The Butler County Press, 1946-08-30

Washington, D. C.—In an address over the Columbia Broadcasting Com Company, - pany, Company, I. M. Ornburn, secretary-treas secretary-treasurer - urer secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Labor Union Label Trades Depart Department, - ment, Department, stressed the value and impor importance - tance importance of the union label in these un uncertain - certain uncertain times. "American prosperity cannot be sus sustained - tained sustained at a high level for all workers unless consumers purchase union unionmade - made unionmade products and use the union ser service," - vice," service," Mr. Ornburn declared. "The official seal of labor-manage labor-management - ment labor-management cooperation is the union label. It gives the consumer assurance that products are made under sanitary and humane working conditions according to American labor standards."

procedures of our democracy. This is a tremendous achievement, one which touches the lives of all within the ranks of labor. It carries much wider responsibilities than many of us realize. And like every gain that labor has won, this newly acquired right to speak for so many millions has not gone unchallenged. More and more, as collective bargaining and union agreements determine the rela relationship. - tionship. relationship. between labor and manage management, - ment, management, critics are demanding that this right be curtailed. These critics say that organized labor's motives are self selfish, - ish, selfish, that its aims are not directed to toward - ward toward the common good.

While indicating little chance for a general amnesty for conscientious ob objectors - jectors objectors imprisoned for violation of Selective Service rules, Attorney Gen General - eral General Thomas C. Clark recently said that he was "vitally interested in see seeing - ing seeing that sincere young Jehovah's Wit Witnesses - nesses Witnesses be released from prisons at an early date." Disclosure of Department of Justice arrangements whereby "a substantial number are already sche scheduled - duled scheduled for conditional release in the early future" came in the Attorney General's reply to communications from A. J. Muste, chairman of the Committee for Amnesty.

There should be nothing surpris surprising - ing surprising about this feat, for American la labor - bor labor has always conquered obstacles successfully .The first Labor Day cele celebration - bration celebration occurred in September 1882 under the leadership of Peter J. Mc McGuire - Guire McGuire of the Carpenters' International Union in New York City. Today after many battles, the w^ge earners' right to organize and bargain collectively is protected by law and sanctioned by custom. It is guarded by the strength of 14 million union members. These members and their leaders have made collective bargaining one of the basic

The ministers' letter to the Presi President - dent President was made public by Dorothy Can Canfield - field Canfield Fisher, honorary chairman of the Amnesty Committee. Recalling Presi President - dent President Truman's emphasis on freedom of conscience and religion in his March 6 speech at the Columbia, Ohio, meet meeting - ing meeting of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, the clergymen pointed out that the ma majority - jority majority of imprisoned objectors are Jehovah's Witnessess who asserted that evangelistic activities entitled them to exemption from the draft.

A year ago, on this first Monday, in September, hostilities just had ceased and we were facing a period of read readjustment - justment readjustment and rebuilding. It has been a period of strain and doubt to mil millions - lions millions of wage earners and millions of men and women in the armed forces. Every one realized that the physical task of shifting back to peacetime pro production - duction production was tremendous. But uncer uncertainty - tainty uncertainty prevailed as to how smoothly and how quickly reconversion would take place.

If I believed that charge I would not be Secretary of Labor. But it is you, the members and leaders of organized labor, who must meet this challenge by maintaining a sense of responsibili responsibility - ty responsibility to the needs and welfare of -the country. Let your answer come from union halls and from the bargaining table. Let it come from the mills and mines and factories where another great task of production and re-ad re-adjustment - justment re-adjustment remains to be achieved dur during - ing during the year ahead.

Now, most of the job is near com completion—and - pletion—and completion—and successfully. The output of civilian goods and services has been lifted virtually to record peacetime levels. This period of reconversion has not been without its serious aches and pains. There have been disputes and disagreements which cannot be mini minimized. - mized. minimized. But it is good for all of us that labor has preserved its strength through this trying year.