Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS GOP brandishes payroll axe move to regulate labor unions marshall steps into no 2 spot EDITORS NOTE when opinions are r expressed in these columns they are re those of western newspaper union sews new a analysts and nd not necessarily ol of this newspaper CONGRESS sharpen payroll axe economy minded GOP house members axe in hand were eying the big federal payroll in their an ji ounce d drive to scale U S ex g 12 billion dollars below jj 1946 budget of 41 billion dollars declaring that there is hardly a government department that does not have twice as many employees as needed representative taber rep N Y chairman of the house appropriations committee asserted that workers could be chopped off the payroll ot of 2300 without seriously impairing services not more than employees in all are needed taber said we are going to cut down government expenditures to a point where the budget can be balanced a payment made on the national debt and we will still have room to reduce taxes taber snorted labor reforms sen joe ball rep minn ai i rep george case rep S D phed labor reform in early sessions of the congress ball proposing sweeping measures for corrective legislation first ball called for prohibition of secondary boycotts and making labor organizations liable for violat ing contracts then he introduced legislation to ban alt air union and closed shop agreements and maintenance of membership contracts in winlon aunon shop ad an amblo employer er mai may hiria hire a non aion union laif man but the latter then must join the labor organization I 1 on within i a certain period la in a closed shop the worker must inter enter the union before he Is hired in ja a maintenance of membership contract employees joining a union must remain remah within it for life of the pact finally ball proposed to decentralize collective bargaining to prevent of an entire industry i through an general e ral negotiations the new case bill introduced in the house permits issuance of injunctions to prevent strikes impairing the public welfare forbids unions to coerce employees seize property in disputes withdraw essential maintenance workers or order walk as j As with majority approval of members ers and makes union liable for damages resulting from breach of contract the bill also grants the states authority to ban the closed shop BRITAIN land control proceeding along the path of increasing control of property to assure its widest possible use tor for public benefit the labor government of britain moved to regulate the sale and use of real estate under the town and country planning bill introduced in parliament and headed for passage despite conservative serva tive opposition the government would compel the sale of undeveloped but prospectively valuable y estate at existing prices only acpal 1 cases of hardship would prices above the prevailing market value be paid in addition the government would control the use or of property to prevent industrial blight preserve the countryside around cit le jj s and provide recreation grounds and allow room for breathing in overcrowded areas the govern i ment also would regulate the posting of billboards in rural sections and benic scenic cities because jt it jahe biggest landowner in britain the church of eng land would be most affected by the proposed measure 4 a A f J 15 W with money comparatively plentiful and goods scarce the back door black market thrives in italy with head covered to hide identity illegal operator weighs spaghetti straws on hand scale openmouthed open mouthed child stands by holding can of scarce milk ITALY seeks aid leaving a hungry and discontented populace behind hirn him premier alcide de gasperi hurried to washington D C to seek substantial fin ancial assistance from the U S to prevent pi event political and economic chaos in italy negotiations centered around a billion ion dollar loan first discussed between italian and U S officials at the theotime time of the paris peace conference italy would not be permitted to apply the proceeds against its reparations biu bill of but would use the funds for food raw material and industrial equipment A substantial loan would help italy rebuild its once lucrative tourist trade italis biggest industry before the war the trade is severely crippled because of the destruction of hotels and their requisitioning for housing lack of transport and an unfavorable exchange rate worth lire at the official rate the american dollar draws lire on the black market COLLEGE FOOTBALL house cleaning college football is headed tor for a long needed housecleaning house cleaning as a result of action taken by the national collegiate athletic association at its annual meeting in new york the tremendous growth of the game and the phenomenal increase in betting on contests as a result of widespread interest finally led the collegiate officials to control the sport and avoid discredit through threatened scandal starting rather late after the growth in popularity alty of the alie game the organization of alumni and the erection of gigantic stadia the A moved to curb cu rb recruiting 9 of athletes extension of shady financial assistance to 0 players and competition with violators of the new rules the curbs are to be incorporated corp cerp orated in the constitution to which colleges subscribe scribe atthe same tinie time the adopted i a six point resolution aimed at alie th e gambling evil besides asking tor for strict enforcement of laws the resolution called upon newspapers to refrain from printing odds on games and coaches and athletic directors were requested not to make pre game predictions STATE department happy day there are two happy days a man has in public life former secretary byrnes told british ambassador kerr there is the day a man is elected to office then there is the day he quits january 7 1947 therefore was a happy day for the dapper little south carolinian when he stepped down from his high post in the truman administration tra tion it was a happy day too under the byrnes standard for general of the army marshall who was named to succeed him but as byrnes byrnes implied mar M a r cheer was destined to be short lived as he took over direction of the nations international affairs byrnes had a tough time tussling with the russians over completion of peace treaties for the axis satellites and marshall faced the even even tougher job of framing pacts for germany and austria anxious to build a decent peace byrnes had been at once patient and then again firm in his dealings with an aggressive russian foreign ministry seeking to cement its hold on eastern europe and extend its influence to the westward although friendly with russian leaders marshall marshal is no admirer of communism or I 1 communist tactics I 1 t just before being named to office he blasted chinese freds for risking the welfare elfare of their 0 country to obtain power and resorting to untruths un truths fco tar the U S some observers marshall also read in mar appointment an effort by president truman to build the general up as his successor in 1948 should marsh marshall all make a name for himself in the state department part ment his work there plus plu s his prestige as the no I 1 military chief in world war II 11 would give the democrats a strong candi candidate dote to offset dissatisfaction with the truman re gime to in the period SENATE dixie sees red when senator bitter personal enemy james 0 eastland also of mississippi rose in the senate to denounce the move to unseat his unpopular colleague he was expressing the apprehension of every southern senator lest the move set a precedent against conservative members from dixie although bilbo was temporarily barred because of an investigating committees charge that he had accepted favors from war contractors the real impetus to the move was furnished by liberal groups opposed to bilbo because of his fight against the fair employment practices act and poll tax and his encourage encouragement men t of discrimination against negro voters while bilbo was the immediate target because of his nationwide reputation the issue touched southern senators from all white supremacy pre macy states charging that liberal pressure groups groups were working for debarment senator ellender dem la cried topple him off and find out what is going to happen to others who share his views and courage used car prices off gone are the days of sky high prices for used automobiles a nation wide survey has disclosed with buyers no longer disposed to pay almost anything for cars prices have dropped from 10 to 30 per cent with dealers expecting further declines one big dealer in the east expected a drop of from 20 to 40 per cent within 30 to 90 days boston recorded the biggest price decline of from 10 to 30 per cent new york philadelphia and denver followed with 25 per cent atlanta 15 to 18 per cent chicago 15 per cent and los angeles 10 per cent with heavier cars more HOUSING banner year house hunters still may be grumbling over difficulties in finding new dwellings but housing expediter frank R creedon disclosed that construction was started on more privately financed homes and apartments in the first 11 months of 1946 than in any year since 1928 of the dwellings on which work was begun homes and apartments were completed in addition another temporary units and trailers and remodeling jobs were finished ECONOMICS president reports in the first annual economic re port issued by the president under the employment act of 1946 mr truman set forth the principles for a prosperous america drawn by a three man council of economic advisers the report called tor for continuance ti nuance of the traditional free enterprise ter prise system supplemented by constructive government assistance where necessary long range recommendations include maximum use of labor and productive facilities prevention of economic fluctuations cooperation in international trade and finance and promotion of welfare health and security because of their immediate bearing the short range recommendations were of greater interest the report asked for the maintenance of present tax rates to provide for substantial retirement of the national debt lowering of prices wherever possible to ln increase rease consumption moderation lode ration of labor demands to 0 head bead off additional price rises increase in the minimum wage a bove above 40 cents an hour and extension of the fair labor standards act to workers now excluded M mr r truman also asked for extension of rent control beyond next june decontrol would result in immediate rent increases which would materially impair purchasing power he said farm briefs about one out of every five persons in the U S lives on a farm and another fifth of our population lives in rural areas strictly dependent on an farms reports the department of agriculture ri paid wage rats rates paid to hired workers on farms reached new highs in 1946 according to the department the nationwide average for farm laborers receiving board was on october 1 1948 1949 in only five of the last 50 years has the acreage of corn harvested been smaller than it was in 1946 but use of hybrids resulted in greater yield per acre the record of bushels to the acre produced the nations largest corn crop the yield was almost two bushels above the previous high in 1942 and 88 80 bushels more than the average per acre yield credit tor for the high yielding corn crop is given to hybrid vai va f rie ties which were planted on a little more than two thirds of the corn acreage of the nation call for funds to aid polio epidemic victims fighting the ravaging polio epidemic of 1948 1946 the national national foundation for infantile paralysis has spent for medical and hospital care of patients basil oconnor foundation president declared that sum is only the first cost of the most devastating epidemic in foundation history he said with the number of cases above the 2500 mark and foundation funds at a low ebb a minimum of must be raised in the 1947 march of dimes drive so that the unified attack against the disease can continue average cost of each case of infantile paralysis Is 1200 on this basli basis the 23 states badly hit by the epidemic face the stupendous cost of chargeable to io the 1946 epidemic alone nai national lonal headquarters estimated I 1 the estimate tor for the drive was determined after a financial survey of the entire infantile paralysis situation OCo oconnor said the disease of the invisible virus invaded every everk state in 1946 but the brunt of the raging epidemic was felt principally in 23 states which had i a total of about cases minne sota with 2829 cases topped the list with illinois california new york and wisconsin close in line local chapters of the foundation in these stricken states used all of their reserve funds in fighting the epidemic with over of funds be ing advanced from national headquarters in the midst of the epidemic a total of 58 per cent of all chapters in counties that had epidemics the previous year required advances from national headquarters to continue aid for patients HIGHWAYS double work at despite many retarding influences the 1946 highway program doubled that of 1945 according to the american road builders of an estimated two billion dollars public works expenditure for 1946 about million was spent on highway construction while the federal aid highway program has not moved as fast as was wag hoped a start has ha been b beit made and should show im improvement in 1947 it was sald altce recent nt public roads administration figures disclose projects under way tot totaling aling new contracts alarde projects approved lW aad projects programmed released by western newspaper PaPer union |