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Looking Ahead 4 LOOKING AHEAD By Len De Caux “How much longer can be continue on the as- 1943 sumption that somehow we shall muddle through ?” That was Philip Murray’s leading question to tha 29, U. S. Senators, when he appeared before the Truman committee to investigate the national war program. The CIO leader cited instance after instance of muddling in production, manpower distribution, food March supply, price control, wage stabilization, etc. In every case he put forward practical proposals to remedy such muddles—all of them fitting into the NEWS, pattern of labor’s most insistent demand for total war mobilization and over-all planning. ★ ★ ★ CIO Production of war materials Is reaching unan- ticipated proportions, Murray pointed out, due to labor’s efforts. The But far greater production is necessary for vic- tory. This is increasingly threatened by present muddling. There is no central and planned control of scheduling of material, manpower and plant facili- ties. The War Production Board, War and Navy Departments, War Manpower Commission have overlapping jurisdictions and frequent friction. Results: Over-production of some materials, un- der-production of others; shortages of labor here, n hoarding and over-supply there; unused small plant facilities, due to concentration of war orders with big concerns. Murray told of plants where thousands of war workers have been laid off, due to such muddling, and of other plants that are being used to only one- half or one-third capacity. He warned that the present absence of over-all planning and control will lead to hundreds of thousands of essential war workers being without jobs by late summer or fall. ★ ★ ★ As to food production, Murray pointed out that “agriculture remains the last great industry uncon- All of which reminds us of the government verted to a war-time basis.” of non-essential crops like tobacco official who once said: “I see the CIO, the AFL, Production The Ruml Plum has been increased tremendously. This the railroad Brotherhoods and other unions are and cotton The Ruml plan is a snare and a delusion. a shortage of farm workers for the more represented here. But how about a representative has led to The CIO Is 100 per cent in favor of the pay-as- essential crops. of the unorganized?” you-go principle. It is urging Congress to adopt big business “farm bloc” presses Neither he nor the Senators seemed to realize Meanwhile the proposals whereby workers can pay their current price increases, through the Bankhead and Pace there is no way the unorganized can be represent* for tax obligations through deductions each payroll pe- bills, that will raise living costs about 20%. And ed. They are voiceless, because they can have no riod throughout the year—instead of having to pay of farmers, who could add spokesmen without organization. the interests the small them all at one time and a year late. so much to our food production, are neglected. plan—not Many politicians, employers and the like will But that isn’t the big idea of the Ruml to farmers falsely claim to speak for them. But true represen- Murray called for incentive payments by a long shot. for increasing production of essential crops, and for AH the big interests and their press tation requires election of representatives, and that business more funds for the Farm Security Administration to are spending good money to promote the Ruml In turn calls for organization of some kind. So "rep- resentation of the unorganized" is a contradiction in aid small farmers to maximum production. plan, because they hope to put in their thumb and ★ ★ ★ a plum. terms. pull out nice juicy Inflation is one of the most serious dangers that Ruml plan is provide big What were the Senators driving at then? Do The big idea of the to threatens as a result of present muddling and lack eash windfalls for the rich through cancellation they want the government to "destroy free enter- prise” by going into every plant to fight for the un- of planning. of 1942 taxes. Any pay-as-you-go features added and the organized (as unions do for their members) by Labor is compelled to ask higher wages later are purely incidental. of handling their grievances, demanding better condi- scrapping of the Little Steel formula—which one If the Ruml plan is adopted, the rich will benefit the Senators appropriately referred to as “the Lit- automatically by of taxes for a year of tions, and taking up their cases for higher wages? cancellation tle Wage formula”—because only wages have been At the time of death there We doubt it. •xtremely high profits. stabilized, while prices and living costs have re- will be particularly large windfalls for the estates Or do they think the government should every- where raise the wages of the unorganized to the mained uncontrolled. of the wealthy—a saving of a whole year’s taxes. Solution: Stabilize prices by over-all rationing Moreover, the savings will be much larger pro- level of the organized? That would be too great a favor for labor to expect from the none-too-pro-labor and rigid price control. Enact a fair tax program, portionately for the rich than for the poor. The by taking money from inflated profits and surplus Ruml plan means a saving of $64,000 or 64% Senators who asked the questions. Or were they just being demagogic then? Per- wealth and leaving workers with enough income for on an income of SIOO,OOO, as against a saving of health and productive efficiency. $l4O or only 7% on an income of $2,000. ish the thought. proposal is no We’re frankly puzzled. For If these Senators are ★ ★ ★ The House committee’s solution Murray quoted the profit figures of the United require a worker to pay really concerned about the unorganized, the only either. For it would two States, Republic and Bethlehem Steel corporations. order to become up-to-date way they can aid them is by helping them to organ- years’ taxes this year in The war profits of these three companies alone in on his taxes. ize—which they oppose. the last three years, after taxes and after extrava- solution Is that proposed by Pres. But, whether these proclaimed “friends of the The real gant depreciation reserves, will amount to about embodied unorganized” like it or not, the CIO will show its Murray, on behalf of the CIO, and in half a billion dollars. the Robertson-Forand proposal—namely to limit real friendship, and its patriotism, by continuing organization unor- Yet Congress tenderly protects such war profits the cancellation of 1942 taxes to a single low to offer the benefits of to the ganized, so they may play their full organized from adequate taxation, while it concentrates on level, such as the normal tax and first surtax soaking the poor to the limit. bracket. part with full voice in the promotion of our war What’s more, it has thrown out the President’s This will enable all taxpayers to effort. lower-income $25,000-a-year limit—as if to emphasize that wage immediate pay-as-you-go basis, without un- go on an ceilings are only for the poor, and not for the rich. justified for the wealthy. Urge your rep- windfalls The steelworkers’ wages have been kept down by resentatives in Congress to vote down the Ruml the Little Steel formula. But not so the wages of to real pay-as-you-go plan. plum, and adopt this Eugene Grace, president of Bethlehem Steel. He’s Published Weekly had a nice little wage boost of $60,000, Murray Congress of Industrial Organizations noted, from $478,144 a year in 1940 to $537,724 in The Unorganized Philip Murray President 1942. Some Senators who questioned labor leaders James B. Carey Secretary-Treasurer ★ ★ ★ Philip Murray and William Green, when they ap- Vice-Presidents What’s the chief step necessary to change from peared before the Truman committee, exhibited a Joseph Curran Allan S. Haywood the present muddling and injustices to real plan- curious but most persistent interest in "the unor- S. H. Dalrymple Emil Rieve ning and war efficiency? ganized." Albert Fitzgerald Reid Robinson Adopt the proposals of the Tolan-Kilgore-Pep- wanted know if some 25 unor- John Green Frank Rosenblum per They to million R. J. Thomas bills. That’s the answer of Murray and the CIO ganized workers were not worse off than the organ- and of the more far-sighted members of Congress. ized workers—and conceded that they were. Len De Caux Editor and Publicity Director This means setting up an Office of War Mobiliza- know these unorganized They wanted to how Special rates for block subscriptions and bundle tion to coordinate all present government activities fared before the War Labor Board; and whether the orders upon application. for production and manpower planning and econom- government should not give them the kind of pro- ic stabilization. Publication and Editorial Office: tection the unions give the organized. Such centralized planning and control is abso- Place, N. W., Washington, C. Finally, they seemed to want to "protect” the un- 718 Jackson D. lutely essential if we are to mobilize all our material organized from organization, by suggesting an end 1943 and manpower resources, and to organize our whole Vol. VI March• 29,9 No. 13 to organizing for the duration. economy on the most efficient possible war basis..
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