Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Dec. 5, 1935, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ONLl REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY b Per a Weekly, Its Reeders Represent the LARGEGJsT BUYING POWER in Caariotte Iruthful, Honest, Impartial Ihe Charlotte labor Journal AND DIXIE FARM NEWS Endeavoring to Serve the Masses VoL V.—No. 80 YOU* AOVUTISIMINT IN TNI JOVMAL I* A iNVItTMINT CHARLOTTE, N. G, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1935 JOUMNAL AOVCMTISBM DIIHIVI COMSIDKKATIOM 09 ▼NR NlAOIR 12.00 Pet Tear WM. GREEN WARNS INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION COMMOTE PLANS MAY HAVE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES Wm. Green, President of the American Federation of Labor, makes the flat statement that the annual conventions decide our organization policy, and he fears clearage in labor solidarity from the formation of separate groups with the Federation. He also states “My conscience and my judgment lead me to advise against it and emphasize most vigorously the danger of division and of discard which may follow.” (Editor’s Note—On Oct. 16, 1936, the annual convention of the Amer ican Federation of Labor in Atlantic City by a vote of 18,024 to 10,933 de feated a proposal favoring industrial unionism as the organization policy of the American Federation of Labor and reaffirmed its adherence to the principle of craft unionism. On Nov ember 9, a statement was issued in Washington, D. C., announcing the formation of a “Committee on Indus trial Organization” composed of the presidents of the following unions: United Mine Workers of America, In ternational Typographical Union, Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. International Ladies’ Gar ment Workers’ Union, United Tex tile Workers of America; Oil Field, Gas Well and Refining Workers of America; United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers’ International Un ion; International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. The statement said the committee “will work in accordance with the princi ples and policies enunciated by these organizations at the Atlantic City convention of the American Federa tion of Labor.” On November 25, William Green, president of t% Am erican Federation of Labor, made public a letter which he sent on No vember 23 to the officials of the or ganizations which formed the “Com mittee on Industrial Organization.” The text of Mr. Green’s letter fotl lows:) “I learned through press reports recently of the formation of an or ganization called the ‘Committee for Industrial Organization.’ It was stated therein that representatives of your organization participated in the conference when such organization was formed and that the international union you represent is to be a compo nent part of it. “Officers of national and interna tional unions would undoubtedly view with feelings '"of apprehension and deep concern an$ attempt on the part of a group of local unions to organ ize within the organization they rep resent a movement for the avowed purpose of promoting the acceptance or rejection of a principle or a policy which had been considered and de cided upon at a convention represen tative of all the members of said na tional or international union. “Some officers and members with in national and international unons, as well as within the American Fed eration of Labor, regard separate movements formed within the main organization structure as dual in character and as decidedly menacing I to its success and welfare. When or ganizations within organizations are | formed for the achievement and real I ization of some declared purpose no one can accurately prophesy or pre dict where such a movement will lead. | It could and may be diverted from I its original purpose. “Experience has shown that organ izations thus formed are productive of confusion and fraught with serious consequences. A line of cleavage be tween such a movement and the pa rent body may be created and the breach between those who sincerely and honestly believe in different forms of organization could be definitely widened. Bitterness and strike would inevitably follow. “It has been the fixed rule, both within the American Federation of Labor and national and international unions affiliated with it to decide upon organization policies by a ma jority vote at legally convened con ventions. “The widest opportunity must be accorded the officers and delegates who participate in these conventions to present their point of view, to de liberate profoundly and to decide ju diciously grave and important ques tions of organization and administra tive policies. “When a decision has thus been rendered it becomes the duty of the officers and members of the Ameri can Federation of Labor to comply with it and they should be permitted to do this free from the interference and opposition of those who consti tute the minority. “Those who disagre with the action of the majority are accorded the right to urge the acceptance of their point of view at succeeding conventions. “I deem it my official duty, as pres ident of the American Federation of Labor, to express my feelings of ap prehension over the grave conse quences which might follow from the formation -*f • an organization within the American Federation of Labor even though it might be claimed that said organisation is formed for the i achievement of a laudable purpose. “My conscience and my judgment lead me to advise against it and em ' phasize most vigorously the danger of division and of discord which may follow. “My loyalty and devotion to the principles and ideals of the Ameri can Federation of Labor inspire me to transmit this communication to you. I ask you to accept it in the fra ternal spirit in which it is sent.” Meeting of Central Labor Union One Of Much Interest The meeting last night (Wednes day) of Central Labor Union, in the Moose Hall, was one of the best at tended in recent weeks, and an at mosphere of good will and fellowship was evident. There were uuite a number of ladies present. The dele gates made good reports from their locals as to working conditions and seven new delegates were obligated. President Frank Barr presided, with Secretaries Amyx and Atwill at their posts. Chairman Fenellerton, of the board of trustees, made an interest ing report on matters close to Cen tral body. Organizer J. Dooly stated in brief the need of t'»e co-operation of every union man in the work he has in hand, and will receive, we believe, the support he asks for. President Threatt, of the N. C. Textile Workers, made an interesting talk on the work, prospects, growth and backsets of his organization. He told of the lessons learned by past ex perience in his craft, and promised a better and more stabilized organiza tion in the days to come, reporting a healthy growth, the membership now being composed of men who have been tried by the test of fire. Brother Thrift is always an interetsing speak er, never soaring to flights of oratory, but putting his subject over in a con i cise and convincing manner, being not of the visionary type, but more ip a realistic way. The meeting adjourned about 9 P. M., and there was a pleasant half hour spent afterward in conversation and “swapping” of ideas for the better ment of the movement. Women’s Label League To Give An Xmas Party The Women’s Union Label League on next Thursday night will give its Christmas party at the Moose Hall, on South Tryon street. This will be I the last gathering of the year, and and it promises to be one of the most 1 interesting from a social standpoint. The members of organised labor and their wives and “sweethearts” are invited. There will be music, refresh ments, talks, etc. Keep this in mind and be present. DeVONDE’S Cleaners - Dyers - Hatters - Furriers If it can be cleaned or dyed we can handle it ■ Standard Prices I MM N. Tryon Street Phone 3-5125 A Good Laugh, a Long Sleep, and a Quick Loan are the Surest and Best Cures for any Human Ailment Bear the last thought in mind on the hundred occasions when you need money CONSULT US FIRST Citizens Savings and Loan Company | 114 E. 4th Dial *-11*1 I I CHATTING -"The following, written by Edgar Guest and published in the Amer ican Magazine, might make food fo rthought for those who may seek office in future elections: “A merchant in a small town ran for office and was overwhelmingly defeated. He pulled so few votes that he appeared ridiculous in the eyes of his faeighbors, and both his social and business standing were in danger. It’s hard to be laughed at and still hold your ground. “But this merchant was a good sport. What is more, he knew the perils of becoming the town joke. So he beat the town to it. The morning after the election he put this sign in his window: ‘$25 reward for the name of the man who cast that vote for me.’ “Everybody, saw it, and everybody laughed. But they laughed with him, and not at him. People came into his store to shake hands and congratulate him on his sense of humor and sportsmanship. The story of the sign went the rounds of the country, and farmers began to drop into his store to trade. Thus the merchant turned defeat into a personal triumph by proving that he was the town’s best loser.” -The elderly man seeking the fountain of youth recieved six pills, to be taken ‘o‘ne each day for six days.” “I’ll just take them all at once and have it over with,” he said to him self. Next morning he overslep. Members of the family, becoming uneasy, decided to wake him. After much difficulty the sleeper was aroused. “I’ll get up,” he said faintly, still rubbing his eyes, “but I won’t go to school.—Ex. -“If a free man is one who can do what he likes, when he likes, where he likes, and how he likes, or do nothing at all if he likes, there is no such man: and there never can be such man.” This is Bernard Shaw speakin? and from actual trial he should know whereof he speaks. If his biographer is correct, this disposition to follow his “likes” was the chief rule of action from his youth up. Shaw knows from actual experience that there is no such man or he would have been a living model of the man who could successfully live up to such a rule. -North Carolina Christian Advocate had this to say about one who is not unknown in the news columns of today: “General Johnson, the big giant of early NBA days, who strode the business world like a colossus, noisy and terrible, seems to be getting a dif ferent slant on things. Listen to a recent utterance: ‘You know as well as I do that the Federal Government can’t go on pouring five bililon dollars a year in soothing syrup to keep the unemployment problem from raising bedlam all over the rjation.’ May we hope that some other leaders in recent government tactics will see the light and mend their ways. Stop pauperizing people and give honest, hard-working people a chance.” -Following in a somewhat similar line of thought as the above comes the following from The Monroe Enquirer, entitled “Who Owes You a Liv ing?” ; Today millions of perfectly healthy, able-bodied people are being taught to loaf at the expense of the savings of others, instead of to rustle for them selves. Such a system can endure only so long as there are stored-up sav ings to confiscate, then the inexorable laws of nature will prevail. An epidemic of pests completely devours a tree or a field of grain, and then the pests die. Nature does not owe than a living. The same thing can happen to governments and to the human beings who make the governments—if they eat up their capital to maintain idle ness they will eventually find that nature refuses to hear their demands that “someone owes them a living.” This may not be a pleasant sounding philosophy, but it is a fact which honey-coated political cure-alls try to hide. -There appears to be a growing impression on the minds of the thinking people of the world that the sooner the powers are taken from Mus solini, of Italy; Hitler, of Germany, and Stalin, of Russia, the sooner will the world generally get! back to a clearer way of thinking and acting on all matters affecting the people generally. RFC LOAN USED TO BREAK STRIKE AT THE MOORESVILLE COTTON MILLS; AND UNION WORKERS ARE OUSTED MOORESVILLE, N. C.—How some government agencies are working at cross purposes in labor matters is shown in the case of the Mooresville Cotton Mills Company, which found itself in need of refinancing in September of this year. On Sept. 19 there was a meeting of the board of directors of the company to consider financial needs and the advisability of applying to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for a loan of $200,000. In making such a loan all the directors must jointly sign the notes given. All directors but one agreed. The one who refused said that he would go along on two conditions, namely, (1) that the superintendents of the mills be discharged, and (2) that the management get rid of some of the “dam union people.” On this basis all directors agreed that they must get rid of the union organization of the workers, but hold the superintendent in his place until the union was ousted—on the ground that the superintendent himself was under fire from the union, and dis charging him would look like back ing down on a union demand. The loan was duly applied for forth with. On September 20tk the management discharged all the officers and active members of the United Textile Work ers of America in the local union. Af ter making an appeal to the Regional Board of the National Labor Rela tions Board at Atlanta, without avail, a strike was voted by the local union on September 23. Union Organizer Leonard J. Greene protested to the RFC concerning the loan which had been applied for, on the grounds that the company did not come with clean hands, since its of ficers had entered into a conspiracy to violate the law of the United States relating to the origination of its workers, namely, the Wagner Labor The RFC replied to Mr. Greene, that it had no power to in vestigate a strike. To this Mr. Greene 7hf%rrWter tkat f* the dut* °f the KFC to investigate the intention of the company making such an ap plication to observe the law of the land, utherwise, he declared, even an A1 Capone organization might come in and secure a loan for the purpose of carrying on a botolegging business, by making a proper showing of indus trial activity. To this the RFC made no reply. The loan was granted on October 21, and that fact was published in the local press at Mooresville. The amount of the loan could not be made known until after the RFC has made its report to Congress. It is stated, however, that the amount allowed was either the initial sum of $241,000, or the entire amount applied for—$800, 000. T The RFC loan put the company in a position to go out and hire strikebreakers, which it has done; and it is now operating with about 60 per cent of nor mal employes. Prior to that, the company was operating with only about 30 per cent, and the etrike was practically won. The situation means that the strik ing union members, of whom there are about 400, are out on the streets, and are refused employment unless they disavow the union. In this stiu ation the FERA said that it could do nothing, referring the textile workers to the state office. The state management of the FERA say that they have no funds. But later advices are to the effect [that the WPA funds will be avail able for the relief of the strikers. Other textile labor cases are now pending before the National Labor Relations Board, and the Mooresville case will probably be reached in due [course by that body. Meanwhile the i mill* are running on RFC money. OUR ADVERTISERS As always this isue of The Journal of Labor carries some important NEWS in its adver tising columns. How and where you can save money should be important news to YOU—to ev eryone. If ycu have not already done so, turn to the ads right now and acquaint yourself with their contents. Then make up your mind to visit the stores of these advertisers and profit to a surprising extent. Be sure to let the advertiser know why you are there. Tell him you saw it in The Labor Journal Re member. these advertisers are your friends. They are this newspaper’s friends. Another thing you must not forget, though, is that all of OUR FRIENDS and all of TOUR FRIENDS among the merchants and business men and institu tions of this city are NOT in this issue. However, from time to time they are ALL found here. THIRTY-NINE MILLION WORKERS ORGANIZABLE—PRES. HOWARD OF LT.U. DISCUSSES CRAFTS UNIONS A BY CHARLES P. HOWARD, President, International Typographical Union fn discussing the success or failure of the organization policies of the American Federation of Labor during its recent convention at Atlantic City the statement was made by those who proposed industrial organization that there were thirty-nine million or ganizable workers in the United States. It was also stated the records show approximately three and one-half miUion are or ganized and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. The contention was made that after fifty-five years of effort this did not indicate a satisfactory degree 0f suc cess in organizing the wage-workers of th4 nation. Responsibility for the failure was charged to the refusal of the A. F. of L. to develop and adopt new policies for organization to ade quately meet the ever-changing con ditions in industry. The statement as to the organizable number of wage workers was ques tioned by those who oppose any change in our organization policies. Some of those who participated in the debate declared the number of workers who were organizable had been greatly ex aggerated. This statement was of fered as a defense against the charge that our efforts at organization has not been as successful as they might been had more effective policies been adopted. However, none of those who questioned the number of organiza ble workers offered federal data to support their statements and it was ignored that the President of the Federation had expressed the hope that twenty-five million workers could be organized under its banner. The most comprehensible and ac curate statistics available, bearing upon the classification of workers, are to be found in the census reports of the United States for the year 1930. An analysis of these reports publish ed in The Journal of the American Statistical Association show there were forty-nine million persons em ployed at gainful occupations in the United States in that year. Of this number 28,421,000 were classed as skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers and 7,987,000 were clerks and salesmen. Thus the workers in these classes total 36,408,000. Who will contend that there is a consider able number of these cU.oses that are not organizable? What would be the result of or ganizing some of these millions of un organized workers? First and most important, the ben efits and protection of collective ac tion would be extended to them. Their wages would be increased. This would increase the mass purchasing power and create greater demand for the products of the factory and farm. Their hours of labor would be re duced. This would provide opportun ity for employment of some of those who are now unemployed. The in crease in purchasing power resulting from the larger number employed provide employment for an additional number. Thus, instead of being con fronted with the prospects of a nor mal condition of from eight to ten million unemployed workers it is en tirely logical that the solution of the unemployment problem is to be found in the organization of the millions of workers now employed in the mass pj reduction and other industries. Second, the organization of these workers would protect those who are now organized. If organized under the banner of the A. F. of L., it would be as much a part of their philosophy and ethics that they would not act as strikebreakers as if they were organized into craft unions. This would have the effect of making ex isting unions more effective upon the economic and industrial field. Third, the concerns and industries in which the workers are unionized would not suffer the unfair compe tition of those concerns , and" indus tries in which the workers are unor ganized and in which the wages are lower and the hours of work longer. Employers could not engage in cut throat competition through cutting wages and ^tending working hours. Fourth, by increasing the number of organized workers the demand for union-made products would be great er. What would be more helpful in maintaining business and industrial prosperity than to have millions re fusing to purchase articles produced under unfair conditions? Fifth, the efforts of those who rep resent the workers in securing state and national legislation would be much more effective if they directly represented these added millions. At a time when there is developing pol icies of regulating wages, hours and conditions of employment by federal and state legislation the importance of organized workers exerting the utmost influence in formulating this legislation can not be overestimated. These facts should be apparent to the most obtuse mind. It is essential that the millions of wage-workers in mass production and other industries be organized. Organization policies of the American Federation of Labor have not been as effective as they should be. The new condition which is rapidly developing will make it even more difficult than in the past to maintain the standards which have been established by the aggressiveness of the organized minority. Craft un ions have nothing to lose and every thing to gain as the result of organ izing working men and women, who are now unorganized, upon a basis which they are willing to accept. Or ganization of these workers into com pany unions, independent unions and asosciations with an antagonistic philosophy and inexperienced leaders will create a real menace. Let us not forget these workers will organize. Conditions will com pel organization. The real question is shall they be organized under the leadership of the American Federa tion of Labor? Shall its policies be sympathetic or antagonistic? PLUMBERS AND STEAMFITTERS PICNIC ON CATAWBA AT OWN CLUB THANKSGIVING _J_ The Journal, accompanied by the “Secretary,” journeyed out to the Ca tawba river last Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner and to dedicate the new club house of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union of Charlotte. It was by invitation and A. J. Dumas piloted us to the hidden spot, where we found already gathered a number of the boys and their wives and chil dren, with more yet to come, and re gardless of the rain which pattered on the tin roof and the chill atmos phere, the club house was really com- j fortable, with a roaring fire. There was conversation and reminiscences, and “other things” indulged in. Aft er the last contingent had arrived, dinner was put on the table, and, oh boy, such a dinner—turkey, duck, ham, cakes, pies, pickles, cranberry sauce, coffee, crackers and everything the appetite could call for, it seemed like. After dinner, The Journal edi tor was put on the spot by Brother Dumas to do the dedicating stunt, and while we are a novice at this kind of stuff we got away with it, after a fashion. The boys have their own lighting system and are planning to get their own water, also to procure more land. Being asked to look at their “house boat,” we took to the drizzle, and went to the river bank to see moor ed a bark of questionable character, which was “dug up” somewhere out inthe river and got to shore by tackle, line and bulldog perseverance. We had to smile, wanted to laugh, but didn’t get a chance, for Barr, Beatty, Dumas, and Kiser, commenced telling about a Diesel they had put in, of how it was going to be rosined, seam ed and painted, of its cabin being re modeled, and of this and that, which would make it appear when spring rolls around one of the neatest crafts on the river—yes, we still believe in miracles, boys. These plumber and steamfitter boys are up and doing all the while, and they owe much to their wives, who are always ready to pull with them for the success of their every undertaking. (Dhink. FOREMOST MILK 9£L dtaallhQuL |i FOREMOST DAIRIES, IRC. (CHARLOTTE DAIRIES) Phone* T11«—7117
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 5, 1935, edition 1
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