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Vol. V.—No. 48
ro«l« AOVIBTN
MINT IN TNI JOURNAL In A
INVISTNINT
CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1936
JOURNAL ADVMTIIIM DCSCRVt
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STATE TEXTILE CONVENTION IS A
SUCCESS; MANY ATTEND, AND MUCH
BUSINESS TRANSACTED - OFFICERS
ELECTED — MEET AT FAYYTTEVILLE
The fourth annual convention of the North Carolina Council
of the United Textile Workers of America was called to order
by President E. A. Thrift in the convention room of the Selwyh
Hotel at 2 P. M. Saturday, with a fair attendance, many of the
delegates being late in arriving. Dr. Luther Little, pastor of the
First Baptist church, delivered the invocation, and spoke a few
words of cheer to the workers.
Owing: to the absence of Claude L. i
Albea from the hall at the time ye1
humble editor was asked to welcome!
the delegates, which he did on behalf
of the workers of Charlotte. Coun
cilman Albea arriving in the hall de
livered the address of welcome in be
half of the city. Textile Organizer
Paul R. Christopher of Shelby, re
sponded to the address of welcome,
which was followed by a 30-minute
address from Frank J. Benti, of Pat
terson, N. J., an organizer of the
Federaiton of Silk and Rayon Dyers
and Finishers of America, U. T. W.
and A. F. of L. affiliate. Mr. Benti
is a speaker of much force and car
ries facts and figures at his finger
tips along with a sound argument
for organized labor and what it
stands for. Mr. Benti’s talk was an
outstanding event in the afternoon
meeting.
National Vice-President John Peele,
of Greenville, S. C., was then intro
duced as the “best loved man in tex
tile ranks,” spoke at length on local
and national problems of the textile
workers, and the remedial answers
which he designated as essential for
progress.
Then came Secretary Paul Leonard.
Secretary Leonard, long an opponent
of the sales tax in his former capac
ity as secretary of the North Caro
lina Merchants Association, brought
applause from the delegates with a
spirited attack upon the measure.
President Thirft then proceeded
with the business of the convention,
adjournment being made at 5.30
P. M.
MASS MEETING AT CENTRAL HIGH
The mass meeting, which comfort
ably filled the Central High School
auditorium, was held at 8 P. M., pre
sided over by President Thrift. Can
didate Wm. F. Scholl was the first
speaker, espousing his candidacy for
Congress frouWhis. the. T^n.t.h Con
gressional disti let, a.id pointed out
i. the fact that things are not as they
should be. He promised all he peo
ple a fair deal and a square deal and
avowed anew his allegiance to Pres
ident Roosevelt. Mr. Scholl has
many friends among the workers, and
did not lose any ground by his utter
ances.
He said, in part: “When I get to
congress you will find that for the
first time in years work in a cotton
mill will entitle you to the same
consideration from your congress
man from this district as owning
stock in a mill. The humblest citi
zen, no matter what his line of work,
will not be able to walk in the front
door of my office and without getting
on his knees, have me, as his servant,
give to his cause my best efforts. I
can see my friends marching down to
the ballot box on June the 6th, deter
mined to win and confident, too, and
I believe lots of them will be singing
that song the children love to sing,
“Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad
Wolf?”
Then came candidate for Governor,
Dr. Ralph W. McDonald, of Winston
Salem, was introduced to the assem
blage by President R. R. Lawrence,
of the State Federation of Labor,
who, as usual, did a good job of it,
stressing the fact as to the stand Dr.
McDonald had always taken in behalf
‘Of the middle class of our citizen
ship which in fact, is the worker.
Dr. McDonald, after prolonged ap
plause, began his address by stating
that “we hear much of what this
state needs. In my opinion, what
this state needs most at the moment
is the establishment of the fact that
a man is a man. Theoretically, at
least, under our iorm of democracy,
it is presumed that equal chances
are available to all. As a matter of
fact, we know that this isn’t always
true. If elected, my first guarantee
is the right of collective bargaining.
The motto of North Carolina is ‘EsSe
Quam Videri,’ ‘to be rather than to
seem.’ It would appear that some bf
our machine politicians would reverse
the slogan and have it read: “To
seem rather than to be.’
“If elected, I would further pledge
that one of my first official acts
would be the raising of the stand
ards of the working men employed by
the state of North Carolina. The
commonwealth has certainly not ap
peared in an enviable light when it
underpays its laboring employees and
thereby tends to reduce the general
standards of living throughout the
state. Recently, when 'it acquired
a railroad through foreclosure from
private enterprise, one of its first
acts was a general reduction bf
wages.
“The sales tax is like a cancer. The
only way to treat it is to eradicate
the thing in its entirety. There are
folks who are going about the state
waving their long hair- and long
coats and shouting that the demo
cratic party has endorsed the sales
tax. The only thing the democratic
party has ever said about the sales
tax is that it was a wicked and iniq
uitous measure. Too long have the
machine politicians built protective
fences about the wealth of North
Carolina, to unjustly protect it from
just taxation. I might cite the case
of a man, whose death recently oc
curred and whose wealth was esti
mated as from nine and one-half to
eleven and one-half million doll.ars,
yet whose name did not appear on the
tax books of his native Winston-Sa
lem for the four years immediately
preceding his death, and whose pay
ments to tire 'department of internal
revenue were reduced to an unbeliev
ably small figure through exemp
tions. I could cite many fore of the
same variety of instances. I do not
know what your reaction is to the
doggone thing, but whenever I think
about it, I want to take off my coat
and fight.” J
Dr. McDonald’s statement of the
right of labor to organise and bar
gain collectively” will be one of the
first aims of his administration, was
received with much applause.
Next on the program of speakers
at Central High came one of the most
affable gentlemen it has ever been
our pleasure to listen to. His tijt
was received with enthusiasm. He
reviewed three decades of textile or
ganization work and went back to
1916 when he first began the work
of rallying the textile employes bf
the Old North State. He reviewed
the efforts of the textile interests |n
1933, when the birth of the National
Recovery Act, to secure passage of a
code which would fix a minimum
wage of eight dollars per week in the
south and nine dollars per week in
teh east; a scale eventually fixed at
$12 and $13, respectively, and which
became, according to the speaker,
“not the minimum but the maximum
wage.” . .... L
“Your officers are interested in ef
forts such as are being demonstrated
here tonight, to elecet proven friends
of labor to responsible positions in
the state and nation. One of the
oldest slogans of the Federation of
Labor is: ‘Elert your friends and
beat your enemies.’ By means of
the ballot lies the way for the re
moval of many injustices and it is
HOW IT PATS TO DEAL
WITH ORGANIZED LABOR
The National Association of Manufacturers and other anti-Labor
propagandists have, through years of constant misrepresentation, con
vinced a certain type of employer that signing a union agreement is
tantamount to writing a death warrant for his own buisness.
No more effective debunking of this bogey-man can be found
than in the official financial reports of firms which have been union
ized within the last two years. Here are typical instances selected from
a long list:
In 1933, the Remington Rand Company, which had never dealt with
organized labor, had deficit of $2,581,030. Early in 1934, after a strike,
the firm signed an agreement with the Machinists Union and several
other A. F. of L. organizations. When that year clased, not only had
the deficit been wiped out, but the firm showed a net profit of $1,264,
941. Its net profit for 1935 was still greater—$1,750,591.
Underwood Elliott Fisher Company made $1,517,943 in 1933—when
it had no relations with organized labor. A union agreement was ne
gotiated in May, 1934. Profits during that year were $2,604,879. The
1935 report is not yet complete, but based on figures for the first nine
months, the firms profits are expected to hit clone to the $3,000,000
A deficit of $1,353,901 was reported by the Shell Oil Corporation
in 1934. Union agreements were signed, for the first time, on May 1,
1935. Nine months later the company reported a $4,411,649 profit.
The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company earned $412,632 in 1934.
Early in 1935, the Machinists Union negotiated its first agreement
with the firm. Preliminary reports indicate the company’s profits
have doubled since the pact was signed.
The firms named are nothavin g an unusual experience They are
merely learning what fair employers discovered long ago—it pays to
deal with a responsible labor union.—Labor.
r»*«kr topic*
CHATTING
HARRY
BOAT!
W’WWWWWWWWWfWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWw^^^’w^-w’w-w’wwww w.w
A recent issue of The Christian Century contains the following, which j
is very enlightening as regards the condition of many working women In I
many cities of America. It says:
“Press reports state that a survey conducted by the Church Mission of
Help, an Episcopal agency in New York City, shows that girls can and do
live in that city on $8.95 a week. Plenty of employers, so the reports declare,
are ready to give them a chance to do so. The actual budget of one girl
who is reported to be living on that., contains expenditures of only four items:
$4.50 a week for room (with gas plate); $3.** a week for food; 40 cents a
week for carfare; 39 cents a week for “household incidentals.” Expendi
tures for clothing (new and repairs), laundry, recreation, insurance, and
savings are in! each case entered at $0.00. Apparently the press has been
anxious to show, on the basis of this study, that by working for $10,00 a
week a girl in ;New York can make about $13 a month more than by staying
home and, accepting relief allotments. Not much is made of the fact, how
ever, that as soon as the girl goes to work she has expenses for carfare and
for keeping up appearances which are likely to eat up a substantial portion
of that difference. We see no reason to challenge the conclusion that girls
can live and work in an American city on wages of $10 a week or less;
obviously they can, because hosts of them are doing it. But the question
which needs to be asked is whether they should be. What right has any
business to survive which expects its employes to live on any such budget
as this? Forty per cent of the girls who were studied in this investigation
were discovered to have only one slip; 15 per cent had not night clothes;
two-thirds had only one pair of stockings; 20 per cent had no handkerchiefs;
20 per cent had no winter coats; such things as expenditures for medical
or dental care, or for insurance or other forms of savings, were almost un
known in the group. All this, remember, not among the ‘unemployables,* not
among those on relief, but among girls fully employed—girls who are treated
in the statistics as though their economic problems were completely solved.”
If a similar survey were made in Charlotte it would likely produce
results no more gratifying than does this report. Indeed, in one respect it
would be less glowing, for were she to use the street cars in riding to and
from her work only, riding both ways six days a week, her car fare would
amount to 75 cents per week. Should she decide to ride to church twice on
Sunday, one whole dollar would have been given to the traction company
for that privilege.
That is a grand advertisement for the labor unions, as it is for the
purpose of securing a living wage in return for labor performed, also with
the idea of improving conditions under which such labor is performed, that
labor .decided to organize. Members of unions, male or female, receive the
same scale of wages, and if the work is done as well, why should women
not receive the same pay. The employer sells the product for the same price.
Who ever saw the statement that a certain article is being sold for a low price
because it was manufactured by female labor, consequently it cost less to
produce, and we are passing the saving on to the purchaser? Such things
iust are not done. i
Join the ranks of organized labor, pay strict attention to the obliga
tion, which is a pledge taken, stay with the organization when once you have
become a member, and remember that such organization is just as strong as
its membership will permit it to be. An army never won a battle by each
soldier going out and hunting an individual enemy. They go out in a body
and when the officer in charge says what to do, it is done. Were the same
always true in organized labor, there would be no more trouble about
hours and wages. Your labor is your stock in trade, and you should demand
the privilege of selling it at your own price, and if you organize and stand
by. the organization, you will be enabled to do so. Fight the battle alone
and you will lose more often than you win.
my belief that the 'laboring man was
never more cognizant of this fact
than at the present time.”
The United Textile Workers of
America, stated its head, in conclu
sion, now ranks eighth in numerical
strength among the 109 units of the
Federation of Labor.
“Dick” Fountain, candidate for U.
S. Senator against the present in
cumbent, Josiah Bailey shot holes in
the record of the present incumbent
and left no doubt in the minds of his
hearers that he is in the race to a fin
ish, which means that when the votes
are counted Mr. Fountain is going
to have to be reckoned with. He as
sailed Mr. Bailey’s record with re
gards to the Company Holding bill,
upon which the state’s senior repre
sentative in the upper house of the
national congress was represented as
leading a fight which resulted in 41
amendments; only to vote for the
much-bepatched legislation when sub
sequently offered. His chief reason
for opposing the senior senator, he
continued, was his consistent failure
to support the recovery program of
President Franklin D. oRosevelt.
“In the entire history of this re
public,” said Mr. Fountain, in prais
ing the President’s efforts to bring
about recovery and unemployment.
“Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the
only President who gave first con
sideration to the farmers and the
working classes, the groups always
hardest hit by jdepressions and pan
ics. The President’s idea, which has
always been my idea, is that recov-1
ery must start at the bottom and]
move upward. This view is contrary -
to that held by the special interest]
and special privilege groups, who
contended that prosperity should al
ways begin in their pockets first and
then work down to the poverty
stricken masses. Experience has
taught us that this latter scheme will
not work.”
Continuing his attack upon Sena
tor Bailey, the former lieutenant gov
ernor said: “Mr. Bailey’s early
training and hiis work later ifl life |
had been in the interest of the cor
porations. His law firm’s practice at
Raleigh was devoted almost exclu
sively to the monied interests. Nat
urally, Senator Bailey cannot see the
side of the poor people, including the
farming and laboring classes.”
SUNDAY’S MEETING
The convention reconvened at 10
A. M. Sunday morning. A prayer
and religious talk by Brother Hinson,
a textile worker of Gastonia, and it
was one of the best sermons, if such
it may be called, that this writer has
heard in many a day, coming from
the heart of a man who places his
Church first and his union next. Sim
plicity itself, he delivered a message
that tugged at the heartstrings of
his hearers.
Business was gone into. It was de
cided to hold meetings semi-annually
instead of annually, and Fayetteville
was decided upon as the next meet
ing place, October 10th and 11th. It
was decided to put on an intensive
i drive for new organization among the
I workers. President Thrift stated
that the central organization intends
to put on an intensive membership
campaign the next five months. He
reported satisfactory progress the
past year.
President R. R. Lawrence, State
Federation presidertt, spoke at the
Sunday meeting, calling for co-opera
tion and organization. He also called
attention to Dr. McDonald’s cam
paign, urging co-operation, the Doc
tor being the logical candidate from
the labor standpoint, and urged mem
bers of organized labor to rally to
his support.
The following officers were elect
ed:
President, E. A. Thrift, Charlotet.
Roy McCrough, of Roanoke Rapids,
MORE
first vice-president.
A. M. Gillan, of Durham, second
vice-president.
T. A. Greer, of Paw Creek, third
vice-president.
W. F. Wiggins, of Ervin, fourth
vice-president. '
Vernette Threatt, of Charlotte, sec
retary-treasurer.
T. F. Moore, of Mooresville, ser
geant-at-arms.
These officers constitute the state
council of the textile workers. Mr.
Thrift and Mr. Gillan, second vice
president, were the officers re-elected
this year.
Women’s Union
Label League To
Give Kids a Party
The Women’s Union Label League
will give a “Kid Party” for the chil
dren of organized labor at the Moose
Hall on their regular meeting night,
Thursday, April 2, at 8 o’clock. This!
affair was decided upon by the la
dies some time ago, and they are
making preparations for a happy
gathering of parents and children,
with the children getting the big end
of the affair. Refreshments and fa
vors will be “handed ‘round,’ and
games will be played, and they might
even dance a little, we mean the
younger set.
The officers and members of this
organization have been untiring in
their efforts for the label and for a
closer knitting together of all inter
ested in the labor movement, and
have been a great asset to Central
Labor Union and organized labor in
Charlotte.
U. S. WOULD QUIT
GENEVA LABOR BODY
WASHINGTON, April 14.—The
“high cost” of participation in the
international labor office has prompt
e (Ithe House appropriations com
mittee to recommend that Congress
review the entire question of Ameri
can membership with a view to with
drawal. An item of $385,000 for a
quota contribution and expenses of
representation at the organization’s
meetings in Geneva, requested in the
current apropriations bill for the
State and Labor departments inspir
ed the committee’s recommendation.
ARMING GUARDS WITH MACHINE
GUNS IS CHARGED AGAINST BIG
CORPORATIONS TO AWE STRIKERS
WASHINGTON, April 13-—Angry labor spokesmen told a
Senate committee Saturday there was a mass movement of ma
chine guns, tear gas, and police clubs into industrial centers for
use in curbing strikes and disorders.
The testimony was given in the quiet of a Senate committee
room, while a mile away, in the heart of Washington, 500 dele
gates to the Workers’ Alliance convention conducted a noisy but
orderly march to the White House—in company of a hundred po
licemen—to ask President Roosevelt to back their request for a
six-billion-dollar relief program.. They marched away, complain
ing no assurance was given that the President would do anything.
j. f. Harris, rea nairea rortsmoutn,
Ohio, ste«l worker, was the first to
appear before the Senate labor sub
committee with stories of industrial
plants “arming” for possible conflict
with labor. In support of his assert
ions came a mass of data compiled by
the Senate munitions investigating
committee and presented at the hear
ing by Heber Blankenhorn, an em
ploye of the National Labor Relations
board.
At one point, Harris testified that
he knew the Wheeling Steel corpora
tion, at Portsmouth, Ohio, was “arm
ing,” a statement that brought from
corporation officials at Portsmouth an
assertion that company police were
armed to protect property against
“thieves and firebugs,” and they will
continue to be armed.
At another point in today’s hearing
there was testimony that general ru
mors” were being circulated that the
Ford Motors company was “shot
through” with spies, hired to report
on the activities of labor.
The evidence presented by Blanken
hom was largely-in the form of ^ship
ping orders for gas and guns from
Federal Laboratories, Inc., of Pitts
burgh, the centers of impending strike
troubles in 1934 and 1935.
There was evidence also that some
oi the purchasers sought to keep their
activities secert. Biankenhorn refer
red to a letter on May 24, 1934, from
Federal Laboratories to Smith & Wes
son company, Springfield, Mass., di
recting that a shipment of 12 pistols
intended for Weirton Steel company,
should be sent first to Federal Lab
oratories.
The letter said:
“This is absolutely necessary from
the point of view of the customer, who
at the same time orders gas equip
ment from us. We have been specifi
cally requested that no invoice speci
fying revolvers come from us or from
any other concern.’’
The guns were wanted, the letter
explained, because, “the long adver
tised crisis in the labor situation of
the steel and allied industries, is now
at hand.’’ •
Another letter from Federal Lab
oratories to Attorney General Cum
mings June 26, 1934, asked the Jus
tice department’s attitude toward de
livery of machine guns to Cudahy
Packing company, Newport, Minne
sota; Gulf States Steel company,
Birmingham, Ala.; Republic steel com
pany, Youngstown, Ohio; Southern
Natural Gas Company, Birmingham,
Ala.; and Tennessee Coal, Iroq and
Railroad Company, Birmingham, Ala.
► Central Labor 1
Union
v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
The regular meeting of Central
Labor Union last night had but a
small attendance. Spring must have
whispered in the ear of the absent
delegates, and called them hither and
yon. The meeting was marked with
“harmony" and brotherly love. Re
ports of locals were up to par, and
the outlook for the building trades is
excellent. President Frank | Barr
presided, with acting secretary, Mrs.
R. K. Amyx, on the job. Recording
Secretary Gilmer Holton had other
“fish to fry” and was not present.
Attention was called to the “Kiddie”
party next Thursday night at 8:00
o’clock. * So bring the children and
let’s all get young again.
Head Of Garment
Workers Quits The
Socialist Party
NEW YORK, April 13.—David Du
binsky, president of the International
Ladies’ Garment Workers’ union, re
signed Saturday night from the So
cialist party.
He said he disagreed with its poli
cies and wanted to work independently
during the 1936 presidential campaign.
Asked if he intended to join Sidney
Hillman, president of the Amalga
mated Clothing Workers of America,
and other labor leaders in supporting
President Roosevelt, he said:
“I don’t know about that yet.”
10,796 Persons Are
Placed By the N. C.
Employment Service
The North Carolina State Employ
ment Service made 10,796 placements
in March, according to a report re
ceived here Saturday from Mrs. May
Thompson Evans, State director.
Charlotte was in third {dace in num
ber of placements, being paced by the
Greensboro district, with 1,600 place
ments and Wilmington, with 1,152
placements during the month.
.Other placements, by districts, fol
low: Raleigh, 934; Salisbury, 833;
Kinston, 808; Durham, 792; Bryson
City, 741; Fayetteville, 648; Asheville,
639; Winston-Salem, 497; Morganton,
339; Edenton, 335; Rocky Mount, 329;
and North Wilkesboro, 250.—News.
i
“Yellow Streak”
The meaning of “yellow sti-psk” ap
pears to have originated with the idea
that things have yellowed through age,
disease or other discoloration, just as
a complexion may turn yellow through
jaundice; hence the meaning of Jaun
diced or jealous, melancholy. A later
development of this was In the sense
of mean, contemptible, eowardly or
craven. Another applied meaning Is
sensational, with regard to newk or the
press. ]■ ' /'"[
The surest way to keep organized
workers on their jobs is to porch*. *e
the buying public to purchase only
their Label goods. Demand the V«v
Printers Win Strike
In Harrisburg, Pa.
HARRISBURG, Pa.—About 100
striking union printers and press
men went back to their jobs on the
Telegraph Press here when the man
agement returned td the union shop
under a two-year agreement negotiat
ed by Secretary -af Property and
Supplies Arthur E. Colegrove acting
on orders from Governor Earle.
The management decided to try
the “open shop” game on March 9th
by locking out its union employes and
cutting the wage scale for both
printers and pressmen from 9’ cents
to 85 cents an hour. The State was
directly interested because the com
pany does the bulk of the Common
wealth’s printing.
Paw Creek Textile
Local Had Good
Meeting Saturday
Editor Labor Journal:
Local 2078 met at the usual time,
Saturday, April 11th, with a good
attendance. The regular routine of
business was gone through. Our
president, T. A. Greer, was away
and M. M. Craig, vice-president, pre
sided over the meeting with N. B.
Fetherton on the minutes.
On April 25th, the Western Tex
tile Council meeting will be held in
Paw Creek, with Local 2078. All lo
cals should have delegates present.
The afternoon session will start at
2:30 in the local hall.
The mass meeting will start at 7:30
P. M. The speakers of the evening
wil Ibe announced later. Would like
for all the delegates to come prepared
to stay for the evening session.
C. W. BRIDGES.
Music Publishers
Hit By Walkout Of
Union Musicians
New York, N. Y.—Local No. 102
of the American Federation of Mus
icians called a strike of arrangers,
employed by 36 New York City music
firms, members of the Music Publish
ers’ Protective Association, and 56
independent music publishing houses
in an endeavor to secure union re
cognition along with higher wages
and shotrter hours.
Jacob Rosenberg, secretary of the
union, said the walkout, which had
the cooperation of the Autographers’
Union, Local 17993, affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor,
had tied up the music publishing in
dustry here.
The union seeks the following wage
scale for its members employed on a
full-time basis: Arrangers, $75 a
week; supervisors, $100 copyists, $50;
and proofreaders, $75. A standard
35-hour week is demanded as well as
a basic minimum price for men doing
piece work. Use of the union’s
identifying stamp on manuscripts is
also asked.
The drive to unionize arrangers
and copyists, Mr. Rosenberg said, was
started last November. Three radio
stations, he added, had recently sign
ed contracts setting scales of $115
and $100 a week for arrangers arid
$65 for copyists on a 35-hour week
basis.
The union announced that it nego
tiated settlements with five publish
ing houses within two days after the
strike was declared.