A Small Plant Closings Threaten New York City (ILNS).—Floyd B. Odium, chief of the Office of Produc tion Management's new Contract Dis tribution Division, visualizes his tre mendous job of spreading defense con tracts to scores of thousands of the nation's smaller factories as one, pri marily, of "democratizing defense." Serious Job Threat Odium will call to his service at least 500 skilled engineers as the key men in the organization of thousands that he will assemble to carry on the new division's work through a na tional network of field offices, he re vealed in an article, published in the McGraw-Hill industrial magazine, Fac tory Management and Maintenance (Factory). Some 200 field offices will be opened by the division in an effort to speed defense work to most of the 200,000 lesser industrial plants which come under the head of "Small Business," Odium said. Odium stressed the seriousness of the threat to the jobs of as many as 2,000,000 workers but warned that the Contract Distribution Division was created "somewhat belatedly" and could not proceed too hastily because "a major mistake in policy might set us back any number of irredeemable months." RAIL UNION HEADS REJECT AWARD OF EMERGENCY BOARD Chicago (ILNS).—Compromise pay increases recommended at Washington by the emergency board set up by President Roosevelt to investigate the railroad wage dispute were rejected in a statement signed by executives of the "Big Five" operating brother hoods. "The board's recommendation as it applies to railway workers repre sented by the transportation brother hoods is a twin sister to the Gurley bonus plan which the organizations re jected in mediation and condemned as un-American before the President's board," the rail labor chiefs said. The Gurley plan, a railroad scheme, provided for graduated pay increases based on indices of cost of living and rail revenues. "Invitation" to Strike "The report, as we see it, is an en graved invitation for transportation men to leave the service," the state ment continued. "As a whole the board's recommen dation is the most disappointing of any recommendation rendered by a federal tribunal in the past 50 years. "The chief executives of the five transportation brotherhoods regret that they cannot advise or recommend that it be accepted." J. J. Goff, assistant president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, said the labor heads oppose the recommendations on two grounds, the suggested increase is not adequate, and it is only temporary. The workers want an increase in basic rates, not a bonus, he pointed out. 329 South Second Street 2,000,000, Says 0PM Official Spirit of Co-operation Not Bred in Idle Shops, Floyd B. Odium Says—Smaller Plants Gasping for Materials, Men and Machines Idle, One of Defense Problems. SOCIAL and CARD PARTY Every Friday Night THE SPOT FOR REAL ENJOYMENT Three Big Problems "On the one hand, big plants choked with gigantic defense orders, new plants rising daily," Odium declared. "On the other hand, shutdowns, cur tailments—little plants gasping for materials. Men and machines throt tled into idleness at a time when crisis cries fOr every ounce of production! That is the situation as we come to grips with one of gravest consequences of total defense. "In 'priorities unemployment,' we face an economic problem, a social problem, and a military problem. At stake in its solution are not only production—vitally needed today—but the preserva tion of our civilian morale and our economic stability as well. A key to the success of the whole de fense effort may be found in the words of Woodrow Wilson, who said: 'The highest and best form of efficiency is the spontaneous co operation of a free people.' "The spirit of co-operation is not bred in idle factories, it does not spring from the hearts of jobless men. Economic stability will be lost if our smaller industries, the very founda tion of our industrial greatness, the employers of 60 per cent of our work ing force are ailowed to crumble." Suggested Increases Temporary The labor executives' statement was issued as a call was sent out for a speedy meeting here of representatives of all the workers involved in the dis pute. In addition to the brotherhoods, 14 non-operating unions are asking increases. The emergency board recommended temporary increases to expire on De cember 31, 1942. It proposed that the 350,000 employes covered by the op erating brotherhoods receive a IVz per cent wage increase instead of the 30 per cent they had demanded. The 800,000 employes covered by the 14 non-operating unions would receive an additional 9 cents an hour, or an average increase of 13 per cent over present scales, far short of what was asked. Small-House Contractors Sign Detroit A.F.L. Pact MOOSE HOME At 8:45 P. M. CHICAGO MARKET CO. Front and High Sts. Phone 5000 SMOKED CALAS 22k CHUCK ROAST ». 19k SIRLOIN STEAK ... 23c Detroit, Mich.—Under a new con tract, several thousand carpenters in Detroit, formerly working on small houses under non-union conditions at wages under $1 an hour, will get 30 per cent wage increases, the Carpen ters' District Council of Detroit an nounced. The contract was signed with the Builders' Association of Metropolitan Detroit. The new scale is $1.25 an hour, a 30 per cent increase. The work week is reduced to 40 hours and double time is paid for Sundays and holidays. AFL DISCUSSION MEETING New Orleans (ILNS).—Problems of affiliated unions of the A. F. of L. in Louisiana will be discussed and a fu ture program of organization dis cussed at Baton Rouge, November 18. Frank P. Fenton and George L. Googe of the A. F. of L. have signified their intention to attend. Hamilton, Ohio (WNU Service) New York City (ILNS). —A pro gram of after-the-war world recon struction "upon the basis of improved labor standards, economic adjustment and social security" was submitted to the International Labor Conference here by the American delegation. The program, backed by all the labor, em ployer and government members, was presented in the form of a resolution to be voted on by the conference. With the declaration that "the vic tory of the free peoples in the war against aggression is an indispensable condition for the attainment of the ideals of the International Labor Or ganization," the resolution said: "The close of the war must be fol lowed by immediate action, previously planned and arranged, for the feed ing of the peoples in need, for the provision and transportation of raw materials and capital equipment nec essary for the restoration of economic activity, for the reopening of trade outlets, for the resettlement of work ers and their families under circum stances in which they can work in freedom and security and hope, for the changing-over of industry to the needs of peace, for the maintenance of employment, and for the raising of standards of living throughout the world." "Fullest Collaboration" Urged To accomplish this program, the resolution declared, "the fullest col laboration between all nations in the economic field" will be required. Such collaboration, the resolution said, "will set tasks of organization and admin istration calling for the highest abil ity and for the most sympathetic un derstanding of the needs of the peoples." Government intervention in em ployer-employe relations, except where special conditions make it necessary, was criticised by American and Brit ish delegates, stirring a lively discus sion at one session. Robert J. Watt, international repre sentative of the American Federation of Labor and American workers' dele gate, urged a "hands of?" policy by government, saying: "Labor is vitally concerned with the defense program. When labor's wel fare is properly safeguarded the bene ficial results affect the entire commu nity. Collaboration must exclude the interference of government, especially in the internal affairs of labor unions. Some Interference Desirable "In instances of substandard indus tries government interference is de sirable, however, through such legis lation as minimum wage laws and maximum hours. Nor should govern ment be excluded as a mediatory agent THE BUTLER COUNTY PRESS. VOL. XLI. No. 33. HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1941. ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR TMJO HOND^tPTH AMP SIXTEENTH RE6IMENT CAMP SOOTT, TENN U. S. Delegates to IL0 Offer World Plan of Reconstruction, American Delegation Submits After-war Program to the International Labor Conference—Discuss Government Intervention in Employe-and-Employer Relations. in industries where collective bargain ing has been established firmly and is of long standing. "But the American Federation of Labor is opposed to compulsory legis lation governing labor, including com pulsory arbitration. Direct negotiation between labor and industry, without government interference, is far su perior to the invoking of any official tribunal, temporary or permanent. In the last analysis, unless labor and management—I mean labor and not merely the A. F. of L. or C. I. O.— can collaborate to meet the problems of a world threatened by savagery there is no hope." True Representation Defined As to the question of labor repre sentation on government agencies, on which he criticised the administra tion, Watt said that "representation imposed from without is not true rep resentation in the sense in which it is understood by people accustomed to the use of the ballot box." "Labor representatives should be designated by labor itself," he de clared. Watt's view was supported by Har old Stewart Kirkaldy, secretary of the Iron and Steel Trades Employers' As sociation of Great Britain and by Sir Frederick William Leggett, chief in dustrial commissioner of the Ministry of Labor and National Service. EMPLOYMENT AT NEW HIGH MARK Washington, D. C. (ILNS). Con tinued expansion of industry increased employment approximately 218,000 be tween August 15 and September 15, setting high records, Secretary of Labor Perkins reported. "The advance in employment and payrolls for all manufacturing indus tries carried the indexes to new record high levels, the employment index reaching 135.6 per cent of the 1923-25 average, the payrolls index rising to 163 per cent," she announced. "Total civil non-agricultural employment in September amounted to 40,065,000, an increase of approximately 439,000 over August. "The increase for all manufacturing, however, was of slightly less than the usual seasonal proportions, as the ex pansion in heavy metals and fnachin ery industries tapered off. Silk and rayon goods and hosiery experienced substantial employment dislocations and the increase in the automobile in dustry was less than usual in accord ance with the effort to conserve crit ical and strategic raw materials. to on High Labor, Economic Standards Model LB-530 0 mm be Based "In wholesale trade employment and payrolls showed virtually no change. In retail trade, while the increase was less than usual for the month of Sep tember, both employment and payrolls were at significantly higher levels than last year. "Marked gains in non-agricultural employment between the middle of August and the middle of September occurred in the industrial state? New York, Michigan, New Je Pennsylvania and Indiana, as suit of continued gains in factory ployment." CHARGES While It Plays! ,r NO BATTERY REPLACEMENT WORRIES No Other Portable Has Any of These Advantages. 1. NO BATTERY REPLACEMENT WORRIES 2. HAS SELF-CONTAINED NEW AIRPLANE-TYPE STOR AGE BATTERY AND CHARGER 5. PLAYS ANYWHERE ON ITS STORAGE BATTERY 4. SELF-CHARGES WHILE PLAYING ON AC 5. CHARGES ON AC SILENTLY, IF DESIRED 6. PROVISION FOR CHARGING FROM AUTO BATTERY MODEL LB-530—Operates on AC or Storage Battery. Built-in Beam-a-scope located in lid. Additional- Window Antenns. Case finished in brown simulated leather. Come in for a Demonstration. See it! Hear ill THIRD Htqh ht Qualttii-Lmlmlklc* :.' STRIKES HELP NAZIS, WARNS LABOR Washington, D. C. (ILNS).—In Food Stamp Plan Declared Unfair To Small Grocers New Orleans (ILNS).—Three mil lion dollars worth of food stamps were sold in New Orleans in the last 14 months in addition to one million, one hundred thousand dollars worth of free blue stamps used to purchase supplies of the Surplus Marketing Ad ministration. Independent, and smaller groceries—the corner grocery store— charge that the chain stores are rap idly taking their trade, inasmuch as they (the smaller stores) cannot carry a majority of the supplies available for the blue stamp users, thereby throwing the bulk of the purchases to the larger stores. FARM WAGES BEST SINCE 1930 Washington, D. C. (ILNS).—Faced with a declining supply of available workers, farmers have been able to keep hired men this fall only by sharply increasing wage rates, the De partment of Agriculture reports. Ag ricultural wage rates on October 1 had advanced to 165 per cent of the 1910-14 average, 5 points over July 1, 36 points over a year ago, and were qt the highest level since 1930. Automatically Self-Charges While Operating on AC "'"*1 a vigorous criticism of strikes in de fense industries, the Office of Produc tion Management declared work stop pages aid the aggressor nations. "The defense program which is growing larger every day," the state ment said, "depends for its success on the patriotic support of labor and management. Uninterrupted produc tion is the pressing need. The inter ruption of work by strikes or slow downs is the greatest help the aggres sors can get these days when material on the battlefield is everything." The statement went on to direct at tention to the government machinery set up to settle disputes and con tinued "The Office of Production Manage ment fully endorses the voluntary sys tem set up to handle disputes, and it expects all parties involved in the production of defense material to take no action that will impede production. "Time is short. We need the man hours your country needs your strength and skill. Let us have all the co-operation and help possible." $44-95