The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY in Mecklenburg County
For • Weekly, Its Renders Represent the LARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte
Che Charlotte labor Journal
Official Organ Central
Labor Union; endorsed by
State Federation <{ Labor
Truthful, Honest, Impartial
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
Endeavoring to Serve the Masses
VOL. IV,—No. 50
m Tmi J»wh
CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1935
|DRu!m
$2.00 Per Year
STRIKE AVERTED IN TIRE INDUSTRY;
SECRETARY PERKINS’ PROPOSAL IS
ACCEPTED BY RUBBER WORKERS
AKRON, Ohio, April 14.—A devasting strike in the tire and
rubber industry was averted late today when union workers in the
three major rubber factories ratified a truce agreement with their
employers.
United Rubber Workers Union locals at the Goodyear, Fire
stone and Goodrich plants, after considerable bickering and dis
sension, voted to accept the peace proposal worked out by Secre
tary of Labor Frances Perkins.
The agreement, generalldy regarded as offering substantial
concessions to organized labor, was not completely satisfactory to
the rank and file of union members hre.
It took all the persuasiveness of Coleman C. Claharty, president of the
United Rubber Workers’ Council, to bring about the ratification. Claherty
was present at the Washington conference.
He appeared at all three meetings today, and was heckled at each
gathering, particularly at that of the Firestone local. At times as many
as four or five union men were shouting questions at the council president
from the floor.
The truce was reached when the managements agreed to open negotia
„ tions with the union pending! employe elections ordered by the National
Labor Relations Board. Previously the companies had stood pat in refusal
•i to permit the elections. [ i
|| The agreement to negotiate with chosen groups of representatives of
the union was regarded1 as constituting formal union recognition, the prin
cipal demand of organized labor. '
Many union members clung to the opinion that only a strike would bring
the victory sought by organized labor. There was considerable opposition to
the provision of the agreement requiring the National Labor Relations Board
to postpone its orders for employe elections until the matter could be passed
upon by th U. S. district court to which the companies had appealed in an
effort to forestall the polls.
Minor union Officials who remained in Akron while the Washington
conference was in progress had predicted freely that the agreement never
would be ratified. . ,
George B. Boberts, A. F. of L. organizer, termed the proposal a “stall”
through which the companies “sought merely to delay the strike.”
Claherty spoke feverently in favor of ratification, however, and won the
support of a majority of the union men. He said the agreement “paved the
way for true collective( bargaining.”
WASHINGTON, April 14.-—President William Green, of the American
Federation of Labor, tonight said that the acceptance of the government’s
proposal for settlement of the threatened rubber strike showed thir willing
ness to await the “inevitable necessity” of a court test of the National Labor
Relations Board’s decision.
The “Big Three” rubber companies previously had balked a workers
election in their plants and appealed to the courts for an injunction which
would have invalidated the board’s order.
“In my opinion, the workers have shown good judgment,” Green said,
“We shall press for an early court decision. We believe that the courts will
uphold the board’s ordfer and then we will press for an election.”
CENTRAL LABOR UNION MEETING
TUESDAY NIGHT BROUGHT FORTH
MUCH ORATORY AND ACTION
Tuesday night marked an epoch in
Central Labor Union, as far as va
riety, action and cross-currents were
concerned. There was oratory on af
- fairs of- state, culminating wtih a
strongly-worded resolution condemn
ing the sales tax and putting its
sponsors and supporters on notice of
thgs voters’ wrath to come; then a
union talk by Leonard G. Greene, A.
F. of L,, and United Textile Workers
of America organizer dealing j with
Unionism and how people could obtain
their rights, ending with the recitation
of a poem appropriate to the address.
J. Paul Leonard handled the sales
tax end of the oratory and used
some very strong language and a
barrel of figures to show where the
poor man was being double-crossed
by legislators and Big Business, and
while Labor has always fought the
sales tax, it became a little more pro
nounced after hearing the secretary
of the State Fair Association. Aj com
mittee was appointed to draw uji> res
olutions of condemnation of the ini
quitous measure,, which brought forth
the following:
“Resolved, That the Charlotte; Cen
tral Labor Union and 29 affiliated
local unions representing approxi
mately 20,000 workers in Mecklenburg
county unanimously go On record as
protesting and opposing enactment
of any form of general sales tax
that is an extra burden upon the; pur
chasing power of the working peo
ple who are the least able to pay; fur
thermore the state of North Carolina
collects this sales tax from the Work
ers' on relief projects which is in di
rect opposition of the recovery admin
istration and purposes of the recovery
1 act destroying the effectiveness of
the relief program?
“As representatives of the working
people we demand of our Mecklen
burg delegation in this General As
sembly the complete abolition of the
present ‘damnable’ sales tax and
that we further indorse and cominend
the efforts of the North Carolina
State Federation of Labor, the North
Carolina Labor Voters League and
the North Carolina Fair Tax asser
tion which is using every effort in
the defeating of this unjust method
of taxation.
“Resolved further that we will im
mediately formulate plans to elect to
the General Assembly, men who can
be depended upon to place taxation
upon those who are most able to pay.
“Resolved further that copies of
this resolution be sent to our Meck
lenburg delegation, to the press, and
spread upon our minutes.’’
After reports of delegates on work
ing conditions; committee reports,
reading of communications, etc., there
was a “ripple” here and there, in the
otherwise peaceful calm, of a politi
cal nature. But, at that, the meeting
was an interesting one, quite a num
ber of organizers being present and
the attendance being about average.
Recording Secretary Boate was ab
sent from his post, being indisposed,
Lacy Ranson pinch-hitting for him.
The meeting adjourned about 11:00
o’clock, but even at that late houi
quite a number remained at the hall
discussing matters of, interest to the
workers, and laying plans for future
activities.
Tennessee Hosiery
Worker Freed On
Charge of Assault
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., April 15.
—Talmadge Lindsey, hosiery worker
accused of killing one striker and fel
onously assaulting another, was ac
quitted of both courts yesterday by
a criminal court jury.
He hid been charged with the death
of Columbus P. Walker, described as
a striker and union sympathizer, and
with shooting Corbett Davis, another
striker; They were shot as they
stood on the front porch of Lindsey’s
Egst Lake home Sunday morning,
February 3.
Your own pocket book will swell in
just the degree that you buy Union
Label Goods j
LABOR RACKETEERING IN
CHARLOTTE CONDEMNED BY
CENTRAL LABOR UNION
Racketeeripg 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:
3, C' ' .i 1'• -1
“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 funds 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
HARR1
BOATE
EASTER
NT1MKNT COMMt NT
ON
TlMKLV TOPICO
The season which commemorates the death and resurrection oi Jesus
Christ is universally regarded as the chief of Christian festivals. The Ven
erable Bede, who was the greatest scholar of the early English churches, is
authority for the derivation of the word Easter from the name of the Anglo
Saxon or Norse goddess of spring, Eostre or Ostara, to whom the month
Eostur, corresponding to our April, was sacred. The French name “paque,”
as well as similar names in other languages, is derived through the Greek
from the Armenian l^pascha,” which signifies “passing over.” In apostolic
times the Christians continued to celebrate the Jewish passover, giving to
the feast a Christian.significance. Hence the retention of the ancient name.
Between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians there arose
very early a dispute as to the proper date for the celebration of the resur
rection. The former adhered to the 14th day of the month Nisan, while the
latter adopted the Sunday following as the day Commemorative of the resur
rection. A wide variation soon arose ni the date observed among the
churches. This diversity was not obviated by the calendar issued from Alex
ander under the authority of the Council of Nice (325). Gradually, how
ever, with the adoption of corrected calendars, a uniformity has been attain
ed- Easter is now celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon which
follows the vernal equinox. If that full moon falls on Sunday, Easter is the
following Sunday.
The times of the movable feasts in the Church calendar are reckoned
from the date upon which Easter falls in each year. In this connection, four
periods closely connected with Easter should be mentioned: Lent, or the
forty days preceding Easter Sunday; the period of Holy Week, beginning
with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter; the Octave of Easter, extending
from Easter to the following Sunday; Eastertide, the season from Easter
Sunday to Whitsunday, or Pentecost, seven weeks after Easter.
In addition to the ecclesiastical observance of Easter, numerous ancient
pagan customs have persisted in more or less altered form. These latter are
such as were connected with the primitive spring festival celebratiing the
return of the goddess of spring and the signs of rebirth in the world.
Colored eggs at ‘Easter times were employed hundreds of years before
the time of Christ. All of the anceint nations celebrated religious festivals
in the spring of the year; generally, in honor of some deity representing
spring or th renewal of life. \
The,, eggs was chosen as an appropriate emblem, because it contained
within Itself the germ of life, and accordingly it was offered to the deity at
these vernal festivals. In order to make the egg more attractive as offer
ings, thy were colored with bright paints or dyes.
The old Teutons used eggs as well as buns at their springtime feasts
in honor of Eastre, the Queen of Heaven; ;and as far back as the founding
of Athens eggs and buns figured as ceremonial features in the feast' of
Ishtar, another Queen of Heaven. *
The use of eggs, therefore, at Easter, is simply the survival of a pagan
custom and has in itself no relation to Christianity. At the same time it is
a pleasing and picturesque custom, and has been so long associated with our
joyous Easter celebration that no one would willing give it up merely be
cause it was at one time associated with heathen festivals.
Another Easter custom of more modem origin is that of celebrating the
advent of new spring and summer clothing, which in most cases can be worn’
with safety at this time of year. In many cities there are certain streets
which are muchjin use for strolling, on Easter Sunday especially, and in some
cases these streets have been given the nickname of “Peacock Alley,” and
where such streets can be locate,! cn a bright Easter day it resembles a
fashion show which is well worth seeing, and the writer has seen many such
displays and has never regretted the time spent for that purpose.
CLAUDE L. ALBEA
President Charlotte Central Labor Union
ALBEA ANNOUNCES FOR COUNCIL;
ISSUES FRANK AND CONCISE
STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC
Claude L. Albae, president of Cen
tral Labor Union, and a councilman
the past four years, has this to say
in announcing his candidacy:
“I have decided, after mature de
liberation, to become a candidate for
the city council. This decision is
based uponMhe conviction that my
four years’ service on the council have
equipped me by training and experi
ence to render more efficient service
to the people of Charlotte in the con
duct of the city’s affairs. It is my
desire now, as it has been in the past,
to serve the city in such manner as
will contribute to its progress.
“I believe in a safe, sane, and con
servative administration in the in
terest of all our citizenry. For many
years I have been officially connected
with organized labor and still am,
but it is my desire that the city be
run in the interest of all classes' and
not in the interest of any special
group. In this particular, as in all
other matters affecting municipal
affairs, I stand on my record at the
city hall.
“My public record bears witness
that I have steadfastly stood for good
schools and for every other enter
prise which has worked in the inter
est of the cultural life of our people,
and. if the voters see fit to elect me
to the council, I shall favor whatever
recommendation the school board
makes to the council with reference
to the school budget, based of course
upon the recent election on the special
school levy. •' 1
“It is my conviction that the Char
lotte police department should be
PACIFIC COAST BECOMING STRIKE
MINDED AGAIN-SAN FRANCISCO
AND SEATTLE ARE STORM CENTERS
- . ' Cj
SAN FRANCISCO, April 14.—Strike clouds reminiscent of
those preceding: last summer’s Pacific Coast maritime strike and
the spectacular mass walkout of labor here loomed darkly again
today in the far west. i r
Fear that 75,000 loggers and lumber workers might walk out
was expressed by Charles W. Hope, Seattle regional labor board
director.
Concern over the coast shipping
situation alsb centered at Seattle
where representatives of 35,000 mari
time workers will meet tomorrow to
consider support for striking oil tank
er seamen.
Other troubles, such as threatened
strike by 1,000 San Francisco bakers
and a walkout of 350 warehousemen
at Stockton, Calif., added gloom to
the general picture.
The Seattle labor board director,
who explained he had been on an
“opinion sounding” tour of the vast
lumber region spreading into five
states, declared: “Should the strike
go ahead, it will be more far-reaching
that the longshore men’s strike last
year.” i
Indications that the Seattle man*
time union meeting might develop in
ternal Conflict between left and right
wing factions were strengthened by
a statement from E. B. O’Grady,
president of the Maritime Federation
of the Council of Marine Crafts, the
organization involved in the gather
ing.
“If control is wrested from me, a
marine strike is inevitable,” said
O’Grady, who called the meeting to
consider “possible concerted action in
the tanker strike.”
The “flag bearer” of the left wing
ers at the conference will be Harry
Bridges, president of the San Fran
cisco Longshoremen and militant lead
er of last year’s long and bloody con
lict here. • I '< j
Debate On Thirty
Hour Week BUI
Blocked By Senate
WASHINGTON.—By a vote of 56
to 21 the Senate refused to proceed
to the consideration of the Black 30
hour week bill. The motion to take
up the measure was made by its au
thor, Senator Black of Alabama.
The opposition was led by Senator
Robinson, majority leader, who de
clared that consideration of the bill
should be at least postponed until after
the Senate Finance Committee had
made its report on the bill for the
extension of the National Recovery
Act. Senator Couzens of Michigan
took the same viey, adding that he
had received statements to the effect
that in some sections of the country
there was a shortage of skilled labor.
In urging the importance of reduc
ing the length of the work week to
30 hours, which the bill provides, Sen
ator Black said:
“I could remind the Senate that we
are still feeding 20,000;000, and that
the only way to put them to work in
private industry, seemingly is through
the adoption of shorter hours.
“I shall, however, notf go into the
merits of the bill at this time except
to say that if there is a scarcity of
labor in any line of business, there
is scarcity in very few lines; and if
there should be a scarcity of labor it
would be somewhat of a repetition of
the days when labor received a fair
wage and the country was moving for
ward.” '
-U-i—lJ.
Mayor Wearn
Welcomes Sound
Truck to Charlotte
_
CITY OF CHARLOTTE
NORTH CAROLINA.
COUNCILMEN:
ARTHUR H. WEARN, Mayor,
JOHN F. BOLD, Mayor Pro-Tern.
CLAUDE L. ALBEA
DR. CLAUDE B. SQUIRES
MAX L. KAHN
J. B. PRIDGEN,
City Manager.
April 17, 1935.
To Whom It May Concern:
I take pleasure in welcoming to the
City of Charlotte the party connect
ed with the Good Will Tour from
Washington, D. C., in the interest of
disseminating educational instruction
throughout the textile centers of the
United States in behalf of the work
ing classes in this branch of the na
tions’ industry.
I feel that Charlotte is highly hon
ored in being named the first stop on
the tour since the party left Wash
ington, as I feel there is no city or
town in which capital and labor re
spects each others’ wishes more than
they do in Charlotte, and the sur
J. Hf Fullerton,
Prominent Labor
Man, Announces
For School Bd.
The Journal is happy to announce
the fact that J. H. Fullerton, presi
dent of the Teamsters and Chauf
feurs local has announced as a can
didate in the school board race. ,
Mr. Fullerton, a resident of Char
lotte since 1928, is a salesman for the
Rawleigh Products company, and has
been prominent in the ranks of or
ganized labor for many years. He
was originally a member of the Print
ing Pressman’s union but just now
is president of the local organization
of the Teamsters and Chauffeur’s
union. He is a native of Iowa but
since youth has traveled extensively
throughout ihe country as a press
man and as salesman. Before be
coming a traveling salesman in this
territory he was sales representative
of the Axton-Fisher TJobacco company
of Louisville.
Mr. Fullerton said that he has
never before sought public office and
consented to become a candidate for
the school board only after insistent
demands had been made upon him
and solely for the purpose of render
ing public service.
"I believe strongly in education and
“I believe strongly iba education
and without it no city can expect to
advance. I also believe '’in an equal
I educational opportunity for all the
aifl ![B joj siseq [cnba up uo pspaad
tax money for schools should be ex
children of Charlotte and think that
children'.”
GOVERNMENT SELLS 26,403
SEAL SKINS FOR $616,990
ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The auction here
of 26,403 Alaska fur seal skins own
ed by the United States Government
brought a total of $616,990 for the
Federal Treasury. The auctions take
place semi-annually. The sale at
tracted 77 buyers from the darge
cities. Pome of the purchases were
made for London and Paris dealers.
BARBERS CUT PRICES TO ZERO
FLORIDA, N. Y.—One barber in
'this little village in Orange County,
a few miles from the Jersey line, cele
brated an anniversary by cutting his
price for hair cuts from 40 to 25
cents. Other barbers joined the price
cutting crusade until they were sell
ing shaves for five cents and hair
cuts for ten cents. The contest for
starvation prices reached its climax
when children accompanied by their
parents got hair cuts free.
rounding territory.
Trusting this will be a most suc
cessful tour and productive of much
and las oognitdg 9RHCtheitaoinnun
and lasting good, I beg to remain,
Afery sincerely yours,
(Signed) ARTHUR H. WEARN,
Mayor.
UNITED TEXTILE WORKERS
SOUND TRUCK VERY BUSY
IN THIS TERRITORY NOW
The United Textile Workers Sound
Truck which has been in this territory
the past week, in charge of 0. W.
Gaylord, sound technician, will re
main a week or two longer in this
immediate vicinity. The truck will be
accompanied by local organizers in
the territory in which it is assigned.
On Friday the truck, in charge of
Leonard J. Greene, A, F. of L. and
Textile organizer, and R. C. Thomas,!
of Gastonia, will take in Gastonia,
Mount Holly, Cramerton and Clover.
On Saturday, at 10 A. M., Paw
Creek ; Gastonia courthouse at 2 P. M.,
accompanied by Mr* Green; at 7:3C
at Caroleen, in charge of Paul Chris
topher.
At 6 P. M. Saturday, Green and
Lisk will be at the'Calvine local, go
ing from there to the N. Belmont
meeting, but not accompanied by the
truck.
A full program for next week for
the sound truck is being mapped out.
strengthened with men and money to
the end that the city may be more ef
fectively policed and life and property
guaranteed the protection which every
citizen desires and deserves.
“I shall be grateful for the sup
port of all voters who join with me
in the desire to keep Charlotte mov
ing forward and keeping step with
other progressive cities.”
MISSOURI HOUSE PASSES
OLD-AGE PENSION BILL
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—The
passage by the House of Represen
tatives of the Senate old-age pension
bill insures the measure becoming the
statute law of the State. Because of
a number of amendments adopted by
the House, parliamentary observers
said the* bill would probably be phip
ped into final shape by a conference
committee of both houses.