Evening star. [volume], September 07, 1948, Page A-5, Image 5

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Text of President Truman's Labor Day Address in Detroit
By th« A»soci«t«d PfM»
DETROIT, Sept. 7.—The text of
President Truman's speech here
yesterday follows:
Mr. Mayor, distinguished leaders
•f labor and fellow citizens, this in
my opinion, is a great day lor labor,
this is a great day for the country.
When I can stand on the same
iilatform in City Rail in Detroit
i-ith the Mayor and Walter Reuther
nd Frank Martell, I know that the
ountry's on the road to recovery.
I am more than happy to join in
this Labor Day celebration,
j I am more than happy to be pres
ent when the CIO and the AFL are
marching together side by side in
the interest of the country.
In unity there is strength. Work
ing people need every ounce of
strength they possess to meet to
day's problems. Forces in the world
and our Government would destroy
free labor. Therefore I am urging
you with everything I have to send
a Congressman from Michigan that
will go along with me on that
program.
As you know I speak plainly some
times—in fact. I speak bluntly sonie
times. .1 am going to speak plainly
and bluntly today.
Great Danger Ahead.
These are critical times tor labor.
And for all .who work. There's great
danger ahead. Right now, the whole
future of labor is wrapped up in
one simple proposition.
If in this next election, you get
a Congress and an administration
friendly to labor, you'll have much
to hope for. If you get an adminis
tration and a Congress unfriendly
to labor, you’ll have much to fear
and you’d better look out.
I believe that a strong and free
labor movement constitutes a tre
mendous force for preserving our
form of Government. A free and
strong labor movement is our best
bulwark against Communism.
To remain strong and free you
must have a friendly administra
tion and a friendly Congress.
There'S only one test of friend
ship: The test of the heart. You
know without being told who is
your friend and who is not your
friend.
Look back over the years. Be
tween 1900 and 1933, labor was
dealt body blows.
In each case, these blows coin
cided with depressions, which oc
curred under Republican adminis
trations and Republican Congresses.
Blow to Heart of Labor.
In the depression years of 1907
and 1908, sweeping injunctions were
used to weaken labor and send its
trusted leaders to jail. But another
blow to the heart of labor came in
1921, when the Republican depres
sion put nearly 6.000.000 workers
out of employment.
The strength of labor organiza
tions dropped off. A vicious cam
paign of antilabor propoganda
swept the country. It was an era
of the open shop and the yellow
dog contract. A few years passed
and you all remember, came the
Republican panic of 1930, and the
great depression, which dealt the
'worker* of the country a terrible
blow.
There was no unemployment com
pensation under the Republicans.
There was no floor under wages
under the Republicans. Average
hourly earnings in 1932 were only
45 cents—under the Republicans.
From 12 to 15,OOO.OQP workers were
out of work and unemployed—under’
the Republicans.
Then, in 1933. came the adminis
tration of Franklin Delano Roose
velt,.
For the first time, labor received
the recognition and encouragement
that it needs—that it merits. By
constructive legislation President
Roosevelt and a sympathetic Con
gress corrected many of the abuses
against labor—against which labor
had been contending.
That Democratic administration
of which I was a part, from 1935
passed the Wagner Act, to assure
DETROIT.—THRONG HEARS TRUMAN ON LABOR DAY—This
is a part of the huge throng, estimated at 120,000 persons, that
massed in Cadillac Square yesterday to hear President Truman
address a Labor Day turnout sponsored by the CIO and AFL.
Mr. Truman is on the platform under the flag at the left.
fair collective bargaining, abolished
the sweat shop, provided unemploy
ment compensation, passed the
Social Security Act, saved millions
of workers’ homes from foreclosure,
brought the average wage from 45
cents to $1.33 an hour.
You all remember how a Demo
cratic administration turned the
greatest depression in history' into
the most prosperous era the coun
try’s ever seen.
Sixtv-one million people are em
ployed today. The gains of labor
weie not accomplished at the ex
pense of the rest of the nation.
The Eightieth Congre.ss voted
themselves a cut in taxes, and voted
you a cut in freedom. The Eightieth
Republican Congress failed to
crack down on prices. But it cracked
down on labor, all right.
The Republicans failed to. give
the consumers of America protec
tion against the rising cost of living.
We find they put a dangerous
weapon into the hands of the big
corporations in the shape of the
Taft-Hartley law, which I vetoed,
but which was passed over my veto.
Effects Just Beginning.
The union men to whom I have
talked tell me that labor is just
beginning to feel the effects of the
Taft-Hartley law.
And you and I know that the
Taft-Hartley law' is only a fore
taste of what you will get if the
Republican reaction is allowed to
continue to grow.^
What Republican newspapers have
already announced In plain lan
guage: The Republicans in Congress
are preparing further and stronger
measures against labor.
If the congressional elements that
made the Taft-Hartley law are al
lowed to remain in power, and if
these elements are further encour
aged by the election of a Republican
President, you men of labor can
expect to be hit by a steady bar
rage of body blows.
And if you stay at home, as you
did in 1946, and help these reac
tionaries in power, you deserve
every blow you get.
Not only the labor unions, but all
men and women who work are in
danger. And the danger is greatest
for those who do not belong to
unions.
If anything, the blows will fall
most severely on the white-collar
President Truman pictured as he emphasized a point at
Detroit. — AP Wirephotos.
workers and the unorganized work
ers. And that's not all. If this
Taft-Hartley law remains in effect,
labor s position will be bad enough.
But suppose, while that law is in
effect, a reactionary Republican
administration were to bring upon
us another boom-and-bust cycle
similar to that which struck us
during the last Republican admin
istration.
I don't have to tell you that
is an exceedingly real possibility, if
the Republicans get control of this
country again. You can already see
signs of it. The boom is on for them.
And the bust has begun for you.
If you let the Republican reac
tionaries get complete control of
this Government, the position of la
bor will be so greatly weakened that
I would fear, not only for the wages
and living standards of the Ameri
can working man, but even for our
Democratic institutions of free labor
and free enterprise.
Remember, the reactionary of to
day is a shrewd man. He is in many
ways much shrewder than the re
actionary of the 1920's. He is a man
with a calculating machine where
his heart ought to be. He has learn
ed a great deal about how to get
his way by observing demogogues
and reactionaries in other countries.
And now, he has many able allies
in the press, and in the radio.
Must Fight Harder.
If you place the Government of
this country under control of those
who hate labor, who'can you blame
if measures are thereafter adopted
that destroy the power, prestige and
earning power of labor? I tell you
that labor must fight harder than
ever before to make sure that its
rights are kept intact.
In practical terms, this means a
powerful political effort which must
culminate in an all-out vote on
election day. Anything short of an
all-out vote would be a betrayal of
labor by its own interests.
It's not only the rights of the
unions which are at stake, but the
standard of ■'■living of your family.!
If prices are permitted to rise ur\-|
checked, It is your wives and your
children who will suffer.
As real wages decline in the face
of rising prices, it is the housewife
who must try desperately to feed
and clothe her family, while her
buying power is steadily whittled
away.
My sympathy is with those best
of business managees, the wives
and mothers of this Nation.
Think how they have made the
pay envelopes stretch, with each
rise in price.
They mast unite, and it 11 be a
great day for labor and a great1
day for the country when It
happens.
At Crossroads Today.
All labor stands at the crossroads
today. You can elect a reactionary
administration and go into an era
of - fear.
You can elect a Congress and an
administration which stand ready
to play fair with every element of
American life and enter a new
period of hope.
The choice is yours.
Do you want to carry the Taft
Hartley law to its full implication
and totally enslave the working
man. white-collar and union man
alike?
Or do you want to go forward
with an administration whose in
terest is the welfare of the common
man?
Labor’s always had to fight for its
gains. Now wou’re fighting for the
whole future of the labor movement.
We are in a hard, tough fight
against -rich opponents. They know
they can't count on your votes.
There only hope is that you won't
vote af all.
They've misjudged you. T know
that we're going to win this crusade
for the right.
Truman Back From Labor Day Speaking Tour
^Continued From First Page.''
Tn Flint, at the dinner hour, where
Flint Park was the site of the
President* talk, police estimated
from 100,000 to 110.000 lined the
three-mile route over which he
drove from train to park, and
ringed the gaily-decoraUd platform
from which he spoke, the police
gafre him 25,000 at Grand Rapids,
aril about 15,000 at Pomiac, where
he} spoke at outdoor meetings also,
and the rear-platform crowd which
greeted him at Lansing was put at
7.<t>0.
the 33-mlle ride between De
tr*t and Pontiac, the only auto leg
of {the trip, thousands of spectators
lir&d almost every foot of the way,
. the largest concentration at
ntramck, the big Polish settle
flt on Detroit's North Side. There
j President made sn unscheduled
i for a round of handshaking
. a few words of greetings,
lies Margaret Truman shared
handshaking duties with her
,-Jtdr, and ended the day in pos
sesion of armsful of flowers, gifts
atjkhe several stops.
S Reuther on Platform.
he Michigan merrv-go-round
, arranged by the CIO and AFL
at. Detroit, where the President
stirred the depression bogey- j
he spoke from the same plat-'
■ yfch Walter Reuther. the fiery
of the CIO United Auto Work
erg and Frank X. Martel, president
ofj|he Detroit-Wayne County Fed
eration of Labor. AFL.
Ijinp back to 1908 In reciting
® of economic travail the coun
has suffered under Republican
frustrations, the President
wrfgied of the likelihood of "an
"*r ‘boom .and bust' cycle similar
sat which struck us during the
Republican administration.”
[don't have to tell you that that
exceedingly real possibility if
tepublicans get control of this
try again.” He continued, "you
cajg already see signs of it. The
‘ocSSn’ is on for them and the ‘bust'
hagbegun for you."
kjr. Reuther, still carrying his
riarm in a cast as the result of
th*** attempt on his life several
“Is ago when he was shot from
Ush. took the same tack in a
at the tax bill which the
|dent also flayed recurrently
Ig the day as a ‘‘rich man s
Kays It Can Happen Again.
lie Republican 80th Congress
again started us down Herbie
per's Wall Street economic super
ray—which is the shortest
to depression and war," Mr
ter shoutfd.
Jneteen twenty-nine can hap
igain. This time, however, we
m||*lose more than our homes and
Jobs and our farms. We may
W freedom.”
President followed up this
lit later at the two General
Motet* centers—Pontiac and Flint.
a
At the former, in reiterating his
please for a big vote—Democratic
vote—in November, Mr. Truman
declared:
"This election makes a lot of dif
ference to you. Among other things,
it might make the difference be
tween whether you have a job two
years from now or not.’’
Coins New Phrase.
In Flint, he coined a new phrase,
"Era of fear.” in lambasting the
Republicans, telling his audience:
"All labor stands at the cross
roads today. You can select your re
actionary administration and go in
to an era of fear. You can elect a
Democratic administration which
stands ready to play fair with every
element of American life and enter
an era of new hope.”
i The President also accused the
Republicans of "plain, outright brib
ery,” for an article in the Republi
cans News which he interpreted as
a call to those who had benefitted
from the tax bill to contribute to
the party’s campaign fund.
While the President spoke at De
troit, a dozen or so spectators waved
Wallace placards, but it is doubtful
if Mr. Truman saw this little dem
onstration for the third party can
didate. as the group was some dis
tance from the speaker's stand.
HU* Taft-Hartley.
As was expected the Tatt-Hartley
Act came in tor much of the Presi
dent's attention, and he told his
labor audience that the controver
sial labor act was only a sample of
what they might expect if the "re
actionary Republicans" came into
full control of the Government.
Detroit is the home of Senator
Ferguson. Republican head of the
Senate Espionage inquiry, who has
bitterly attacked President Truman
for refusing to give the committee
personnel records in some of its in
vestigations. and while the Presi
dent didn't mention the Senator by
name, he did put in a vigorous plug
for the election of former Demo
cratic Representative Frank Hook
who is seeking to unseat Senator
Ferguson. Mr. Hook, incidentally,
rode all day with the President.
During the day. too. the President
also got back at his old foe. Senator
Taft, Republican, of Ohio, telling
TROUSERS
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Irritation of Extomally Caused
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To gently eleanae broken out ak
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RESINOir""
r am HAP
m
r
audiences—in the course of castigat
ing Congress tor failure to pass ade
quate housing legislation, that the
Ohio Senator had "run out" on his
own bill, which Mr. Truman favored, I
and which he charges was beaten by I
the "real estate lobby.”
The President also took up an
issue that is giving Gov. Thomas E.;
Dewey trouble, in his frequent refer
ences to the failure of Congress to
vote funds for education. !
He told the Pontiac crowd that
teachers are "the worst paid people;
in the country.”
An attitude contrasting sharpl*
with the charges that Gov.' Dewey
has been highly critical of the j
"Teachers' lobby"—an allegation the
GOP presidential candidate has
denied.
Democratic politicians riding with
the president professed to be highly;
satisfied with his trip. Some on the
presidential special said they felt;
he had a good chance to carry the
State.
Plans for Political Action
Canceled by Teamsters
By the Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 7.—The
million-plus members of the In
ternational Brotherhood of Team
sters may support their own choice
of "friends of labor” in the Novem
ber election.
The big AFL union, in the Sep
tember issue of its magazine, an
nounced it has called off its plans
for a political action conference.
The announcement, published un
der the name of Daniel J. Tobin,
international president, urged in-:
dividual members to support;
"friends of labor, whether they be
Democrats or Republicans.” He
asked them to support congres
sional candidates "who voted for
labor and against the Taft-Hartley
law—the most vicious of all labor
laws.”
Mr. Tobin suggested members
"can contribute” to campaigns as
individuals, but warned against such
use of any union funds.
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a
European Assembly
Gets Belgian Backing
By Associated Press
LONDON, Sept. 7.—Belgium joined
France today in applying pressure
for quick action on creation of a
European assembly to promote con
tinental unity.
Here and in Brussels, the Belgian
government disclosed that Its sup
port of the assembly plan had been
registered formally in a note to the
permanent commission of the five
country Western European alliance
in London — Britain. France, Bel
gium, the Netherlands and Luxem
bourg.
Britain thus far has shown little
desire to back the assembly pro
posal, which has the approval of the
State Department in Washington.
The British Foreign Office said to
day it had no knowledge of the
Belgian note.
As envisioned by its sponsors—
among them Winston Churchill —
the European assembly would take
the first steps toward creation of a
United States of Europe leading
gradually %to complete political,
economic and military co-operation.
Responsible British officials have
reported that Prime Minister Attlee
will discuss the question of British
participation soon after Commons
reconvenes September 13. He has
been confronted with brusque de
mands — from both Conservatives
and Laborites—that Britain adopt a
more positive attitude in support of
the assembly.
Some 70.000 fires a year in the
United States occur from misuse of
electrical equipment and defective
wiring. • _
ADVERTISEMENT.
Wady Tarta . T«tW Nna t tag m Tali
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I
Wallace Sees Labor
Support for Truman
As Appeasement
ly Ih* Au*cie&4 trmu
NEW YORK, Sept. 7.—Henry A.
Wallace told the CIO union conven
tion yesterday that labor leaders
supporting President Truman's can
didacy “are following'a policy of
appeasement which kept labor with
out political Influence for some
decades.”
Mr. Wallace said the labor leaders
had sought "desperately” for another1
candidate before the Democratic
National Convention.
There were chers and applause
—intermingled with, boos—as the
Progressive Party presidential can
didate entered the 13th annual con
vention of the United Electrical
Radio and Machine .Workers’ of
America CIO.
Tmman'i Name Booed.
Some in the hall clapped their
hands in cadence, chanting “We
want Wallace,” as he mounted the
platform.
me audience booed several times
when Mr. Wallace mentioned the
name of President Truman.
The annual report on the union's
general officers assailed Mr. Tru
man, and said his veto of the Taft
Hartley Act was “a phony veto.”
The report recalled that the union
at Ijs last convention urged the peo
ple to "drive Wall Street out of
Washington and return the Govern
ment to the people as an essential
first step toward building peace.”
European Aid Criticised.
"The general officers believe,” the
report declared, "that the presi
dential candidacy of Henry A. Wal
lace gives our members and the
people an opportunity to discuss
these issues and to effectuate the
| policies laid down by the UEW con
vention.
Criticism of the European recov
ery program and of the recent in
dictment of 12 top-ranking Ameri
can Communists also was contained
in the report.
Mr. Wallace—just back from a'
Southern tour on which he was a
target for eggs and other missiles
in several communities—told the
convention that "egg-throwing is
dangerous. It spreads like a dis
ease.”
Plant Accident Fatal
To Baltimore Worker
By Associated Pros*
BALTIMORE;, Sept. 7.—Charles
Razgaitis, 35. died today of injuries
suffered a week ago when a heavy
reel of wire fell from a traveling
crane at Western Electric's Point
Breeze plant.
Mr. Razgaitis' spina was broken in
two places and he nad a broken
arm and 11 broken ribs.
His fiancee was among those who
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