Show 1 I Union Rank and File Ask AsI For FOl Extended Labor Peace By BAUKHAGE r AnnIcE and arId IS Service Eye Street N N. N W. W Washington D. D C. C WASHINGTON Sitting In the committee room where the hearings on the forthcoming labor bills have been taking place I often have wondered won won- dered how closely close ly they were being being be be- M TOM ing followed by bythe j the ranks and 00 i file of the union members Of i. i I. I 1 course the leaders lead ff t ers were listening listening listen listen- ing with cocked cars to every syllable syl syl- I lable were table were they f listening with the same the themen ears as men The reason I ask that is be because cause of a letter i received which Baukhage asked How can cnn the thousands of union f members like myself make people v understand that what the leaders of ol our unions do are not the views of the small fry rank and file members members mem mem- bers He goes on to claim that these international officers are elected at a convention attended by bya a certain few And we who stay at home and pay their salaries by our monthly y dues have nothing to say about who our national officers r arc are to be or what policies are areto to be followed The first inkling we have of what is going on is when we read it in the paper i r He points out that people like himself him- him himI himo I y o. o sell self have no huge financial reserves f no way to make themselves heard GAll All we want he insists is to be S left alone We want to work We want to work hard because we are all financially broke It is our fervent fer fer- fer vent wish that everybody let us alone and let us work in peace When I read that letter on the r. r sir air another year old automobile Y worker member of a CIO ClO union wrote in immediately to agree with the sentiments He says All AU I ask for is 52 weeks' weeks work in a year in including in- in eluding one week vacation with pay no strikes no lay oils and no increase underlined by the writer In wages Industry and farm r. r prices would take away all and more of k- k P any Increase I might get I too teo wish we could get a secret poll of off f CIO do members on such matters as asa i a l. l above but that is quite improbable improbable able the union leaders d rs would discourage dis- dis AJ V courage any such vote i 4 Another listener reminded me of If the called so-called Barnes bill in Massachusetts Massachusetts Mas Mas- to compel unions to file 5 certain statements with the Commonwealth Commonwealth Com Com- a bill fought by union i i. i i. i leaders which was carried by so large a majority that observers t- t figured that more than 50 per cent i of the members of unions in the i Bay state had voted in its favor v. v A woman correspondent added her hel he f voice in support of the first worker She wrote Men looking for work are trying to avoid jobs where they L. L have to join unions f Of course there were many who disagreed One of the most vehement vehement ment was a year old Virginian who l' l began g n work on the railroad in 1886 z ne He described early days clays when unionization union union- unionization was just getting under way He said When I joined joined the t Brakemen it was a crime In fact you had to keep it a secret or off went vent your head He characterizes the union man who criticizes his leadership as a parasite glad to get a raise and better working conditions con con- but who will let the other fellow pay for his fare An Ohi union member concurs saying When anyone tells you that f I they they- do not have a say in what their officers do they show no respect I- I should whatsoever for the truth They attend their meetings and help shape their policies and dont don't blame their officers for what is done because it is their own fault Obviously situations differ in dif dU ferent terent unions When the bill Is written by congress I believe It will be so phrased that It will make it possible ble for the majority of ot union men If not the majority of the leaders to tOI vote without qualms for the men J. J who wrote rote it That seems common political sense I I I New Book of W Wonders l When I was reminded that there was going to be an Agricultural Yearbook this year the first one since 1942 I hot footed it over to the editor because the Agricultural Yearbook is news Ba Bad news when tI I they dont don't have one and good news new when they do which is every year ear since 1863 when Abraham Lincoln signed the bill authorizing establishment establishment of the department of agriculture agri culture and outlining its functions At this writing the book is still L in galleys galles but will be out soon Circumstances Circumstances Cir Cir- which interrupted the annual annual an an- nual publication of this work have combined to make it perhaps th the most interesting in the history oi of the department Its title is Science in Farming and it will reveal some 1 of the tremendous advances ances which have affected the products of agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- I culture during and because of the thc war The editor is is Alfred Allred I and the authors of the some 15 I odd articles which It contains are arc mostly scientists in the department Some are arc staff staR members of state stater r colleges state n r I n. n ment stations and other government l laboratories As editor Stefferud StolE crud s says ays this yearbook will furnish a w wealth of information n on how to live b better etter and work better in information a about bout food clothing housing gardens gardens gar gar- dens d ens pests forests orests new processes a and nd many other things If There isn't room here to list allf all o of f the contents but the articles w which deal with plant and animal g genetics recount tremendous strides m made ade in breeding feeding and care a and nd combating insects and dis dis- e eases ases The hen getting her respiration respiration t tion ion measured in the picture is an e example of the studies of conditions favorable f to health and well being eing o of f poultry cattle and horses which have h ave been studied Then there are the new products w which have been created out of old ld ones o nes Utilization of corn-cobs corn and stalks talks s and straw the o of f vegetable meals that used to be dumped d chapters on penicillin and i I dY I I j physicist Bio H. H G. G Barott Earott of department department de de- department de- de of agriculture places hen in respiration calorimeter to measure intake of oxygen and output nf of carbon dioxide and heat rutin showing the new bond between agriculture and pharmacy I never guessed that rutin can be made from crom some 35 different plants and the richest In yield is the one that produces produces pro pro- produces duces those tasty b buckwheat cakes that I used to drown in maple syrup in my youth Then there is the story of velva the toothsome product made of ripe over-ripe fruit You may mayor or may not know that one of the most difficult I flavors to preserve is that of the I I apple It was never captured even in candy successfully Now however however how how- ever it has been anchored and there how I I Is an apple anle flavor as satisfactory as vanilla Incidentally one of the thc most fascinating ting articles is the re- re suit of a survey which reveals what Americans eat and why After even a rather hurried glance at the thc contents of this volume I realize how lucky are the people who have a friend in congress from whom they can obtain a copy of Science and Farming Under the law copies of the yearbook k kare are printed as congressional documents documents docu docu- ments and nearly al all of the these e are are re delivered to congressmen 1 Is s left to their discretion to distribute them They also can be purchased i from the superintendent of t documents documents docu docu- ments ments- of the U. U S. S gover ing ing office The price has not not bee been announced at this writing g but but I imagine it will not exceed cd 2 2 this year car |