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Show Gossipy (Bess Let's Let George Do It If the average citizen would realize how much his life is affected by politics, and how much he can accomplish with a little effort in this direction, we would have seen many more people at the mass meetings last week. I noticed in the paper that the Reuther Brothers are organizing an international automotive union. These very active gentlemen already probably have more power within the present administration than the President of the United States. This illustrates how an organized group can take over the politics of our country while the average citizen sits quietly doing nothing. The Reuthers are out cleverly stealing steal-ing not only our freedoms, but our money also. There was a time when Big Business disliked the unions and fought them. That time is passed and better ways have been found for business to make its fabulous profits. A look at what has happened to the farmer, the small business man, and the unorganized unorgan-ized wage earner, particularly those who have a lot of money invested in a farm, business, or profession, is appalling. These people were once the middle class in America, but this is no longer true. A large corporation figures that it must make at least 6 net profit on its total investment, although many of them are making much more. At the same time they are paying their workers very high wages even though very often the total worker investment is the price of a lunch bucket. In contrast, a farmer who must have a great deal of money invested, and who may be paying a high interest on much of the investment, is lucky if, after figuring 6 on his investment, to make $3,000 per year. This is the amount set to qaalify for the Poverty Program! I don't believe there is one farmer out of a hundred who actually makes $1.00 per hour for the time he puts in, let alone the time his wife and children spend working on the farm. In spite of this many farmers take no interest in government, and let organized or-ganized labor and Big Business control the politics of the country. There is nothing worse than a man who does evil, except a man who does nothing. |