Show ANALYSIS ANALYSIS- WEEKLY Y NEWS MEWS Congress Reacts to Labor Unrest Truman Maps Broad Program to Ease Critical Housing Shortage Released bv by Western Newspaper Union western V EDITORS EDITOR'S t Newspaper NOTES NOTE When Union rD opinion I news ne are te expressed and not In these n c of Ibis Ihli they r newspaper are r r of P 4 3 M Z x Y a t i y y 4 Searching for wood or food rood scraps residents of or scour Allied dump Despite plans for food shipments to Reich U. U S. S reports present presentation presentation presentation of 1500 calories will not be Increased LABOR Congress Reacts Inflamed by labor unrest retard- retard retardIng retardIng retardIng Ing congress moved for passage of an violence anti act providing a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment for forcible in interference in- in interference interference or threats against inter inter- interstate interstate interstate state commerce Labeled as asan an racketeering anti-racketeering measure the bill grew out of protest against the International Teamster unions union's col col- collection collection col- col collection lection of funds from independent truckers entering large cities where the ITU is strongly organized While congress vented its wrath against the strike wave with the violence anti act it cooled to move more slowly on President Truman's recommendation for anti- anti antistrike antistrike antistrike strike legislation calling for crea crea- creation creation creation tion of finding fact-finding boards empowered empowered empowered ered to look into both company and union books to determine merits of wage disputes Hotly opposed by labor leaders the Presidents President's proposal has been heartedly half-heartedly received by industry with both parties continuing to favor the least possible restraint upon their full bargaining advantages advantages advantages in adjusting their differences Backs Down Meanwhile negotiations proceed proceed- proceeded ed apace in the automobile in in- industry industry industry where the powerful CIO CIO- United Automobile Workers sought maintenance e of high wartime wages A break in the de de- demands demands demands mands for a 30 per cent pay boost came in its dickering with Ford with the union announcing a willingness to compromise on its position it if the company pro pro- proposed proposed proposed posed an annual wage and other allier concessions like pensions re re- retirement retirement re- re retirement compensation and va va- va- va In an effort to meet Ford in the negotiations the also drew up an unprecedented security clause I against wildcat strikes agreeing on the imposition of a 3 a day fine against workers found guilty of an unauthorized walkout for a first of of- offense offense offense and 5 a day for a second While the Ford discussions progressed the unions union's parley with General Motors lagged a step be be- behind behind behind hind with President Truman seek seek- seeking seeking seeking ing to actively intervene in the dis dis- dispute dispute dis- dis dispute with the appointment of a fact- fact factfinding factfinding factfinding finding board to help speed settle settle- settlement settlement settlement ment of the wage issue Unlike the machinery that Mr Truman would have bave set up in his strike anti-strike legislation legisla legisla- legislation legislation tion however the GM finding fact-finding board lacks power to force either party to turn over its books Crippled by strikes parts short short- shortages shortages shortages ages and labor scarcities automo automo- automobile automobile automobile bile production has fallen far below previous expectations with only about cars having been manu manu- manufactured manufactured manufactured up to mid-December mid out of a year-end year goal of Of the Big Three in the th in industry in- in indus dus try only Ford has ha achieved any kind of volume of output having turned out over vehicles or about half of or the over-all over total GM production has been retarded by the big auto strike while Chrysler ac ac- activity activity ac- ac activity has suffered from supply and labor shortages after a late start caused by a cleanup of government orders Packard Nash Hudson and Stu- Stu Studebaker Studebaker debaker debaker have all fallen far behind schedule while Willys-Overland's Willys production of jeeps has been sty sty- stymied stymied stymied during the last two months I HOME IE BUILDING Seek Up Speed-Up Moving to ease the nations nation's stringent stringent stringent gent housing shortage President Truman mapped a broad over-all over program calling for the channelling of building materials into lower cost construction imposition of price control on new and old dwellings and emergency use of wartime gov gov- government government government shelters for home The President took action as Re Re- conversion Director Snyder de de- declared declared declared that a million families al al- already already al- al already ready are doubling up in existing homes and the number may con con- continue continue to grow as service discharges mount With several years of peak construction necessary to relieve the situation the industry will do dowell dowell dowell well if it puts up dwellings next year Snyder added In its emergency power pow pow- er to route building materials into lower cost housing to accommodate accommodate accommodate date average pocketbooks the gov gov- government government government will favor homes under with preference given to vets Essential industrial and com com- commercial commercial construction also will be granted priority under the plan With housing expected to remain short for several years despite in in- increasing increasing increasing creasing production the Presidents President's proposal for legislation for ceilings on new and old structures aimed at keeping prices within reasonable I bounds to head off an inflationary spiral In providing emergency facilities including army and navy barracks and dormitories for temporary shel shel- shelter shelter shelter ter in crowded areas the govern govern- government government government ment will move the structures wherever wherever wherever ever necessary At the same time surplus government building mate mate- materials materials materials rials also will be disposed of with 70 per cent cent earmarked for low cost housing To speed the program President Truman named former Mayor Wil Wil- Wilson Wilson Wilson son Wyatt of Louisville Ky hous hous- housing housing housing ing expediter to work under Snyder PEARL HARBOR Testimony Clashes I Divergence of testimony over the war departments department's receipt of the fateful winds message disclosing Japans Japan's decision to wage war against the U. U S S. on December 3 1941 marked the congressional in in- inquiry inquiry inquiry into the Pearl Harbor dis dis- dis- dis aster Whereas a top secret report of the army's Pearl Harbor inquiry board stated that the navy had in in- intercepted intercepted intercepted and decoded the mes mes- message message message sage four days before the surprise and then transmitted it to the White House and war and state departments affidavits later la r ob ob- obtained obtained obtained through a special investigation tion asserted that the army had never received the information Copies of the message me sage have disappeared dis disappeared p- p from navy files the army board reported Undertaken by the war depart depart- department department department ment after the army board had filed its report the special investigation was conducted by Lt Col aol 01 Henry C. C Clausen and disputed other facts originally presented besides those pertaining to the winds message In completing one week of testimony testimony testimony mony before the congressional committee Gen George C. C Mar Mar- Marshall Marshall ex-army ex chief of staff and President Truman's special envoy to China backed up p the revised find find- finding finding ing denying that he had seen the December 3 message |