Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / March 29, 1951, edition 1 / Page 1
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£ WASHINGTON WEEKLY COLUMN Deadline: June M It’s time to ask your Senators and Congressmen what they’re going to do about the defense program between now and June 30. That’s the day price and wage controls, rent control and con sumer and real estate credit con trols die. All of these—excel t the rent ceiling law—are included in the Defense Production Act of 1950. A good time to talk to your Representative and Senators is during the Congressional recess. Most Congressmen will Me at home March 26 to April L And many Senators will he at borne at least part of that time, i Tell them the need for strong action against high prices and swollen war profits. The messenger boys for Big Business on Capitol Hill are sharp ening their knives. They are ready to cut to pieces any legis lation that will place a fair share of the defense burden on the bus iness and industrial giants and the landlords. The oil lobby, the real estate lobby and the various “fronts” for Big Business will try every trick in the book to make sure that the little man will pay most of the taxes while, at the same time, his wages are controlled and his bills for food, clothing and shelter soom to the skies. y> hat about your representa tives in Congress? Are they willing to close the tax loop holes? Do they want a stiffer tax on war profits? Will they vote for a ceiling on rents? Talk to them—and aak them to answer.you in detail. }lei$aiqipr; June M is the deed%lT*— Home Owner’s Holdup Look at this: A man sells his home for a profit. He then has to pay as much for another house as his old one was sold for. Is he just as well off? Not on your life. He has to pay a "capital gains” tax of 25 per cent on the profit he made on his first home—even though he was forced to sell it because he had to move to an other city, or ft. e other nec essary reason. So ^te goes into debt to house his family in an other home. If he sells his house at a loss, he cannot deduct it as a "capital loss” from his income tax. That's because he did not buy the house «s a business investment or spec ulation. • • « Now look *t a real estate spec ulator; If he sells a house, he pays the capital sains tax and keeps 75 per cent of the profit. He doesn’t have to pay the higher income tax on hia profit. And he doesn’t have to worry about housing his famliy because the house wasn’t his home. If the speculator sells at a loss, be can claim a “capital loss” and j take it off his income tax. With hundreds of thousands of defense workers and their fami- j lies moving about the country, it is necessary that Congress fix the tax laws so as not to penalize home owners who have to sell the houses they live in. 1. RHODES REGISTERS FOR UDOR INSTITUTE IN KNOXVILLE MAY 12 KNOXVILLE—(Special)—J. L. Rhodes, southern director of or ganization of the American Fed eration of Labbr, has registered for the one-day labor inst’tute here May 12. Ed Wells is chairman of. the education committee of the Knox ville Central Labor Union, which committee is in charge of conduct ing the program. Mr. Rhodes will be invited to address the institute One great trouble with a past is that it’s often aa ever-present 16 Million Trade Unionists To Fight For Equal Sacrifice In U. S. Defense Emergency Organized Labor’s Program for Action Sixteen million trade unionists are united behind a six-point pro gram to bring democracy to the defense program. The six-point plan of action was adopted unanimously by 700 representatives of the AFL, CIO and Railroad Brotherhoods at a meeting March 1 in Washington called by the United Labor Pol icy Committee. The program stresses the im portant fact that unorganised, as well as organized workers, house wives, farmers, small business men and pensioned old folks must work together to get a fair de fense program. The most important objective is Congressional passage of a workable Defense Production Act. The present law—cornerstone of the defense program—ends June 30. The plan of action calls for the formation of local consumer com mittees, wide distribution of vot ing record* of Congressmen on de fense bills, visits to Senators and Representatives, meetings through out the country and wide use of all methods of publicity. 4, Here is the six-point program: 1. Enlist co-operation in sup port of this anti-mflation pro gram from all community organi sations which support our demo cratic institutions and are devoted to the anti-totalitarian objectives of America's* defense program. 2. Promote public meetings, ra dio and television programs, speeches before community groups and other appropriate means of alerting every eitizen to the need for improved defense mobilization and anti-inflation policies. 3. Forward letters, telegrams, petition* and memorials to Pres ident Truman and Members of Congress in support of the prin ciple of equal sacrifice and fair play in the mobilisation program. Our first objective is the improve raent of the Defense Production Act. 4. Help establish local consum er committees through which the the developments in Washington, violations of price regulations may be publicized, and to co operate with public-spirited mer chants for local anti-inflation pro grams. 6. Encourage authorised dele gations from labor and other groups to seek appointments with Senators and Congressmen during the forthcoming Easter recess to set forth the problems of the con sumer. 6: Secure the widest publicity through the labor press and, if necessary, through the purchase of local radio time and newspaper space, for the voting record of Senators and Congressmen on major bills affecting the fight against inflation and for a better defense mobilization program. McCarthy, McCormick Boss Butler Now As They Did In Maryland Election Campaign Sen. John M. Butler (R., Md.) is beiny called the Charlie McCar thy of the Senate. Part of the time Batler aits on the knee of Sen. Joaeph McCarthy (R,, Wls.). The rest of the time be la on the knee of Col. Robert McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune. If neither McCarthy nor McCor mick is around, Botler says noth mg. - , > The Washington Post pointed out March 16 the ^voters * ” . . land “were hoodwinked into purg ing Millard Tydings — and they got in his place a Charlie Mc Carthy.” Testimony before a Senate Elections subcommittee investi gating the 1960 Maryland Sena torial campaign shows how Mc Carthy and McCormick put words into Butler's mouth: |# The Butler campaign news paper with a fake picture showing. Former Sen. Millard Tydings (D.) and Communist leader Earl Browder talking in a friendly way was McCarthy’s idea. Most of the material in the pa per came from McCarthy. ~The paper was written, edited and printed by McCormick in the plant of the Washington Times Hersld, which he owns. 2, McCormick imported from Chicago to Maryland a man ager for Butler's campaign. The manager, Jon Jonkel, a Chicago press agent, told the subcommit tee how he spoon-fed Butler: “We would have to dictate part of his releases and part of his statements over the telephone to him. He followed that day in and day out across the State.” GETS UGLIER “The deeper the Mearoney subcommittee gees into the Si y*ri»er "rsr^TS Louis Past Dispatch, March 1. Jl Butler’s 'campaign manager worked closely with McCar thy. McCarthy’s henchmen were in and out of the Butler campaign office all the time. McCarthy gave his office staff orders to do everything they possibly could for Butler. McCarthy’s office was a clearing house for funds for the Butler campaign. McCarthy begged the duPonts, wealthy Tex as and Oklahoma oil men and oth er big businessmen-for money for Butler’s campaign. Several thousand dollars in Butler campaign contributions were rounded up by McCarthy and tunneled through his office to the Butler headquarters in Baltimore. ^ McCarthy got $5,000 from Alvin Bentley, wealthy Mich igan industrialist, to pay for mail ing Butler poet cards throughout Maryland. The actual mailing was supervised by McCarthy. Now McCarthy is trying to save Butler’s nefck in the present in vestigation: Two men who work for McCar thy and another who used to, have admitted talking over their testimony before the subcommit tee in advance with McCarthy. Part of the testimony of a for mer employee was written in Mc Carthy’s office. Social Securer Program Should Be Extended To Ghre Fuller Coverage The nation’s social security program looks pretty good. But its still not enough. The social security amendments of 1950 strengthened, the program and brought 10 million more persons under its coverage. There still ire 15 million farm ers, farm workers and other self employed people in miscellaneous industries who are not covered. M3o long as there remain large groups and major economic risks which are not covered, the pre gram falls short of fulfilling Its purpose,” the Social Security Ad* ministration says in its I960 re port. The Social Security Admini stration makes these recommen dations: 1. A national system of con tributory social insurance. A na tional system of social insurance administered on a decentralized basis is the most economical way of getting benefits to those who need them. 2. Complete coverage of all workers. Coverage should be ex tended so more families could provide for themselves. S. Protection against loss of (Continued On Page 4) LABOR SHOULD 6ET M6HTFUL PUCE IN MERGHCY SETUP The International Ladies’ Gar ment Worker* Union strongly urges a voice for Labor in the Mobilization program. “Among the great sectors of our population. Organized Labor, as spokesman for the millions of | wage earners and their families, obviously should take its rightful I place in the Defense Mobilization ! Policy-making and Policy-Execu j tion Agnecies,” the Executive Board of the ILGWU said in a recent statement. “Simple and understandable as this is, the emerging mobilization apparatus presents a picture of practically business monopoly as if executive talent is the gift solely of our bankers and indus trialists . . ' “In the light of the fumbling and wholly ineffective Initial price control regulation promulgated after weeks of procrastination, weeks that were utilized by most business interests to jack up prices mercilessly, the Wage Earners of America have a right to believe that with Labor Rep resentatives in the Policy-Making Agencies such farcical price con trol without any rollbacks of any kind would not have been pos sible” DEFENSE JUOED BY C0I6RESSW0MM Former Rep. Mary T. Norton (D., N. J.) is advising the Labor Dept, on the rote of women in the defense program. Appointment of Mrs. Norton as “womanpower” consultant to Sec-! retary of Labor Maurice Tobin was announced March 20. Mrs Norton also will be chairman of the department’s Women’s Ad-1 visory Committee on Defense Manpower. Last year Mrs. Norton decided ; to retire from the House, where she had served with distinction for 25 years. One of the best friends the working man and women of America have ever had ! in Congress, Mrs. Norton was chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee for several years. She was one of the leaders in the fight for the Wagner Act and the Wage-Hour Act. She is a vigorous opponent of the Taft Hartley Act. DR. FRANK GRAHAM DR. FRANK GRAHAM SWORN IN BEFORE TOP-LEVa OFFICIALS WASHINGTON, D. C. — Dr. Frank P. Graham was sworn in March 21 as Ad ministrator of the Defense Manpower Administration of the U. S. Labor Department. Attending the ceremony were top-level officials of the y. S. and foreign governments, and representatives of labor, management, and other groups. Graham is to direct, supervise, and co-ordinate all of the defense manpower activities of the Labor Depart moat, reporting directly to Secretary of Laoor Maurice J. Tobin in the performance of these functions. The new Administrator is former president of the Universi ty of North Carolina. He was a member of the National Defense Mediation Board in 1941-42 and a public member of the National War Board from 1942 to 1945. He served as U. S. Senator from North. Carolina from 1949 to 1950. Graham will have as his chief deputy Robert C. Goodwin, who will retain his position as Ex ecutive Director of the Defense Manpower Administration. Among those present in Sec retary Tobin’s office when Dr. Graham took oath of office were U. S. Senators Olin D. Johnston (S. C), Herbert H. Lehman (N. V. ), Hubert H. Humphrey (Minn.), Clyde R. Hoey (N. C.), George D. Aiken (Vt.), Harley M. Kil gore (W. Va.), Theodore F. Green (R. I.), and Representative Thur mond Chatham (N. C.) Others include Dr. Ali Sestro am id jo jo, Ambassador Plenipo tentiary from the Republic of the United States of Indonesia; Arthur S. Flemming1, Chairman, Manpower Policy Committee, Of fice of Defense Mobilisatirfn; An na Rosenberg, Assistant Secre tary of Defense for Manpower; Robert Ramspeck, Chairman, Civ il Service Commission; and Fran ces Perkins, member of the Civil Service Commission and former Secretary of Labor. Labor representatives included George Harrison, president of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, AFL; Jacob Potofsky, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, CIO; and George Weav er, on leave as director of the CIO’s Anti-Discrimination Com mittee and now special assistant to the chairman of the National Security Resources Board. Labor Department officials present were: Secretary Tobin, Under Secretary Michael J. Gal vin, Assistant Secretaries Ralph Wright and Philip M. Kaiser, the heads of various bureaus of the Department, and Mary T. Norton, woman power consultant to the Secretary of Labor . The New Jersey State Federa tion of Labor has gained 111 new union affiliates in five months. Thirty-nine different crafts are represented. - - yv Afcmwi, ION — Representatives of 16 million trade unionists have issued a Declaration of Principles to be foU towed in the fight for a democratic defense program. The declaration was approved unanimously by 700 lead. ?ra *he AFL, CIO and Railroad Brotherhoods at a meet* ing March 21 in Washington. The meeting was called by the United Labor Policy Committee. in clear, simple language the declaration shows the people have been frozen out of the defense program by the big businessmen running it. “As the defense mobilization program has unfolded, we have come to the inescapable conclu sion that the democratic principle of equality of sacrifice has been abandoned by the Congress and by those charged with the admin istration of the mobilisation pro gram,” the declaration states. Here toe. some highlights of the declaration: Defense Production Act The present Defense Produc tion Act, adopted by Congress last year, expires June 30. It contains fatal weaknesses and built-in special privilege. Yet, It provides insecure foundation for our whole defense stabilization program. Congress must proceed imme diately to the consideration of a new Defense Production Act. It must eliminate dangerous defects in the existing law ... Is is our duty, the duty of the American people, to notify Congress in clear and unmistakable terms that we insist on an honest and ef fective law to serve as the basis for a revised defense program... Price Controls The price orders issued by the Office of Pries Stabilisation . . represents a fraud and a decep tion of the public. Instead of controlling prices and rolling back living costs to reasonable and justifiable levels, the Office of* Price Stabilization haa ap proved margins of profit which admittedly will result in even higher prices. Wage Stabilization Any system that freezes wages and salaries before it controls the cost of living is a system of op pression, not stabilization. An equitable system of wage stab ilization can only be made effec- ; tive when living costa are actual-! ly controlled , . . The wage program can and should be flexible enough to per mit justice and equity to be done to„th* n»tion’» wage earner*, ft rauat honor all existing collective bargaining agreements. protect hMic living atandards, allow for improvementa in keeping with technological progress, and per* rait adjustments to correct hard ships, inequities and substandard wage rates. . . . Rousing And Rent Controls Congress has failed the people on housing programs and rent control. Here again the Admini stration has not fought hard enough to protect the public in terest. With acute housing shortages still existing, tight rent controls must be enacted for the duration of the national emergency. The Government cannot evade its re sponsibility for making certain that defense housing is available at reasonable rents for workers moving to defense production cen ters. Tsxss The heavy cost# of th# defense program can and should be fi nanced on a pay-as-you-go basis, insofar as possible. Labor ac cepts its fair share of the un avoidable burden, as do the American people generally . , . Our tax laws must be mads to conform with the historic Ameri can principle that taxes should be levied in accordance with tb* hbWtyrte pay. Civilian Manpower Civilian manpower policies and administration can and should bt entrusted to responsible repre sentatives of management and labor on both national and local levels. Any system which con scripts citisens to work in indus try is no longer free. Participation From top to bottom, the de fense program has been staffed by men drawn from executive positions in big business. Labor, the farmer, small busi ness and independent consumer groups must be- given full repre sentation on all mobilization and stabilisation agencies — at the policy making and administrative levels. Corporate Profits „ Jump 22% After Korean War 9 Corporate profits increased by 22 per cent in the six months be tween the time the Korean war started and January 1, 1951. That’s after all taxes, including excess profits taxes, were paid. The President’s Council of Eco nomic Advisers reports the an nual rate of corporate profits amounted to #20.8 billion in the riuaftlr eh<fTHjr last June 30. They skyrocketed by $6.8 billion to 126.7 billion—an all-time record— by January 1. That also is a Jump of $10.7 billion over the $16 billion rate for the first quarter of 1950, and sn increase of $9.8 billion—or 73 per cent—over the rate for the last quarter of 1949. Did your pay increase 22 per cent in the last half of 1950? Did it jump 73 per cent between De cember 31, 1949, and December 31, 1960? Here are some profit state ments by well-known companies. International Nickel The International Nickel Co. made, after taxes, 50 per cent more last year than in 1949. In 1960 International Nickel’s profits totaled nearly $49 million. That’s about $17 million more than its 1949 profits of a little better than $32 million. Celanese Corporation The Celanese Corp., the nation’s biggest textile firm, reported 1960 profits, after taxes, twice aa big M HIX. Profits last year totaled more than $40 million contrasted to 1949 profits of only around $21 million. Last year Lockheed Aircraft Corp. made, after taxes, $7.2 mil lion—almost one-third more than its 1949 profits of $5.S million. Carthw-Wright Curtiss-Wright Corp. announced its profits, after taxes, last year more than doubled. In 1950 Cur tiss-Wright made $7.3 million. In 1949 the company earned only $2J million. Motorola Last year Motorola, Inc., a big television and radio company, made after taxes, 142 per cent more than in 1949. Its 1950 earn ings amounted to $12.8 million contrasted to only $5.3 million in 1949. J. C. Penny J. C. Penny Co., a department store chain, announced its 1950 profits, after taxes, set a now high. Last year Penney’s earned almost $45 million. That’s $3 million more than its previous record profit of nearly $42 mil lion in 1949. Cities Service The Cities Serivce Co. reported it is in the “strongest H position in the company's his Lockheed
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 29, 1951, edition 1
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