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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1945)
ii 1 Labor and Industry Study Truman Move For Wage Increases Washington, Oct. 31 (U.R) Labor and industry today care fully studied President Truman's middle-of-the-road wage-price policy statement to find a fresh approach to the disputes stalling reconversion. The first labor reaction came from a CIO spokesman who ex pressed "disappointment" that Mr. Truman did not recommend a specific percentage formula for wage increases. The CIO is ask ing 30 per cent raises to offset loss of wartime "take home" pay. WAGE INCREASES DECLARED IMPERATIVE NEED The keynote of Mr. Truman's wage-price address to the nation last night was this: "Substantial" wage increases to labor are "im ( perative," business in general can pay them without requiring f price increases, and the government must and will continue efforts to hold down the cost of living. At the same time, the president emphasized that the govern ment was ready to allow'price increases if that were found abso lutely necessary to assure business a "fair profit." He accompanied his speech with an executive order which authorized such necessary increases. The president carefully refrained from recommending any precise amount by which wages should be raised, making clear that this should be determined by collective bargaining "in good faith." But he provided labor with one argument for the bargaining table. He estimated that the take-home pay of most workers had dropped 25 per cent or more since V-J day and that increases were needed to prevent deflation and consequent wide unemployment. CONSIDERATION, REASONABLENESS ARE URGED He urged industry to give careful consideration to labor's re quests, and in turn asked labor to be "reasonable" in its demands. "We must not kill the goose which lays the golden egg," he said. ' - Declaring that he, like others, has been "distressed in recent weeks" by mounting labor unrest, Mr. Truman bluntly placed part T-of the blame on the doorstep of congress. He criticized congress in general and two house committees in particular for blocking three of his important reconversion re commendationsexpanded unemployment compensation, full em ployment legislation, and continued federal control of the U. S. Employment Service. Mr. Truman said the 25 per cent cut In workers' take-home pay had resulted from these factors: Loss of wartime overtime pay, down-grading from higher-paying jobs and the fact that peacetime Jobs pay less than war jobs. "These three factors added together mean a drastic cut in the take-home pay of millions of workers," he said. "If nothing is done to help the workers in this situation, millions of families will have to tighten their belts and by several notches. VAST SALARY SHRINK SEEN IN NATION "It has been estimated that, unless checked, the annual wage and salary bill in private industry will shrink by over $20,000 000, 000. That is not going to do anybody any good labor, business, agriculture or the general public. Mr. Truman warned workers that it would be impossible to maintain the identical take-home pay level that prevailed during the war. "There will have to be a drop," he conceded. "But the nation cannot afford to have that drop too drastic. , "Wage increases are therefore imperative to cushion the 4 shock to our workers, to sustain adequate purchasing power and ' to raise the national income." The president said there was room in the existing price struc ture for business as a whole to raise wages. Business, the president said, can study wage demands in the knowledge that certain of its wartime operating costs are going down. He pointed to elimination of overtime pay, down-grading of workers to lower-rated jobs, increased productivity, a "very favorable profit position," and repeal of excess profits taxes. LIMITATIONS ON INDUSTRY'S ABILITY TO PAY At the same time, the president asked labor to recognize that there are limitations on industry's capacity to raise wages without price increases. These limitations, he said, include less profitable production of peacetime items, reconversion expenditures, the costs of developing new lines and markets and training inexperi enced workers. "These problems and difficulties are particularly true in the case of small business which is the backbone of the American competitive system," Mr. Truman said. "Labor must not demand more than an industry or a company can pay under existing prices and conditions. Excessive demands would deny to industry reasonable profits to which it is entitled, . and which are necessary to stimulate an expansion of production." He said labor has a responsibility to aid Industry in reaching this goal of higher production and more jobs by striving constantly for greater efficiency and productivity. "Labor," he said, "must constantly find ways within its own ranks of cutting down on absenteeism, reducing turnover, avoiding jurisdictional disputes and wildcat strikes. Labor and industry must adopt collective bargaining as the effective and mature way of doing business." VARIATION IN INCREASES IS RECOGNIZED He said that the extent of wage increases will vary between companies and industries. And what can be paid today, he abided, will be different from what can be paid next year or later, when markets have become established and earnings apparent. "Both management and labor must keep on exploring these developments and determine from time to time to what extent costs have been reduced and profits have been increased, and how far these can properly be passed on in the form of increased wages." Mr. Truman flatly rejected arguments by some business leaders that any wage increase must be accompanied by a corresponding price increase. He warned that the nation must not repeat its ex perience following the last war when "a dizzy upward spiral of wages and cost of living ended in the crash of the 1920's a crash that spread bankruptcy and foreclosure and .unemployment throughout the nation." The president reaffirmed his wage-price policy order of last Aug. 18. He said this allowed management to make wage increases "f any amount without governmental approval if they did not re quire price increases, but which required approval before the in crease could be reflected in higher prices. THREE SITUATIONS SET FORTH He said that amendments to this order set forth three situa tions where wage increases would be allowed irrespective of price consequences. These were: 1. Where increases in average straight time hourly earnings have not equalled the cost of living between January, 1941, and September, 1945. The cost of living rose 32 per cent in that period but average straight time hourly earnings in virtually all manu facturing went up 36 per cent. 2. Where necessary to correct inequities among plants in the same industry or locality. 3. Where necessary to insure full production essential to re conversion. Economic Stabilization Director John C. Collet said in a state ment accompanying this order that so few industries and workers would qualify for these increases that no material effect would be felt in the cost of living. Mr. Truman emphasized the pricing provisions of his execu tive order. If management grants a wage increase, he said, it is not pre vented from coming in thereafter and asking the government to consider that extra cost for purposes of a price ceiling Increase. If after a reasonable test period usually six months the in dustry has been able to produce at a fair profit under raised wages, the entire wane increase will be taken into account in passing upon ajLE-cai.cij fur price increase. Medford United Press Full Leased Wire Fortieth Year Communist Leader (Acmtt lelcphotfti Gen. Chu Teh (above, commandei of the Communist Eighth Route Army of China, which is entrenched in southern Manchuria on railway lines behind three ports where U. S Seventh Fleet is scheduled to lond troops. In undeclared civil war, Chu challenges authority and leadership of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek. Photo by Edgar Snow. 'S SEEN MANDATE TO SETTLE Portland, Ore., Oct. 31 U.R) Federal Conciliator E. P. Marsh today said President Tru man's speech on wages and prices "was a clear mandate" to compromise warring factions in the Pacific northwest lumber strike. "The president policy Is a mandate to get them (AFL and operators) around the confer ence table and I'll have them there in a week," Marsh pre dicted. E. P. Christenson, strike chairman for the AFL lumber and sawmill workers associa tion, declared "our position has always been that the operators can meet our wage demands at the present price level and still make a high percentage of pro fits." Christenson, acknowledB 1 n g that the five week old strike of some 60,000 workers is hinder ing the reconversion program, reiterated the AFL's willingness to meet with any operator or group of operators to discuss the strike. Meantime, the AFL commit tee went Into a third day of conferences, with President Tru man's speech the highpoint of discussion. Christenson disclosed that a high percentage of the AFL lum ber workers in Oregon. Wash ington, Idaho. Montana and northern California have gone into other work for higher wages. Young Burglars Nabbed by Police Bernie E. Bjornsen, 14, and Richard Davis, 16, both of Stock ton, Cal., were arrested by city police and lodged in jail last night after being found in the home of George F. Rcigel, 117 South Holly street, where they had stolen a few miscellaneous articles. According to the police report, the youths admitted stealing a car at Stockton, later abandon ing it at Red Bluff, where they stole another auto to travel north. And when von buv those Vic tory Bonds KEEP THEM. Truman Picking Losing Fight With Congress Is Reaction to Address Washington, Oct. 31 (U.R President Truman, dropping his usual concilliatory tone with congress, plunged into his first major fight with the lawmakers today in an effort to salvage three basic planks of his recon version platform. The president sounded the battle cry last night in his wage price speech. In blunt and vig orous language, he singled out two house committees as respon sible for "damaging delays" in passing jobless benefits and full employment legislation. And he criticized both the house and the senate for favoring restora tion of the U. S. employment service of the states. IAPANESE FLEET 10 BE somuD Some Smaller Craft To Be Divided Among China Russia, Britain and U. S Washington, Oct. 31 (U.R Secretary of State James F. Byrnes announced today that the remnants of the Japanese fleet except 38 destroyers, will be scuttled. The destroyers and some lesser ships will be divided equally among China, Russia, Britain and the United States. The method of scuttling has not been determined. The U. S, navy intends to test the atomic bomb on naval ships, and may use them for that purpose. In any event, the scuttling .will be done by this country. 51 Subs On Lilt Byrnes did not have exact figures on the number of vessels to be scuttled. But said they in cluded one battleship, four air craft carriers (one of which is damaged), four cruisers (three of which are damaged), and 51 sub marines. He likewise had no informa tion of the exact number of smaller vessels which will be shared by the Big Four in addi tion to the 38 destroyers. Byrnes was reminded about the agreement at Potsdam for BiflttThree expects to work out plans for disposition of the Ger man navy and merchant marine. He said he could make no com ment on that situation now be cause it must await what he de scribed as certain happenings that haven't happened. Disposition of the Italian fleet, he said, will be involved in the peace treaty. For that country the question has not been fully disposed of, he said. BLACK MARKET IN TOKYO BROKE Tokyo. Oct. 31 (U.R1 Amer ican military police broke up what was described as the "big gest black market ever operated in the Pacific," believed to have sold more than $500,000 worth of U. S. army goods In three weeks, it was announced today. Four American soldiers, two Italians and two Japanese were arrested by military police who raided headquarters of the mar ket at the Marunouchi hotel Tuesday night. The hotel was used as a clear ing house by the black market ers, authorities said. The raid was carried out on orders of Brig. Gen. Hugh Hoffman, pro vost marshal of the Tokyo area. VANDALISM TABOO IN HALLOWEEN STUNTS No vandalism or unnecessary disturbances will be tolerated to night, according to Clatous Mc Credic, city police chief. A few reports of youngsters taking fuses, moving street torches, set ting firecrackers in mail boxes, etc., were given police last night, officers said. The reaction In congress was that Mr. Truman was picking himself a losing fight. Chairman Carter Manasco. D Ala., of the house executive ex penditures committee which is considering the full employment bill said he feared the presi dent's speech killed any chance of getting approval for even a compromise measure. A repub lican member of the group. Rep. Ralph E. Church of Illinois, agreed. Members of the house ways and means committee, which voted to shelve the president's request to expand 'unemploy ment compensation, likewise were dubious that the speech would improve the outlook, i MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1945. (PI TEACHERS SLATE 2 - D A YINSTITUTE Educational Conference To Be Held Thursday, Friday At S0CE In Ashland All teachers of Jackson and Josephine counties will gather in Ashland Thursday and Friday of this week for the annual south ern Oregon regional educational conference and teachers' insti tute, to be held at the Southern Oregon College of Education. Sponsors of the conference are Josephine and Jackson counties, the Southern Oregon college r.nd the Oregon State Teachers' as sociation. Leading the list of speakers is Dr. Lillian Gray, associate pro fessor of education, San Jose State college, Calif. Other spenk ers will be Dr. A. C. Flora, sup erintendent of schools, Colum bia, S. C, and a past president of the National Education as sociation; Dr. Victor P. Morris, dean, school of business admin istration, University of Oregon; Dr. D. V. Poling, high school con tact representative, Oregon State system of higher education; Dr. Rex Putnam, Oregon state super intendent of public instruction and Dr. Frank Parr, executive secretary, Oregon State Teach ers' association. Two speakers will discuss re tirement plans and questions, and it is thought these will be of unusual interest. They are Supt. James Burgess, member of the Public Employes Retirement commission and superintendent of school, The Dalles, Ore., ond Jerry Sayler, executive secre tary, Oregon Public Employes Retirement commission. Also scheduled for talks be fore sections and group meetings are Bertha jtohlhagen, state supervisor of homo economics education; O. G. llughson, state building congress; Mrs. Gertrude Blum, chairman of the education section, Oregon War Finance committee; Dr. Curtis Rcid, visual aid department, Oregon state system of higher education; Miss Neva Dallas, supervisor of Josephine county schools; Miss Tillie Schlumberger, Scott Forsc man company; Miss Alice M-i-ghen, the Winston company; Miss Helen Haydcn, Lyons and Carna han company; Angus Bowmcr, dramatic department, S.O.C.E. and Wallace Sapp, music depart ment, S.O.C.E. Dr. Walter Rcdford, president of S.O.C.E., will act as general chairman of the sessions and Lester D. Harris, principal of the Medford senior high school, Laurence C. Moffitt. superinten dent of Josephine county schools and Leland P. Linn, superinten dent of schools, Ashland, will preside over various sessions. Section chairmen will be Her- shel Mannan, president, Jose phine county Oregon State Teachers' association; Lyle Lind- lcy, president. Jackson countv O.S.T.A.; M. B. Wlnslow, super intendent of schools, Grants Pass; Mrs. Mae Richardson, pri mary teacher, Central Point; Her tha Stephens, S.O.C.E.; R. Clojd nine, Director of vocal music Grants Pass; Daphne Matthews, high school English department, Grants Pass; Alma Frerlchs, iiumemaKing department, Grants Pass high school; Flora Stokoe. intermediate teacher. Talent; E. H. Hedrick,' superintendent nl schools, Medford; E. Hope Get- i-neii, primary teacher, Grants Pass; Mrs. Alice Gay, primary teacher, Central Point; Rose ferry, principal. Wildervilli. school, Josephine county; Roland Parks, principal, Junior high school, Ashland;' Mrs. Kathleen M. Clarke, Grants Pass high school; Mary McLarnan, home economics department, Ashland senior high school; Mrs. rene Cribb, intermediate teacher, Ker by. and Lewis Herbert, social studies department, Grants Pass high school. 12 NAVY MEN LOST San Francisco, Oct. 31 (U.R) Navy and coast guard officials today.searched for the bodies of possibly 12 men feared drowned when a Liberty launch cap.i.ed in the bav vhil( rnn-iin ninr:r. side a nest of destroyer tscor'j, All These and ! WMt r r v i ( Acma I tltpnoio Cass Daley, talented NBO comedienne, goes berserk now tnat snoe ra tioning is at an end! Clerk George Garcia Is In for a busy time of It as Cass stocks up at a Hollywood. Calif., shoe store, after a "long hard win ter" of shoe rationing. Eisenhower Sees Danger of Uprising Against Americans Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 31 (U.R) Gen. Dwight D. Eisen hower reported to Washington today that Increasing discontent among German youths and for mer soldiers show signs of de veloping into an organized up rising against American occupa tion forces. German resentment against American fraternization with German girls and general inac tivity already has led to sporadic outbrenks of violence, Eisenhow er said in his formal report for September. "If widespread unemployment persists," he said, "sentiments behind them may provide rally ing points for activities which might grow into organized re sistance directed against the oc cupation forces." Criticism by German adults against policies of the American military government also Is growing bolder, Eisenhower said. He said "extreme leftists" were exerting pressure for more se vere punishment of former nazis than mere removal from office. Elsenhower said his program of denazification was leveling IN P.O. BURGLARY Portland, Ore., Oct. 31 (U.R) Post Office officials today an nounced two men and two wom en were under arrest for the bur glary of the Wauna, Ore. post office July 24, which was fol lowed by the forging of approxi mately $2,000 worth of stolen money order blanks. The Clatsop county robbery was followed by the scries of forged money order cashings in Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Los Angeles, Pasadena and Hunting ton Park, Cal. The post office stamp and about 25 forms were stolen. Those held were Virgil C. Lewis, 23, escapee, ringleader of 12 prisoners who broke out of the Multnomah county jail; Fred crick L. Mclntyrc, 26, Los An geles, arrested yesterday in la coma; Wilma Jean Davis, 18 ar rested in Los Angeles, and Dor othy Louise Wright, 19, arrested in Broken Bow, Okla., her home town. Lewis was arrested in Rose burg on Aug. 12. Mclntyre was accompanied byDanny Clark son, 23, of Los Angeles, when arrested in an automobile report edly stolen from Portland. Both are to be questioned in connec tion with a post office burglary aRIBUNE United Press Full No Stamp? off an indication that it was nearing completion. By Sept. 15, he said, approxi mately 100,000 nazis and former soldiers had been removed or de nied employment in public of fices in the American occupa tion zone. Some 20,000 other nazis were removed from supervisory posi tions in private business and In dustry and 250,000 more were being screened. Elsenhower said a paradoxical situation prevails in labor with almost 20 per cent of registered laborers out of work despite acute labor shortages in con struction, coal mining and wood cutting industries. JAVA EXTREMISTS Batavla, Java, Oct. 31 (U.R) Lt. Gen. Sir Philip Chrlstlson, Allied commander In the Dutch East Indies, warned today that he will throw all his air, land and sea forces against Indone sian extremists in Java unless they surrender the assassins of Briiish Brig. A. W. Malloby. Mallaby, British commander In Soerabaja, was slain by Indo neslan extremists last night as he whs leaving his brigade head quarters In that strife-torn naval base city. Chrlstlson's warning of quick retaliation If the Indonesians fail to surrender the slayers was broadcast repeatedly over allied controlled radio stations in Java. Lost Boy Found By Faithful Dog Tombstone. Ariz., Oct. 31 (U.R) Hundreds of cowboys and law officers combed the cactus studded desert 25 miles east of Tombstone most of yesterday and all last night for a missing three-year-old boy, but it took the lad's dog to find him at dawn today. Little Pat McDonald, son of a cowhand on the ranch of State Sen. Ralph Cowan, wandered away from home early yesterday with Mac, his dog. As the search progressed over an ever-widening area in the rough desert country, the dog re turned to his bunkhouse home. Ed McDonald, the lost buy's father, was summoned Immedi ately and was led by Mae straight to his young master, who was sitting among the mcs- quite and cactus about five miles ilOH hone. . . ..i Leased Wlra NO. 189. fo) SEIZES CITIES IN COASTAL SECTION Two Thousand U. S. Marines At Chinwangtao Sand wiched Between Forces Chungking, Oct. 31 (U.R) A Central News Agency dis patch from the north said to day that the Russians have thrown open Manchuria to the armies of Generalissimo Chi ang Kai-Shek for a showdown with the Chinese Communist forces massing there. The agency said Marshal Alexander Vaiilevsky, Red army commander in Man churia, had agreed to the en try of Chiang's troops, who have been pouring northward aboard American transports and planes to reoccupy the areas abandoned by the Japa nese. If confirmed, it would be the first direct Russian move in the undeclared Chinese civil war. Chunekine. Oct at iipi a Chinese communist rnmmnnimi. announced today that commun ist troops, operating south of tha Manchurian border in China's undeclared War. hflV npMmlArl 4 coastal cfties in the area where tne u. s. seventh fleet landed a veteran central government army Monday. The communique . said com munists cut the vital Peiping Mukden railway in at least two places by occupying Shanhaik wan, eastern terminus of the great Will ninA miln nnptliMc of Chinwangtao, and Pcitaiho. eight miles southwest. Marines Sandwiched TWO thnllSflnrI IT mawit. who went ashore at Chinwangtao were reported sandwiched be tween the two communist forces. Information from hnth ment and communist sources in dicated 1,000,000 communist troops and 1,000,000 men under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek soon will be engaged in full fledged civil war if negotiation for political settlement fails. Central News Agency report ed a Chinese communist offen sive 100,000 strong overran threw big cities in eastern Snivnnn nnrf was threatening Kweisui, pro vincial capital. The Yenan (communist) rariin warned the Chungking govern ment that communists will ah nnf at government troops If they land in, or close to, Manchuria from U. S. seventh fleet ships. A gov crnment spokesman today admit ted the warning was received in Chungking. (Richard W. Johnston. United Press staff corresDondent t Chinwangtao. reDorted thnu. sands of American-equipped cen tral government troops had marched north from Chinwang tao and massed at Shanhaikwan yesterday. There was no indica tion in loaay s communist com munique whether communist forces had driven out the nation alist troops or whether the na tionalists had withdrawn.) Truman Too Busy For Consideration Of Second Term ' Washington, Oct. 31 (U.R) It happened today at the White House President Truman, for the first time since he entered the White House, was asked at a news conference whether he plans to run for reelection in 1948. The president said that, standing on his rights, he did not think he had to testify against himself at the present time. And as an added matter of fact, the president continued, the matter had not entered his thoughts; he had been too busy on other things. Washington, Oct. 31 (U.R) President Truman todav whs made an honorary member of the University of Missouri alumni association. He received a memhershin certificate from Clark Nichols, president of the Washington, a. C, chapter ot the association and 34 other itagurj aiwnoi.
