Show h W ON LABOR CRISIS TESTS TRUMAN THUMAN The growing fast-growing labor crisi crisis presents Harry S. S Truman with tho the first big problem he has hns faced on a hitherto well-charted well Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt sea Up until now most policies especially those dealing with war and peace had been pretty well established by Truman's Truman's Tru mans man's predecessor In settling the current labor turmoil however Harry is completely on his own For some time labor advice from White House insiders has differed Truma Truman's s 's labor department has argued that labor troubles after wars were inevitable that both Wilson Nilson and Harding had to call out U. U S. S troops after the last war that labor has been in a strait j jacket since Pearl Harbor is bound to feel its wild oats now finally that big business was equally equal equal- ly in a straight jacket and equally equal equal- ly willing to row with labor especially espe espe- especially dally if it could get labor In wrong with the public advice advice advice ad ad- vice to Truman Dont Don't stick your neck out let both sides battle it out for a a. while Opposite advice came from another wing of the White House while admitting that all the above is ia true other advisers advisers advisers ad ad- urged that both labor and industry needed guidance For four years both labor and industry have had the Little Little- Steel Formula as their guide They were supposed not to go above this Now labor finds itself losing its overtime wages with take-home take pay dropping way below lush war days yet with the cost of living still high Therefore Truman was urged to step forward and set a ann ann- na national national na- na policy suggest a wage increase which would partly offset offset offset off off- set the drop in take-home take pay It is this group of advisers which Truman finally has decided decided decided de de- de- de to follow FARMERS VS LABOR UNIONS Last week Florida citrus growers growers growers grow grow- ers came to Washington worried sick over the future market for grapefruit and oranges They feared a return of the old days when their fruit was dumped into Florida rivers The army array has just cancelled orders for several severa million cases of orange juice Simultaneously Simultaneously Si Si- Si-o Si it has turned back on the civilian market several million mere surplus cases This backlog is bound to have a depressing effect on citrus fruit Citrus fruit growers know that with wages dropping the civilian demand for oranges and grapefruit will also nose When workmen get paid less first thing they quit buying is fruit Cattlemen also figure on ona ona ona a drop in in prices Not only will wil the army buy less but workmen eat less meat ment when wages are cu cut Same is true of many other farm commodities including dairy products Never before has th the I average American eaten so well well well- despite rationing rationing rationing-as as during th the war years largely because wages I were high Seldom before also have haye farmers been so prosperous I Seldom before however have hav farmers been so sore at labor labo laborI unions They were looking forward forward forward for for- I ward to buying new v autos new I farm machinery Now all nIl this i is dela delayed ed b by strikes Also they were looking forward to the return o of cheap labor from cities to farms So far this hasn't materialized UNIONS LOSE MONEY Big industrial unions naturally dont don't want any trek back to th the farm It means loss of dues Th The United Auto Workers' Workers paying dues-paying membership has now dropped to about half of that The Thc drop was so severe that th the cost of running the union went i ithe in inthe inthe the red red UA W chiefs are going goin about their wage wago protests in a an orderly minded fair-minded manner have hav done their best to stop the Kelsey Kelsey- I Hayes wildcat strike But some som union leaders lenders prefer strikes I It 1 helps increase their power in th the tho union In Schenectady General General General Gen Gen- eral Electrics Electric's Charles E. E Wilson Wilso long has advocated higher wa wages es He says it helps him sell sen electric refrigerators electric irons et etHe etc He lIe has been ready to make upward upward upward up up- ward wage adjustments voluntarily ily just dust as wise Standard Oil on of N. N J J. J increased its pay immediately immediately immedi immedi- and automatically at the end of the war However certain CIO CIa Electrical Electrical Electrical Elec Elec- Workers seem more interested inI interested in in- I in in a strike than a n voluntary voluntary voluntary vol vol- or negotiated wage boost some labor leaders unfortunately unfortunately I seem deliberately looking for strikes strikes among among them John L. L Lewis They bring disfavor on the heads of other labor leaders lenders have given tho the entire labor movement movement movement move move- ment a n bad setback with public opinion Public opinion in some sonic areas is now so 50 labor anti that Truman would get thunderous applause if he ho called out out U. U S. S troops as WI strike breakers |