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Show ma sutj jggg. Assecma AND THE N. E. A. O. 8. WILKINSON, Editor PUBLISHED and Publisher EVERY FRIDAY Established November 25, 1004 Entered In the Post Office at Beaver, Utah, as second-clas- s mall matter, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879 Advertising rates quoted on request THE PLIGHT OF AMERICA'S WHITE COLLAR WORKERS (From an article by Senator Elbert D. Thomas in the May issue of American Magazine, and printed in the Congressional Record.) v (Continued from last issue) "A clerk in a Los Angeels court writes, 'I would be willing to make sacrifices if others would do the same. My cost of living has increased 40 percent and my income tax 400 percent. My income has not increased one red cent. Yet a neoghbor's daughter, 19, on her first job, receives $225 a month much more than I get.' "A civil engineer writes: 'I am 42 years old, and have worked for this city for 12 years. Checking back over my records, I find that 2 years after I left college I was making just as much, in buying power, as I am now. Then I wasn't married. Now I have to support a wife and three children.' men and women "Too many college-traine- d are reaching the point where they must cash in their life's savings and borrow to get the bare necessities of life. These include librarians, lawyers, social workers, architects, college professors, and scientists of many kinds. The income of some classes of scientists has risen, but the American Association of. Scientific Workers reports that 'large numbers of scientists earn between $35 and $50 a week.' "There are 136,000 clergymen, most of whom never had much more than a bare living, whose parishioners have given them little, if any, increase in salary. Nearly a million employees of hospitals, including nurses, are working loyally and tirelessly, attempting the impossible task of caring for more patients with smaller staffs. Hospital workers are notoriously unnurse why she derpaid, but ask a doesn't give up the drudgery and take a more profitable job irr a war plant, and she probably will tell you firmly, 'I love my work. I'm happy to be helping the unfortunate.' That's the kind of American who is being pushed around. "The largest group that is paying more than its share of the cost of the war is made up of workers in the offices and wholesale and retail stores, and itinerant salesmen. The National Industrial Conference Board in 1943 made a survey of 35,600 employees in 351 companies in 21 cities, and found that the average file clerk got $22 a week ; the average stenographer $30; switchboard operator, $25 ; key punch operator, $25 ; and junior typist, $23. These generally were in the larger companies that pay fairly well. Conditions vary in different areas, and hundreds of thousands in those classes, particularly in small businesses, are paid much $25-a-we- less. "Although is is agreed that the average woman cannot live in most cities on less than $30 a week, the average wage for clerks in de partment stores in .New ork is $23 a week. A recent survey by the Y. V. C. A. showed that the average salary of women office workers in the Midwest is $27.89 a week. "Remember that an average figure is reached bv combining the salaries of workers who are being paid a living wage with the salaries of multitudes who are not. Statesmen may attempt to quiet protests by arguing that the average isn't too bad, but such oratory won't buy food and clothing for the office worker who gets $16.60 a week. "One office worker wrote me: 'We who work in offices and stores and banks arc in a the boom of didn't 1928 we get raises in proportion to those given the bosses. For most of us there is little oppor tunity of advancement, for we can't all rie t the heads of departments and there always clerk. I've given up hope must be a of ever increasing my standard of living, but surely, in order for my company to do its part in the war, it isn't necessary that my standard be cut in half.' "Too many persons don't consider the dife ference between salary and pay. One office worker observes, W hen I get my pay, 20 percent has been taken out for withholding tax, 10 percent for war bonds, 1 percent for social security, and 5 iercent for the company retirement fund, totaling 36 percent. Then when my wife and I pay for food and clothing we find they've gone up 30 percent. And now they want us to double our purchases of War bonds. I haven't had a raise, yet workers out in the plant have had two or three raises and, with all the deductions, make more than ever in their lives before.' How can Congress help the white-collworker? First, we must keep the cost of living from rising any more. If possible, we must reduce it. But we must do more than that. We must e increase the pay' of those white-collworkers who are suffering real privation. They should be given some relief from $25-a-wee- k take-hom- ar 'take-hom- Midval 3 1 I (i ,' ar . Even in at The Story of Milling and Smelting wage-stabilizati- SUBSCRIPTION RATES Year, f 3.60; 6 Mo. f 1.25; 8 Mo. 75c, In Advance pocket. taxes, which can be done by increasing the exemption figure. It has been suggested that, also, there should be an additional exemption for those workers yhose income has not increased perceptably since Pearl Harbor. Certainly a good tax program should be based primarily upon ability to pay. "Probably most important of all, Congress should ease the War Board restrictions on frozen salaries in the lower brackets. The program is necessary and effect has been good, but whoever its over-al- l thought we wanted to freeze the wages of clerks getting $25 a week? "While the stabilization program, justly, has been blamed for much of the suffering of white-collworkers, some of the criticism has been 'unfair. There are two classes of employers : one that is willing to give raises, but is often blocked by War Labor Board rulings; and the other that wants to buy labor as cheaply as possible, and falsely tells employees, 'The War Labor Board has frozen all salaries. We'd like to give you raises, but the Government won't let us.' Some employees of the latter go around cussing the W. L. B. and the Government. "The War Labor Board has. been partly to blame for this. W. L. B. rules and forms are so complicated that the average person can't understand them, and when an employer says, 'That's the W. L. B. ruling,' employees don't know what the rules really are and are unable properly to pelad their cause. "When William II. Davis, Chairman of the Board, appeared before our committee he admitted that the forms are complicated and promised to try to simplify them. "One thing that should be made clear is that most employers of eight or fewer employees are exempt from W. L. B. rulings, and also that the Board has no control over state, county, and municipal employees, nor over those of nonprofit hospitals and charitable organizations. When teachers and purses don't get raises it's the fault of local officials. It should be made clear also that, in most cases, the W. L. B. does not oppose raises that bring wages up to 50 cents an hour. And that the Treasury Department, not the W. L. B., controls salaries of more than $5,000 a year. "Unfortunately, in most cases, increases in salary are limited by law to 15 percent above the base salary of January 1941. But individual increases, under certain limitations, may be given for length of service, merit, reclassification, promotion, etc. Some employers don't understand how to give raises properly; some don't want to know. " 'My company had a job classification that had been approved by the W. L. B.,' one clerk writes me, 'and they said they couldn't give me a raise. When I told them I would quit, and convinced them I meant it, they quickly wangled a way to give it to me.' "The cure for this is to raise the brackets and loosen ceiling in the lower-salar- y slightly the restrictions, so that fairer adjustments may legally be made. "'That will bring more inflation!' some statesmen crv in horror stricken tones. 'You'll raise prices so a loaf of bread will cost $100!' "That is nonesense. Inflation doesn't come from the bottom. The clerk doesn't is the uncontrolled waster who It oerspend. brings inflation. In Washington, in New York, in every city, you see men and women spending $100 in one evening in a night club, you see them buying mink coats, jewels, and liquor. They toss away millions of dollars to get what they want at any price in the black markets. "Thousands of businessmen, evidently with unlimited expense accounts, are coming to ashington in drawing rooms, living in ex pensive suits, spending enormous sums for food and drink. The money they spend and the monev the government pays them for con tracts, much of which is spent lavishly all over the United States, may cause some inflation "But you won't get inflation by giving a shabbily-dresse- d typist $2.50 more a week, or the by increasing wages of a bank clerk so he and his family can keep up the payments on their little home, or by giving a college-traineschool teacher enough money to buy a new dress. That money is spent for bare necessities, not squandered on luxuries. "If we give a fairly decent living to the white-collclass we won't weaken our eco nomic structure we'll strengthen it, and in spots that are becoming dangerously unsound today. They're fine, upstanding patriots and are being kicked around, forced to make more than their share 'of sacrifices for the war effort, mostly because they arc unorganized. "Xo longer must they be the forgotten millions. Not only for their good, but for the good of all of us, we must give them aid, for these people are as necessary as the men and women who are building airplanes. Crush the white-colla- r workers and you cripple America." ar 'i Jf mwa t - t s f 1 VVr,s'v i :-- 1" i the Midvale, Utah mill and lead smelter of the An important spot on the smelting map of the world uum idics ana at timet United States Smelting Refining ana Mining company. ui from foreign countries are shipped to Midvale for treatment. (Editor's Note: This is the first of a followed by the formal location in rated and in 1901 built a conner erie of five articles on the story of mill-- - lij63 0 tjje "West Jordan" Claim by smelter at Bingham Junction n. ore "f ' a group of 25 persons. M&v.tal 8me Midvale, Utah. Shortly thereafter lead a followed smelter was locations rapidly added at the Other Situated in beautiful Salt Lake same plant and smelting or refining valley, one of the nation's leading and active operations in the area facilities were The United later provided at smelter communities, known in have been continuous. ac- - some of the company's plants In early days as Bingham Junction, States Mining company in 1S99 Midvale today is the terminus of quired the "West Jordan" as part other states, The United States Mining ore and concentrate shipments from of the "Old Jordan" which, with the western states and from cer- - old Telegraph Mine, became the pany and the United States Smelt-taiforeign countries. Here the nucleus of the present United ing company were dissolved after large custom mill and smelter of States Mine, one of the important the United States Smelting Refin-thore producers of the ing and Mining company was United States Smelting Refin- - lead-zin. . eorporated in 1906. Early in Its e and Mining company silhouette country. In the years immediately follow- - tory this company became actively skyline of this agricultural and industrial community. ing United States Mining company interested in the development ol The development of the United made investments in other mining Utah's resources and from the States Smelting Refining and Min- - properties in Utah and some out- - beginning has been an important ing company closely parallels the side states, and in 1901, recognizing- factor in bringing Utah to the front s growth of the mining industry since Utah's need for facilities for treat- as the leading mining the turn of the century. The.dis- - ment of ores from its own and and smelting center of the world, its with States United of Midvale the now in other knbwn ore is Plant what continuous covery properties, s Bingham Canyon District was Smelting company was incorpo- - ly occupying a prominent place In wj ""'cm ''nc com-man- y n ' e c g his-th- (THE SECOND OF THESE ARTICLES WILL APPEAR SOON.) Industries, Carbon county, should elect two directors, one from the West and one from East Carbon; Huntington Lions club, Castledale Lions club, Blue Mountain Civic Jungle Fighter's Lament I am full of damned Malaria I shake the whole day long The "gunnies" ringing in my ears; I am anything but strong. Mosquito bites all over me you, would think I had the itch My ears are full of Guinea mud my bunk's a muddy ditch. club, Monticello, club,, also counties. We shall in the post-wactive man the club. Chauncey I'm living in a jungle it is hot as merry hell "C" rations are my menu no cooking do I smell. For this I get two bucks a day, and a chance for a little (ground, That measures four by six by four, and a covered grassy mound. ar here with me the lad was but eighteen Got him a bed he'll nevr leave the covering of the green. Another one will see no more, another lost an arm; And hundreds more. I do not know, are safe now from all harm. My pal who came Blanding Piute County Civic Wayne have Important wort years; so elect an to represent you in Sandberg, President, Associated Civic Clubs of So. Utah. Rail Accidents Fatal to 2,277 in First Half of '44 But when I hear of a bunch of guys, who are safe and far away, Refuse to work because they want two dollars more a day I only wish we had them here for just a week or two, To live in "Guinea Jungles," and there we'd let them stew. WASHINGTON. The Interstate Commerce commission announced that 2,277 persons, including passenWe'd give them all Malaria, let mosquitoes have a feast; gers, employees and trespassers, We'd make them bury many a lad, from North, South, West and Kast, lost their lives in railway accidents We'd make them sleep in foxholes, We'd feed them from a can; in the first six months of 1944, a deWe'd let the hot sun blister them, 'twould be no Palm Beach tan. cline of 72 compared with the same last year. We'd let them hear the- wounded moan. We'd let them see them die. period The number of Injured during the With sniper's bullets whizzing by, with star shells in the sky same period totaled 28,970, an InAnd then we'd send them home asain to their ten bucks a day crease of 113. To tell the others what they'd. seen "way down New Guinea way." The number of train accidents InI'll bet those guys would have enough at home they'd gladly stay. volving more than $150 damage to No strikes they'd start so soon again "for Two More Bucks a Day." railway property rose from 8,209 in the 1943 period to 8,219 in 1944. THE BOYS IN HELL'S COUNTRY. The number of passengers killed year was (You're dead right Buddy. And what about the guys who fail during the first hall of the 1943. The 42, an Increase of 1 over or refuse to buy bonds to provide you with equipment wouldn't a number dea was 1,973, injured little New Guinea treatment be good for what ails them? Ed.) crease of 456. The heaviest number of fatalities occurred among emand Delta Lions club, club, Fillmore ployees 520; trespassers 718; involved in grade crossinp Utah Civics Lions club, Milford Lions club, persons Reaver Commercial club. Parowan and other types of accidents 991. Civic club. Cedar City Chamber of Commerce, St. George Chamber of Commerce.., Hurricane Lions club, d Kanab Lions club, one from b and one from Orderville. Neplii h Lions club, Salina Lions HURRICANE, Nov. 24. The club, Gunnison Lions club, Manti security, too! annual meeting of the Associated and Ephraim should elect director Civic Clubs of Southern Utah will for the South Sanpete, Mount be held in Nephi on Saturday, De- Pleasant Lions club, Associated cember 9, 1944. At 11 a. m. the Executive committee will meet. At 2:00 p. m. a meeting will be held for the directors and the pubilc. The following persons are expected to appear on ih program: Bill Featherstone will discuss legislative matters. T. W. Johnson, field secretary, will give a report a. IJT- - You wiil find yourself one of the best informed 111 LHJr on the "Intermountain Securities fcj Br I Lm'Jir persons in your community when vou read Th Christian Convention;" Joe Bergen, state ;n (,nA r,.k cience Monitor rrpulariv vn ;wnoinrs. director of civil aeronautics, will a fuller, richer . . . truthful, accuratt, of affairs world understanding talk on the advancement of aerounbiased news. Write for sample INVEST IN VICTORY NOW copies today, or end for on nautics In Utah. Lyman Willard-son- , vuitu uuu SUDSCTipUOn. dairy and food inspector, DThe Sixth War Bond drive is on, and no I epartment of Agriculture, and Linecand more been has drive ThftCfcrlatla j.lan .kll.kl.. previous urgent on tamer of the Ephraim Lion's I ... , . Oo. Nrwr etrwt, Bo7ta 15. Mm. is war The axis nations with the at essary. will discuss Club, milk as l pertain, -acme I " to Th. Chrt.tlia 25 3 5r "w2kS u"" J11" the heighth of its furv, and men and materials' ing to school lunches. Paul M S ewlloa. tot whK I tncloM j NAME are taking heavier losses than ever before. It will discuss the "G. I. Bill address"""""""""" is now a do or die contest, and our hearts bleed of Rights;" Walter Paxman. for the Americans on the various cruel bat- will report on the Nad tional Reclamation Association ale fronts. It is a time when every ed American should dig down deeply and buy Convention held in Denver Nov $25-a-we- Southern Schedule Meeting For Ka-na- Pan-guitc- Buymore7iM fortof ar .ir till , Ash-wor- th red-bloo- every bond possible. And vet we are told that the sale of bonds is lagging. That locally, in the State generally and in large sections of the country people are debating ami hesitating whether to invest in War Bonds, or concentrate on post-wa- r im provements and pet hobbies, leaving the war and its implications "to George," or Joe or lly. We trust that there arc no such people in this community but that each one will be found doing his or her full part in backing up the boys on the various fronts with all the essen- tials for winning the war quickly as possible. 7. The Kiwanls Club of Nephl will be host to the Southern Utah Civic Clubs. Please make reservations for hotel accommodations and the banquet with Walter Paxman i Nephl,, Utah. Election of officers for the en suing year will take place at the close of the afternoon meeting. AH directors and the newly elected di rectors are expectd to be present. Will the following clubs please elect a director: Eureka Kiwanls Mo DK. M. P. IiURGESS, OPTOMETRIST will be in BEAVER, at the TUESDAY, fcyes LOW HOTEL DECEMBER 5th, 1944 Examined and Glasses Correctly Fitted BURGESS OPTICAL |