Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1955. július-december (4. évfolyam, 27-52. szám)
1955-12-15 / 50. szám
14 AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ December 15, 1955 •New Threat Against Labor Family Page Who is Gnashing Teeth and Why “TEETH GNASHING HEARD IN LAND, DENTIST TERMS WORRY ITS CAUSE” rep- ports a headline in the December 6th issue of the New York Times. We learn from it how widespread teeth gnashing became in our country as a result of worry and nervous tension. This was the gist of a report at the meeting of the Greater New York Dental Association. We are quite certain that the editorial in the same issue of the Times titled “On Tour in Burma” was not taken into consideration by the dentist reporting on teeth gnashing. Yet,' this unique exercise in political invectives could have served as a clinical illustration of the dentists findings. The editorial of course refers to the tour of the Soviet Union’s ‘tarveling salesmen’ in Burma. It abounds in such choice invectives as: “a new low in Communist mendacity, hipocrisy”, “contemptible tactics”, “insulting monstrous disregard for the truth”. The editorial is noteworthy, in addition to this verbal pyrotechnics, for two reasons. The first reason is the extent to which the editors of the Times get so flustered when the colonial systems—past and present — are being criticized. The, New York Times repeatedly emphasized that the age of colonialism is coming to an end. Now this may or may not be true. If, therefore, the Russian leaders belabored a dead evil, why should one get so excited about it? And if they criticized on existing evil, why should we Americans who profess to oppose colonialism, and who have suffered from its evils, assume that the criticism is directed at us? Perhaps the editors of the Times do not know themselves the answer to this and they are gnashing their teeth through sheer frustration! The other interesting feature is the conclusion of the editorial: “In good time the fantastic tactics of the Russians will probably backfire. They have abused hospitality and outraged credulity. Men who have been set free and wish to remain so will eventually bring in the just judgment against the apostles of slavery and prophets, of falsehood.” Do the editors of the N. Y. Times really think that “abuse of hospitality and outraging one’s credulity” should henceforth be classed crimes of such magnitude as to call for “just judgment” ? Let us not bee too hasty, gentlemen of the New York Times pronouncing judgments. Particularly for the crime of criticizing the evils — real or fancied — of the colonial system. These evils, it would be well for the gentlemen of the Times to consider, are much more real for the teeming millions of India, and' Burma, than for the pundits of Times Square. No doubt, there are a lot of evils and evil- doings in today’s world that call for passing just judgments. Equally true that the day of accounting and judgment over the evildoers will yet inevitably come. As a contribution to preparing the material for the day of accounting, the Times editorial, in our belief does not amount to much. We have a slight suspicion that the teeming millions of Asia — and Africa — who have suffered and still are Suffering so much from the direct and indirect effects of colonialism Would be much more prone to judge the perpetrators of those responsible for their suffering, than those who criticized them. In conclusion let us note that every colonial ► power — past and present — is today, through some curious quirk of fate — lined up with the so called “free world”. The great majority of the American people, especially the workingmen of this country joyously hail the birth of a united labor movement-, the merger of the AFL and the CIO. Let us remember, however, that almost simultaneously with the birth of this vigorous ‘baby’, another ‘birth’ has occurred in, our country and this event bodes ill for the welfare of every workingman as well as for Labor in general. A new organization called the American Society for Industrial Security has been born without much fanfare, but it will pay labor to keep a close eye on its activities. The outfit has members from such industries as breweries, distilleries, railroads, drug and auto manufacturing, etc. Industry and government now have so-called loyalty records on at least 10,000,000 and possibly 50,000,000 United States citizens. Each individual investigation costs l-oughly $250, and a lot of that money is going to private “security” organizations and detective agencies. Companies like Dun and Bi'adstreet do “checks” for a fee. So apparently a whole new field has been opened for the ironically named “free'’ enterprise. That means at least $2.5 billion and possibly more has been spent on checking the allegations of casual informants, neighbors, ex-girl friends, former associates and crackpots.Now presumably, all this is necessary to -prevent communist sabotage etc., of which no exFamily living costs will continue their slight upward drift in 1956. During the past four, years, farmers living costs have gone up about 2 per cent. Next year prices may go up about 1 to 1 and half per cent. Many of the price hikes, however, will be on items that the average family buys only now and then. The economists believe that “bargain hunting” wild pay even more during the coming year. Competition will put a damper on price boosts and buyers can expect to find a bargain on many items. Here’s the way some economitsts expect family costs to shape up in 1956: Food prices will average about the same or a little lower. Any drop at the farm- level will be offset by higher distribution costs. Little or no change is in sight for fall and winter clothing prices. Prices for the next year will average about the same as in 1955, although some clothes will cost less and others more. Spring and summer prices may show a modest increase because of an expected rise in textile costs. Prices for household furnishings and equipment should be near those of 1955. Slight increases may develop due to wage and material price raises. Even though manufacturers up their prices not all of the increase will be passed on to the customer. Housing costs are expected to be slightly amples are currently on file. But an interesting byproduct of the system is the use of so-called security information for another purpose dear to the hearts of the industrial personnel specialists who employ the checking agencies. In the old days, if a man told his foreman to go jump he got sacked, and the company merely passed along that bit of information the next time he asked for a job reference. Tuday, however, with the massive “loyalty” files, it becomes possible for a company to tag a “suspicious” label on a man, and he's got to do some pretty professional lying to be able to get a job anywhere. With his record available to personnel men all over, he’s in trouble. Furthermore, the fact that he was perhaps a little too militant a unonist, or too much of a rugged individualist, has become transformed into possible treason. This makes the whole natural for companies who, like General Electric, for example, carry on a vicious antiunion program all the time and try desperately to keep good unionists out of their plants. , The formation of an association is usually the mark of an industry that thinks it has reached maturity and is here to stay. There is no doubt that the boys who are running the security check agencies think they have struck the pot of gold. ______at Debrecen, the growing industrial city in Eastern Hungary is to hove a new realway station — the biggest in the provinces. Work will begin next year. It is to be built 50 yards from the old station and will occupy two sides of Petőfi Square. Interior walls will be surfaced in red, gvaen and gray stone and a clock tower similar to that at Helsinki station will dominate the building. There will be study and games and reading rooms in which passengers may wait. Great care has been given to planning the comfort of the railway workers. There will be modern dressing and wash-rooms for them and a hotel to sleep 100 in one and two-bed rooms. The staff canteen is designed to serve 1,000. Post Office workers at the station will have separate dressing and wash rooms and parcel- handling will be mechanized. higher. Some lumber is up and other basic materials may be marked up. Heating and plumbing fixtures will be higher and fuel will cost more. Expanding the system of free or preferential vacations for workers Hungarian trade unions make an ever increasing number of resorts available for workers during the winter too. Above, a favorite resort in the Mátra mountains Family Costs up in 1956 CITY GETS A NEW STATION
