The potters herald. [volume], October 21, 1943, Image 4

About The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982

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PAGE FOUR
Ohio.
New Jersey.
Sebring, Ohio.
THE POTTERS HERALD
(li 'i'H 1 I. .io n.\AI, OF
THE NATIONAL BROTH KKHOOD OF OPERATIVE POTTERS
and
EAST LIVERPOOL TRADES & LABOR COUNCIL
Published every Thursday at East Liverpool, Ohio, by the N. B. of O
P., owninar and operating the Best Trades Newspaper and Jol
Printing Plant in the State.
Entered at PostotTice, Enst Liverpool, Ohio, April 20, 1902, as second
class matter. Accepted l'or mailing at Special Rates of Postaj?
provided for in Section 1108, Act of October 13, 1917, authorized
Auifust 20, 19IS.
General Office, N. B. of O. P. Building, W. 6th St., BELL PHONE 57"
HAliliY L. GILL Editor and Business Manager
Ono Year to Any Part of the United States or Canada $2.»Ki
President—James M. Huffy, P. O. Box 6, East LiverjKX)!, Ohio.
First Vice President -E. L. heat
ley. Room 215, Broad Street National
Bank Building. Trenton, S, New Jersey.
Second Vice President—Frank Hull, 6111 Pacific Blvd., Huntington
Park. Calif.
Third Vice President—James Slaven, Cannons Mills, East Liverpool,
Fourth Vice President—Charles Zimmer, 1040 Ohio Avenue, Trenton, N,
New Jersey.
Fifth Vice President—George Newbon, 847 Melrose Avenue, Trenton, I).
Sixth Vice President—George Turner, 21. \V. fourth St., East Liver
]«xl, Ohio.
Seventh Vice President—Charles Jordan, i East Virginia Avenue,
Eighth Vice President—Joshua Chadwick, .ii.t Street, Newell, West
Virginia.
Secretary-Treasurer—John D. McGillivraj. I '. ), Box 6, East Liver
}KK1, Ohio.
GENERA 1. W ARE STANDING COMMITTEE
Manufacturers M. J. LYNCH, W. A. HKTZ. J. T. HALI
0|eratives. JOHN ModLLIVRAY, LOUIS PIESLOCK, F. HAYNES
EASTERN CHINA WARE STANDING COMMITTEE
Manufacturers HEN 1). 11AKl M.S I'Y. E. K. KOOS
Oiieratives, E. L. W'HEATLEY. JOHN T. BALi)AUK, Jr., WM. OWEN
CHINA WARE STANDING COMMITTEE
Manufacturers, BEN D. HAliDESTY. E. K. KOOS, H. M. WALKER,
W. A. HET/
Operatives BERT CLARK. H. R. IIAISLOP, CHARLES JORDAN
DECORATINt STANDING COMMITTEE
Manufacturers, ltOMKKT !HK17„ Si'., MAIi'iAlihl PARKER, RAY
niiooKEs. w. A. i:i r/.
Operative, JAMEi SLAVEN, HUi) MIU.IMJ. ItOLANl) IIORTON
STATUS
OF MR. Li:\VIS
rpiTE REPORT which the convention of the
American Federation of Labor has adopted
shows clearly enough that the members still re
gard John L. Lewis with considerable suspicion.
The convention authorized the executive council
to arrange for "early reaffiliation" of the AFL
and the UMVV, but did not order or instruct it to
do so.
Mr. Lewis and his miners
!!i
under conditions stipulated !. the AFL. The
statement of Matthew V
tions committee, that "rI
to bargain away the jur
organization (of the AI
United Mine Workers"
committee rejected the
spoke "of the possibility
early reaffilh'tion," not
This reluctance to do
is easily understandable
first justify the accusal
or-ruin executive and
restored to full standing
to dominate the whole A
—a movement which lu
any other man of his gen*
In Lime, probably, I
CIO and the man or men
organization will have I
the possibility that Mr.
duced to a minimum,
cause deep anxiety tlm
labor leader who defied LI
the nation was at a des
safe man to entrust wi
time. The AFL owes it
labor in general and to
greatest care LIK» Mr. !,
a posiLion wIK
I
lie c11
of a social war.
Wilsoi
it
i
SPREADING
(1ALL1NG for a renew
work as broadly as po
acting chairman of the
has written leading war
to continue the policy
work as possible outside
This policy has the bacUi
oraLion of Labor, whic
spreading of war cont
smaller plants.
Acting ('h 11• i».:ii
ify the Aug. 7 request i
cials asking prime fonli
much work
available.
Some iii.iiMit
ally the retiuest not to s
areas, and not being sue :e
subcontractors outside
undertaken to do more At
and have cut leir vohm
a move was n con ten
to avoid critic I areas.
situation, nia.\ nuiKe
rupt conimunily traiisi
l-angements. '"he "'em
much subcont actii
emphasized. I aboi
ing the atLent on of tra
cral public to Wilson's le
ESSKN1IAL
return, if at all,
rpHE
'oil, head of the resolu
lis Council is not going
sdictional rights of any
~j) merely to admit the
speaks for itself. The
terms he proposed. It
and opportunity for the
I' desirability.
msiness with .M.\ Lewis
His tactics from the
ion that he is a rule
le suspicion that, once
he would attempt again
nerican labor movement
iias damaged more than
ration.
\FL will absorb the
ntrol of the gigantic
'emendous power. Until
iewis will wield it as re
ny "accouplcniont" will
ughoiit the country. A
e federal authoriLy when
»erate crisis is hardly a
responsibility at any
to iLs own members, to
le public to exercise the
vis is not placed in
bring us to the \t i e
WAR WORK
il uH'ort to spread war
sible, Charles I']. Wilson,
Wdr Production Hoard,
sonlractors urging them
RKl
ction
udr e
VyAUTIMK
struction
ance of niakin ent
that the nati sti
maintained in ,t
I'.ecause ct itical n
for direct war r»duct
ing is restricted to
only in-such numbc
meet the housing nee
"In view of these
all the more imperat
of homes be kept in
to descent standards^
Federal Housing Conw
guson recently pointed
jo.rity of American I
represent the only supi
available for the duratior
K'ontracting as much
critical labor areas,
jf the American Fed
as repeatedly urged
s to give work to
rro
I r..:i
I. I I, i II im i. eIi I'
ll U government olii
rs to subcontract as
wherp ihr is
i I I i jil'i i ill' lllef-
ibcontract within such
isfill in finding suitable
he critical areas, have
rk in their own plants
if ^nhronl racl ino\ Such
i I v I lie 11" e i|l
practice i voided
e local lai 'M supply
in plants idle and (lis
ation and housing ar
policy of effecting as
tossible still stands, he
lp this policy by direct-
U11111111.t..
ami the 'eii-
•r.
MRS IMPORTANT
new residential con
ihasis on the import
dperty repairs in order
of existing homes be
habitable condition,
als must be conserved
irposes,new hobe build
t'lstry areas, and there
jsoiutely necessary to
ssential workers,
ary restrictions, it is
,ut the present supply
late repair, conforming
icalth and sanitation,"
i Abner II. Fer
"I the great ma
lines, ihese properties
of housing that will be
of the war."
INSURANCE ACTION VITAL
PONGRESS must act quickly on our amend
ments to make social security adequate
:arr.v workers safely through the economic emer
gencies of postwar days. Upon the safety of labor
lepends the safety of democracy. The European
)iiase of the war may be over next summer. In
dustrial reconversion beginning with the German
irmistice will make the beginning of postwar
unemployment.
Unless the federal government is ready with
provisions against the emergencies, workers who
have given their best to make possible the win
ning of the war will find themselves jobless,
moneyless, with a rankling sense of injustice. As
i matter of discretion we ask the Administration
and Congress to make it possible for us to invest
in social insurance, so that we shall not be forced
on relief when we occasionally are unable to earn.
Labor has proposed that we invest six per
cent of our earnings and that employers pay six
per cent of payrolls to insure income during un
employment, disability and inability to work due
to old age. Under our proposal revenues raised
from social insurance would amount to eight or
nine billions annually, with national income at its
present level. This would be an increase of four
or five billions.
Our proposal would not only provide much
needed increased revenues available for war credit
but would constitute the most effective anti- infla
tion measure that can be adopted.
The Ways arid Means Committee can with
great wisdom make an increased social insurance
rate an element in its fiscal program, for it must
be considered in connection with all income tax
provisions imposed on wage-earners of other
small-income persons.
We look to this powerful commit lee for the
courage and the vision to understand that basic
social insurance supplements and buttresses our
free economy, which provides jobs for our mil
lions of wage-earners. Jobs are our main depend
ence and we look to private industry to provide
them. But to insure us against relief and to in
sure our free economy against political depend
ence, a substantial social insurance system
dispensable.
This is our first step in postwar planning and
now is the ideal time.
THOSE 15LS STATISTICS
MONTHLY cost-of-living index compiled by
]ureau of Labor Statistics of the Department
of Labor has often been criticized by organized
labor as being too conservative. It has been
charged that the cost-of-living reports issued by
the Bureau do not reflect the true statn of affairs
md therefore cannot be accepted as a basis for
wa,iie demands.
Now comes the American Statistical Associa
tion with a report that its researches show these
PLS statistics to be accurate aside from recom
mending wider coverage in gathering the data on
which
they
It has been admitLed by a Bureau official Lhat
the index does not measure the decline in living
standards, which in wartime runs counter to the
rising costs, does not show many effects of goods
disappearing from the civilian market, and does
not reflect the steep climb in taxes. It is futile
to speak of accuracy in the face of these serious
omi:
OL NVAK AIM FOR (»KKMANY
A CKIiTAIN extent the An.^lo-American
failure to formulate any policy for postwar
(Jennany beyond "Unconditional Surrender" plays
into Stalin's hands diplomatically and makes it
possible LhaL the fruits of military victory may be
lost through a sudden change of Russian orienta
tion.
i a in to me that our reasonable ami om
moii-M-iiM1 war aim for Cerman\, after the liquid
ation of IlitU'iism, should be the creation of a
more genuinely democratic%Weimar Republic, a
regime that would not only wipe out the last rem
nants of Nazism, but put effective curbs on the
Junkers and the big business interests. If this is
what we want (and, aparL from a few paranoid
and psychopaLhic hate-mongers, I think almost
everyone would agree that this would bo the best
solution of the (Jcrman problem) why shouldn't
we say so? Hitler's tottering prestige would be
undermined further and the chances of a deal be
tween Stalin and a stooge
is
are based, the Association finds little
ault with them.
The 1!LS statistics could very well be as ac
curate as the Association claims, and yet fail
to give us a true picture of the situation. It is
reported, for instance, that until just recently the
Bureau was including such obstacle things as
women's high button shoes and men's muslin
underware in the index. In other words, these
dead items, on which there has been no price
variation in years because they no longer exist as
salable merchandise, have been carried in the
PLS index, their presence there serving to reduce
Liu average price increases on live items in that
class of merchandise. It would be just as sensible
to compute the average time for transcontinental
airplane ravel by lumping the few hours of time
required now with the 49 days required baek ii:
1 Oil, when the first such flight was made.
in­
r-i111*• in
would be forstailed.
(lermany should be reclaimed as parL of a free
1'urope, not pushed into a power bloc with the
Soviet Union. With this question of postwar
policy toward (lermany solved we shall be in a
stronger position to discuss with Stalin on equal
terms such questions as Russia's future frontiers
in Kurope and Asia, possibilities of economic
collal loration, the implications of the Atlantic
Charter as regards the freedom of the small and
medium-sized stales of Mastern Ilurope.
ONCIRKSS \RSENTI:KISM
NdRl'iSS has stopped talking about absentee
ism at the moment, but it has not stopped
practicing it. When the present session opened
more than half of the members were absent, ac
cording to the United Press.
Out of Mi Senators, only 53 were present.
Of House members, only 168 answered t.lu
opening roll call. The present session of Congress
may be called one of the most important evei
held for the nation. But a majority of the mem
bers were too busy with their own personal all'aii
to be there.
•ep resell
le lisle.!
Ii
1.^
nen can
iv iucre
IM- an
S
III
ilore I Ii
lii.inv
drh iiR
in circlev
"Mia i.
to understand
for anyone le
Germany
In slight :x
N "ifii.il Indn
i lie same starting
the survey has
Miss (Jeneva
visited IIfly inili
Mirvcy. gives rec
provraienl ill w.
Miss Seyit
nil ml
i •, i i be dei
foil II! i
rk. sit.
Uet pel niilr.
est ricting wonie
lowever. half o
ive minutes lo
o men workers.
Miss Seyboh
nents" to woniei
vork reported 11
he pay might In
.\ 1 i ."M i I
u tlie same iiiaui
vomen doing lu
n those aetu.i'l
9
TIIH POTTERS HKRALl)
FACING THE FACTS
With PHILIP PEARL
Today \vc expose a fake. His name is II. V. Kaltenhoi'n. lie poses as a
purveyor of news and facts through his radio broadcasts. He pretends to be
in impartial reporter on tju American scene. We have long had reason to
suspect lhat his br6adcasts were violently slanted against labor. Now we have
the proof. "We wish resent it to you, straightforwardly and chronologically.
Here is the story:
On Aug. 1), in a miii?ored news'' broadcast over the National Broadcasting
Company's nalion-wide network. Kallenborn made tlie statement "that on every
basis of comparison the non-union plants always, seem to come out ahead of the
union plants." lie was talking about production eiiiciency in aircraft plants.
Tins statement was immediately challenged by .lack ('addon, editor of
Rochester And Vicinity Labor, who happened to hear it. He "was prevented
from seeing or talking to Kallenborn by a.n adamantly protective secretary.
Likewise, lie failed to get any satisfaction from representatives of NBC to
w hom he spoke. They said they couldn't consider complaints "from just one
ittle labor paper." s 'adden took up the matter with the writer and asked
or help.
THE FIRST ALIBI
We sent a prctfesMo William Burke .Miller, of NBC, who passed it on to
kallenborn himself. Kaltenborn then wrote us a letter. We can't print the
\liole thing here, lie said that it was his understanding that "actual com
i.irison records issued by the War Production Board" confirmed his statement
iiat non-union airqrait plants had higher production eiiiciency records than
inion plants. 1 Jo added
"If you can present me with convincing evidence that by and large union
ised aircraft plants tire making better nroduetion records than non-union plants,
will be very glad to present that evidence to my radio audience."
That s"emed fair enough to us. Our next move was .to request an official
eport from I lie War Product ion Board which would give the facts one way
ir another. This took a little time. But finally we received the report which
vas prepared and feigned by Irving J. Brown, Assistant to the Vice Chairman
,lhe War Production Board, Ollice of Labor Production.
And wlial did the report say V H*nf«»rtu.nalely, we lack space to print the
xt. It covered a siud.v^of forty-four types of planes, thirty-three of which
vere produced under anion condiiions and eleven under non-union. All types
were included. The report stated tlatly that, union plants had the highest
•Miciency records in heavy bombers, two-engine bombers, one-engine bombers
md Naval reconnaissance and two and one-engine transports. The one category
ivli' ii a ii"i: union p! ii had a top rating was in fighter planes.
K.\I,TKMiOISN KVADKS
However, the repoii found that, on the whole "the average efliciency of the
hrity-three union plants, as against the eleven non-union, is equal."
Frankly, this report was somewhat disappointing to us. We expected aver
itre superiority of union plants, in addition to individual supremacy. Never
heless. the official facts completely refuted Kaltenborn's original statement.
So we sent it to hiiu. demanding a retraction which "you owe to organized
abor. to the National Broadcasting Company, to your sponsors and yourself."
His answer has just been received. In it Kallenborn has the audacity to
issert that he has "personal knowledge of the performance of non-union plants"
which was "acquired in confidence"' which he trusts more than the official
report. He disparages Mr. Brown's conclusions as mere "interpretations" of
statistics and states:
'Tnless, therefor", we can obtain the basic information from which Mr.
Brown drew his conclusions, we cannot resolve the issue between us."
The joker in this clever refusal 1o retract, is that. Kallenborn knows and
idniits the (Jovemmenl cannot release the "basic information" and figures be
cause of security reasons. It might endanger our war effort to let such secret
information out.
The foregoing i ant a summary of the events leading up to the big
loings in this case. fun is just beginning. Labor will not let this issue
drop. President (ir«en, informed of the facts, has announced he will send the
lull record in the case to the head of NBC and the Federal Communications
'oniniission with a demand for "summary and remedial action" against this
'tlagrant abuse of tin* right of free speech." So keep tuned to this station for
the next installment|_of this serial.
Federal Bureau, Fixing Wages, Hears
Ridicule From Truck Driver Official
Washington. I).1''. (IIA'S).—Kven though otlieials of labor unions claim
the government ha^done little to hold the line on prices of commodities work
ing men and women juust buy. several governmeut uyencies are trying to fm»jse
wages and earnings.
The War l„ub..p Boai !. 11n- uiliec nf I'rh-e Administration, ilio War 1'ro
lucfion Hoard, the Administrator of Economic Stabilization, assisted by the
Manufacturers Association and some members of Congress are trying to keep
lown wages and earnings of workers. And now even the Bureau of Internal
Revenue has entered the picture.
bureau .' the Treasury Department lu» issued a bulletin which,
niioug other thin -, declares that workers who are paid on a commission basis
innot earn more Ibis year than they were paid last year. The War Labor
Hoard already has decided (heir commission cannot-be increased, and now the
1KB decides that even with the same percentage of commission their earnings
•anilot be greater than in
Charles M. Andre, president I i k i Sal" Inives Inioii was i lie
ah labor representative present at a hearing in I lie bureau, w hen attorneys
ing Severni various industries were assembled to protest this ruling,
ed willi amazement to I he lawyers discussing it, without hearing an.\
could ii:i rtand.
K\K\IN S LIMITED
tiinll.v began asking (|iiestions, and learned that commission sales
not inere i-«e their earnings by increasing .(heir hours of employment,
sing their volume of business in fact, if I hey earn more by hard work
out of !"--k. Andre's members, many of them work on a commission
do i\ of beer trucks ami milk routes. Charlie was just stunned,
nk ol i' he says, "this ruling limits earnings of our members to not
^n I hey earned in 1JHU. This means if they hail a bad year in 1!llLl .tlie.v
an not "by working longer hours and bringing in more business he paid more
hail I hey received last year. In fuel, we were told lhat if up to now I hey have
n i iid more th:in they received last year they must pay il back to .the boss.
Workers paid by tl.ie hour can work overtime and be paid extra money,
a
plants ilu federal irovernmenl encourages incentive pay—more pay
or iimt I i il il eniiM-v I it 11 a pci-ce1ita,:e commission I lie 1KI! turns
humbs il..,MI
"I can imagine .the how is. Ironi lawyers when this bureau tells them lhat
I.'..- linings lhi» year can't exceed their last year's earnings.
I lie only labor respresenlalive prese.nl I certainly told the commissioner
what I thought about it. The President's liohl-the line order freezes the per
entage of couiiai.-ions and bonuses, but whoever heard of telling a man he
an'l work twice as long and earn twice as much?
"I am confident," Andre concluded, "this directive of the 1KB will be
modified. It ought 4o be codilied and e\eu petrified. In fact, its cockeyed. If
il is not changed we'll have a peculiar situation on our hands. We'll have gov
rnnieul employees whose salaries have been increased by Congress, telling
veryone else they call have no increase. Wc'41 have commission salesmen
lining their imon in 10 months, ami I hen fiii 11 iiiir their commission jobs and
ha lain i' of 11
I.-, a vciy 'iv
lawyers, bus lii
rstand.
In iact. we'll all lie running around
•Iid spcakn. The truck driver was unable
truck driver's language was plain enough
Women Found On Equal Pay Basis
With Men In Many War Factories
re than half of l-"» war plants recently surveyed by the
Conference Board, women hired for unskilled work receive
pay as men and the same automatic increases. The report
just been published.
Soy hold of (he board's Management. Research Division, who
ial concerns as far west as Kansas while preparing the
lit War Labor Board directives credit for much of this im
MI workers linancial status.
•oiisidered beginners' rates, compulsory increases, merit in
hoiirs worked and modifications in the kind or amount of
analyzing the extent of equal pay for equal work.
in some companies women actually received equal pay for
•y have longer lunch periods ilian men or gel recesses that
the men. Some organizations, however, forced by State
i longer lunch periods, do not pay for this extra time,
iso are prescribed by law in some Stales, hut most legislation
s working hours has been relaxed till I lie end of the war.
the companies questioned permit rest periods varying from
If an hour for women, and one-third extend the same privilege
noted that many companies tlm opened the "men's depart
already employed by them in while collar or other "light"
it these women were unwilling lo make the change, although
higher. (Senerally, women doing "heavy work" formerly per
-li It* of 11 ret ii\ n^ !c.-s Ihall the Illeli. .Mill e| heller wages
oflice.
aid ino.M women now in war jobs wire acquiring seniority
•r as meji employees. But she reported that in some cases the
vy work were receiving credit for "women's jobs" and not
lold.
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS
American and British organized la
bor are in full agreement on supjort of
the International Labor Organization
and in urging that the 1LO be asked to
take part in conferences held after the
war to deal with problems of recon
struction.
The American Federation of Labor
executive council in its annual report
submitted to the recent Boston conven
tion asked that ti^e I'nited States gov
ernment invite the 1LO to participate
in any International agency or confer
ence established to deal with labor and
social welfare problems.
The report, approved by the con
vention, asked further that continued
cooperation and
support
be given the
1LO and that financial support be as
sured to "make possible the strength
ening and development of the work of
the organization that it may effective
ly promote social security and con
tribute .toward raising the standard of
living for working men and women
throughout the world."
Similar action to support the ILO
and extend its effectiveness were asked
by the British Trades Union Congress
at its 7i»th annual meeting in Septem
ber. The congress went on record as
expressing its "profound gratification"
at the "continued activity of the Inter
national Labor Organization, extend
ing to all parts of the world."
"Governments have been asked to
arrange for the ILO to take part in
any peace or reconstruction confer
ences following the war," the Trades
Union Congress general council said in
a section of its report which was
unanimously approved by the dele
gates.
"Foremost among its objects will be
the re-establishment of a vigorous
trade union movement in Europe. In
he meantime it is most desirable .that
the governments should agree to the
ILO participating in official confer
ences convened in preparation for the
postwar period."
The influence of the ILO was "con
stantly being manifested" by the pass
ing of laws and agreements benefiting
and protecting the British workers, the
report declared. As example, it cited
the Catering Bill, based on the Inter
national Minimum Wage Convention
adopted by the International Labor
Conference in 1!)'J!): full wages to ship
wrecked seamen, based on the Unem
ployment Indemnity Convention of
ll»20 and the limitation of seamen's
hours of work, based on the Seamen's
Hours Convention of
In a message to the meeting, Ed
ward ,1. I'helan, acting director of the
ILO said the organization relied on the
"continued and effective support of the
great British trade union movement."
United American and British labor
support of the ILO is in augury of fur
ther strengthening and effectiveness of
llie organization, which was created in
large measure through the efforts of
Samuel (tempers and the AFL follow
ing the lii'M World War.
W A N E
Noii-rcllccting windshields will re
duce the number of automobile acci
dents in the postwar period, say
scientists at the AmtTua.ii Optical
Co. plant, Southhridgc, Mass., where
the process was perfected
PAID IN BACK
TO
OHIO
WAUKS
NOniiilKS
Cleveland. Ohio.—Ohio workers re
ceived ,y.»2,.V.ia.!)7 in back wages during
September following inspections under
the Fair Labor Standards and Walsli
IIettley Public Contracts Acts, Miss
(Jrace C«. (5lascott, Ohio-Michigan re
gional director of the Wage-Hour and
Public Contracts Divisions, U. S. De
partment. of Labor announced. Nearly
1!,100 workers shared in the payments
made by 51 establishments.
All but two cases were closed with
out the necessity of legal action. llolT
Manufacturing Company, Mansfield,
was ordered by the federal district
court to pay back wages totaling !».
.'VJ7.r:i to
I'.vr
workers. Pease Woodwork
Company, Cincinnati, was restrained
by au injunction issued in the Cincin
nati federal court, from further viola
tions of the Wage-Hour Act.
The back-wage payments represent
i he difference between what the work
ers were paid and what they are en
tilled to under (lu federal labor laws.
Miss Glascoil announced at the same
time that total iHiyinents in Ohio and
Michigan during the month were $110,
fl.:50 to li,301 employees by 87 estab
lishments.
WORKING WOMKN'S LIVING
COST S I N K K S I K V K Y I N N Y
New York City (1LNS).—The New
York Department of Labor is sending
its representatives, into typical New
York communities to price essential
goods and services in a survey made
annually to measure the cost of living
of working women in New York State
Experts in the fields of housing,
clothing, medical care, and nutrition
have aided the department in prepar
ing a list of goods and services needed
by women workers for adequate main
tenance and protection of health. With
assistance from retail merchants, real
estate men, professional men. and pub
lic service companies, the department's
representatives will price these items
in localities where women wage earners
are employed.
Thursday, October lil, 11)M.
THE
CHERRY TREE
Where With Our Little Hatchet
We Tell the Truth About Many
Things, Sttmetimes Profoundly,
Sometimes Flippantly and
Sometimes Recklessly.
There has been a lot of talk about
whether tie American people are get
ting the facts of the war and about
whether .they ought to be handed soft
soap or told the truth.
There ought to be one rule and that
rule ought to call for truth, except
where a military effort would at^the
moment be jeopardised definitely.
But .that doesn't seem to be the rule
and we do get jokinn.
A case of muddling was in the recent
announcement to the effect that filter
centers and air observation posts were
to be abandoned.
Washington was fairly honest about
•that, but some local authorities were
not—and army officers got their sig
nals mixed.
The filter center system has been a
big affair, nation-wide. Air observation
posts have formed a huge network.
Washington said this combination el
fort was to be put on a stand-by or
alert basis, no longer activated, adding
that in doing this Washington was
assuming a "calculated risk." Now in
plain words that would seem to mean
that a certain risk continues, but that
it isn't risk enough to justify the enor
mous effort of maintaining the filter
center and air observation system in
full action.
The American people could under
stand that. But local authorities,
whether to bolster morale or for some
other reason which isn't too important,
sought to make it appear that the ac
tivation was abondoned because me
chanical means can do the job better.
Now the two reasons just don't jibe
—one or the other is wrong.
And there is no sense in muddling
the people by such childishness.
Washington tells us there is a con
tinuing risk of air raids and for
coastal cities there is undoubtedly a
continuing risk of shelling from off
shore.
But is our military authorities think
those risks aren't big enough to war
rant maintenance of a machine requir
ing the services of several thousands
of men and women Washington prob
ably is acting on better information
than is in possession of army officers
and civilians who are cooped up in
communities far away from Washing
ion.
Perhaps this whole thing a minor
matter, but minor or not it is some
what symptomatic.
The best way to get the best effort
out of American people is to tell tlieni
the truth and give the reasons. Bunk
soon defeats its own purpose and piles
up a penalty.
It is reasonable to assume that our
danger from air raids is Jess than it
was a year ago or six months ago. It
is not reasonable to assume that it has
vanished entirely.
That it has diminished to I lie point
where some domestic vigilance can be
relaxed, to turn energies to more need
ed points, seems reasonable.
Certainly many thousands of Amer
icans reached those same conclusions
before Washington announced them.
Perhaps the problems that the globe
trotting Senators brought back are
larger than this one, but many of tliein
air in the same key. This one is close
to the hearts of our people because so
many of them have been engaged in the
services now put. on a stand-by basis.
The "stand-by basis," or "alert," is
in itself a confession, for no such vol
unteer organization can long he held
intact while inactive.
Americans will do a better job on
a steady diet of truth. Let's have it
then. ('MW.
W I S O
OWI ADVISORY RADIO MKN
I RGK MORK WAR MAYS
I
'I'lic man who gives employment,
which I must ha\e or sutler, thai
mail is my master, let me call hiiu
what I will.—llenry George.
Washingotn, I '. (ILNS). Issu
ance of "all the war news, whether ii
is good or bad," as soon as military
security permits its release, has been
asked by .the radio advisory committee
of the Oflice of War Information.
A statement of J) leading radio exe
cutives, issued after their first meet
ing with OWI, was similar in content
to but milder in language than that
of the new-spa per advisory committee
on September ,'lOth.
The radio committee recommended
that there be "a continuation and ex
paiision of such material because the
broadcasters are acutely aware of the
de.vjre of the listeners of America for
all of the war news, whether i.t is good
or bad and that it be released to them
factually at the earliest possible mo
ment that the exigencies of military
and naval strategy will permit."
LIBERTY SHIP FOR CHINESE
Richmond, Calif.—The I'nited States
has transferred to the Chinese govern
nient a Liberty Ship built here at the
Pernianeiile Metals Corp. yard by AFL
workers. The ship is named for (len
eralissimo Chiang Kai-shek. It will
enter the trans-Pacific trade as a train
ing vessel for merchant seamen.