i
For a, Weekly, Its Readers -Repressit the LARGEST BUYING PGWER m Charlotte
/• GNL7 REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY m tetck*
•urg County
Official Ur(u Caatrml
Labor Union; cadacaad by
State Fedora tiea of Labor
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
thfvij Honest, Im-partku
Endeavoring to Serve the Masses
CHARLOTTE, N. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1935
THE ARDOR OF CENTRAL BODY
NOT DAMPENED BY ELEMENTS
WHICH PREVAILED TUESDAY
The weather was bad and the at
tendance only an averf.ie; but excel
lent, when all things were ajken into
consideration, and the spirit of or
ganized labor movement pot
dampened by the elements '[•''he dele
gates came forward with good, bad
and indifferent reports.! Some 130
per cent some 90, 80 and on down to
the 50 mark, ’’•'he textile delegates
reports really proved the jmost in
teresting, for they showed the work
ing of the “gloved hand” against or
ganized labor.. Put the bright spot
came in this line of endeavor when
Paul F. Christopher, of Shelby presi
dent of the State Textile Ujnion end
a vice president of the State •'edera
tion of Labor, made p talk that show
stretchout and the lry-off [prevailed
to hold the workers in 'bey a nee
there were places in the did Worth
State where the workers wire really
being recognized and reckoned with
as a bargaining factor. Mr. Chris
topher, while a plain speaker, deals
not in oratory, but in facts and fig
ures, and he added to his already
large list of admirers, many friends
‘Ijy his talk.
Mr. S. A. Scott, Tobacco Work
ers national representative, who
is a visitor in Charlotte, also address
ed the body and gave a few facts and
figures that were amazing Regarding
the “Big Four,” and also gave some
encouraging estimates, showing the
gain of the workers in his line of in
dustry. He is one man j who has
come our way lately whjo carries
.statistics in his mind and at his fin
gertips.
The Allied Printing Traides move
ment was reported by Brotjher A, X.
Amyx as having been culminated, and
that within two weeks this liody would
be functioning, three printing con
cerns already having signed for the
allied label. The Typographical,
Pressmen and Bookbinders will com
pose the trio.
The meeting ran the [gamut in
regular order, and the grievance com
mittee, and the legislative committee,
"•along with the label committee re
ports made up a meeting that well
passed the adjourning hour
ed that while ir some
the
, Organized Labor in Charlotte, has
never formed the eouncilmanic plan
of eleven, but if it must be, as Sena
tor Bell so wills it, then Centra} La
bor Union has asked that one man
be taken from each ward, and this
desire has been percolating into
Raleigh. j
There was a telegram sent to Meck
lenburg representatives asking that
the Sanitary department be removed
from under civil service. This pass
ed unanimously.
The meetings these days are “pep
ping up," and as one of the national
speakers said at the meeting Tues
day night: “I have heard of the
Charlotte Central Labor Union in
meetings in almost every section of
the United States, and all the reports
evidenced the fact that you have real
meetings discussing topics and doing
things that tend for the upward trend
of the Labor movement.” ,
As usual, these days Albea and
Kiser alternated in the chair, while
Boate and. Ranson sec retained, the
latter pinch-hitting for Secretary
Boger, who" is on night duty at this
time.
Go to the polls on Saturday, March
23, and vote for the school supple
ment. You owe it to the youth of
Charlotte, and to those who instruct
them.
Labor Institute
Durham Meet
Is Postponed
DURHAM, March 11.—The
State-wide Labor Institute that
was to be held here March 15
16-17 has been postponed for a
few weeks because of the fact
that some of the main speakers
had engagements that Would con
flict with these dates. It is an
nounced that the dates of the In
stitute will be announced later
and that some of the most out
standing speakers in America
will be on the program.
SHELBY WOMEN S LABEL LEAGUE
W AS INSTALLED FRIDAY NIGHT;
OFFICERS GIVEN OBLIGATION
The Shelby Woman’s Onion Label
League held its first regular meet
ing last Friday night,'Majrch 8th, at
which time the officers for the en
, suing year were installed! Mrs. VV.
E. McKamey, president of the Char
lotte Label League, conducted the in
stallation, and the following consti
tute their roster of officers:
Mrs. Ben Lybrand, president; Mrs.
J. E. Kimbreil, first vice president;
Mrs. F. A. Senter, financial seere
• tary and treasurer ; Mrs. Carl Gamble,
recording and corresponding secre
tary; Mrs. E, G. Smith, jsergeant at
arms; Mrs. J. S. Watts, doorkeeper.
Two new members werje given the
obligation, which gives jthe Shelby
League a very fine start with 53 mem
bers, A great deal of enthusiasm is
in evidence upon the part of the
ladies composing the new league in
Shelby, and We wish them every suc
cess in the work they have under
taken.
All the officers of the Charlotte
Woman's Union Label League went
to the meeting- in Shelby, as well as
several other .members. The presi
dent of the Shelby League expressed
appreciation of the visit of the sister
and brother members from Charlotte^
and after the business session, an en
joyable social time was had. Delici
ous refreshments were served.
The Shelby League and those who
have co-operated with them are to
oe congratulated upon the attractive
hall given oyer to the activities of the
league, also upon the well-equipped
kitchen which the ladies are making
very good use of in connection with
their work.
Allied Printing
Trades Council
Is Organized
On last Sunday afternoon at the
Hotel Charlotte a meeting was held
by the printers, pressmejn and book
binders, which resulted in the forma
tion of an allied printing Trades
Counsil. Fay Nixon president of
Charlotte Typographical) Union was
chosen president* and E. If. Amyx, of
the Pressmen’s Union, secretary
treasurer. The attendance from the
three crafts was encouraging. Dele
gates from the three trades were B.
J. White, Ray Nixon and Hugh
Sykes of the printers; fe.-TC. Amyx.
L. M. Phelps, and R. L. Yohey of
'.he pressmen; and Herbert Webb,
Coleman Davis and Foy Todd of the
bookbinders.
Hugh M. Sykes, of the printers,
was made chairman of the Label com
mittee. Another meeting; of the coun
cil will be held at the Hotel Charlotte
next Sunday.
Labor In Favor Of
The S. C. Solons
Raising Their Pay
SPARTANBURG, 3. C., Harch 12.
—Resolutions adopted by the Spar
tanburg Central Labor Union urging
members of the legislature to vote
themselves expense money and to rush
passage of labor leHsl' tion today
were forwarded to Columbia by offi
cials.
The resolutions were adopted last
night at a meeting of 302 members
who heard addresses by_S. 5* Brook
shire, president of the
tion of U*>bor, and ^ep. 5L C. God
i.-e”.
State Federa
Strike Threat
Comes From
Textile Union
WASHINGTON, March 13.—
Defihite hints of a new textile strike
came today from within the ranks of
the United Textile Workers.
The executive board of the United
Textile Union has been summoned to
meet next Wednesday to consider im
mediate procedure.
Angered particularly by the situa
tion in Georgia, where 3,000 employes
of the Callaway mills are reported
on strike, Francis J. Gorfnan, organ
ization director of the union, declared
in a statement:
“The strike settlement (of last
September) was definite enough in
its promises. It must now be equal
ly definite in performance.”
Gorman and his associates were
aroused also by what they termed
the failure fb£ the Textile Labor Re
lations board to enforce its decisions,
and by what union leaders charge is
consistent violation of section 7tA of
the recovery act.
Declining to comment on reports
-that the textile workers already had
completed plans for another general
strike in the spring, Gorman said
in his statement, “The executive coun
cil will not declare another strike be
I fore consulting with the President
and giving him a detailed explana
tion.”
The union label stands for the sol
I idarity of the Labor Movement. •
... ••
Go to the polls on Saturday, March
23, and vote for the school supple
ment. You owe it to the youth of
; Charlotte, and* to those who instruct
them.
Demand the labed on your cigarets.3
BY
HARR1
BO ATE
SCHOOL VOTE
PERTINENT
ON!
TOPI
. r;• ; :
On Saturday, March 23, 1935, the voters of Charlotte will be given the
opportunity of expressing their choice on whether or not they are willing
to spend a few more dollars in tax for the purpose of better supporting the
system of public schools, which they have builded so successfully, after many
yejars of struggle and effort. To allow these schools, to go down because
of greed, lack of interest, or any other reason, is unjust both to the present
generation and the generation which are to follow.
Here are a few school statistics which may help you in making up
yqur mind on what to do in the matter: ,
At the present; time the enrollment in Charlotte schools is 12,428 white
arid 5,565 colored, a total of 17,993. Ten years ago the total attendance
whs 8,005 white and 2,991 colored pupils, a total of 11,996. This shows an
increase in ten years of 5,997, or 50 per cent.
The Charlotte schools are now endeavoring to properly equip this large
number of pupils for the battle of life with a decreasing supply of teachers,
arjd a lack of funds to pay a decent wage to those who have stayed to fight
the battle,_ many of them because of their love for the schools. Here is the
pay we give them for their work: White teachers, maximum $60, mini
mpm $46.66; colored teachers receive—maximum $6.66, minimum $36. These
figures are the monthly wage on a 12-month basis. 1 i
Teachers with no previous teaching experience now begin at the mini
mum salary. In the white schools this salary is increased $20 each year
uhtil it reaches, the maximum of $720 after eight years of successful teaching.
Iri the negro schools the increase is $16 a year and reaches the maximum of
'P'juu enter cignt yeais.
Proposed salaries for teachers if the supplement is voted and the ninth
month is added to the present term. These figures are on a 12-month basis:
White teachers—Maximum $100; minimum $77.80; colored teachers— maxi
mum $77:80; minimum $55.83. Eight years of actual teaching is required
for a teacher to reach thC maximum of $100 per month in the white schools
and $77.80 in the negro schools. < j
Compare this with salaries paid teachers in other representative cities
of the south. Maximum salary of high school teacher per month for 12
months—Charleston, S. C., male !$208.33, female $150; Columbia, S. G., $150;
Knoxville, Tenn., $148.76; Chattanooga Tenn., $166.66; Norfolk, Va., male
$144.38, female $131.25; Riclfnond, Va., $166.80; Roanoke Va., i$177.08.
Gharlotte is now the only city in the south with more than 50,000 popula
tion, outside of North Carolina, that has a school term of only eight months.
The child going through the Charlotte schools as they are now operated
Uses one month each year for eleven years, and loses the twelfth grade,
a total of twenty months. On the basis of our present eight-months term
this is equivalent to the loss of two and one-half school, years.
The money derived from the proposed 25-cent tax levy plus the 15 per
cjent increase anticipated from the state is to be used in increasing the pay
of the teachers now employed, and the employment of additional teachers to
rjelieve overcrowded conditions in schools now operating, and to supply teach
ers for three new buildings. >
A tax rate of 25 cents on present property valuation will yield $262,
500. . ' i
A reduction in real estate valuation of 15 per cent, optional with the
assessors, was authorized by the legislature of 1931.
A reduction in real estate valuation of 33 1-3 per- cent was required by
tjhe legislature of 1933.
A home that recently cost $5,000 is probably on that tax books at $3,000.
Jhe tax on that home would be $7.50.
25|cents on the property valuation means $2.50 on $1,000 property valu
ation. ]■'■ / | I
An educated child is more law-abiding than one with no education, and
children grow to maturity, if we eduehte them we will have a better class
of citizens than if we let them grow up ininstructed. Again, if we permit
c|ur schools to go down we may have to build more jails, and we know
schools make a more cheerful looking group of buildings than do jails.
Go to the polls and exercise your rights as citizens. Whether or not
yjou have children, vote YES.
1
Rock Hill Has
A Great Open
Meet Sunday
ROCK HILL, S. C., March 11.
Editor Labor Journal:
' The textile and hosiery workers of
Rock Hill, S. C., had another great
ojpen meeting last Saturday at 3 P.
M. “Red” Lisk, Lester Adams, F.
L. Widenhouse, and others made
talks. Lloyd Hopkins, of Albemarle,
was also one of the speakers, and
Jiey all brought the message of the
ecessity of organization, and hold
ing steadfast the organization before
the large assemblage.
On Sunday, March 23, there will
be a, big labor parade in Rock Hill.
They will then gather at the hall for
a big Home Coming Mass Meeting, in
honor of one of the old charter mem
bers of the first Rock Hill textile
local, M. Gregory, plo placed the first
charter in 1917. John Peele, out
standing South Carolina labor leader
and Francis Gorman are expected to.
be present and make talks.
Special meetings are being held
weekly to increase the membership of
the textile and hosiery locals, and
great gains are being made.
A. G. K.
Go to the polls on Saturday, March
23, and vote for the school supple
ment. You owe it to the youth of
Charlotte, and to those who instruct
them. * ■ '.j.
Labels may come and labels may go,
but the Union Label will go on foi
ever.
The Union Label is the injsignia of
the great army of Americati Labor,
Subscribe for The
Journal
WHO PAYS THE TAXES?
OWNERS OF RENTAL PROPERTY OR THE RENTER?
To the Editor of The Journal:
Did you know that the crowd who forced the sales taxes
on the poor people of Charlotte is the same crowd now spend
ing hundreds of dolars fighting the school supplement. They
are- not satisfied with throwing the burden off their own
shoulders on to the shoulders of the poor people but they
would deny them a higher education.
Taxes have been greatly reduced on real estate in Char
lotte and those owning rental properties are fighting against
their own interests when they fight the school tax supple,
ment.
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES
By WILLIAM GREEN
President, American Federation of Labor
WASHINGTON, March 6.—William Green, president of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, issued the following statement mourning the
death of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes:
“The men and women of Labor throughout the nation mourn the
death of Justice Holmes. s
“He was an uncompromising liberal. Because of the advanced and
liberal interpretation which he placed upon the Constitution, he in
spired the masses of the people with new hope and with a new and more
comprehensive understanding of the flexibility of the organic law of the
Nation.
“Justice Holmes occupied a large place in the hearts and affections
of the working people ami all their friends in the* United States. He
was beloved as a great judge possessed of a social vision, a great heart,
and a keen, penetrating, analytical mind. He stands in a class by
himself because our Nation has produced but one who, serving in, a
judicial position, has been a consistent and uncompromising liberal.
“Ad of Labor is deeply grieved over the passing of Justice Holmes.”
SAD STORY OF WEALTHY CITY
STINTING ON EDUCATIONAL
ACTIVITIES THRU CORPORATE
GREED-GEORGE KNAPP WRITES
By GEORGE L. KNAPP
Washington, D. CJ (ILNS.).
If Liggett & Myers influence the schools of Durham by hang
ing up before the teachers the lure of more lucrative employment,
R. J. Reynolds Co. sways the*> schools of Winston Salem in much
simpler fashion. It uses a meat-ax, and seems to have a prefer
ence for that tool in other controverseis.
It has been told before in these ar
ticles how, a few years ago, Reynolds
smashed the movement to unionize
its plant by firing everyone who even
listened to the union preaching. Labor
officials in the district estimate the
number of persons who lost their jobs
with Reynolds during that row as
from 2,000 to 2,500—and they never
came back. Once fired, never rehired
is the Reynolds’ motto. In a town
where almost half the wage earners
are in one plant, the displeasure of
the managers of that plant can throw
a blanket of fear over the whole com
munity.
Reynolds not merely dominates the
schools, it stints and impoverishes
them. Wiston-Salem is popularly^ be
lieved to be one of the healthiest of the
smaller cities of the United States.
The magazine, Fortune, which has a
keen eye for such things, reported
that Winston-Salem had more than
50 multimillionaires—which is a pret
ty high percentage for a town of not
quite 80,000 people. So far as can
be learned, all of them are tobacco
millionaires, members of the Reynolds
family or influential associates, like
Bowman Gray and S. Clay Williams.
And the tobacco industry is the one
large industry of the United States
that prospered more during the de
pression than it did before.
But none of these millions seem to
trickle into the Winston-Salem schools.
In the report of the State Superin
tendent of North Carolina for the
years 1931-32, a column in the table
of funds available for current ex
penses of the schools is given to “phil
anthropic funds.”
RICH DON’T HELP SCHOOLS
Not one* dollar is listed in this col
umn to Winston-Salem. Somebody
contributed $200 to keep the rural
schools of that county going, but not |
in Winston-Salem itself. With teach-1
ers* salaries cut to the bone and to
bacco profits piled higher than ever
before, not' one of the Reynolds’ mil-.
lionaires put up so much as a white 1
chip to meet the daily costs for the
children of their city. * . .
The United- States Office of Educa
tion has worked out figures showing!
the amount Spent, per day on each
pupil in several hundred cities and
towns of the country. After study
ing this list carefully,, it seemed that
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., had enough things
in common with Winston-Salem to
make a comparison between them
rather valuable. They are about the
same size; Wilkes-Barre a little the
lerger. Both are preeminently manu
facturing towns; and if Wilkes-Barre
has a heavy sideline of coal, Winston
I Salem is the commercial capital of a
'pretty good area. Also, no one has
reported 50, or 30, or 2Q multimillion
aires in Wilkes-Barre.
How do these, quite similar com
munities treat their schools?
Wilkes-Barre spends 55 cents per
pupil per day on her schools.
Winston-Salem spends 24 cents per
pupil per day on her schools.
And Winston-Salem is by far the
richer community of the two; and
North Carolina, as a state, has
shown' a keener interest in education
than almost any other part of the
South. But there are the figures, to
speak for themselves.
DARING TBACHBBS PUNISHRD
As for the way of Reynolds with
the public schools, the case of James
M. Shields will suffice. Shields
taught in Winston-S&lem schools fcr
13 years, and part of that time he was
a principal. This manifestly rules out
any question of his ability as a teach
er; the authorities thought him thor
oughly capable, else they would not
have kept and promoted him. There
is good reason, indeed, to believe that
he was an unusually effective teach
er, for he never concealed his strong
liberal tendencies
But at last Mr. Shields wrote a
novel, with the suggestive title of
“Just Plain Lamin’.” He described
the life in a Southern tobacco town,
dominated by the ‘DeVries Company,”
whose methods bore an oddly close
resemblance to those of F,. J. Rey
nolds Co. In fact, the drawing was
so close and so accurate that it creat
ed a regular tempest in the Winston
Salem teapot, and Shields was fired
with loud denunciations and no bene
fit of clergy at all.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION STOPPED
An article written afte" his dis
missal says, in part: L >
“In Winston-Salem, a tolacco mag
nate’s ire was so roused at the sight
of a group of ‘niggers daring to play
tennis’ that all physical education
was promptly eliminated from local
high schools, both white and colored.
Another tobacco company official, a< t
ing chairman of the school board, on
a recent good-will tour of the pub-ic
school buildings, stated that.
“‘In my business, gong about
among the hands and making them
feel you’re interested in them, is just
as effective as handing oat a raise
in wage3.’ ”
INU8PENDBNCB IS PENALIZED
The old trick, and he saw no rea
son why it should, not work on teach
ers as well as on factory workers.
"His teachers," remarks Shields, “had
only that year taken a 50 per cent «
salary cuti”
Other instances could be given.
Teachers who some years ago formed
an organization which looked at least
in the direction of some independence
were dismissed. Nor does interfer
ence stop with public schools.
“At Winston-Salem last April,”
says Shields in another place—and
there is plenty of corroboration for
his statements, “It. W. McDonald,
young professor of education at
Salem College sought the Democratic
nomination for the legislature on an
anfi-s«les tax, pro-sehcols platform.
. . . Local tobacco aid textile mag
nates threatened withdrawal of
pledged contributions to the college
unless he resigned his candidacy, to
the end that McDonald had to chcose
between his campaign and his job.”
Go to the polls on Saturday, March
23, and vote for the 3eilocI fcu iple
ment. You ewe it to tlie yiiA of
Charlotte, and to those W'*» instruct
them. i ’ ■
LEGISLATIVE MIRROR
RALEIGH, March 12.—Friday morning- a public hearing:
will be held on the bill introduced by Representative Scholl
of Chark>tte*outlawing the “yellow dog” contract and setting
forth certain restrictions regarding1 labor injunctions. No
Southern State has passed this law but there seems to be a
fair chance of North Carolina taking the lead in this pro
gressive legislation . . > At this writing the State-wide Boiler
Inspection Bill is still on the Senate calendar, with what seems
a fair chance of passage. This bill has passed the House ...
The Plumbers Bill came up in the Senate Monday night and
considerable opposition developed from the rural counties.
A motion to adjourn carried the MR over for consideration
later . . . Labor’s Occupational Disease bill has passed the
House and today is on the favorable calendar in the Senate
with a good chance of pasage Considerable work is be
ing done to untangle the highway workers situation. It is
believed before the Legislature adjourns something tangible
will have been est op for these people. C. M. Beasley, secre
tary of the State Highway Wor kers Council, and Mr. Cavi
ness, of Goldsboro, 1i»v cbetn here assisting in this matter
... A great deal of hard work has been put forth for school
teachers and other state employes ... A terirfic fight lias
been waged for the Child Labor Amendment by a number of
large organizations- Because of selfish influences this has
been an uphill fight from the beginning— It has been a fight
of right against might. . Senators and Representatives re
port that their mail is increasing. One member of the House
said he received more mail the past few days than he had
receivd in his entir<gi.fet*me. The people back home seem
to be telling their Legislators what their wishs ar in thermat
ters of legislation. H ere was a time when a Legislator could
come back-home bo* s ic! s not the case any more.