North Carolina Newspapers

The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY in Mecklenburg County For • Weekly, Slip Charlotte latnr Truthful, Honest, Impartial AND DIXIE FARM NEWS !• a CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1936 VOL. IV.—No. 49 UNITED TEXTILE WORKERS SOUND TRUCK DEDICATED AT THE NATION’S CAPITAL WASHINGTON.—The United Tex tile Workers of America dedicated a sound truck here to be used irt or ganization work in the Southern States. The ceremony took place in the Gompers Memorial Triangle and was attended by about 100 trade union officials. Dedicating the truck in the name of the United Textile Workers, Fran cis J. Gorman, vice president of that organization said: “This is a part of our answer to those who are try " ing to smash the union and grind our wages down to nothing.” President Thomas F. McMahon of the United Textile Workers said: “This truck is a symbol and a weapon. It is a symbol of our deter mination to fight eternally and a weapon against ignorance. We shall use it as such.” Secretary Frank Morrison of the American Federation of Labor, select ed by President William Green to represent him and the Federation* dedicated the’truck in behalf of the A. F. of L. Mr. Morrison said: “The addition of modern mechani cal equipment to the work of labor organization programs and methods seems to mark a beginning of an other era in trade union history. “Our Union organizers were com pelled to come into town under cover, get in touch with the workers by more or less secret methods, hold a get-together meeting at first in a room back of a saloon, and, finally, if they were lucky in keeping out of jail, stage a public meeting in a hall that did not cost too much. “We can hardly credit the enact ment of Section 7-A with this leap forward in our bid for publicity. But we can credit the ability and initia tive of a trade union which in the past year has been showing us some new methods for reaching the pub lic eye and ear with its message. “The United Textile Workers of America are to be congratulated on their resourcefulness, in the face of a series of events which must have been almost terrifying in their im pact. “We of the trade union movement have been accused of all sorts of ter rible things in the way of the use of force. This sound truck is a com plete answer to all those accusations. The United Textile Workers are ex emplifying the policy of the Ameri ■ can labor movement, in this, their | most open and above-board appeal to | the public opinion of the communi ties into which they now propose to carry the message of organization, accompanied with sweet and patriotic music. “On behalf of the American Federa tion of Labor, we wish them Godspeed in this their new venture, and I am sure that more than one labor execu tive committee will watch the reports of its movements and its effects with earnest and anxious anticipations. And so, for the American Federation of Labor, I dedicate this beautiful sound apparatus as the voice of tex tile labor.” Textile Leader Would Increase Pay If Processing Tax Is Removed WASHINGTON, April 9.—An em battled industry became further aroused today when the head of a commerce department advisory com mittee suggested that the cotton tex tile industry might be asked to in crease wages by 10 pnr cent in| re turn for removal of the cotton proces sing tax. This suggestion, offered by Henry P. Kendall of Boston, before senate NR A investigators, brought from Russell T. Fisher, secretary of the National Cotton Manufacturers asso ciation, the assertion that “an in crease in wages is entirely out of the question at this time.” Kendall, himself a Massachusetts textile operator and chairman of the commerce department’s business and advisory planning council, was tes tifying before the senate finance com mittee in support of continuance of NRA when he unexpectedly disclosed that he had submitted a memorandum to the President asserting that the cotton textile industry had reached the point of (diminishing return? as a result of buyer resistance created by the4 cotton processing tax. He recommended removal of the tax and said that in return it v/ould be fair to ask the industry to increase wages by 10 per'cent. Then, calmly, he told the senate group that “the whole textile industry is facing bank ruptcy.” The turmoil over the cotton situa tion reached fever-heat today with these developments outstanding. Greeting A. F. of L. Sound Truck In Charlotte There will be a special meeting of the Organized Workers of Charlotte at Central Labor Union hall at 8 P. M. Saturday to greet the Sound Truck dedicated in Washington last week, which will be in Charlotte Sat urday. It is hoped and expected that Fran cis Gorman, of the Textile Workers will be present to address the gather iug. Labels may come and labels may go, but the Union Label will go on for ever. Auto Workers To Stand With Rubber Workers DETROIT, April 8—Francis J. Dil lon, general organizer for the Ameri can Federation of Labor in the auto mobile industry, said tonight that Akron rubber workers might rely upon “100 per cent co-operation” from the A. F. of L. altomobile workers in the event of a strike in the rub ber industr-y. “That means the automobile work ers will go out with them,” Dillon declared. Dillon declined to elaborate upon the manner in which such sympathe tic action had been authorized. N. Y. SENATE BLOCKS JOB INSURANCE, BILL ALBANY, N. Y.—Opposition to the Byrne-Killgrew Unemployment-Insur ance Bill, which has already passed the Assembly, broke out in the senate so emphatically that immediate en actment of the measure was blocked. Opposing senators declared that they would not pass the bill until it con tained a proviso that it would take effect only when a Federal unem ployment insurance measure became law. Governor Lehman, who sponsors the measure, insisted that the bill fix a definite date upon which the state insurance system would go into ef fect regardless of Federal legisla tion. The Union Label is Supreme. Look for it. You’ll never find it on in ferior, goods. Shropshire Free Map Minus Feet It was revealed recently that Wood row Wilson Shropshire, Charlotte ne gro whose testimony was a sensation in the prison trials, has become a free man insofar as concerns the state of North Carolina. The four-month sentence placed upon Shropshire in city’s recorder’s court for drunken driving, will be concluded tomorrow. T. O. Little transfer officer of the state prison department, in whose custody Shropshire was brought to Charlotte from central prison in Ra leigh for purposes of testifying, today stated that he planned to return Shropshire to Raleigh, at the latter’s request, probably this afternoon. He stated that the Charlotte negro was to be fitted with artificial limbs at the prison hospital and was anxious to return for this purpose. LABOR RACKETEERING IN CHARLOTTE CONDEMNED BY CENTRAL LABOR UNION Racketeering: in the name of Organized Labor in Char* , lotte in the advertising, publicity and co-operative field brought forth the following resolution, which was unanimous ly passed Tuesday, January 21, by Central Labor Union: I 7} “Resolved, That the Charlotte Labor Journal is recognized in Charlotte as the only official paper of this section, and that merchants and business con cerns are warned against outsiders soliciting adver tisements or runds in the name of Labor, unless they have secured the sanction of Central Labor Union. For information merchants and business men may may call The Journal at 3-4855, or Central Labor Union, 9185. The motion carried unanimously.'* ■Y HARR> BOATE ORIGINS PliTININT ON timilv Tomes _origin___ . - small |volume entitled “Curious Facts > ... .. , HE’S A BRICK—To call a man a brick is about as high a compliment as anyone can pay to another in a familiar sort of way; yet the compliment appears absolutely devoid of sense, for there is surely nothing particularly pleasing 'about a brick. Like a great many other sayings, however, which do not seem to be overburdened with reason, we will find by looking up the origin of the expression that it started out in a very sensible manner. In order to get at its beginning we are obliged to go back to the days of Lycurgus, the great Spartan ruler. Platarch tells us that Lycurgus had a great many wise notions as to how people should live and how the affairs of the country should be managed. One of his ideas was that there was no necessity for building a wall about a city if the soldiers were properly trained to defend the place. . , .. . On one occasion an ambassador from a neighboring country visited Lycurgus and inquired of him how it was that he had no walls about his cities and towns. “But we have walls,” replied Lycurgus; “and if you will come with me I will show them to you.” “He took his guest out upon the field where the army was drawn up 1. a - 1_1.1__ A. _ i.L. .nnlra «/ *kn ctnl/llova V» O cal/) * in battle array, and pointing to the ranks of the soldiers he said: are the walls of Sparta, and every man is a brick.” So, we see, when the expression was first used it had a good deal more sense than it has now. WHISTLE FOR IT—If Smith wants something that we are in no hurry to give him we tell him that he will have to whistle for it. At the same time we do not literally mean what we say, for we don’t care whether Smith whistles or no£—it would have no bearing on the case if he whistled all day long. There was a time, however, when the expression meant exactly khat it implies. . In the early days of England ale or beer was served in what were known as whistling tankards. These tankards had four handles, and in one of them was a whistle. When the tankard was empty the holder of it blew the whistle for another drink. In other words, he Had to whistle f°r STEALING ONE’S THUNDER—If I discover anyone exploiting my ideas or passing off as his own certain original remarks of mine, I say, “He is stealing my thunder.” This expression was first used by'John Dennis, an English dramatist, and an inventor of a piece of mechanism for producing stage thunder. He desired to have the manager of a London theater put on one df his plays in which this thunder was to be used. The manager, however, declined to accept the play, but subsequently, in a rep resentation of Macbeth, he used Dennis’ thunder, whereupon the disappointed playwright exclaimed: “He refuses to take my play, but he steals my thunder.” ... BY THE SKIN OF YOUR TEETH—It is perhaps! not generally known that this expression, meaning to make a narrow escape, comes from the Bible. It will be found in the 20th verse of the 19th chapter of Job, wherein the patriarch says: “I am eseaped with the skin of hay teeth.” LET HER GO, GALLAGHER!—Although not so commonly used as a few years ago, this expression is still popular. The original Gallagher was not an Irishman, as the name implies, but a Spaniard, and his name was not Gallagher, either.. It was “Gallego.” At one time there lived in New Orleans a number of Gallegos, a class of Spaniards noted particularly for their bowlegs and their general employment as car conductors. Why they should have made good car conducted is not definitely known, but the fact remains that many of them were so employed, as each one started off on his daily trips the superintendent of the road would call out, “Let her go, Gallego!” This expression, applied in a general way to anything that was about to start, soon found its way beyond New Orleans and the name Gallego was transformed to Gallagher as more readily appreciated and understood by the average American. AS POOR AS JOB’S TURKEY—Job’s turkey was said to be so poor that it had only one feather in its tail and was obliged to lean against a fence to gobble. This is the description of the fowl as given by Judge Haliburton, author of “Sam Slick,” and as it represents the extremes of poverty and forlornness, this mythical bird is used in a figurative way to designate anything or anybody that has reached the last stages of poor ness. It may not be amiss to state in this connection that Job never had a turkey. This fowl is a native of America and was never heard of until this country began to be settled by Europeans. TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION MEETING SUNDAY MARKED EPOCH IN HISTORY OF LABEL The Union Label predominated in the action and discussion at the monthly meeting of Typographical Union No. 338, last Sunday after noon, and while the attendance was not up to par, interest ran high, and harmony and good will was the key note. Reports from the various standing committees were heard and three ap plicants for membership were passed upon and obligated. Label activities are at peak, seem ingly, and a new shop, the Standard Printing company, was added ter the list of job printing establishments in Charlotte entitled to use of the Union Label - r The Allied Printing Trades Label will be in evidence in a short while, supplanting the present Typographi cal Label, the allied crafts being the Typographical Union, Printing Press men and Bookbinders. Representative James J. Hailey of the Bookbinders Union, who has been and ardent worker in organisation activities in Charlotte the past few weeks, delivered an excellent address, passing out some good advice and sound logic. He is a forceful speaker and has the knack of putting his mes sage over in an easy and character istic manner. The meeting adjourned on sched ule time, and all the officers were at their posts. ' Orr Fight On In Legislature The fight of Representative Ton issen for removal of Chief Walter B. Orr and four inspectors of the Charlotte sanitary department from under provisions of the Gharlotte civil service law was renewed Tuesday when this legislation will bw placed on the calendar of the North Carolina house of representatives. Information received here from the state capitol said this bill, offered by Representatives Tonissen, was given a favorable report by the health committee of the lower house. —‘News. Prominent Union Man to Be Sued For Breach Promise The Mock Trial to be given by the Women's Union Label League next Monday night promises to be “rich, rare and racy.” A full house is an ticipated and the admission will be 10 cents, the proceeds to go toward equipping the kitchen for the ladies. Union Labels assure you that the products are American-made. In crease employment in our own coun try by buying Union-made goods. President Signs Huge Relief Bill Of Nearly Five Billion Dollars ABOARD ROOSEVELT SPECIAL EN ROUTE TO NEW YORK, April 8—A few strokes of the President’s pen in the $4;880,000,000 work relief bill today set in motion use of his tory's largest lump sum appropria tion to put $3,500,000 men to work and end the depression. ,,, The bill was sent to Jacksonville^ Fla., by courier after being enacted by congress in a 75-day battle. Mr. Roosevelt signed it as he sped north ward, refreshed and rested by his fishing trip in Caribbean waters, to attend the funeral tomorrow of his cousin, Warren Delano Robbins, in New York. Robbins, minister to Canada, died yesterday of neumonia. Immediately after signing the bill, the President signed two allocations from the amount appropriated under the new law. The first allocated $125,000,000 to the administrator of the Federal Emergency Relief administratiqp, in order that relief may not stop. By buying unfair products, you.are paying a ransom to the foreigners who are kidnapping your own pros perity child. ft LEGISLATIVE COMPLICATIONS ARISING OVER RALEIGH WAY, “ANNE OBSERVER” WRITES JOURNAL -- < .. . By ANNE OBSERVER RALEIGH, April 8.—Legislative maneuvers in Raleigh be come more complicated as the session drags along. Some of those dear Legislators who cace down here pledged heart and soul to vote with the masses, have completely repudiated those promises they made when they were running for offic and trying to get the workrs to vote for them. On the other hand, some members, whom labor didn’t expect so much support from are coming through nicely and voting consistently for the best interests of the great mass of working people of the State. The fellow who said: “Politics make strange bedfellow^,” or was it “bed-bugs,” certainly knew his politics. No doubt by the time you read this another battle will be raging in the Senate over the sales tax. The Senate Finance Committee' met the other day and voted to reduce the sales tax to two per cent and then turned right around the next day, changed their minds and put it back at three per cent and in cluded fat back and other bare necessities of the poor man. This week anti sales taxers will try to reduce this tax on the floor of the Senate by sending forward amendments. But the lobby for the big corporations are here on the job and they will do their best to persuade a majority of the Senators not to put any more taxes on the sacred profits and dividends of their companies, j telling them they can’t stand another cent of taxation, but the proper thing to dp is to put it on the poor-defenseless workers . . . . The Legislative Commit tee of the State Federation of Labor promises to let the union members back home know what the votes were on these matters and also will report some of tile speeches made on the floor of the senate. Just who is going to play the role in the Senate that Rep. Cherry played in the House—that is to convince the members that the taxation should not be increased on corpora tion but that it should come from an increased sales tax—is not definitely known at this moment, but there will be a leader on the job to parfprm this unholy duty for the Governor’s administration. You will recall two years ago that the Governor said the sales tax would be only an emergency meas ure ancT just as soon as things got better it would be removed. However,' this year he comes back and tells'the members of the Legislature that it is not only necessary to continue the sales tax but he recommends that it be put on fat back, milk, flour, meal, molasses, cafe meals, etc. Whatta friend of the working people!' Someone has suggested that the name should be changed to “Erringhorse,” or “Ironhorse,” or Bumpin’. Take your choice. The textile workers of the State are interested in a bill introduced in the House that would have every employer install pick clocks on all loom This will probably come up for action within a few days. Representative P t one of Greensboro says his mills have pick clocks and says they are a goou thing but he has in the sameb reath announced that he will fight the bill. Says it would put four or five mills out of commission. It may be well to note that the bill provides that it would not become effective until January, 1936. It seems the school teachers Of the State are about to wake up and get their eyes open. Superintendent of Public Instruction Clyde Ervin (appointed b ythe Governor) got cold feet and failed to get in there and fight for the $22,000,000 for the underpaid teachers. When the smoke cleared away it was Representative McDonald and his followers who were found standing by the teachers. Now there is a great deal of talk of Mr. McDonald running for the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Should this friend of the teachers decide to take this step it is freely predicted he would have tf complete walk-away. He has proven conclusively in his various legislative battles here that he is a man of very definite convictions and is not ar-aid to. stand up and fight for them. There is also some political rumblings about the possibilities of Repre sentative Scholl of Charlotte running for Congress. Coming to the Legis lature as an unknown quantity he has stepped right out in front as the true friend .of the people. These facts have evidently reached the Congressman from the Tenth District—Major Gaswinkle from Bulltonia—I mean Major' Mulwinkle from Gastonia, as he announced last week that he was going to permit the people to elect him again. With Mr. Scholl of Charlotte as his opponent, it is believed by experienced political observers, that the Major might as well get ready to move back to Gaston. ,- ; Efforts are still going forward to write into the law something perma nent for the highway workers. Some difficulty seems to have arisen about this bill, according to R. R. Lawrence, chairman of the Legislative Commit; tee. Report has it that some Senators and Representatives have tried to run out on the highway boys. Lawrence says he will make a complete re port on this matter at the proper time .... A number of other bills of interest to organized labor, not mentioned here, are still being pushed and the Legis lative Committee says it hopes to give some information on same in a bulle tin at an early date , .: . . R. R. Lawrence announces- that those desiring a copy of the new Occupational Disease law may secure same by writing tp him. - Howard Payne; Endorsed For The City Council Resolutions endorsing Howard Payne for a place in the city council were passed yesterday by Belmont Park local No. 2002 of the United Textile Workers of America and signed by W. D. Thompson, president) and J. H. Keller, treasurer. The resolutions stated that where as Payne was a former president of the union and had proved himsell to be “honest, sober, industrious and a friend to all workers,” the union w<|uld endorse his candidacy and re quest all city voters to give him their support.—News, Sunday, j Dr. Sigmires says if he is given civil service post, and action is legal, he will resign from the City Council. The Union Label is the insignia of, the great army of American Labor. is Labor Leaders - See Rubber Strike AKRON, O., April 8—While union workers of the B. F* Goodrich com pany and the Firestone Tire & Rub ber company balloted' Sunday on the question of a strike, their union lead ers predicted heavy majorities in fa vor of a walkout. At tHe meeting of the Goodrich local it was estimated from the capacity of s the ha^ that 3,000 workers attended, j and at the Firestone hall about 1,200. j Union workers of Goodyear Tire & Rubber company, whose strike vote last Sunday was described by a union official as “nearly 100 per cent in I favor of a strike,” held a rally attend ed by about 1,600. ; Your own pocketbook will swell in just th# degree that you buy Union { Label Goods Subscribe for The Journal ATTENTION! MEMBERS WOMEN’S UNION LABEL LEAGUE f The regular semi-monthly* meeting of the Women’s Union Label League will be held at Central Labor Union Hall, corner Fifth and Tryon streets, next Monday night at 7:30 p. m. A full attendance is requested. TO ADVERTISERS KEEP YOCR DOLLARS AT HOME ! . ! . ; ■ f M ■ :\j Advertise in your LOCAL LABOR Paper. It serves the workers of Charlotte and surrounding territory, and NO OTHER LABOR PAPER DOES. BE WARE OF LABOR HIJACKERS. They are abroad in the land under various guises, and with high sounding endorsements, but they do not bring the bacon home from this section. When in doubt, call The Labor Journal, Phone 3-4855.