-pay principle. Radio and press public relations —All membess are urged to tell neighbors, Mends and associates and the labor press to publicise the AFL’s 6 nights a week radio broadcast to begin January 1, 1950, over 147 stations of the Mutual Broadcasting System. Labor unity—Issues which for merly divided the labor movement have largely disappeared and what ever of conflict may remain is overshadowed by far the more fun damental and serious problem con fronting labor not only here at home but in other lands as well. The road is considerably smoother and should lead to the ultimate unionism and merging of all or ganized labor under the banner of the AFL. The AFL should con tinue its efforts toward achieving this goal. Israel—The State of Israel was greeted upon its arrival among the family of nations, and its people and Histadrut trade union move ment praised for the tremendous obstacles overcome in the past year. The American people can be proud of its contributions to the world’s youngest democracy. World Federation of Trade Un ions—Not the slightest excuse ex ists for any self-respecting trade union organisation to remain af filiated with the discredited Com munist-controlled World Federation of Trade Unions. An appeal is made, particularly to the free dem ocratic trade unions of France, Italy and Israel to lose no time in severing themselves from the WFTU. AFL pledges moral and material support to a new demo cratic federation of trade unions i tv make it a powerful instrument for lasting peace. Cmm Mimw at St rzd Cat—tha of tlM in their Birthright, prasideat dost Brotherhood of _ . before 68th AFL oo platform 1. to" r.s" AFL Vice Praaideote and Confactionary Workers; W. C. _ Hairdressers; Daa W. Tracy, praei Workors, aad Matthew Wadi ot the Union. -* Meooy Tells Tobin of AFL Actiod Hungorion Leader Calls Communists Worse Than Czars St. Paul.—Charles Peyer, Hun garian trade union leader and for mer cabinet member now in exile', told the 68th AFL convention that “Bolshevik communism is a fa: more vicious imperialism than the czars of Russia ever dream *d of.’ He said that Moscow has taker, over his native Hungary and i: stalled a system which has a spy to every 10 workers. He said the living standard is constantly fall ing and the system speeds up the workers and creates class differ ences much greater than unde, the old capitalist system in Hun gary. The bureaucracy, he said far exceeds the old one and com mits so many horrors against thi workers that it is impossible to re late them in detail. Peyer impressed the delegates with a simple recital of how he had been exiled by the old Hun garian capitalist system for his trade union relationship, how he eras thrown Into a Nisi concentra tion camp, and has since been forced to flee the persecution o: the communists. He compared him self to Loszlo Rajk, who served the communist regime is ministei of the interior. “Going over things,” Peyer said, “I find that today I am in a bet ter position than Laszlo Rajk him self, who never opposed the regime but was their minister of interior, one of the pillars of their system, and who has now been sentenced to death and will be hanged. I at least am still alive.” Peyer said the communist sys tem hates liberty and democracy. “That is why every honest per son must combat it,” be said. He is a leader of the Trade Union Movement in Exile headquarters in Paris. This movement is com posed of trade union leaders ex iled from the communist controlled countries behind the iron curtain and other countries where these leaders are unwanted. Peyer described some of the fac tory conditions in Communist Hun gary. “There is a spy to every 10 work-' ers who is forced to report in the most detailed manner on all that happens or is said in the work shop,” be related. “If somebody makes a remark about the higher ups, or is too slow in finishing his work, or rushes away after hie work is done, he gets a summon* from the political police. He can call himself lucky if he gets away after a thorough beating or if he is not tried before the so-called people’s court. All is known to the workers and that is why they distrust each other and live in* terror.” He said that in present-day Hun gary people can be kept in jail forf years without being tried and sen-' tenced. Peyer said the working day is officially 8 hours but the workers arc reuired "voluntarily” to put in extra hours for the sake of com munist causes, to study Russian and attend political seminars “so that workers can only rarely get home to their families before 8 or 9 o’clock in the evening.” Peyer told how the Russians took over his country and warned others to be alert. “Those who think that their coun tries cannot be invaded are all wrong,” he said. “We once thought that we could resist it. There were people who thought that they could strike a bargain with this system The results show that they were mistaken. “Under peace propaganda slo I Leaders Pay Honor To John Dewey, 90 By ARNOLD BB1CHMAN New York Correspondent for AFL News Service New York.—On the night of Oc*. 20, several thousand of the most distinguished leaders in publ.c life outstanding trade unionists and noted intellectuals, will rise to theii feet at a dinner here to pay tribute to a great American philosopher whose thinking and writing ha. had a profound influence in shap ing our contemporary world. The philosopher is John Dewey, whose 80th birthday will become an occasion at which labor lead era, knowing what this renowned liberal has done to aid the free gans the communists invaded China and are now engaged in turning their armies and tanks against Yugoslavia. Not even Hitler him self tried as many propaganda tricks as the communist regimes employ in order to dupe the work ers." taade movement here end abroad, will pay him homage. President William Green in a statement of greetings has de clared: “No one can adequately appraise the value of the service Professor Dewey has rendered in an educa tional, scientific and thought-pro voking field. He has stimulate! -sound thinking, a more clear un derstanding of social, ec >nomic and .scientific problems.” Describing Professor Dewey as "one of the-noblest spirits of our time,” David Dubinsky, ILGWU president, declared: “John Dewey is a foremost edu cator and a revered teacher. To us in the labor movement, he is also a shining symbol of liberal democ racy whose idealism and goals are blended inseparably with the as pirations and strivings of the or ganised working masses.” The ILGWU will also contribute $10,000 toward a John Dewey Find to be presented tahta to give to 9_; liberal causes. Other labor croup* • will contribute. Among outstanding AFjb leaders who are sponsoring the dinner are Mark Starr, John P. Burps, John D. Connors, Israel Fein berg, Pat rick E. Gorman, George M. Har rison, Marx Lewis, A. Philip Ran dolph, Rebecca Simonson, Irving R. Kuenzli, Matthew Woll and Max ZariLsky. Still vigorous aad alert. Profes sor Dewey takes an aetive interest in politics and allied isrues. It was he ddjp pressed the Amer ican teacher to join forces with the labor movement, who fought for the stregthening of civil liber ties, who sought in every way to improve education in America. SENATE GROUP INCREASES AID FOR DISABLED VETS Washington. — The Senate Ft* nance Committee approved • MU which would increase payment* to disabled mm veterans, and to widows ami children of veterans. - - -«»- r “ J with This ONE ty 4 Coleman OIL HEATER OH CIRCULATES HEAT lit A Enact!... Qlt RAIIATESIEAT lit Afinfbn!... Okmkcts WARM At Fir Spit Heat! 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The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 27, 1949, edition 1
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