STRIKE MENACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26043, 5 January 1946, Page 5

STRIKE MENACE

PROBLEM IN AMERICA PRESIDENT’S APPEAL DIFFICULT MONTHS AHEAD WASHINGTON, (Rec. 0.15 a.m.) J an - 4. An appeal to the American people to urge Congressmen to take immediate action on strike control legislation and other pending measures to avert what is termed an economic disaster, was made by President Truman in a broadcast. He declared that a handful of men on strategic Congressional committees were blocking action on his legislative programme designed to carry the United States towards full employment. "The year 1946 is our year of decision,” he said. “We must lay the foundation of an economic structure to serve for generations. I wish 1 could say everything is in perfect order, and that we were on the way to eternal prosperity, but I cannot. The months ahead will be difficult. In my Message to Congress on September o last I outlined legislative proposals to meet the problems ahead. Progress on most of them has been distressingly slow. Serious Domestic Problems “Congress has done its full share in carrying out its responsibilities for foreign affairs by approving of the United Nations Organisation Charter extending the programme of reciprocal trade agreements, approving of Bretton Woods, and supporting U.N.R.R.A., but we do not find a similar record of the achievement regarding the equally serious difficult domestic problems m reconversion. • We have gone a long way to getting workers in factories back to their peace-time jobs. We are producing more goods now than anyone dared expect a few months ago, but we are a long way from the goal, and without the stimulus of war there is decreased co-operation and teamwork in the relations between industry'and labour. Many obstacles have been thrown in our path as we tried to avert the dangers of inflation 3nd deflation. I recommended fact-finding procedures which can go a long way toward meeting labour problems. I hoped Con-, gress would either follow the recommendations or at least propose its own solution. It has done neither. The purposes of my recommendations were misrepresented by some Labour and management spokesmen. There was nothing harmful to Labour in establish fact-finding boards. Labour’s right to strike remains inviolate, but there is no reason why strikes cannot be postponed for 30 days. On the other hand, there is nothing harmful to management. Detailed information obtained from company books will not be revealed. General Motors refused to cooperate with a fact-finding board. It cannot be compelled to co-operate unless a statute is passed giving the board power to subpoena. That is now up to Congress. The time has come for every citizen to make his own opinion known to Congressmen. Once that is done you may be sure results will follow. Price Controls “Equally important is the question of keeping prices on an even keel. Pressure groups are working in and outside Congress to eliminate price controls and let prices rise without interference. To-day the pressures for inflation are many times stronger than those following the World War which caused the 1920 depression. It is important to get a high volume of production immediately, since production is the greatest weapon against inflation. Until enough goods are made.

however, to supply demands, the Government must keep prices down. We are all anxious to eliminate controls, but price and rent controls must be maintained for many months. Congress has done very little about recommended legislation on (1) full employment; (2) supplementary Federal unemployment insurance benefits; (3) outlawing racial discrimination in employment; (4) raising the minimum wage level. Time is running out on these and other problems, but I do \not intend blanket criticism of Congress. It is individual committees which are retarding action on Bills by failing to report them to the floor of Congress. I am asking that the committees at least give the people’s representatives a chance to vote ‘ Yes ’ or ‘No ’ on these vital, issues. If my measures do not meet the approval of Congress, it is my fervent wish that Congress formulate its own measures. That is definitely a Congress responsibility. What the American people want is action. Homes Urgently Needed “ Of the three major components of our standard of living—food, clothing, and housing—housing presents the most difficult problem. The year will probably be a peak year for food production. and clothing is also expected to reach a satisfactory production level, but we urgently need 5,000,000 additional homes exclusive of the replacement of millions of existing sub-stand-ard dwellings in cities and on farms. The greatest number of homes constructed in any single year before the war,” the president continued, “ was less than 1,000,000. Therefore, it is clear this is an emergency problem calling for an emergency method of solution. I therefore appointed an emergency housing official empowered to use every agency and resource of the Government to break bottlenecks and produce materials for housing. It is, however, primarily a job for private enterprise. It is a Government responsibility to provide extra housing only when private enterprise is unable to do so. Challenge to Timidity Members of Congress are now at home. I urge you to tell public servants your views concerning the grave problems facing the country. I fully appreciate the many problems facing Congressmen. I seek no conflict with Congress. Orderly procedure in Congress is indispensable to the democratic process, but orderly procedure does not mean needless delay. Stable world relationships require full production and full employment. The voices of defeat, dismay and timidity among us say we cannot do it. These I challenge. We cannot shirk leadership of the post-war world problems. Our economy will not stand by timid men mistrustful of each other. ,We cannot face 1946 in a spirit of drift and irresolution. The men and woman who made the country great and kept it free were plain people with courage and faith. Let us justify this heritage.”