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Show SEARCHLIGHT PS THE Propaganda Drive (Continued from preceding pagie) unmercifully. The Steel Operators were not mentioned. Hons questioned the patriotism of the workers who declined to let Steel management and NWLB wreck the United Steelworkers Union. He also pointed to the 24-hour loss of production as a horrible letdown to the men at the front. But when many Phil Murray furnaces had been pointed out shut down that before the stoppage—and have been down since—because of an oversupply of steel, Hons had to moderate his tone although he never once put the blame spotlight with more haste than dignity. when the President took a hand and gave the Steelworkers the two concessions, asked, to-wit: 1. tr ' Retroactive pay to the date of expiration of the old agreement of any award approved by the War Labor Board, or other Federal agency. Extension of current governing working contract conditions until a ment agency concerned. then Hons had to get off his high horse altogether. “ace”? commentator became it decided that ing from one-sided the disrepute aris reporting might reflect ad- versely on G. E. for many years to come. The propaganda drive also enlisted the serv’ ices of many men of high standing who either had succumbed to the lurid misrepresentation itself, or were either the paid or guileless front men deliberately selected for the pernicious role In Salt Lake City, Gus P. Backman—for once—kept his mouth shut. Gus had his fingers burned in the annual attack on the unions two years ago. He dared not risk another try. Dave Robinson also pulled in his horns when his circulation department hoisted a frantic distress signal. But the valiant Tribune—with the blessing of A. L. Fish—went to bat in some senile, metoo editorials in behalf of its “advertisers”, and perhaps to work off its own private grudge. Its editorials on the subject ranked at least as low as the most contemptible in the country. terms new agreement should have been negotiated and accepted by the Govern: NBC’s potato when they were to play. for the work stoppage where it actually belonged. General Marshall also backed away from the And, anvil chorus as did a number of lesser radio prosrams. But General Electric, sponsor of the “World Today”, dropped the subject like a hot NBC’s ass commentator. Mutual’s smart alec commentators, Lewis and Heatter, tried to ape Hons Von Kaltenborn, but they overplayed the game so badly they became ridiculous. Lewis tried to attack the Roosevelt administration as the “CIO political party”. Everything he disliked in current politics was described as “CIO politics’. Gabriel’s trumpet played such a monotonous tune that checking once a month sufficed to get his line. The Mutual “‘aces” finally became shining examples of that pointed old Mexican saying directed at swell-headed breast-beaters: “The monkey, even though he be dressed in silk, remains a monkey.’ Columbia’s “World Today” also joined in the Demands tor Wage Increases It was the failure of Congress to roll back price levels to the wage stabilization date of September 15, 1942, that ultimately forced labor unions to protect their members by demanding wage increases to compensate for the ‘higher costs. The Searchlight is a rather close observer of labor trends and policies, and. while not presuming to speak for any labor union on the ques- tion, is convinced that if Congress today would support an Administration rollback of prices to September 15, 1942, virtually all demands for wage increases would be withdrawn. Labor entered into the stabilization program in good faith in 1942. It has acted in good faith since. It was the failure of Congress to live up to its end of the program that forced labor to seek wage increases. |
