Show A False Trend From Tionesta Penn Forest Republican a politicians politicians politicians pol pol- It It has become a commonplace with Roosevelt post-Roosevelt that every American has a right to a good house or a right to inexpensive medical care or a right to a standard standard standard stan stan- dard of living represented by a salary of a year or aright a alight aright right l to the good things of life at prices he can afford to Post editorial pay states a recent Saturday Evening Another extract reads People three hundred years ago would be bo mystified by a generation which expects to enforce down the nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na the right to a high standard of living by closing tion's coal mines railroads packing houses and automobile plants Capt John Smiths Smith's bustling workers and the settlers in equally reactionary New England would not have understood understood understood under under- stood how people could have more things by producing fewer Thinking people today are equally mystified by such nonsense Of course the issues are usually not so clearly drawn Getting b more Inore by creating less voices a trend more than an attempt at a clear cut economic philosophy This trend is mainly due to the insatiable demand of labor for higher wages greater allowances and privileges which in substance means vastly higher production costs There was a time when labor was cruelly exploited by employers This time was not too long ago and we do not contend that some cases of pushing employees around do not exist today However on the whole we believe that organized labor has generally put nut an end to ruthless and unfair treatment of workers Under the sided one-sided provisions of the Wagner Act the process showed tendencies to work in reverse With government government government gov gov- help indirectly extended and at times directly the opportunities for labor leaders to ride roughshod over management management management manage manage- ment was a temptation hard to resist A goodly percentage of union officials didn't resist They laid on all the demands that the traffic would bear and then some In so doing some of the labor leaders were undoubtedly Communists intent upon destroying our economy and ana eventually eventually eventually even even- wiping out our liberties Others were conscienceless opportunists opportunists opportunists op op- mainly concerned with improving their personal union political fortunes by gaining followers through the extravagance extravagance extravagance extra extra- of their demands upon the owners and operators of business enterprises There were others probably sincere zealots single track minded who were vere interested solely in promoting what they conceived to be labor gains regardless of hf the cost to other parties parties parties par par- ties including John Q Public The Truman administration encouraged such demands after the Japanese war ended in 1945 This irresponsible something for gesture encouraged most of the labor union high commands to commit such excesses in the way vay of demands and to press them with such callous indifference to the rights of the public that the pendulum at long last swung the other way I IThe The wishes of an aroused electorate were vere reflected in Congress by the overwhelming passage of the Taft-Hartley Taft act An act passed by the majority vote of both parties and I upheld over a Presidential veto by a good margin in excess of the necessary two-thirds two support This legislation has served to soften intemperate labor demands and to set up management labor-management relations on a more rational basis Gradually this mellowing influence will work to labors labor's advantage in that the reasonable quality of future labor demands will receive favorable public support some something some thing organized labor has lost since World War II Definite advantages have developed in favor of the rank and file members of labor unions under the Taft-Hartley Taft law The lone members can no longer be pushed aro around nd by overbearing overbearing overbearing over over- bearing union bosses as was the case prior to 1947 Apparently the only parties who have lost power under the new law are the professional labor leaders It is now much more difficult for them to advance unreasonable and irresponsible irresponsible sible demands Their best means for whipping up personal followings is now denied to them They dont don't like it Court injunction to introduce cooling off periods into hot labor disputes and und to restrain overt and lawless strike techniques have been very effective in bringing about better relations between capital and labor The operation of these provisions has also brought public opinion to bear more directly directly direct direct- ly upon such controversies This is probably the most healthful healthful health health- ful development in the whole labor situation l' l In our opinion Mr Truman has mistaken the angry J ci cries s of the deflated labor leaders leaders for the wishes of the individual individual in in- members of the unions l Repeatedly and as s recently as last Friday and again on Labor Day the President has called for the repeal or drastic curtailment of the working of the Taft-Hartley Taft Act j Fatuously he would return the country and its economy econ econ- con i omy to the mercies and public damned attitudes of professional labor bosses J Such a step would be like the last dying frenzied leap leaPt leaps ot of the desert wanderer towards the mirage Not the mirage of water to the one who desperately thirsts but the de delusions 1 1 of making more by working less to the one who labors There is no substance to a mirage There is no hope hop e in the something for nothing formula J |