Pearson Backs 1
Proposed CVA
Dallas, Oct. 8 State Treas
urer Walter Pearson backed the
proposed CVA in an address be
fore the Dallas Chamber of Com
merce at its first full meeting
here Friday.
"It is charged that CVA will
be a 'super-state'," he said.
"How can it be when it is a crea
ture of Congress?"
Pearson declared that the pro
gram would depend on Con
gress for finances and would be
responsible to the lawmakers.
At the same time he stated
the opinion that "inevitable con
flict" would always exist be
tween the army corps of engin
eers, the reclamation bureau
and the Bonneville Power ad
ministration because of their di
versity of interests. CVA, as one
agency, would eliminate this
conflict, he asserted.
Overlapping budgets of the
three existing agencies incur du
plicate costs and are expensive
to taxpayers, he declared.
Treasurer Pearson listed sev
en things that the CVA would
mean to Oregon: 1, Better co
ordinated program for develop
ment. 2. Construction of a se
ries of dams for prosperity and
growth. 3. Reclamation of farm
lands. 4. New industry. 5. More
jobs for labor. 6. New taxable
wealth which would lower '.axei.
of the individual. 7. Navigation
Into the "hniterlands" and con
sequent lowering of freight
rates.
The TVA was called a "white
elephant" by opponents when it
was first proposed, said Pearson
"Now the same forces say the
same of the CVA."
Mr. Pearson was introduced
by Mayor Hollis Smith, who last
week was elected president of
the League of Oregon Cities.
Neale Povey, president, was in
charge of the meeting.
Well Baby Session
Slated at Woodburn
Woodburn Well-baby con
ferences for the north Marion
county districts will be held the
second Tuesday of each month
at the Woodburn library from
12:30 to 2:30 p.m., starting next
Tuesday. The first of a series of
at least three child health con
ferences for first graders in the
local schools will be held the
same day from 9 a.m. until
noon.
Both conferences will be con
ducted by Dr. W. J. Stone of the
Marion county health depart
ment assisted by the local vol
unteer committee and the public
health nurse.
Appointments for the well
baby conference may be made
by phoning Mrs. John Hooper,
health committee chairman at
Woodburn 1602. Parents will re
ceive a notice and appointment
time for their child far the child
health conferences and each
; child given an appointment for
the health examination would
be accompanied by a parent or
some representative of the par'
ent.
vapicai jmimai, nmem, ort paturnar, uctnner h, ir n
Red Cross Workers
Seek Blood Donors
Albany A public orientation
meeting for workers in the Linn
county Red Cross blood donor
program will be conducted by
two Portland center officials
Monday night, Mrs. Virginia
Faulkner, executive secretary
of the chapter announces.
Richard Codd, director of the
Portland center, and O. W
Dahl, assistant director, will in
struct the group on organ iza
iionai procedures in lining up
donors, for the periodic visits of
the bloodmobile.
Donor recruitment will be
launched shortly after the meet
ing Monday. The first actual vis
it of the center's technical unit
is scheduled for some time in
December. Mrs. Faulkner said
but organizational work will
have to be completed before
then.
Decker's
is coming
to SsEem!
Watch for the
Opening
Announcement
When You
Think of
LIFE
Insurance
Think of
NtW rORK
LIFE
And wncn you think ol New
Vork Life think of
Walt Wadhams
RPFCiu. Ar.rNT
S8 Rose St
Salem. Oreeon
Phone 2930
-M Ilk m rail at Will"
WHY
f United States Steel wants to do what is right by its
employees. We have always sought the loyal coopera
tion and friendship of our employees.
United States Steel favors proper programs of insur
ance, welfare, and pensions for its employees. We have
had insurance and pension plans in effect for many
years. We are ready and willing to try to work out with
the Union through collective bargaining any changes
in our existing programs for insurance and pensions
which are now necessary or desirable.
Last week we made an offer to the Union to pay as our
share-of the cost of programs of insurance and pensions
to be negotiated with the Union up to an average of
4 cents an hour for insurance and 6 cents an hour for
pensions. That was a very substantial offer on our part.
It would provide at our expense insurance and welfare
benefits which our employees do not presently enjoy.
The adoption of such programs would add more than
$50,000,000 annually to our costs of operation.
The Union flatly rejected this liberal proposal and
called a strike against us. Why? .Simply because
United States Steel is not willing to agree in advance
that it will pay the entire cost of insurance and pen
sions for its employees.
Because of the Union's adamant stand that we must
pay the entire cost of insurance and pensions for em
ployees, the Union has deprived our emeployees of an
opportunity immediately to obtain, without additional
cost to them, insurance protection far superior to that
which the employees now possess.
. . United States Steel proposed to pay as its share of
the cost of an insurance program about $5.70 a month
for each participating employee. A single employee
would pay as his share about $2 a month and an em
ployee with dependents about $3 a month. Our em
ployees on the average are now paying under existing
welfare arrangements more than these amounts each
STRIKEP
month for lesser benefits. The payments by our em
ployees under the proposed insurance program would
not reduce their present take-home pay.
A proper and financially sound pension plan calls
for most careful consideration. United States Steel has
offered to join with the Union in making a joint study,
on pensions, and, upon the completion of this study,
to negotiate with the Union for a pension plan to be
included in a new labor contract, effective on May 1,
1950. As an indication of its good faith, United States
Steel has offered to pay up to 6 cents an hour as its
share of the cost of a mutually satisfactory contribu
tory pension plan. Here again, the Union flatly re
jected our proposal.
The only issue in the present steel strike is this:
Shall United States Steel be forced now to agree
that it must pay the entire cost of insurance, welfare
benefits and pensions for its employees? An assump
tion by the employer of complete financial responsi
bility would amount to the adoption of a major and
highly costly principle, probably for all time. More
over, such action by a large steel company would prob
ably set a pattern for all American business. There is
grave doubt as to the financial ability of American
industry alone to pay the cost of adequate insurance
and pension programs for employees. Furthermore,
it is not in the best interests of the employee that he
participate in the creation of a savings account for
his future welfare?
Social security in which both employer and em
ployee share the cost has been the established order
in this country for many years, as evidenced by the
Federal Social Security Act.
Why should our employees and the whole nation
suffer the disastrous consequences of a steel strike,
from which the employees have so little to gain?
aim
STATES