The Butler County press. [volume], January 12, 1945, Image 1

About The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946

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VjOL. XLIV. No. 41.
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Washington, D, C. Employers
making plans to slash wages and
smash unions after the war were
warned by Frank Fenton, AFL direc
tor of organization, that by such
methods they will be burying the sys
tem of "free enterprise" which they
now glorify.
"If the initiative of private industry
Is sufficient to provide jobs for all
who want to work, well and good," he
said. "The American worker prefers
it that way. But if the initiative of
industry spends itself in reducing its
own markets by competitive wage
cutting and by any such 'open shop'
drive as characterized the period after
the last war, then the workers will
turn to their government—and de
mand and get a program of govern
ment-financed public works big enough
to fill the gap."
Fenton added that if employers re
turn to the tactics they used after
World War I then "the capitalistic
system is in grave danger of crum
bling."
"Business has the responsibility of
not only talking about free enterprise
it must also act as if it believes in free
enterprise," he declared. "Business
statesmanship would require that it be
in the forefront of the battle for a
sound social security system and stable
labor relations. Genuine free enter
prise cannot really exist in our com
plicated industrial society without
them.
N. Y. FEDERATION
DRAFTS PROGRAM
Albany, N. Y.—The New York
State Federation of Labor has drafted
its strongest legislative program in
many years to place before the 1945
legislature.
The program, drafted by delegates
representing 1,500,000 AFL members
at the recent annual state legislative
conference, calls for:
Creation of a strong state Fair Em
ployment Practices Committee to pre
vent discrimination because of race,
creed or color.
Union-Baiting Will Hurt Business
Fenton Warns Reactionary Bosses
!3ach Methods Will Bury The System of "Free Enterprise"
Which Is Now Glorified
A state health insurance system
providing adequate medical care and
hospitalization for families with in
comes of less than $5,000 a year.
Cost of living increases for state,
county and city workers earning less
than $5,000 a year.
A ceiling on commercial rents.
Executive improvements in the un
employment insurance and workmen's
compensation laws.
3rd Anniversary Of Office
Of Price Administration
This month America celebrates the
third anniversary of the War Price
and Rationing Boards—some 5500 of
them in the entire country—42 boards
Jn the 16-county Cincinnati OPA Dis
trict.
From a small beginning—they were
first called Tire Rationing Boards—
they have now assumed a major role
in the home-front battle, rationing
not only tires and gasoline but prac
tically all essential scarce commodi
ties. They are also the only agency
in the community charged with the
responsibility of price control.
Volunteer price panel assistants to
the Boards have made thousands of
yisits to stores, checking ceiling pric
ea and helping dealers to understand
the regulations and to comply with
them.
As the boards enter upon the fourth
year of their wartime service, John
E. Robinson, Jr., OPA Director of the
Cincinnati District, suggests that
each community plan some fitting rec
ognition for the work of these boards
and the patriotic service of the mer
icjjants and housewives who are loy
ally observing the changing program
id rationing, especially in food lines,
CHUCK
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"Also, strong: and responsible unions
are indispensable parts of free enter
prise. Sound business leaders must
recognize this fact immediately and
not seek to destroy the labor move
ment—because to do so would be
planting the seed of their own de
struction."
Fenton insisted this country cannot
afford to leave the issue of full em
ployment to business alone.
"We must learn to wage peace with
the same vigor we have used in wag
ing war," he asserted.
Steps need to be taken now to give
workers assurance they will have jobs
after the war, Fenton maintained.
Speeches and synthetic morale build
ing programs" won't do the trick, he
said concrete moves must be made to
reduce the "hazards of unemployment
dislocation."
Among these moves, he contended,
should be a national system of ade
quate unemployment benefits funds
to pay for the relocation of stranded
workers when war production tapers
off action by the War Production,
Board to permit reconversion of war
plants to civilian output at the earliest
possible moment.
Manufacturers were warned, too,
that they will not save themselves by
playing off veterans against workers.
Fenton claimed that most servicemen
understand their future security lies
in safeguarding the labor movement,
protecting seniority rights and fight
ing for full employment.-
and watching ceiling prices to prevent
inflation.
"With the government engaged in
fighting two major wars at the same
time—15,000 miles apart we who are
privileged to fight on the home front
must realize that the supply picture
is tighter now than at any time since
the beginning of the war," said Direc
tor Robinson.
"This means for civilians, less food,
less gasoline, less tires. It means more
work for local boards, greater unity
of purpose, and stricter adherence to
regulations."
A Plea To Motorists
Motorists were urged to comply
with the rules under which their gaso
line rations were issued to them—to
always present their own ration cur
rency when purchasing gasoline and
to make sure that every gasoline ra
tion stamp is properly endorsed be
fore surrendering it. Remember that
every stamp which the service sta
tion deposits with his supplier is
checked, and all invalid coupons are
charged back to the dealer.
Revise Ration Books
Housewives were urged by OPA to
clean up their ration books by de
stroying all invalid coupons, both
Red Stamps and Blue Stamps, and
start off the new year even. Consult
ration calendar in your local news
papers as to what coupons are valid.
Red Tokens for Fats
Red tokens will still be used by food
stores in payment for used fats turn
ed in by housewives—two tokens for
each pound of fat and four cents a
pound. Grocers are not allowed to
give stamps-Hjnly tokens for used
fats.
CHICAGO MARKET CO.
Front and High Sts. Phone 5000
Electrical Workers Smash
Two Company Unions
Washington, D. C.—"Company un
ions" on two more utilities have been
knocked out by tfye International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
In an election at the Southern In
diana Gas & Electric Company, the
Brotherhood swamped a so-called "In
dependent Utilities Union" by a ma
jority of more than 2 to 1,
Similarly, in a runoff poll at the
Iowa Southern Utilities Company,
the IBEW swept out a "dummy" un
ion by a margin almost as great. The
runoff victory followed an earlier, elec
tion iri which a CIO union was elimin
a ted.
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(WNU Service)
Washington, D. C.—Labor, industry
and agriculture are making a firm
and united stand against compulsory
methods urged by War Mobilization
Director James F. Byrnes to dragoon
manpower for increased war produc
tion needs.
Spokesmen for these groups served
notice on Byrnes that the voluntary
methods which have resulted in "mir
acles of production" must be followed
if new war material requirements are
to be met promptly and efficiently.
Any other course will result in chaos
and confusion, they warned.
Their visit to the "Assistant Presi
dent's" office at the White House came
after Byrnes had issued a new com
pulsory manpower decree.
This time, he sought to coerce work
ers indirectly, through their employ
ers by directing that employers who
fail to comply fully with regulations
of the War Manpower Commission
may be crippled in operations by hav
ing their priorities on materials with
drawn, as well as heat, light, power
and other facilities.
While aimed ostensibly .at manage
ment, labor representatives said the
decree was designed to freeze workers
more tightly to their jobs and put ad
ditional compulsion back of manpower
regulations.
In a report to Congress and the
President, Byrnes went even further.
He recommended legislation giving
the National War Labor Board and
the War Manpower Commission stat
utory power to crack down on labor
and industry.
He made these stiff recommenda
tions even while admitting that war
production is now ample for the needs
of the armed forces. He arguod, how
ever, that Federal regulation must
be tightened to assure continuing sup
plies.
In the main, Byrnes' report indi
cated a disposition to "get tough,'
possibly on the theory that the Amer
ican people are still too complacent
about the war situation.
At a press conference, Byrnes took
sharp issue with labor leaders by as
serting, despite overwhelming proof
to the contrary, that wage rate in
creases have outstripped rising living
costs. His statement was interpreted
as another step in the campaign to
prevail upon the President to deny
labor's pleas for revision of the Lit
tle Steel formula.
At a meeting of the Manpower Com
mission's policy committee—composed
equally of representatives of labor, in
dustry and the big farm organizations
—the proposed Byrnes' order was
unanimously opposed.
Spokesmen for all three groups con
tended such procedure would harm,
not help war production.
Output of munitions and supplies
has been built up to record levels by
voluntary means, and there's no need
Planning for 1945
WE HAP PETTER
GET IftA'LOWER.
FORTy RfAPV.THE
V0V5 AW 0E BACK
OVER SEAS
United Opposition Formed
Against Forced Manpower
Labor, Industry, Farmers, Join In Hitting Edicts
By Byrnes
to resort to force now, they argued.
All that's necessary, they said, is to
tell workers and employers the full
facts about critical needs on the pro
duction front, and they'll do the rest.
Byrnes ignored the committee's
recommendation, however, and "bull
ed" through with the compulsory or
der. It followed by a fortnight his
previous "work or fight" mandate di
rected at workers in the 26 to 37 age
brackets who are not in "essential"
occupations.
Labor leaders pointed out that
Byrnes embarked on the campaign of
decrees and directives after Congress
some weeks ago placed on a statutory
basis the Office of War Mobilization
and Reconversion which he heads.
Taking advantage of that law,
Byrnes is now reaching out for more
power over the home front, it was de
clared.
Production Program Now
Geared On Theory Of
Prolonged War On Nazis
Philadelphia.—WPB Chairman J. A
Krug declared the War Production
Board is now operating on the theory
that the war would go on indefinitely
and that industry must find the means
to increase present war production.
He disclosed that new factories,
costing approximately $200,000,000
would have to be built in 1945 to sup
ply the Army with trench mortars.
These factories would not be able to
operate before August, 1945.
Mr. Krug said that he received a
message from General Eisenhower
asking for 6,000,000 yards of blanket
ing material. Jackets which, he said,
could be expected normally to last a
soldier five months, were now lasting
two and a half, and underwear which
could be expected to last six months,
was lasting two.
The country's aircraft program had
been increased between 4 and 5 per
cent in the last week and even greater
increases in Navy fighter-plane pro
duction were still to come, Mr. Krug
said. Merchant shipping would be ex
panded by 3,000,000 tons in 1945.
He warned that the German winter
offensive would destroy large quanti
ties of equipment, resulting in a de
mand for a rise in production. Not
only would United States Armies lose
what the Germans destroyed, but huge
quantities were being used in checking
the German thrust.
In summing up the country's output
of war supplies for the last three
years, Mr. Krug disclosed that month
ly production had increased from
$500,000,000 to $5,500,000,000. In the
last two months supplies have been
going directly from the production
line to the battlefront—a straight
pipeline from this country to Europe
Battle experience was revealing the
1
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HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1945 ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
V
limitation of equipment and pointing
to new basic requirements, was re
sulting in rush orders for trench mor
tars, small arms 'and heavy artillery.
With production at an all-time high
and with 12,000,000 men in the armed
services, war industry must find the
men to increase deliveries.
Krug declared both management
and labor had to be made to feel the
urgency of the present situation.
Labor, once it understood what the
situation was, would do its part, he
felt confident.
DOCTOR
MAKES
SURPRISE REMARK
A Personal Note to the Butler
County Press:
About four months ago an elderly
doctor in your city made a surprised
remark to me. Said, when and if the
Americans get in Germany they (the
Germans) will make damn fools of
them. I didn't give the expression
much thought. But seems from the re
cent turn of events, the old doctor
thought he knew whereof he spoke.
I say the Germans have made damn
fools of us.
Since and before World War One I
had visions of this warfare fifty years
ago. Especially with Japs.
I feel it is presumtious to wish any
one a Happy New Year, but can and
do wish the Press Good Health and
Prosperous New Year 1945.
PRESS
J. T. DAVISON,
West Chester, Ohio
ADVERTISING
WE HAVE A COMPLETE LINE
Bearing the Union LabeL
PRICED RIGHT
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ROOSEVELT FREEZES
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Washington, D. C. President
Roosevelt issued a special executive
order which in effect froze civil serv
ive permanent appointments at pres
ent levels in order to hold open the
maximum number of jobs for com
petition by future veterans.
The Federal payroll now totals
about 3,225,000 persons, of whom two
thirds hold temporary appointments
for the duration of the war and six
months thereafter.
"Remarkable" Labor
Service Helped Score New
Ship Records In 1944
Washington, D. C.—Success of the
Nation's merchant shipyards in con
structing vitally needed ships to back
up our military forces in the war ef
fort is described in the United States
Maritime Commission's annual report
to Congress. The report covers the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1944, a pe
riod when the need for ships was es
pecially critical because of the de
mands of the ever-widening field of
combat operation.
In the first half of the 1944 fiscal
year, 1,107 vessels aggregating 10,
410,971 deadweight tons were com
pleted, while during the second half
of the year 864 vessels of 8,614,260
deadweight tons were constructed.
Tonnage difference between the two
periods came as a result of the shift
from the slow Liberty type to the
faster Victory ship, conversions for
military use, and the construction of
special military types for the Army
and Navy.
Despite the material loss in ton
nage resulting from the greater man
hours required to complete units of
the Victory and special military types,
the construction of 1,881 vessels with
an aggregate of 19,025,231 dead
weight tons for the full fiscal year is
a record never before reached.
Deliveries of special types include
combat loaded transports and combat
loaded cargo ships essential for mili
tary operations in the Pacific, a num
ber of small cargo carriers of 3,840
deadweight tons for the Army and
Navy, a few large troopships, aircraft
carriers, and frigates for convoy es
cort service. The wooden vessel pro
gram is now complete and the concrete
ship construction initiated as an emer
gency measure is being finished.
The Commission praised the service
given by the shipbuilding industry,
the shipyard employes, and the sup
pliers of a wide variety of prefabri
cated parts from practically every
State in the Union as a "remarkable
performance."
Philadelphia Labor
Fights For Schools
BOOK MATCHES
Let us show them to you.
NONPAREIL
PRINTING CO.
Philadelphia.—James L. McDevitt,
president of the Pennsylvania Federa
tion of Labor, AFL, pledged the serv
ices of his union to help the Board of
Education obtain a larger 1945 budget
for Philadelphia's public schools.
"Our community is not spending
enough for education," McDevitt told
350 school principals, counsellors and
administrators gathered in the Board
of Education Building, 21st and Park
way, to hear labor leaders express
their views on what they expect from
schools.
326 Market St. Phone 1296
Hamilton Ohio
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