Fraternity-Testvériség, 1953 (31. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1953-01-01 / 1. szám
TESTVEEISEG IN PLAIN AMERICAN A monthly page conducted by Edmund Vasvary WHAT SORT OF A YEAR 1953 is expected to be? The past year satisfactory, despite the high taxes and serious strikes. Evidently the nation’s economy is able to overcome handicaps. The election, ending the 20 year democratic rule at least temporarily, was unquestionably a personal triumph of a popular former soldier. Eisenhower’s election demonstrated the fact that in the opinion of the American voters, the “highest office in the world” can be given to someone who never was a politician and just starts to learn his ABC in politics. The disregard of practical politics in filling the highest office of the land might be a good idea after all. We will see in the next four years. ★ ★ ★ THE FORMER GOVERNMENT was always accused of having been loo friendly lo labor. The new government is generally supposed io be more friendly io business, as it would be expected from a republican majority. The stock market rapidly advanced after the election and by the end of the year it reached the highest level since 1930. ★ ★ ★ ALTHOUGH THE OUSTED GOVERNMENT was sitting in the saddle all the past year, American business spent the tremendous amount of 27 billion dollars for expansion and new equipment and earmarked almost that much for 1953. This indicates high employment for the new year, although there is some talk about a mild recession in the second half of the year. The almost certain high birth rate of the future opens new marketing possibilities for the giant output of American industry. The population will increase rapidly, — every 13 seconds a new customer (or sucker) being born. ★ ★ ★ IN THE OPINION OF MANY compelenl people the present very high production and employment is the result of a war-economy, but on the other hand, the steadily growing population of the country certainly forces the industry io break production records in every line. Nobody talks now about the necessity of "returning to normalcy", since it is very questionable whether the coming generations ever will see the so-called "normal times" again. ★ ★ ★ THE NEW ADMINISTRATION is expected to have the full cooperation of business. After the attacks on it during the last twenty years (many of them fully justified) when the Democrats were in power, business is expected to do its best to keep conditions prosperous. ★ ★ ★ REVISION of the Taft-Harlley act is one of the biggest predictabale developments of the new year. All groups, now agree it should be amended, and work will begin almost immediately after Congress is organized. The finished job will satisfy no one completely; lawmaking is compromise making. But it is just possible that enough compromises can be made to get a law both management and labor are willing to live with. ★ * * THE STEEL INDUSTRY made a remarkable recovery after the longest and costliest steel strike in the nation’s history. The strike lasted 54 days and cost 17 billion tons of steel and an overall money-loss of four billion dollars, half of which was lost by the automobile industry. But inspite of all this, our steel mills produced 93 millions tons of raw metal, 12 million tons less than in 1951. The government expects about 119 million tons this year, 14 of which will go to the military requirements. The steel production for 32 weeks was over 100%. ★ ★ ★ PITTSBURGH, Ihe sieel capital reports that its district moves into the new year with 49 blast furnaces in operation. Last year only 44 turned out pig iron. ★ ★ ★ THE SOFT COAL mining industry faces a better year on account of steel's highly satisfactory expectations, but it is not expected to reach the 104 million tons mined in 1951 in Pennsylvania. ★ ★ ★ THE FARMERS' net income for the past year totaled about 14 billion, almost the same as in 1951. This is considered phenomenally good, on account of the severe drought conditions which had prevailed in many sections of the country. Production costs are likely to prevent farm incomes from rising. ★ ★ ★ THE RUBBER INDUSTRY also had a satisfactory year. Business was more brisk only in 1950 when the outbreak of the Korean war brought scare-buying. The industry expects record sales in 1953. ★ ★ ★ THERE IS AN OTHER aspect of the past year which should be noted. Never has the human side of industry made such advances as in 1952. Improved industry health programs, health and hospitalization insurance, recreational activities and wiser retirement policies have been included to a greater extent than ever before in labor-management contracts. The nation's businessmen, big and small, enter the new year with an increasing awareness of their responsibilities to themselves and to their coworkers as human beings. The fact that the public has lost faith in socialist cure-alls to solve problems of housing, transportation, schools, welfare, health, employment and employe relations, he said, makes it all the more necessary for business to find the solutions. One of the best examples of this sense of social responsibility by industry is the changed attitude toward the disabled worker. The disabled worker is a good worker. Enlightened management knows now that it is the ability rather than the disability that counts; that properly placed, the blind worker with sensitive ears and fingers produces as well or better than his sighted fellow; the bench worker with the paralyzed legs, compensated by greater arm strength, can pull his load in the production line and more. And never before in our history have the disabled had such opportunity in industry.
