Behind the Headlines in Washington with IRVING RICHTER Clare Hoffman’s “Integrity” Congressman Rankin punched Congressman Hook on the House floor partly because of some- thing I said in this column. I told how Clare Hoffman’s staff greet- ed a CIO delegation with copies of “Join the CIO and Help Build a Soviet America,” a fascist pam- phlet by Joseph P. Kamp. I ques- tioned the use of a Congress- man’s office as a distribution center for such material. Hoffman took the floor on a point of “personal privilege” to attack me, the CIO, the NeW Deal, and finally back to the CIO and PAC again. At this point Frank Hook protested and, as always happens, Ran- kin sprang to Hoffman’s de- fense. Then came the punches. Richter Hoffman made a great point of having paid for the pamphlets out of his own pocket. He did not deny that his office and staff are financed by the taxpayers or that he uses them to distribute the pamphlet. In fact, he spent thousands of government dollars then and there on putting a sales talk for Kamp and his vicious pamphlets into the Congressional Record. Hoffman got the floor because he said this column “reflected on the integrity of the Representa- lives of the Fourth District.” Then he used his time to promote a pamphlet of fascist lies which has been of service to the ene- mies of our government. What “integrity?” * * * Here is what the Sedition In- dictment said about Kamp’s writings: “It was a part of the afore­ said conspiracy that the said defendants . would print, publish, distribute and circu­ late widely . . . newspapers, magazines, books, leaflets, cir­ culars, pamphlets . . .” includ­ ing Kamp’s. And about Kamp’s “Constitu- tional League”: “And it was further a part of the aforesaid conspiracy News from Locals Your new paper will have more news from various lo- cals as soon as committees can round it up and send it in. It is suggested that locals who do not yet have commit- tees assigned make arrange- ments immediately so there will be no delay in news. Items should be typed and in the news office at 109 South street by Saturday noon to be in the following week’s paper. General Lansing news of especial interest to labor will increase each week, too, as the paper gets going. that the said defendants . . . would organize, support, use, control, contribute to finan­ cially, and cause so to be done, and otherwise aid . . . commit­ tees, groups and organiza­ tions” (including the "League”). The “aforesaid conspiracy”, as you know, was Hitler’s plot, through agents in this country, so to divide our people by race hatred, redbaiting and other fas- cist techniques that we would be See—WASHINGTON—Page 4 LANSING LABOR NEWS PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT THE CIO COUNCIL BY AFFILIATED LOCALS Vol. 1, No. 1 109 E. SOUTH ST., LANSING, MICH. March 15, 1945 Urge School Board Votes New Paper Starts With This Issue This is the first issue of the city’s new newspaper, the Lan- sing Labor News, which is start- ing with a circulation of 15,000, a figure which will probably in- crease with each issue, as more CIO locals vote to participate and other city circulation in- creases. The paper is furnished with- out charge to all members of participating locals, the cost be- ing covered by eight cents tak- en each month from the dues dollar. To others, the cost is five cents per copy at newsstands or $2.50 a year by mail. Labor long has felt the need of a city-wide newspaper of its own. December 6 a committee appointed to prepare a plan gave a seven page report to the Lan- sing CIO Council, which out- lined the plan now being used. It was accepted unanimously. This report is given before locals upon request and copies are filed with them when they vote to participate. Olds Local 652, Nash Local 13, Reo Local 650, Fisher Local 602, Olafson Local 728, and State County and Municipal Workers See—NEW PAPER—Page 3 Clerks Meet Called for 8 Tonight A campaign to organize of­ fice clerks in Lansing in the United Office and Profes­ sional Workers of America, CIO, will be discussed at a meeting called for 8 p.m. at the Olds Local hall, 1118 South Washington, Thurs­ day night, Jan. 15. Irving Riskin of Detroit will speak. All interested clerks in Lan­ sing are invited. Organization of the American white collar worker is the only real hope that can be held out for him to keep step with his See—CLERKS—Page 2 Olds Aux. Invites Wives, Daughters, Mothers, Sisters A March membership drive is under way in Auxilliary 76 of the Olds Local. The group meets every first and third Thursday at the hall, 1118 S. Washington, and invites the wives of Olds Local members—and their mothers, sisters and daughters who might be interested in joining the Aux- illiary to come to the hall at 7:30 tonight for the March 15 meet- ing. Is Labor’s Record Bad? DO YOU KNOW- THAT LABOR has never before in history, here or in any other country, achieved such a magnifi- cent production record. THAT AMERICAN LABOR outproduced by two times, by three times, by four and five times the amounts of various items such as tanks, ships, planes, etc., asked by President Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor? And do you remember how his requests were pooh-pooed then as impossible? THAT THIS PRODUCTION miracle upset the thor- ough Axis plans of some of the world’s greatest militarists, soon decided the outcome of the war and will probably go down in history as the most effective and powerful secret weapon of all time? THAT YOU and YOU and YOU performed this miracle and that you will be history’s unnamed heroes, along with the boys in the foxholes? HOW COULD YOU KNOW? For ever since Pearl Harbor the American press has not told you any part of or even noticeably hinted about this biggest story of all time . . . Their big labor headines were reserved for ballyhooing work stoppages, which we don't like either, but which affect only a fraction of one percent of the war effort. Each week we are going to tell you some of this story about what you and your fellow workers and your unions have done and are doing for Lansing, for America and for the world . . . It’s too big to tell all at once, and it isn’t even done happening yet. It will never finish . . . But you can now go on with the story by reading this issue, es- pecially the miracle story on page four . . . And for the big news every week about labor in Lansing, read the — The Editor LANSING LABOR NEWS. CIO ELECTION RESULTS OLDS LOCAL 652 PRESIDENT .... R. E. Richardson VICE-PRES Robert Atkinson REC. SEC......William C. Treanor FIN. SEC........... Bruce Trenouth TREASURER ........Harry Wilcox TRUSTEES ........ Elmer Valleau, George Baker, Gerald Kring GUIDE ........................ Oza Smith SERGEANT-AT-ARMS .... Milo Daggett 3 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEM- MEMBERS-AT-LARGE ......... ........Elmer Emmons, Preston Fred Barrett, Russell E. Ward. TOP BARGAINING COMMIT- TEE (MAIN PLANT) . .. John L. Osbourn, Chairman, El- ton Tubbs, Secretary, Ed- mund Johnson, Ed. O’Neill, Melvin Bailey, Wesley Russell, Frank DeWaters CHAIRMAN TOP COMMITTEE (G.M. FORGE) .. Alvin Shooltz REO LOCAL NO. 650 PRESIDENT ....... Ray W. Reed VICE PRES.................. Earl Kelso REC. SEC Dollie Fitzpatrick FIN. SEC............... Chas. L. Cook TREASURER J. A. Salter GUIDE ............ Fred W. Jackson SGT. AT ARMS .......... Freeman Moray FISHER LOCAL 602 PRESIDENT....Chester C. Cowan VICE PRES....... Webster Ewing REC. SEC............... Archie Perry SEC.-TREAS........... LaVanch K. McKouen SGT AT ARMS Jack Jones GUIDE .................... Russel Portt THREE YEAR TRUSTEE ........ Harry Carlisle ONE YEAR TRUSTEE ................ Earl Luce SHOP BARGAINING COMMIT- TEE ....... Senator Pritchard, William Ingram, Frank Beardslee, Stephen Gmazel, LaVanch McKouen, Charles Edwards, Carl VanRaalte NASH LOCAL NO. 13 PRESIDENT ....... Paul Gardner VICE PRES........Vernon J. Roach FIN. SEC.............. Odell Z. Lamb REC. SEC........... Elizabeth Blair SGT. AT ARMS .... Max Kaiser GUIDE .................... Larry Butler TRUSTEE ................ Vern Parker TRUSTEE................ Milton Utter TRUSTEE ......... H. L. Watson BARGAINING COMMITTEE...... Chairman, Ward Barnum; Mt. Hope Plant, 1st Shift, John Haruska; 2nd Shift, Carl Peterson; 3rd Shift, G. T. Melrose. Cedar St. Plant: 1st Shift, Guy Mitchell, 2nd Shift, Ray Swart, 3rd Shift, Stuart Brown. * * * Election results from other lo- cals will be published as soon as received. All locals should mail lists of their new officers to the Lansing Labor News, 109 E. South St., Lansing 10, as soon as possible. Labor Has An Unusual Opportunity Do you realize the Lansing school system does not teach children the importance of local unions and the vital part organ- ized labor plays in the social sys- tem? “You may not know it,” states Dean Reed, PAC dir­ ector, “but the school board has been a closed corpora­ tion for the last twenty years. Labor has not been re­ presented on it. Only profes­ sional people, for the most part not interested in work­ ers or labor organizations, are members.” Now, he points out, labor has an unusual opportunity. Four of the seven members of the board will be replaced in the April 2 election. It would be extremely easy, he says, for labor to elect its own candidates to some—or even all—of those vacancies. The labor endorsed candi­ dates for the school board will be announced next week. Watch for them. Why would it be easy? Reed explained that very few people ever bother to vote for the school board. Biggest vote they had was in their last , elec- tion, he said, which tallied 3,227 ballots. Obviously, all that is needed is for a thousand or two work- ing people to get registered at the board headquarters at 222 Townsend street or at Eastern High school by March 24, the See—SCHOOL BOARD—Page 4 Bowles Says Many Grocers Overcharging CHESTER BOWLES WASHINGTON, (FP) — More than one fourth of U.S. food stores are enjoying the dirty little game of cheating the American housewife, OPA Ad- ministrator Chester Bowles said March 6. Bowles, in a conference with grocers here to learn about a new OPA drive to enforce price regulations, said that 27 percent of the food stores are overcharg- ing the consumer. Additionally he said, 12 per- cent of all food items are sold at illegal prices. All of this mounts up, he de- clared, to overcharging the na- tion’s housewives about $1 bil- | lion a year. Recent activities of the women RUSTEES— include a card party given by T 1 year........Thomas K. Gilbert Mrs. Mae Hamilton, which net- 2 year ....... Thomas H. Vowler ted $10 to turn over to the Lan- 3 year ............ George Wheeler sing Child Health Center. March 6 a card party given at the local BARGAINING COMMITTEE .... hall brought $25, which was giv- Ray W. Reed, Ernest F. Mil- en to the Red Cross. This affair lear, Eugene C. Lewis, Chas. was staged by Mrs. Bernice Bail- “Red” O’Brien,. John L. ey, Lydia Bittle, Onahlee Loe, Becker, Leo C. Deacon, Bur- Dolly Wilson and Grace Murray, nie Bennett Unfortunately! LANSING LABOR NEWS, INC. A non-profit newspaper published weekly by CIO la- bor in Lansing, dedicated to the interests of the com- munity and to the interests of labor here and everywhere. Published Every Thursday at 109 E. South Street, Lansing (10), Michigan Temporary Phone 2-9621 EDITOR .............................................. V. E. Vandenburg 5c per copy ........................ $2.50 per year by mail What We’re Aiming At Today is a birthday of particular significance to every worker in every factory in Lansing; to workers in stores, offces, restaurants and driving cabs and busses; in short, to all employes. Today your newspaper is born—a paper that should mature rapidly and soon be big enough to take its place by the sides of other institutions working for the better- iment of this community, and give labor a friendly but respected voice that can be heard distinctly without be- ing raised. That is our principal aim. If we do not always hit the mark squarely, it will not be because we are not trying. The Lansing Labor News has no commercial, political or personal axe to grind, no other purpose than to work hard at simply reporting honest facts and news that need reporting but don’t seem to get reported—facts about factories and the people who work in them and the big job they are doing; vital facts about what others in ¡the community, such as the city council, are doing—or SHOULD be doing; facts about where we spend our mon- ey, where we eat and how we live. That’s a rather large job. In working at it we will not be as radical as a few will want us to be. Neither will we be as conservatve as a larger number will desire, ignoring real issues behind a fake front of wordy but superficial reporting. This paper will help labor campaign and crusade for a lot of things for this community in the months and years to come. Some of those things we are going to get. But whether we get them or not, we definitely are not going to sit quietly in a journalistic corner and watch the world goose-step by. We are going to keep on trying. Labor Paper in Flint Congratulations are in order for Flint, for they, too, now have an official city labor paper. The Greater Flint Industrial Union Council voted March 3 to endorse the 35-year-old Flint Weekly Review as the official publication of the CIO in Genesee County. An editorial board was set up to govern policies, with members from four locals. The Council unanimously commended Ray Blett, edi- tor of the Review, for his work on the newspaper since Oct. 2, 1944. Ceiling or no ceiling, the price of hotel accommoda- ions to going up. To get a room in San Francisco now, you have to declare war against Germany. Westbrook Pegler, frothing at his typewriter, is our No. 1 pan-American, says Hector Himself in the San Diego Labor Leader. en direct from the Chicago Tri- bune’s columns to create doubts in minds of American troops One Tokyo commentator, De- Lacy said, referred to McCor- mick as an “extremely charming character.” The freshman congressman from Washington also scored at- tempts of certain members of Congress whom he said use the same Tribune methods to smear the Roosevelt administration and the War Dept. Spotty But Pretty Chicago Tribune Is Denounced in Congress Speech WASHINGTON (FP) — Aid and abetment given the axis by Col. Robert R. McCormick’s Chi- cago Tribune was denounced on the floor of the House March 6 by Rep. Hugh DeLacy (D, Wash.). DeLacy recalled how more than once the reactionary Tri- bune has revealed data on U.S. war production, army procedure and with its “fellow axis help- ers, the Washington Times Her- ald and N. Y. Daily News,” used Hitler’s “red scare” technique to spread confusion in this coun- try. Using quotes from Tokyo and Berlin broadcasts, DeLacy said the axis beamed propaganda tak- CLERKS (Continued from Page 1) Let Congress Know By Federated Press Organized labor is letting Con- gress know it is watching its vote on the following: PERMANENT FEPC Puts Fair Employment Prac- tice on statutory basis. Senate labor committee hearings opened March 12. House bill needs rule or discharge petition to speed it to floor. Unionists urging con- gressmen to support without changes and oppose phony FEPC bill of Sen. Robert A. Taft (R,O.). POLL TAX REPEAL Wipes out poll tax that pre- vents 8 million people from vot- ing. Unionists urging represen- tatives to sign discharge petition No. 1 to get HR 7 on the floor. BRETTON WOODS Ratifies Bretton Woods agree- ment for expansion world trade to back up 60 million job pro- gram. House banking committee hearings opened March 7. Sen- ate banking hearings scheduled. Labor urging congressmen to support with no changes. PRICE CONTROL Extends Price Control' Act to continue fight against inflation. Labor urging renewal with no crippling amendments or cut in funds. 1800 VETS HIRED DETROIT (FP) — Of 41,000 persons employed in Michigan in January through U.S. employ- ment service 1800 were returned soldiers, State War Manpower Director Edward L. Cushman says.- Of these 447 were placed in Detroit, 133 in Lansing, and 124 in Muskegon. Statistics ap- ply to nonagricultural private employment. COMMON SENSE “Selective service is not in the strikebreaking business,” de- clared Asst. State Director Paul V. Ingstrom in Detroit March 2 when urged to reclassify the Dodge strikers. “We recognize that there are equities on both sides,” the colonel said. First Lady, Thomas Address Meeting Speakers at a dinner of the Southern Conference for Human Welfare in New York City, among whom were Dorothy Parker, novelist, left; Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt and President R, J. Thomas of the United Auto Workers (CIO), praised the growing progressive movement in the south to which unions are contributing greatly. (Federated Pictures) brother in overalls, the Senate committee on banking and cur- rency was told March 7. The statement came from Chairman William H. Davis of the Natl. War Labor Board who • stepped into a new role as di- ■ rector of economic stabilization March 8. Davis said: “The white collar workers, many of them, fall into the substandard wage classifica- tion. It is very important that this situation be corrected. One of our difficulties is that they tend not to be organized. It is almost a class consciousness am- ong them.” Indicating that the WLB has tried to do all it could, Davis re- marked that “whenever we give a factory worker a raise, we au- thorize the employer to raise the pay of his office staff propor- tionately.” The catch is, however, that us- ually there is no union around to speak up for the clerks, sten- ographers, bookkeepers and jun- ior executives. Jo Ann Sikes may be helping the war effort by saving clothes in this one-strap bathing suit she displays at St. Petersburg, Fla., but it is dubious. (Federated Press). Hearings Reveal Detroit Strike Causes Facts About Peoples Champ Wins Plaudits Factories Come Out as the board approves rates and procedure, but there will be no pressure campaign directed a merchants. NEW PAPER (Continued from Page 1) of America Local 406 have re- quested the report and voted to participate. A special meeting of Amalgamated Local 724 was against participation 6 to 4. Control and management of the paper is entirely in the hands of a board of control, which consists of two members elected from each participating local. The board hires the edi- tor, directs the paper’s policies and receives the money from the locals each month. More details on the board, its officers, mem- bers, etc., will be given in the next issue. The paper is not operated as a commercial venture for profit and is incorporated as a non-pro- fit institution. Advertising wil be accepted, however, as soon News contacts in the locals and throughout the city are being or- ganized and both city and local union news will increase each week. Installation of a phone in the paper’s office will be com- pleted soon. In the meantime, use telephone 2-9621, or mail news direct to the paper. AID SPANISH REFUGEES NEW YORK (FP) — AFL and CIO committees have been set up to enlist labor support for the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Com- mittee’s campaign to raise $750,- 000 for relief of Spanish Repub- lican refugees. Most of the funds will be sent to help the thou- sands of Spanish refugees who are ill and starving in France. 10 Percent Increase Is Needed for Labor WASHINGTON (FP) — A 10 percent general wage boost for American workers, combined with a hold-the-line policy on price control, taxation and bond purchases to milk the increase from swollen profits was de- manded March 10 in a cost-of- living report to Pres. Roosevelt and Economic Stabilizer William H. Davis. Submitted by CIO members of the Natl. War Labor Board, the report also constituted a reply to public members of the WLB who had recommended against chang- ing the Little Steel formula. “Labor has proved. its case for an upward adjustment of the Little Steel formula,” the report said. “Prices have not been sta- bilized, but wages have. By wages the Natl. War Labor Board and Congress have always meant wage rates, not ‘take home pay.’ “The public members of the WLB concede that wage rates have risen at the most 20 percent and that the cost of living has risen at least 30 percent. An in- equity of 10 percent has devel- oped between wages and prices. The conclusion is inescapable that at least a 10 percent increase in wage rates should be made retroactive to the date since the inequity developed.” After criticizing the public members for recommending an adjustment in the manner of fi- guring wage statistics instead of adjusting the Little Steel formu- la, the report launched into con- sideration of the formula, take- home pay, hourly earnings and the WLB public members’ use of “adjusted hourly earnings.” The CIO members of the WLB then declared a realistic stabil- ization policy will eliminate the “spectre of inflation.” They cited OPA figures as showing profit margins are enough to absorb all or practically all of a wage in- crease demanded by labor. Fairy Tale “The WLB just approved a pay raise for him.” DETROIT (FP) — That the marvelous war production of De- troit keeps holding up is due, not to the employes despite their full page ads to bribe the press, but to the dogged daily work of the union men and women in their plants—despite the steady trickle of unauthorized stoppages magnified by that same press. This will be demonstrated by labor testimony at the Mead senate committee hearings in De- troit. Acting Pres. George F. Addes of the United Auto Work- ers (CIO) will be the principal union witness unless his 1A draft classification and refusal to ask a deferment puts him in the army before then. The immediate flareup in De- troit was the 8-day stoppage in the Dodge main plant of Chrysler Corp, which began when seven men were fired—the union says for failing to click on an arbi- trary production speedup; the company says for insubordina- tion in failing to report their ac- tual production, though the com- pany could easily tell what it was. Real Cause of Strikes Stoppages are a constant factor in the Detroit setup in face of continued employer provocation. They affect other CIO plants be- side those under UAW contract and also AFL shops. Right now the trade school teachers of 'the American Federation of Teach- ers (AFL) are threatening a strike against the Detroit board of education. Proof positive of the employer provocation was revealed at the War Labor Board hearing in Washington March 3 when UAW V. Pres. Richard T. Frankensteen alluded to what the Associated Press termed an “alleged” speech by John W. Scoville be- fore the Detroit Kiwanis Club last August. Scoville is not a mere blustering tough boss but the scholarly academic senior ec- onomist of the Chrysler Corp. “Repeal Labor Laws” That this was not a mere al- leged speech is evident from the fact that it appears in print in the October issue of an authori- tative employer publication. The full text is in the hands of gov- ernment authorities for study. In his address Scoville told the Ki- wanis boys: “We should look forward to the time when ALL fed­ eral labor laws will be re­ pealed.” He also described the NRA in the early years of the Roosevelt administration as an attempt to make the President a fascist dic- tator. He denounced collective bargaining. These excerpts from the record dovetail perfectly with the policy of Chrysler Corp, in refusing to deal with legitimate grievances in a bonafide way. Until the WLB forced it to ac- cept an impartial umpire at the top of the procedure no griev- ance carried through to the last step ever received favorable consideration from the company, according to the UAW Intl. Rep. Leo Lamotte when he was dir- ector of the union’s Chrysler de- partment. Negotiation Ordered The antilabor attitude of General Motors and its back- wardness in collective bargain- ing is also revealed in the March 3 order of the WLB which at- tempts to bring the corporation in line with accepted procedure in some respects. For example, only now is it compelled to ne- gotiate with the union on smok- ing privilegs or to permit union international representatives to See—HEARINGS—Page 4 Smiling happily, Henry a Wallace, people’s champion, receives the congratulations of Associates Justice Hugo Black, who has just sworn him in as secretary of commerce. (Federated Pictures), Detroit Papers Move Against Typo Union DETROIT (FP) — The three'« Detroit dailies and other publish- ers under the newspaper con- tract of the Intl. Typographical Union (Detroit No. 18 and De- troit Mailers No. 40) have dis- rupted contract relations after eight months of negotiations for a new agreement. The ITU is affiliated with the AFL. Principal issue is the attempt of the publishers, including the Free Press, Times, and News, to evade the traditional acceptance as part of the contract of the laws of the international union. In this instance they want to up- set the clause on arbitration. Since relations have been good in the Detroit shops up to now the move is seen as part of a na- tionwide offensive by newspaper publishers. In taking over the negotiations Intl. Pres. Woodruff Randolph, who came to town from Indian- apolis headquarters, said: “The ITU is making effort to avoid strikes or lockouts during the war, but any invasion of union- shop conditions will be courage- ously resisted.” Detroit local presidents backed up Randolph. The daily publishers have been feeling out the mechanical un- ions and the Detroit Newspaper Guild (CIO) for some time, at- tempting to make firings and un- called for transfers stick. Some weeks ago citizens who suscribe for home delivery of the Blue Streak edition of the Detroit News received the earlier Home edition. A prolonged union meet- ing of the News chapel had made the Blue Streak impossible. The situation now is that the typos and mailers are operating under their union laws and ask- ing the War Labor Board for wage raises. If the publishers chisel on the laws there will be a technical lockout in the eyes of the ITU and work will cease. PEPSI-COLA STILL UNFAIR Wilson Packing House Told What to Do WASHINGTON (FP) — An intermediate report to the NLRB March 9 recommended that Wil- son & Co., one of the big four meat packers, be directed to cease dominating and recogniz- ing a company union, the Em- ployes Representative Commit- tee, at its Oklahoma City plant and break the contract it signed with ERC. At the same time the report recommended that the company be told to stop discouraging membership in the United Pack- inghouse Workers (CIO) and to reinstate an employe, Millard Blassingame, who was found to have been fired for joining the CIO union. Wage Cutting Plan Nipped By the WLB WASHINGTON (FP) — Two employers learned March 7 that the Natl. War Labor Board won’t let them cut wages. The first decision was on a re- quest by the Cuneo Pres, Inc., of Chicago, printers of many large magazines including Time. Cuneo wanted to cut the wages of 24 guards from a 75 to 90c hourly bracket to a scale of 50 to 75c. Cuneo had been forced to in- crease wages when it took a gov- ernment contract it has now completed and requested permis- sion to revert to its old scale. In the second case, Anderson’s Super-service of Montevideo, Minn., wanted to cut 20 workers in its tire recapping department from a weekly salary basis to an hourly rate, making cut from 3 to 19c hourly below present stan- dards of 50 to 88c. The WLB held, unanimously, that the decreases were not ne- cessary either to correct gross in- equalities or to aid in the ef- fective prosecution of the war. Facts on Labor’s Amazing Production How an ‘Impossible' Novo Local Miracle Came True Buys Hall For $3,000 Never before, in America or elsewhere, has la­ bor achieved so much production in so short a time . . . That is the story the press should have been proudly shouting to the world through these war years, instead of harping about work stoppages, which in all the time since Pearl Har- bor have caused the loss of only one-tenth of one percent of the total work time ... And that, too, is an amazing record.—Editor. * * * WASHINGTON — American labor’s production mir- acle, in actual figures, was revealed by WPB Vice Chair- man William L. Batt, in an address he delivered before the Rotary Club of New York. First, however, Batt re- called President Roosevelt’s address soon after Pearl Harbor, in which the President called for 60,000 planes, 8,000,000 deadweight tons of shipping, and 45,000 tanks. “How many of us thought it a terribly high goal to set?” Batt recalled. “Maybe some looked on it as a usual American exaggeration—all right to hope for and maybe frightening to the enemy—but not very realistic.” 4 Times the Planes Asked Batt then gave out the figures—the first time they have been made public. Since July 1, 1940, and up to the first of the year, American labor produced 246,845 air- planes of all types, against the 60,000 the President had asked for. The planes produced have a total airframe weight—and weight is really a more accurate measure of airplane production than is number, he pointed out— of 1,992,587,000 pounds. Of these 28,471 have been heavy bombers with a total airframe weight of 607,899,000 pounds. 5 Times the Shipping Asked In merchant ships American labor produced 45,384,000 deadweight tons of ocean going cargo ships, against the 8,000,000 deadweight tons the President asked for—in addition to no fewer than 56,697 naval vessels. Machine guns American labor produced numbered 2,422,099, and rifles, 5,942,385. Also produced were 5,163,826 carbines and 1,926,405 submachine guns. Nearly Twice the Tanks Asked In place of the 45,000 tanks the President called for, American labor turned out 75,000 tanks, and 130,017 tank and self-propelled guns to go with them. Also turned out were 55,252 field artilllery weapons, 8,669 of them over 105 mm. In addition, labor produced 110,945 trucks over 21/2-ton capacity, and 658,523 light-heavy trucks; 37,198,- 000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, 2,927,502 short tons of ground artillery ammunition, 4,130,000 short tons of aircraft bombs and 59,646,000 grenades. The communications, radio and electronic equipment re- present a combined cost of $9,405,000,000. U.S. Workers Lead World “These are stratospheric figures,” Batt said. “No coun- try has remotely matched them and every American may justifiably feel proud of his country, that in four years it became such an arsenal.” HEARINGS (Continued from Page 3) enter its plants after the second step in the bargaining proced- ure. And only now are transfers and promotions to be taken out of its arbitrary unilateral con- trol. The whole publicity flurry about the Detroit stoppages is summed up by Pres. Louis de- Bearn of UAW Packard Local 190 in this way: Mismanagement “My guess is that manage­ ments are in a panic at the coming of the senate inves­ tigating committee to De­ troit. They know that they have bungled the handling of war contracts and profit­ eered on them. They know they have mishandled labor relations. They know they have been successfully pro­ voking stoppages without any reason except to get la­ bor in dutch. I don’t wish them too much hard luck but for the sake of us workers I hope the senate committee tele does its usual bang-up job.” SCHOOL BOARD (Continued from Page 1) deadline. Both places are open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. during registrations. AND REMEMBER: Even though already registered with the city clerk for the spring elec- tions, you still have to be regis- tered separately with the school board at one of the above places in order to vote for their mem- bers. Anyone is eligible to register and vote for the board if he owns property or has any children. It will only take a few minutes to register. Isn’t it worth a few minutes to have something to say about the education of our children? Up until now, registrations have been “slow,” they say. Let’s speed it up and put them on a real board election, for once! AFL ASKED TO HELP TOLEDO (FP) — To push Ohio unemployment benefits up from a maximum of $16 for 18 weeks to $25 a week for 26 weeks the Toledo CIO Council is asking "HE'S BEEN FIGURING HIS INCOME TAX • DECLARATION EVER SINCE HE TOOK ONE LOOK AND HOLLERED 'WOW' I" Resolution ON THE May-Baily Bill Adopted by the Michigan CIO Council Executive Board WHEREAS: The May - Bailey Bill now under consider- ation in Congress would draft civilian workers and force them under penalty of fines and imprisonment to perform forced labor for private employers who profit by their labor; and WHEREAS: Involuntary servi- tude is contrary to. all American traditions and to the basic principles of the demcracy which our armed forces are defend- ing; and WHEREAS: Proponents of this “slave labor” bill have ut- terly failed to prove that such a drastic step is ne- cessary to the successful prosecution of the war; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLV- ED: That the Executive Board of the Michigan CIO Council hereby declares the opposition of the CIO in the State of Michigan to this May-Bailey Bill and to any similar “work or fight” or “labor draft” le- gislation, which requires free citizens to work for the profit of other citizens; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That copies of this resolu- tion be sent to all Michi- gan members of Congress and to President Philip Murray of the CIO and to the press. the Toledo Central Labor Union (AFL) to cooperate in the drive. The AFL has new officers, fa- vorably disposed to working with the CIO on legislative mat- ters, reports the Toledo Union Journal, organ of the CIO Coun- cil. WASHINGTON (Continued from Page I) easy victims of his military ma- chine. What “intergrity”, Mr. Cong- ressman? * * * Hoffman tried to laugh off the Sedition Indictment by insulting William Power Maloney, the Government’s prosecuting attor- ney in the case. He asserted the Supreme Court had called Malo- ney a “pettifogging shyster.” That is a lie. What “integrity”? But Maloney doesn’t stand a- lone behind the indictment. The indictment was handed down by unanimous vote of 23 members of the Grand Juruy of the Dis- trict of Columbia, including a Telephone Company vice-presi- dent as foreman, and the presi- dent of the Board of Education as secretary. Maloney appeared before the Grand Jury with the full backing of the Attorney General of the United States — and he convinced them. The Grand Jury called Mr. Hoffman, among others. Maybe it was interested in why his of- fice has been a mecca of Amer- ican fascists. Maybe that is one reason why Hoffman in his speech chose to forget about the Grand Jury. Hoffman made other wild statements in this Washington’s birthday speech: that the DAR and the American Legion were attacked in the indictment. They were not even mentioned. That Walter Reuther and, by implica- tion, R. J. Thomas are commu- nists. More lies. Kamp, whom Hoffman chooses to defend, advised his followers, in another pamphlet, to withhold information they might have on subversive activities from the FBI and instead send it to Kamp himself. That is the man of whose work Hoffman said: “I commend it to all those who believe in America, who have no particular use for the Communists, who are in favor of constitutional govern- ment.” What “integrity”, Mr. Cong- ressman? A smart double-angle business transaction was executed by President Frank O. Smith and Fanincial Secretary Roy Hard- grove of the Novo Local 872 last week, for their union. They bought the two-story building at 1100 High street, which they had leased for their meeting hall the past several years, for $3,000—an attractive figure, particularly during these times. They are to be commend- ed for effecting that bargain. But that isn’t all. Needing $1,000 to close the deal on the cash basis they had negotiated, the men then ar- ranged with the Novo employes’ credit union for a loan for a year or so of that amount, secured by mortgage,' with interest at one- half percent a month. This put the amount paid out for interest right back in their own pockets, so to speak—since it goes to help their own credit union maintain a low interest rate on small loans to members. The regular commercial small loan firms charge three percent a month for the first $100 of a loan, two and a half percent on the balance—rates the CIO has been working to get reduced. Novo Local rents its hall to Drop Forge Local 724, Olafson Tool & Die Local 728 and Amal- gamated Local 1217. Labor in on Mexico City World Parley DAVID J. McDONALD Labor, achieving more and more recognition, was represented for the first time in a meeting of governments, when the Inter- American Conference was held in Mexico City. Above is Sec.- Treas. David J. McDonald of United Steel workers (CIO), one of three labor advisers who helped frame an economic char- ter to rais the standards of liv- ing for the Latin American na- tions. The other two were Sec.- Treas. George Meany of the AFL and J. G. Luhrsen of Railway Labor Executives Association. (Federated Picture) EMPLOYMENT DROPS LANSING, Mich., (FP)—Em- ployment in Michigan manufac- turing industries at the begin- ning of February was 8.6 per- cent under the beginning of Jan- uary, the state repartment of la- bor and industry announces.