Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 April 1943 — Page 10

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~ SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1943

THE HOLD-THE-LINE ORDER HE order issued by President Roosevelt means, we ! earnestly hope, that he is at last determined to go all out in the war against inflation. As he said: “The only way to hold the line is to stop trying to find justification for not holding it here or not holding it there « . . we cannot afford to take further chances in relaxing the line. We already have taken too many.” Prices affecting the cost of living must not be allowed to go higher, Mr. Roosevelt said, except where increases are imperatively required by law. Excessively high prices ust be reduced. There must be no further increases of wage rates or salary scales beyond the Little Steel formula, “except such as are clearly necessary to correct substandards of living.” That, we assume, is intended to serve notice on John . L. Lewis and other labor leaders to stop trying to smash the Little Steel formula. It seems to close several of the loopholes through which the war labor board has been granting wage increases in excess of the formula. If the WLB will now adopt a clear . definition of “substandards of living,” its stabilization ef- : forts can be far more effective. : 8 8. 9 f ; 2 8 8 ONGRESS must act to reduce and hold in check the excess purchasing power which is the basic reason for. the inflationary meénace. “We must be prepared to tax ourselves more, to spend less and save more.” That is unquestionably true. How much the order actually means will be determined by the degree of vigor with which it is enforced. On that point it is encouraging that Mr. Roosevelt apparently has ~ given Economic Director Byrnes clearer authority over all phases of the economic stabilization program. We think Mr. Byrnes genuinely desires to do what is necessary to hold the line. The tougher policies now announced by the president would have been more surely effective a year ago. Precious ~ time has been lost. Softer measures have encouraged the , struggle for advantage between farm groups and labor groups, and produced the threat—not yet entirely removed ~that congress would prevent the stopping of inflation by raising farm prices. ~ But Mr. Roosevelt is entizely correct in saying that the farm-labor conflict cannot go further without making inflation inevitable and breeding disunity where unity is needed, Furthermore, farmers and industrial workers and all; other Americans are better off today than they are * likely to be again in many years unless the lire | is'held now at every point.

ORGANIZING TACTICS WE hold no brief for or against the C. I. QO. union which has been attempting to organize the Allison factories here. But we do believe that three elections there within 11 months have been enough to decide once and for all what Allison workers want in the way of union representation. . Naturally it is easy for an organizer out on the firing line to be carried away by the enthusiasm of his own campaign to the point where he actually is injuring the welfare’ of his own union. Sometimes it leads to tactics that will not, in the long run, do his organization any good. In several other still unorganized plants in this city union organizers have recently been telling workers that appeals for wage increases approved by the employer will

not be considered by the war labor board unless the em- |.

ployees are union members. This is not true. Appeals from organized workers are considered on exactly the same basis as appeals backed by a union. No responsible union officer would indorse such statements or such tactics. They can come only from ill-informed, or ill-guided subordinate organizers, and they can do only : damage to the union they. represent. * + Too much persistence at Allison’s undoubtedly has left gone sore spots, turned some workers who were only in- . different to C. I. O. into active enemies of C. I. 0. The results of the third election just now reported, reveals plainly ‘ that three campaigns in less than a year—all lost by C. I. O. —have not measurably increased their following there. And obviously three campaigns have been costly in time and distraction from She vital major job of every Allison worker. Se If the principle of free choice of union affiliation by the workers themselves is to be worth anything at all, _ Whatever union enters an election must abide by the results | —win or lose.

IDEOLOGY AND PATRIOTISM

EN. HENRI HONORE GIRAUD ought to be the con-

~ vincing answer to those who confuse ideology and patriotism—who assume that no conservative or reactionary can be a good American, a good Briton, a good Frenchman, ‘Giraud used to be known as a political reactionary. But we can remember when Winston Churchill was tarred with that same brush; and Henry Stimson. It happens that they all love their countries above: all.

It would be pleasant if all liberals and radicals would be

8 broad as these right-wingers, and lay aside their ideolowhile we beat Hitler.

AT JEFFERSON BEUEVED_vI

uc She tire great bulls, logis ee could be tept independent, I should never fear the result of such a

iment ; but that 1 GOHla 10¢ but bs Nneasy: when I}

3 that the executive shad swallowed, up the

ered by carrier, 18 cents

. "WASHINGTON, April 10.—The average citizen—now forking over 10 per cent of his ‘ wages in payroll deductions, pays ing out 19 per cent for ificome taxes, and having another 5 per cent forked over for him by way of victory tax deductions— may be wondering how it is going to be possible for him to give any more in the second wear loan drive to raise another 13 billion dollars w May 1. Having subscribed his 10 per cent or more, he may have felt that was that, ior? he wouldn't have to worry any more about making further commitments for the purchase of war bonds and stamps. Having settled that matter to his own satisfaction, he now steps into a whirlwind three-weeks’ campaign to buy still more bonds in the second war loan drive, and furthermore, he faces the prospect of a third war loun drive late in the summer and maybe a fourth in early winter, and so on for as long as the war lasts. Overwhelmed by a succession of some 20 big ads in 2000 newspapers, 2600 hduse organs, 600 trade publications, blurbs on every radio station, 24-sheet posters: on 12,000 billboards, 80,000 car cards and 700,000 smaller posters here and there, a fella may at times wonder how he’s going to keep up with the procession.

The Money Is There

* MAYBE A not-too-thorough job has been done in spelling out the details of where the money is coming from, but the fact is that the money is there and it is entirely feasible and also imperative for everyone to buy extra bonds in the second war loan drive—in addition to the 10 per cent of payroll already subscribed for continuing war bond purchases. These 10 per cent deductions are now yielding about 500 million dollars a month, or 6 billion a year. If you figure that there are 50 million workers in the United States, that averages down to only $10 per month or $120 per year per worker, which not only isn’t much, but also isn’t enough. The main argument of the national income economic experts is that the money is there to buy more bonds because, while national income is at 125 billions a year, there are only 80 billions worth of goods and services to be purchased, leaving some 45 billions excess purchasing .power to be absorbed as payments on debts, taxes, war bonds and the like, if inflation is to be avoided. Because that money is there, because previous bond drives have gone over better than had been anticipated, the easy assumption has been that all other war bond drives would be oyver-subscribed, so never mind worrying about the success of this second war loan campaign, The drive of last December, for instance, was supposed to raise only 9 billion, but it

‘actually raised 13 billion.

13 Billion Won't Go Far

THIS SECOND war loan drive is intended to raise 13 billions, and there is every reason to believe that it, too, should be handsomely. oversubscribed. As to the need of extra war bond subscriptions, the second war loan 13 billion goal won't cover the costs of: the war ‘much more than two months, at the cufrent rate of -spending. The second ‘war’ loan isn’t intended to cover original costs—it’s for the upkeep. Second war “loan bonds are attack bonds. It was suggested that gne slogan for this second war loan campaign should be, “Second War Loan— for a Second Front,” but for some mysterious reason of high strategy, it was considered that this catchline would be unwise, psychologically. Anyway, that’s the basic idea. And as you walk up to the counter to sign up for those extra bond purchases in the second war, loan campaign to run during the remaining days of April, you can at least kell yourself on the idea that it’s your small contributton toward speeding the creation of a second front. 8 » s

Westbrook Pegler is on vacation,

‘Bound for Glory’

By Richard Lewis

WOODY GUTHRIE'S America is the land, with its mountains; streams, plains and endless rib. bons of steél. His people are the people who live on the land, or who wander over it in search of seasonal work, or who just wan over it. Woody is a wanderer, singing troubador of this generation. “Old Woody” (he’s 30 now) is a hobd with a guitar and a profound and natural talent for making words inhale and exhale. “Bound: for Glory” is Woody’s book, the story of his life and his kind of people—hobces, itinerant workers, railroaders, oilmen and cattle ranchers. But it’s mostly about Woody, his childhood and his growing up in the West. : Woody played the guitar and sang songs he made up as he went along, a form of entertainment nearly extinct in these days of juke boxes and high-priced bands.

Light-hearted Grapes of Wrath

ONCE, HE ALMOST fell in love giving a girl a guitar lesson in the apricot country. He never worked

he ate pretty well. Woody's story is a light-hearted “Grapes of Wrath,” but it is told with the matter-of-fact viewpoint of a man writing about his own folks. It is written in the vernacular of the boxcar, the highway, the saloon. ~ He set his hat on the back of his head and walked through the West from Oklahoma through the red wood forests along the coast, guitar over his shoulder. He sang along the boweries of 42 states: Reno ave, in Oklahoma City, Lower Pike st. in

in the camps called Little Mexico on the dirty edgs of California's green pastures.” “Everywhere I went, I throwed my hat on the floor and sung for my tips.” :

Town Hall, Movies, Recordings

AS ONE OF the troubador-poets of America, Woody has sung in other places, too. He has performed at Town hall and at Madisoh Square Garden in New York. He has made records for RCA-Victor, the Library of Congress and the office of war information.

know him as “That boy, Woody.” 5 You ack Wim. Led tell you dhs al Lie does 1 try singin’,

atte YOU SEL 0s have Yu 1.

at anything much. He sang for his’ dinner. Usually,

Seattle, the jury table in Santa Fe, the Hooverville'’s.

on “the flea<bit rims of your city's garbage dump, |

Once he played a scene in a movie, “The Fight for | Life.” Thousands of men women over the country |

The Hoosier Forum

1 wholly- disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

“WE . DON'T NEED NEIGHBORHOOD REFORMERS” By Myra Carey Morgan, 6668 Cornell st, Mrs. J. C's letter regarding a writer's comment on the radio programs just hit the nail on the head with me. It gave me an inspiration for this letter, in these days of

war when most of us are trying to keep on smiling though our héarts are heavy, and often times our pillows are wet with tears over our loved ones overseas or away from home here. Here's something that doesn’t go down very well, to have a neighbor tell you your way of living and speech upsets her and makes her ill, and not only one time are we told this but every time she talks to us, What are we fighting for? Is it not freedom of speech, life . . . liberty and the pursuit of happinéss as we see it? All we ask is to be let alone here on the home front. We don’t need neighborhood reformers or people who find fault. I have found those who do these things are the ones who have no loved ones on the fighting front, no son overseas to have a heavy heart over. I shall continue to live my daily life as I see fit; my family will do likewise, After all, charity begins at home. So does reform, and I'll try to realize what we are fighting for. t J ” ” “SORRY, WE JUST RENT TO ADULTS” By A West Side Mother, Indianapolis

I have just finished reading the

r | letter from Allen Brooks in the e (Forum of April 7, and believe me

he is telling the real truth. My husband works. from 10 to 12 hours a night in a defense plant. We have three sons and have to live in a two-room house—no garden space, - because every time we ask about a house-<tSon1y, we just rent to adults.” Now we have raised our boys to take care of other people’s property as was our own. When these hoys grow up they may have to carry a gun. Now will they feel like fight-

ling for a country when as children

they were not welcome in a house? I don’t blame a renter for not renting to a family who tears up the

(Times readers are invited to express their views in

awaiting further opportune developments .

Whenever ambitious ‘politicians

these columns, religious controversies excluded. Because of the volume received, let-

an armchair argument once prac-

ters must be limited to 250 words. Letters must be signed}... *

—

place, ‘but all families are not like that. We buy bonds, stamps, save tin cans and paper, and are we getting any help for our home life? Let anyone raise three boys in two rooms with their father trying to sleep through the day. Is it easy? Also we want a large garden to feed these boys—“Sorry, just| adults.” (One.of. our sons is 10 and willing to work.) = Now if anyone can firid ah answer to this solution, just try it. ” ” » “PERENNIAL DISEASE AGAIN BUDDING?”

Pierson ‘1890, Suton, Company D, 3 Yes, a spirit of independence. True, Midwestern “states and legislatures are waking to their responsibilities.” Admitted, “that there are some things the states must do that they are not yet doing to put their own houses in order.” It's a fact that the Midwestern area is now predominantly Republican.” But— The Republican party and the Midwestern states, and Illinois with Governor Green in particular, have almost always opposed all national] policies sponsored or favored by the Democratic party, aside from direct war measures. ‘Why? Is it not true that ambitious and avid politicians must ‘mitigate and oppose that which prevents their ascending to power? And to censure and seek destruction of that impediment it must necessarily propose] others which, if Jollowed, would -accomplish the desifed But is not there in 8] publican patty, "as expressed by Stokes— Times, ' 4/5/43—a peculiar tone of

ticed and discarded as inefficient and impractical? Isolationism was supposedly killed by Pearl Harbor and the aftermath, but the perennial disease is again budding and

Side Glances—By Galbraith _

SE ra i k

realize the importance of directing that which would destroy their opponents and insure their personal ignd, they jockey for the dominant position, resulting in “confusion and uncertainty.” One of the several must lead, but who? And lastly, to reaffirm that the G. O. P. purposely fights fire with fire, was it not through the Green-Brooks-McCormick machine that it emerged politically victorious in the last several state elections?

8 8 8 “LUDLOW LOOKING OUT FOR OUR INTERESTS” By -E. Haupt, 2541 N, Delaware st.

I notice on the front page of The gil

Times, April 6, a piece by somebody

who would not let his name be

printed, who had written Rep. Lud-

low on the pay-as-you-go tax plan, |¥ and claims that the item was a|™

copy of Mr. Ludlow’s letter. -I have one today from Mr. Lud-

low which sure shows that he is|: looking out for our (us voters) in-| terests. He says:

Dear Mr. Haupt: “In replying .to your letter of April 2, the Ruml plan was never before the house. In its place was a hodge-podge plan called the Carlson bill which I could not support. The vice of the Carlson bill was that it allowed too many windfalls which were not necessary to pay-as-you-go plan. “The year 1942 was notable as a year of many fat war contracts. Under the Carlson bill a contractor who benefited by one of these contracts could take his forgiven profits and invest in government bonds—the money he ‘would otherwise have had to pay in taxes, and provide himself a handsome annual income. from the government. “I am sure you will agree with me that ought not be done. I was not satisfied with eithér the Carlson bill or the ways and means committee bill and I voted to turn back the problem to the ways and means committee to do a better job. “I am 100 per cent for a fair and workable pay-as-you-go tax plan and have faith to believe that within reasonable time a favor- . able pay-as yous go- bill fair to everybody will be reported ‘and ”

® = '# 4 “WAKE UP! LET'S _ KNOCK OUT INFLATION” By Wm. G. Koenig, 1215 N. Ostord st. * “There is something wrong with Americans’ makeup, always kicking in the wrong direction. Jugheaded

as a Missouri mule. " Workers form unions, strike

-| against their employers snd govern.

ment for higher wages and fail to see that théy alone are paying

Td Viet

through their noses for their false

1° | victories.

In time of total war we pay the bill no matter. Heavier taxes, prices rise above any set wage. We play into the hands of profiteers by our

the population to go on a diet. Wake up! Let's knock out inflation.

have a chance to win this war. DAILY THOUGHT

The Lord of hosts shall defend {hem —Zechariah 9:15.

x |1 save prayed in ber. felds of

blind mad rush to buy at any], IPI wouldn't’ hurt 90 ‘per vent of

People who won't don’t think we|

TH sf

WASHINGTON, April 10_rir. ing another salvo in his cam to abolish cost-plus war con Rep. Louis Ludlow (D. Ind.) obtained some excellent ammunition "from a fellow Hoosier—Richard ~ . Elliott." : As acting comptroller genpral DE . former Re an from Indiana, compiled the data which Mr. Ludlow used in & speech in the house and inserted in the ongr y Record. fu wh

of those on the payroll who promptly got increases under the cost-plus system, Mr. Elliott's data disclosed the following: A chief timekeeper, increased from $1740 to $4160 a year; chief warehouseman, $2100 to $4160; superintendent, $1856 to $450 a month; chief engineer, $4000 to $7500; construction superinterident, $4800 to $7500; personnel director, $2900 to $4680; foreman, $30 to $50 a week; assistant accountant, $900 to: $3000; office manager, $1400 to $2600, and guard from we to $325 a month,

‘A Fine Turn From Lady Luck’

“THE VERY MINUTE they tapped the govern ment’s till, the services of these employees suddenly and miraculously assumed a, value beyond all imagi«

salary they were happy to receive before ‘Lady Luok’ did them the fine turn of bringing them beneath. the spreading canopy of Uncle Sam’s ymbralia.*, Se Ludlow commented. ho “The imagination part of their swollen new ar ies, of course, comes out of the pockets of the. hardearned taxpayers of the United States. “We might as well let the truth be known about these unspeakable cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contracts. I do not know everything they cover. I do not know the complete extent of the wrongs they commit against our long suffering taxpayers, but I do know that for one. thing they cover a. salary bn that 1s as glaring as ‘the midday sun.

'In the Twinkling of an Eye' “I CHALLENGE ANYBODY to tell me how it"

happens that when an employee is happily and con.’ tentedly working for a certain salary in private ems ployment and he is transferred to work on a cost~ plus-a-fixed-fee contract, his services in the twinkling | of an eye become worth 50 per cent, 100 per cent, or 150 per cent more than he had been receiving. lat someone explain that. “I think it is true that in a vast number of aaos the men themselves would be content to work for less and that they are not asking for these increases. That makes the increases all the more mysterious. “There should be a thorgugh investigation of cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contracts.” : Among the firms whose payrolls were cited by Mr. Elliott were Hercules Powder Co. Denver ordnance plant, and numerous camp and plant contractors throughout the United States.

Nazi Scheme By Richard Mowrer

WITH THE BRITISH 8TH ARMY (delayed, via Algiers), April 6.~To give the German: infantrys ' man in Tunisia something more to fight for besides the Jhird Reich and Hitler, the German command has decreed that any ‘infantryman who knocks out enemy tank will be ‘granted 20 , days’ special leave. ; Although the basic idea of this _ German scheme, to inspire the or- . dinary soldier to greater achievements in battle, is similar to an I scheme, it does not have the same reasons behind it.

May Be More to It

THE ITALIAN PLAN is manifestly inspired by the « ‘sagging morale of the Italian troops and is‘open to all comers in the Italian army. The German plan, however, is limited to the infantryman versus the tank and has no monetary grants. According to the Italian scheme, anybody destror: ing or capturing an allied jeep gets 2000 lire; a tank, 1000 lire; a rifle, 20 lire; picks and shovels, 2 lire per kilogram, or 2.20 pounds. Probably the axis’ back-to-the-wall situation in Tunisia and its numerical inferiority in tank. strength are primarily responsible for the German scheme. It is just possible that there is more to the German offer of 20 days leave, than just the 20 Ja; Namely, a chance to get out of Tunisia while th e going is wood

Yo A

We the Women 4

By Ruth Millett

contribute 0 it,

and cutting out there. and economic living. It ! 2 thy fashioned sense of the d. : Be The day is past whéli we could take our money and put it into war stamps and bonds and the glow of pride that comes from doing ot

Need Is Immediate

5 8

LE :

nation, amounting in many instances to double the:

Naming the firms and giving the names and ties - x

”~,