VOL. XXI; NO. 8
CHARLOTTE. N. C, THURSDAY, JUNE 28. 1M1
Subscription Price 12.00 Per Y«f
Put On the Heat • • ./
UNION LABEL WEEK—SEPT. 2-8
Frank Edwards Says:
One For The Books .
It takes cotton to fire artillery
•hells . . . and the Chniese Com
munists in the last offensive used
a surprising amount of artillery
fire upon United Nations troops.
Where did it come from?
In 1950, American cotton ex
putters sold the ***««•• Beds
$28,000,000 worth of cotton. After
Korea was invaded by the Com
munists, American cotton traders
•old $11,000,000 worth of cotton.
How many dollars worth of
American cotton does it take to
kill American, British, French,
Turkish and Greek boys in Ko
rea?
see
Help For The inters . . .
The Federal 'CcC *is
tration soon will a. . -> to
approve a plan to provide 60
days free hospital care each year
for those 65 years or over who
are now receiving or are eligible
for old age benefits.
Those old • people—7 million of
them—cannot' buy hospitalization
insurance at their age. The pres
ent Social Security Fund has a
surplus which can easily take
care of them.
Miscellaneous Comments ...
The House of Representatives,
which scuttled the Public Hous
ing Program, has passed a bill
providing gold lapel buttons for
families of service men killed in
These buttons will enable the
families to look very distin
guished as they search for a
shack to live in.
see
Hats Off—Senator Benton
' Congratulations to Senator Ben
ton (D.) of Connecticut for try
ing to save some TV wave
length’ for educational needs.
S ' * *" ^vnton, though he
msd"1’ trf ney In commercial
advertising—or maybe because of
it — is frankly skeptical about
commercial stations meeting edu
cational needs. It is his opinion
that the radio networks are doing
a poorer educational job than 20
years ago. He proposes a review
board to check oil both TV and
radio to see that each is filling
its responsibilities to the public.
Here is a table developed by Dr. Richard Murphy of the Uni
versity of Illinois to determine how food a union IMOUPC »:
?? WAS IT A GOOD UNION MEETING ??
(Check Yea or No.)
Yea No
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
0.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
16.
16.
17.
18.
1».
20.
Did the meeting begin promptly?..... ’ " ■
Did the meeting adjourn in reasonable time. - ..—.
Were all reports of officers, committees, etc.
ready and presented in good order?...-. -.
Was an agenda followed?.—.. T.
Were the Constitution. By-Laws, and
rules of order followed?
Were proposals for action put in specific
motions? .—.—•*..-....
Did the discussion reflect the various opinions
and interests of the members?..—
Was there ENOUGH discussion to show what
the membership really thought?.-. * .
Was the discussion good tempered? ....—.
Could everybody hear what was said?...—.
Were the members interested in the
proceedings? ......—.-.——. ...
Was necessary business transacted?.....
Were irrelevant matters excluded? ..-«.—
When work had to be done outside the meeting,
were committees or persons assigned to job?...
Was the meeting held together (no little
groups here and there in the hall having their
own meetings? ..'.......
Did the presiding officer guard against
“railroading'’ ? .-.....— ---—•
Did the officers conduct the meeting with
meaning and dignity? --—...—— —.- .—
Was there an atmosphere of freedom—of give
and take? .------—
Was your faith in your union strengthened
by what went on at the meeting?.—...—--—
Yu I glad I came to meeting?..
Totals.-—.-.-.
laat page to see what yew
Good Minimum Wage
And Job Standards
A Defense Necessity
"Washington. — Good minimum
wage programs can be of “inval
uable aid” in attracting new re
cruits to the labor market, both
in defense* work un i as replace
ments in the “on Jamorous” but
essential civilian services, Under
Secretary of Labor Michael J.
Galvin told State minimum wage
administrators from all over the
country.
The "State officials met hete
May 24 and 25 at their annual
conference under the auspices of
the U. S. Labor Department’s
^Women’s bureau.
Galvin stressed that Wage Sta
bilisation Board policies do not
bar the efforts of States to ob
tain minimum wages "consistent
with the basic purpose of State
minimum wage laws—namely, liv
ing wages.” Many State govern
ments, he noted, are now “moving
ahead energetically” to revise and
issue minimum wage orders bring
ing the minimum wage closer inte
line with the current cost of liv
ing.
“There is, however, another area
of State labor legislation for wo
men where we feel that great
vigilance is needed,” Galvin warns.
“I am referring to the attempts
which are being made—supposed
ly as an aid to the defense effort
—to relax or waive the employ
ment standards which are con
tained in various laws which many
irye* *r» responsible for admin
istering—notably these establish
ing maximum daily and weakly
hears of work for women, speci
fied meal and rest periods, and
prohibiting night work.”
To waive these standards, he
said, would lead to lowered pro
duction.
■
WSB Okays 75 Cents
Base Pay
Washington.—The Wage Stabil
ization Board announced that wage
increases made after January 16,
1950, to comply with the 1949 am
endments of the Fair Labor Stand
ards Act, may be incorporated into
a company’s base period pay level
for the purpose of computing al
lowable increases under General
Wage Regulation 6. (The 10 per
cent ceiling.)
» Employers desiring to incor
porate the Fair Labor Standards
Act increases into their base pe
riod pay level must obtain ad
vance approval of the board be
fore making such a change. Such
petitions may be disposed of by
WSB Executive Director Robben
W. Fleming.
WSB also announced a revision
of General Wage Regulation 10
covering tandem wage adjust
ments.
Regulation 10, as originally is
sued March 8 by the Economic
Stabilization Administrator, had
limited tandem relationships to
employe units in the same indus
try and labor market area. The
amended regulation removes that
limitation.
The board also altered the re
quirement that tandem increase
had to follow in strict chronolog
ical order. The change requires
only that the tandem adjustment
be directly related” to the other.
TRAVELERS
During 1950 some 320,000 Ameri
cans went to Europe on an aver
age two-month trip and spent
$226,000,000 for transportation,
fan, food, sights and lodging, ac
cording to the Commerce Depart
ment. This was the second big
gest traveling year for Ameri
cans. Hie biggest year area in
19C9, when 360,000 Americans
went to Europe, spendinj less,
however—$*1*,000,000. , .
I
Asks Labor Co-Operation
WILLIAM GREEN
27 States Aiding Small Business
To Win Defense Production Role
COMMISSIONS FORMED, CO-OPERATE WITH DPA
. f
Twenty-seven states have organized State Small Business
Commissions or have delegated small business duties to an
existing organization, in response to a request of the De
fense Production Administration. Twelve more states have
indicated their intention to form such commissions.
While policies end program*
vary with the states, in general
the corora iMiona are directing
their effort* to help small busi
ness in the following field*:
1. To convert to defense pro
duction.
2. To find new markets.
3. To explain and publicise the
effect of federal controls and reg
ulations.
4. To give leadership, assist-,
ance and support to all reason- j
able demands for scarce materi
als and supplies.
5. To aid in selling to federal
agencies and their prime con
tractors.
6. To obtain prime and subcon
tracts for local manufacturers.
7. To conduct or encourage re
search for substitute materials.
8. To improve techniques and
managerial factors.
9. To make available the tech
nical knowledge and skill avail
able within the state or from the
federal government.
10. To review manpower re
quirement* and wage price regu
lations.
Technical sun-comnwuees
Some commissions have organ
ized statewide technical subcom
! rr it tees which work closely with
! the Department of Commerce,
j Office of Technical Services.
Almost all the commissions are
making an accurate, detailed in
j ventory of plant facilities in their
j states, and are organizing, or have
. already organized, co-operating
; committees on the commuiyjty lev
| el to work on these problems.
Most commissions are studying
| regulatory measures and orders
1 of the Defense Production Admin
i istration, National Production Au
I thority and other defense agen
: cies to evaluate the impact of
I these regulations upon their loval
i industries and grades. They are
encouraged to make an immedi
ate tie-in with the Department of
! Commerce field offices.
New Hampshire has organized
1 a finance organization through
which about 80 industrialists and
j bankers will provide venture cap
ital for small business.
In Florida alt major procure
ment centers have been contacted
and small buainess clinics are be
ing held throughout the state
’which consider problems in all
fields of assistance. Several ex
hibits of subcontract item* are
1 also being staged. The Florida
[Commission follows through on
complaints of members, carrying
them to Washington for. solution
when necessary.
To Famish Data
Kentucky announced it will
establish a file showing how
small firms can secure scarce ma
terials.
In California the commission is
under the State Division of Em
ployment Development and Stabi
lization. This commission Is well
equipped to consult procurement
agencies, develop programs and
locate acarce materials. The Cal
ifornia commission also holds
clinics and panels which serve as
an exchange, placing at the dis
posal of the small businessman the
experience of others in the same
trade or industry.
Michigan is experimenting with
different types of organizations
under the Department of Econom
ic Development of the Michigan
Defense Production Council.
There is active interest In acqui
sition of scarce materials, con
version to substitute market* and
obtaining defense contracts.
Minnesota and Oregon have
suggested amendments to exist
ing orders, and have made rec
ommendations regarding nationat
policy and programs.
New York has done an out
standing job in statewide dissem
(Continued On Page 2)
URGES UNIONS AND MEMBERS TO WRITE THEIR
. CONGRESSMEN BEFORE JULY 10 TO VOTE
STRONG PRICE, RENT CONTROLS
WASHINGTON.—AFL President William Green called on
AFL unions and their members to make enactment of a
strong Defense Production Act their "chief topic of union
business during the next 30 days."
Mr. Green urged the 8 million AFL members to write
their congressmen before July 10 asking them to vote for a
strong new law to replace the <Sne expiring June 30,
"The issue involved in this fight is very simple,” Mr.
Green said in letters to officers of national and Internation
al unions, state federations of labor, Central and Federal
Labor Unions.
“Are we or ere we not going
to have a comprehensive anti-infla
tion program that will carry out
the principle of equality of sacri
fice under the defense program?
“If the business and real estate
lobbies have their way, the law
will be so severely emasculated
that the net result is likely to be
strict controls over wages with
only token controls over prices.
“Although the Defense Produc
tion Act may appear complicated
and technical, it directly affects
the lives and welfare of afi Amer
ican workers.
“To the worker earning $50 a
week, 5 per cent increase in prices
is just the same as a wage re
duction of 6 cents an hour, or
$2.50 a week."
Following is the text of the let
ter:
I am writing to ask you to des
ignate the month from June 10 to
July 10 as a period of intensive
effort to support the campaign of
the American Federation of La
bor to strengthen the Defense
Production act.
The Defense Production act be
came law oa September 8, 1060.
This is the basic law underlying
our defense program. It provides
the legal basis for both price con
trol and wage stabilization. It in
cludes authority for all credit
controls, including Regulation X
setting high down payments for
the purchase of new housing.
This law is scheduled to expire
on June 30, 1951. The Banking
and Currency committees of both
the House and Senate are now
holding hearings regarding its ex
tension. President Truman has
recommended certain changes in
the law. but the AFL, as well as
other sections of organized labor,
has made further recommenda
tions to strengthen the law. On
the other hand, fhe business and
real estate interests are deter
mined to scuttle the entire law or
at least fill it with cripppling
amendments.
Because of the slow pace at
which Congress works, it is very
unlikely that a new law will be
passed by June 30. Our best in
formation is that Congress will
vote a 15- or 30-day extension of
the law in order to keep the act
until a new law has been ap
proved.
Thus the period during the next
30 days becomes critical. The is
sue involved in this fight is very
simply. Are we or are we not
going to have a comprehensive
anti-innation program that will
carry out the principle of equal
ity of sacrifice under the defense
program? If the business and
real estate lobbies have their way,
the law will be so severely emas
culated that the net result is like
ly to be strict controls over wages
with only token controls over
prices.
If we are going to have a real
anti-inflation program, the De
fense Production act needs to be
amended in the following ways:
1. More effective price controls
over foods.
2. A strengthened rent control
program.
3. More effective enforcement of
price control. »
4. #Control over the quality of
i product is coming under price
j control.
6. Dollar - and - cents ceiling
' prices.
6. Change in requirements tor '
handling credit restrictions on
housing.
I am asking that* you make this
Defense Production act the <;hief
topic of union business during the
next 30 days. It Is essential that
loeaf Union meetings diScusss tfie
defense program and then take
action by adopting resolutions.
Most Important of all, we must
make Congressmen and Senators
realise how important this issue
is to all organised labor and to
.the American people. A7L unions
I and union members must write
individual letters explaining their
views on this issue.
The forces of reaction thrive on
ignorance. They cannot succeed
with their program if yre are vigi
lant. Although the Defense Pro
i duction act may appear compli
cated and technical,, it directly af
fects the lives and welfare of all
American workers. To the work
er earning $50 a week, 8 per cent
cent increase in prices is just the
same as a wage reduction of 8
cents an hour, or $2.50 s week.
Please keep me informed of the
progress of this campaign in your
area. If you will arrange to send
me copies of union correspond
ence sent to Congressmen and
Senators, our legislative staff in
Washington can utilise this ma
terisl in their legislative work.
RUINS RECORD
Kankankee, 111.—On the night
that Willism Nolte, president of
the local Lion’s Club, was to
honor Paul Sweeney for his per
fect attendance for the year,
* Sweeney was absent.