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StATE FEDERATION CLOSES MEET;
III R. LAWRENCE RE-ELECTED PRES.;
NEXT MEETING TO BE AT ASHEVILLE
"
(Special to Charlotte Labor Journal) ^
WINSTON-SALEM, Auk. 13.—The North Carolina State Federa
tion of Labor closed its 30th annual convention here yesterday evening.
Gcorge L. Gouge, southern representative of William Green, A. F.
of L. president presided over the election of officers, which resulted
in the re-election of President K. R. Lawrence, and Secretary Sandi
er; also J. H. Fullerton, as first vice-president. H. L. Kiser, of the
Plumbers and Steamfitters, Charlotte, was made a vice-president. The
convention adjourned to meet next year in Asheville. R. W. Eddins,
<jf Durham, was chosen Chaplain. President Lawrence and “his official
family” were Riven endorsement in their support of Dr. Ralph Mc
Donald. who was made honorary member of the state body. Repre
sentative Googe paid high tribute to President Lawrence for “fur
thering the cause of organized and unorganized labor in the state.”
Frank E. Walsh. Garment Workers, of New York, urged organization
cif the farmers into farmer-labor coalition an dmet a hearty response
Dorn Paul Leonard, ardent sales tax opponent. The re-election of
President Lawrence was urged by the convention.
I “
1 WINSTON-SALEM, Aug. 12.—The North Carolina State
Federation of Labor assembled here Monday morning in its thir
tieth annual convention with a large attendance of delegates and
visitors on hand for the opening session. The actual business was
confined to the appointment of various committees to handle the
convention affairs, while the formal greeting of delegates was
gone through with.
G .V. Kite,. president of the local
Central Labor Union, was in the chair
and the invocation was by Rev. R. A.
HunterVthe address of welcome by
Mayor W. T. Wilson, and response by
Henry I. Adams, representative of
American Federation of Hosiery
Workers, followed by addresses by J.
H. White, president of the local
Chamber of Commerce W. P. Coving
ton, Winston Merchants’ Association,
and W. T. Ritter, secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce. The gavel
was then presented to R. R- Law
rence, state president, and the conven
tion was on its way. The following
committees Were then appointed by
the president:
Credentials, rules, officers’ reports,
resolutions, laws, organization, label,
legislation. education, grievance,
thanks.
J. Paul Leonard, Statesville, presi
dent of the State Fair Tax Associa
tion, made an address at the after
noon session condemning the iniqui
tous sales tax, saying in part, “The
time has come when the wage-earners,
the largest organized group in the
state, should join hands with the tax
collecting merchants an dothers who
have banded themselves together in
the Fair Tax Association for a great
drive against the sales tax forces
which will bring about absolute abol
ishment of the cursed method of ex
tracting revenue when the next Gen
eral Assembly meets.”
Other speakers at the afternoon
session included the following: C.
V. Weaver, of Reidsville, representa
tive of the International Tobacco
Workers’ Union; Thomas Brayer, of
Atlanta, representative of the Street
Car Service international; A. C.
Clapp, of Knoxville, Tenn., represen
tative of the Journeymen Barbers’
International Union; J. E. Baumger
ger, of Asheville, representative of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En
pincers; Clyde Mills, ot wasninpton,
bringing a mesasge from George L.
Berry, Federal co-ordinator, and
Stanley Rounds, of Knoxville, Tenn.,
a representative of the International
Association of Bridge, Structural and
Ornamental Iron Workers.
A rjiessage from William Green,
president of the American Federation
of La-bor, urged “consctructive or
ganization of unorganized workers in
the state” and appealed for enact
ment t»y Congress of a bill providing
for “4 new' national recovery act
which; will confirm to the Supreme
Court 'decision and will as far as pos
sible preserve benefits of the orig
inal art.” Green also urged support
of the| Black 34-hour week bill.
An Appeal to working people of the
state tK> take greater interest in poli
tics wis made by President Lawrence
in hisi annual address, delivered
shortly after opening of the conven
tion. [Lawrence demanded fair elec
tion laws, abolition of the absentee
ballot and elimination of markers at
the pqlls except for the blind and
other physically incapacitated.
Tuesday, the second day of the con
vention saw the body advocating old
age pensions and unemployment in
surance, abolition of the general sales
tax add of capital punishment in
North Carolina and state control and
taxing jof the manufacture and sale
of liquor, also approving a 43-point
legislative program. The entire pro
gram was adopted with discussion of
only orje of its points, that of capital
punishpient, the 43rd item in the list
of objectives. The Clevenger murder
case (Asheville) was injected into
the discussion of the capital punish
ment plank, but after State Presi
dent R. R. Lawrence, who is chairman
of the legislative committee, demand
ed inclusion of the abolition plank in
the report, it was adopted with only
three disesnting votes, one of which
was cast in an emphatic tone by Del
egate Blaine, of the Asheville Paint
ers’ Union. Blaine had referred to
the capital case in stressing the need
of capital punishment.
Speakers at Monday’s Session in
cluded Dr. Ralph W. McDonald, run
ner-up candidate for the Democratic
nomination for Governor in the re
cent primary, who acclaimed Presi
dent Roosevelt “the balance wheel of
America and said benefits of the
New Deal should be brought to North
Carolina.”
“While nation after nation is in
the midst of a blody storuggle be
tween facism and communish, the
Democratic philosophy of Roosevelt
carries the United States forward in
a new conception of balance and fair
ness in the inter-relations of prop
erty and human rights,” McDonald
said.
North Carolina, he said? stands as
one of the few which has not bene
fited by the spirit of the New Deal.
The state, he asserted, has done noth
ing about unemployment insurance
and old age pensions, while in farm
legislation it lags far behind Roose
velt.
“Recognition of the rights of labor
have been foremost in the policies of
Roosevelt, but North Carolina has
not yet caught step with the national
Democratic party in this matter,”
McDonald said.
Emil Rieve, national organizer of
the American Federation of Hosiery
Workers, told the convention his fed
eration would launch in North Caro
lina the most intensive organizational
campaign ever waged among hosiery
worners or the South.
John A. Peel, third vice-president
of the United Textile Workers, re
ferred to the American Liberty
League as “termites working at the
foundation of our nation.”
Peel named specifically A1 Smith,
the DuPonts and John W. Davis “and
others of tehir ilk,” who he said were
before “President Roosevelt on bend
ed knees in 1933, asking him to do
something, and who, now that the
profits are rolling in again, would
undermine the progres sthat has made
the profits possible.”
Howard Colvin, a conciliator of the
Department of Labor, criticized *he
Supreme Court which he said “can’t
see the working man’s side of our
present economic scheme.” He listed
the various legislation effecting the
status of the laboring classes which
had been declared unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court, and others which
had been declared constitutional.
“Never in any similar period in
the recent history of labor has so
much been done for the working man,
nor in any period 10 times as long,”
Colvin said. “For every $100 paid
to labor 10 years ago $159 is being
paid now.” Big business is the onlv
complainant, yet it is making profits
in millions now where it was taking
losses four years ago.”
A report of the federations edu
cation committee recommended high
er wages for teachers, a complete un
MORE—
| ionization of the teachers of the
state, school supplies of warm lunches
for the children and uniform school
systems.
On Tuesday delegates attended a
banquet and dance. Election of of
ficers and selection of the place for
the meeting next year will mark the
closing session tomorrow.
ROOSEVELT HERE ON SEPTEMBER 10TH
The date and time of President Roosevelt’s visit to Char
lotte has been definitely set at around 5 p.m„ Thursday, Septem
ber 10th. the President to remain an hour or an hour and a half.
A bis: ovation is being planned for the president and it is more
than likely that Charlotte will have 25,000 visitors on that day.
The merchants will reap a harvest, the hotels and restaurants will
do a land-office business, and the people will get to see and hear
Mr. Roosevelt in a short talk. If all signs point right Charlotte
is going to give the President a rousing reception.
PCMTINSNY COM MSN
om
Timir topics
CHATTING
■V
HARRY
BOAT!
Under date of Raleigh, If. C., August 5, it was stated that 85 names,
one of the longest lists for a single day in several months, appeared on the
daily tabulation of automobile license revocations. This number brought
the total revocations to 4,391 since the law became effective last November.
Most of the permits were listed as having been taken away following convic
tions for drunken driving. Since gasoline and whiskey will not mix, it may
be safer to put the whiskey in the gas tank.
In Greensboro, N. C., last week two men charged with breaking into a
service station claimed they merely needed a sandwich and some cigarettes
after an all-night tour of several counties while pretty well intoxicated. Judge
Warlick did not see the matter in the same light and insisted that the men
serve one year each for their misdoing, ending with the remark: “If you
don't quit blaming everything on liquor you’re going to ruin its reputation.
Such doing practically ruined liquor 20 years ago.” ^
Concerning this subject of drink we find in the Book Proverbs, Chap
ter 31, these words: 4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings
to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: 5. Lest they drink, and for
get the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. 6. Give
strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be
of heavy hearts. 7. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember
his misery no more.
This last paragraph appears to be ons which many who drink have m
mind when starting out for a good time, so-called. Have diistinctly in mind
a former fellow workman who was known for periodic sprees and violent
temper when so afflicted. This party was one of the large group who de
velop the habit of weeping while in his cups. At other times life, seemed
happy as fortune for the moment seemed to smile upon him. Many times has
he told me that while drunk he (in his mind) had the finest kind of a job,
and was perfectly happy. But when sane reasoning came back to him, his
purse was empty, his head too large for his hat, and it was necessary for
him to return to the same old work which he was so happy to have left
while he was celebrating.
While on this same subject following will be found some pertinent ques
tions regarding this “joy maker” (?) of the present day and time. This
article was headed: “Did You Ever Hear of These Fools?
Did you ever hear of .a man who lost his job because he was a total ab
stainer?
Did you ever hear of an insurance company that offered reduced prem
iums to booze addicts?
Did you ever hear a woman saying, “My husband would be the best
husband in the world if he would only drink?
Did you ever hear of a chauffeur who could drive his car with more
safety if he took a snort of alcohol before starting out?
Did you ever hear of a railway engineer who stood better wtih his em
ployers if he patronized the saloons?
Did you ever hear of an Arctic explorer who stocked up his supplies with
liquor in order to keep warm?
Did you ever hear of a child who complained because his daddy did not
come home half soused? .
Did you ever hear of a man who objected to his daughter marrying a
man because he was not a booze addict?
Did you ever hear of a woman &»uplaining because her husband spent
too little time in the groggery instead of spending his evenings at home?
Did you ever hear of a murderer on the gallows declaring that his ab
stinence practices led him to his predicament?
Did you ever hear of a man who beat his wife and thrashed his baby
because he was sober when he came home?
Did you ever hear of a house owner who charged, hiph rentals be
cause a saloon had been set up next door?
Did you ever hear of a banker who threw up his hat with joy because
a snake-hole was opened close by? ,
Did you ever hear of a mother who consented to her daughter becom
ing a barmaid in order to help civilize the dump?
Did you ever hear of a preacher delivering a better sermon because he
was half shot? 5
Did you ever hear of a gink who boasted that he could “drink or let it
alone,” who actually did let it alone?
Did you ever hear of a “moderation society that advocated total absti
nence”?—W. E. (Pusseyfoot) Johnson.
GREEN CLAIMS “MINORITY RULE VS.
MAJORITY RULE” IS THE REAL ISSUE;
AND ASKS “SHALL MAJORITY RULE”?
WASHINGTON. D. C.—William Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor, in an address before the National
Press Club here, warned that the basic principle underlying the
establishment and activities of the Committee for Industrial Or
ganization is the destruction of democratic procedure and ma
jority rule in the government of the American Federation of
Labor.
He said there was absolutely no truthful foundation for the
claim set up by the C. I. O. that the issue is craft unionism vs.
industrial unionism. He pointed out that the A. F. of L. had in
fact chartered a number of industrial unions, including the United
Mine Workers of America, and asserted that in the mass produc
tion industries the Federation “will apply the industrial form of
organization in the broadest and most comprehensive and con
structive manner possible.”
Turning to the government of the American Federation of
Labor, Mr. Green explained that its policies are democratically
laid down by the annual conventions of the Federation and that
every decision is reached by the principle of majority rule.
He charged that the Committee for Industrial Organization
1935 was established to destroy the organization policy which the
1935 convention of the Federation adopted by a large majority,
and held that the basic question before the Federation and its Ex
ecutive Council is not forms of organization but the preservation
of democratic procedure and majority rule which have always
been its fundamental principles.
Mr. Green cited the last address made by Samuel Gompers
before his death in 1924 urging the continuance of the principle
of voluntarism in the labor movement as an essential element of
human liberty, and declared he would not “betray the trust im
posed on him by President Gompers “or cast a reflection upon
this great message.”
. .. -- i. mi i»-ii—i—i—i—i
WINSTON-SALEM, Aug. 12.—The
state Federation of Labor, at its final
session here today, turned to admin
istrative matters after deciding upon
a legislative platform for the year.
The federation advocated old sige
pensions and unemployment insur
ance, abolition of the three per cent
sales tax, state control and taxing of
the manufacture arid sale of liquor,
and doing away with capital punish
ment.
Emil Rieve, national organizer of
the American Federation of Hosiery
Workers, told the convention his un
ion would launch in this state the
most. intensive organizational cam
paign' ever waged among hosiery
workers of the. South.
The federation’s education com
mittee recommended higher wages for
teachers, a complete unionization of
the teachers of the state, school sup
plies of warm lunches for the chil
dren and uniform school systems.
Bill Sharpe, former president of
the Winston-Salem Newspaper Guild,
urged that delegates contact news
paper men in their communities with
a view to having them organize un
der the American Newspaper Guild,
which was recently granted a charter
by the American Federation of Labor.
The value of the world’s annual
fish catch is estimated at $800,000,
000.
About two and one-half million
Americans are hay fever sufferers.
PRESIDENT SENDS A MESSAGE
AND LEWIS ADDRESSES LABOR
NON-PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.—Amidst reminders of the dispute
over wage and hour legislation, labor’s Non-Partisan league
pledged itself late yesterday to national organization for re-elec
tion of President Roosevelt, as a base for “establishment of a
liberal party” in 1940.
Following the reference to 1940 by Geqtrge L. Berry, presi
dent of the league and an official in the administration, the con
vention by resolution indorsed the organization “as an instrumen
tality for the furtherance of liberalism in our country.”
By the way of leading up to their
action, a message from Mr. Rose1
velt had been read, coupling men
tion of Supreme Court decisions with
a statement that “a return to reac
tionary practices is ever short lived.”
“During the past three years,” he
wrote, “we have endeavored to cor
rect through legislation certain of
the evils in our economic system. We
have sought to put a stop to certain
economic practices which did not pro
mote the general welfare.
“Some of the laws which were en
acted were declared invalid by the
Supreme Court.
“It is a notable fact that it was
not the wage-earners who cheered
when those laws were declared in
valid. I greet you in faith that fu
ture history has so repeatedly.. and
effectively shown, that a return to
reactionary practices is ever short
lived.” _
Gathered in the small ballroom
atop the Willard hotel, upward of 50
delegates from the country over ap
plauded the presidential welcome and
speeches by Berry, John L. Lewis,
president of the United Mine Work
ers ;and Sidney Hillman, president
of the Amalgamated Clothing Work
ers.
All three portrayed the political
campaign as one between the c forces
of liberalism and reaction, contend
ing the interest of wage-earners were
repersented by the Democratic ticket
while financial and big industrial in
terests were backing Landon and
Knox.
“We know from the decisions of
the Supreme Court,” said Hillman,
“that unless we have a government
sympathetic to labor, there is no way
to work out problems like technologi
cal unemployment. The only answer
is a shorter work day and wo "k
week. We propose, after this elec
tion, to demand legislation outlawing
sweatshops and requiring decent
wages.” J
“It is time,” said Lewis, “for labor
to be awake. It is time for the work
ers to’ organize politically. Organ
ization of this league should cause
the exploiters of labor to ask whither
are they drifting.”
Arms waving, the mine workers’
head, referred to changes in the form
of government elsewhere and shout
ed that “breakdowns come when the
people do not get their share of the
national wealth.
“And the Republican party has the
brazen effrontery to ask the Ameri
can people to elect a pitiful puppet
responsible to Standard Oil, the steel
interests, the bankers of New York
and Chicago, and the Hearst newspa
pers,” he added.
Pointing to a bust-length portrait
olf Roosevelt by his side, Lewis called
him “the greatest humanitarian who
ever served in the presidency.” Ap
plause greeted predictions that Penn
sylvania and New York would go
Democratic. Apropos of the league’s
course after November, he said only
“we’ll cross that bridge when we
come to it.”
Ruminating Over “Simnybrook-Faren” |
Just got a letter from “Aunt Lot
tie” Wiseman, of “Sunnybrook
Farm,” up in Western North Caro
lina, about eight miles west of Spruce
Fine on Highway 19-E, with an alti
tude of 3,000 feet, and about a city
block (or two) from the North Toe
river, and nestling at the foot of the
mountains, with a babbling brook
running very close by. At once we
commenced to smell fried country
ham, real ham gravy, fried chicken
that you could really eat, good old
country snap beans boiled with real
fat back, country eggs that you could
rely upon, gathered as used from all
over the place, milk with real cream
and buttermilk with a golden grain
of butter here and there; we could
taste corn on the cob that a man
without teeth could eat; real corn
bread and honey just from the hive;
to say nothing of the little inciden
tals that in town one can not get
really fresh and rather scantily at
that. Sweltering at 96 we could see
those fortunate enough to be domi
ciled at ‘ Sunnybrook’’ donning their
coats and wraps as evening drew on,
and though “we” had been sick, for
two weeks could feel an appetite
coming on, and, in our mind’s eye as
i the ides of evening came upon us and
the heat had us almost to the mat, a
feeling of revivication crept over us,
and a languishing and fading appe
tite felt an uplift.
No, Aunt Lottie, we can’t come up
yet, but before the fall is well upon
us hppe to be able to see the moun
tains in all their bauty and abide
with you and “Uncle Robert” for a
week. So here’s day-dreaming from
now till then.
The Philippine islands were so
named after King Philip of Spain.
It costs Uncle Sam about 1 cent to
make a dollar bill.
In Italy, kissing in public is legal
only at railway stations. J
I
FIGHTING WAR AND FASCISM
BY DINSMORE WHEELER
The responsibility for war does not’ rest solely on pot-bellied old men
who connive in Wall Street nor on the beribboned diplomats who olav with
chips that don’t belong to them. To be sure, they write the plays, set the
stage, sell the tickets, tack up the posters, and pass out the handbills. But
if the rest of us refused to be hoodwinked when they send out the call for
puppets that they can manipulate by tying strings around our hands and
feet, there wouldn’t be any big show, The war-makers hold out the lures
of excitement, of lucrative jobs, of fighting for justice and freedom, of fat
profits. Anyone who makes or sells anything, as Charles Beard points out,
is in a position to be kidded into believing that war will be a good thing
for his business.
But in the end, it is the Merchant of Death who engineered the rotten
mess that makes the 400% profit and we are the ones who pay for it. We
lend money to ourselves and our allies (who later find themselves unable
to pay back) in order to have a short burst of prosperity. When it’s all over,
there is a little matter of twenty-two billion dollars in red ink which we’U
leave, in our last will and testament, to our grandchildren. We fight to
line the pockets of profiteers and are left holding the bag.
But they don’t tell us. that at the time. We have to find it out when
it is too late to do anything about it. Years later we wake up at the bottom
of the pile to find that the victor has lost as well as the conquered.
The world is bound to lose because every nation is saddled with stag
gering debts and a new crop of hatreds and rivalries is generated that only
prepares the way for another catastrophe. Wealth is not created but de
stroyed. The young and fit are blown to pieces, or maimed, blinded and
crazed. Those who return physically intact are cynical and sour when they
discover what it was all about. War sweeps the world with a plague of
savgery, and destruction becomes an end in itself.
Science, when properly used, has infinite possibilities for improving
man’s condition. But it is the great double-edged sword and, employed in
the service of war, it can drive us back into the mud from which we have
so painfully emerged. k ■
The next world war, which we can keep America from entering if we
guard against it, may turn the clock fifty centuries. Is the temporary gain
if economic advantage worth it? There are two sides to many questions.
But not to this one. The negative answer, unless we are enemies of civili
zation, is the only possible one.
Emil Rieve Out
For McMahon’s
Toga As Pres.
WINSTON-SALEM, Au*. 12.—
Emile Rieve, national president of
the American Federation of Hosiery
Workers, will be a candidate for the
presidency of the United Textile
Workers, it was intimated at the
North Carolina Federation of Labor
convention hejre yesterday.
R. R. Lawrence, North Carolina
labor president, in introducing: Rieve
as a speaker today, said he was “re
liably informed” that the hosiery
leader would be a candidate at the
textile anion convention in New York
in September.