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Show Americans Need New ' Citizenship Papers By GEORGE PECK Repeatedly in this column we have stated that we are for organized or-ganized labor; that we recognize the right of labor to bargain collectively col-lectively by all legitimate methods but that this be done without dictation, coercion, domination or interference of any kind. The American worker must have the freedom to choose for himself whether or not he wishes to become be-come and to remain a member of a labor union. Labor has made great gains in recent years. It is chiefly because we wish to see labor hold these gains that we now sound a word of warning. Labor must throw off the shackles of a greedy minority of its leadership which is exploiting exploit-ing it for the labor leaders' own selfish purposes. There is grave danger of labor alienating public opinion to move forward unfa-orable unfa-orable public opinion would nullify those gains. We do not have in mind, the battle between organized labor and industry. We are not thinking of the 40 hour week and overtime apply and pay for NEW Citizenship Citizen-ship Papers in order to work in our war factories. The millions of young men in our armed forces, when they return war-wounded, weary, without seniority union rights, will have to take out NEW citizenship papers before they can enjoy the right to live and to work the very things for which they are offering up their lives. It is estimated that the "aggregate "aggre-gate tax" now levied against workers work-ers by our 'sub-government" of labor politicians is around one billion bil-lion dollars a year. Under existing law, for the most part, this vast sum is spent in whatever manner the "unioneers" see fit, for their own selfish aggrandizement, and to the disadvantage of all. other groups of society. As one of the 40 million whose citizenship papers have been nul-i nul-i lified by this labor dictatorship, we wish to enter our vigorous protest against this assault on the American Way. We fervently hope that millions will add their voices to this protest. We have the numerical strength equity and fairness on our side we can, if we unite, refuse to take out NEW citizenship papers and still enjoy the "Free Right . to Work" so essential to the rights to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." Happi-ness." . pay. We are about to speak of the battle between the 12 million of the union group and of the 40 million American workers who do not belong to any union. When our forefathers drew up the Declaration of Independence, they naturally assumed that "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" Happi-ness" included the "Free Right to Work." For without this latter, the former three are impossible of attainment ' Today, however, the 12 million union group, through the arrogance of certain of its leaders, is asserting as-serting a new doctrine, to-wit: that American citizenship does not carry car-ry with it the Free Right to Work; that the remaining 40 millions mil-lions of workers, must obtain NEW citizenship papers from labor unions un-ions before they can exercise their first American citizenship. Under this un-American doctrine 40 million American citizens must i |
