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Vol. VI.—No. 29
VOV« AOVIHTItlMINt IN TNI JOUMAk •• A
iMVItTMINT
CHARLOTTE, N. C-, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1936
JOURNAL ADVIRTItKM DUCItVi CONRIOBRATIOM
TM MAOn
$2.00 Per Yew
A. F. of L. CONVENTION VOTES TO CONTINUE C. I. 0. SUSPENSION
OUSTER OF LEWIS GROUP HELD IN
ABEYANCE; AUTHORITY IS GIVEN
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE
AT “SPECIAL EXPULSION” MEETING
MONDAY SESSION
TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 24.—The American Federation of Labor
convention voted Monday night to continue indefinitely the sus
pension of'John L. Lewis’ 10 rebel unions.
At the same time the convention decided:
(1) To renew the federation executive council’s offer to talk
peace with the rebels, suspended September 5 for ‘insurrection.”
(2) To give the executive council power to call a special
federation convention to expel the rebels if peace efforts collapse.
The vote to support the resolution
committee’s report was 21,796 to
2,043 against.
Principal opposition to this pro
posal came from the United Hatters,
Cap and Millinery Workers and the
International Typographical union.
The head of each is also a member
of Lewis’s Committee for Industrial
Organization.
Max Zaritsky, president of the hat
ters, contended the council had no
Tight to suspend the Lewis unions,
although he admitted his cause in
the union was a lost one.
Other Lewis sympathizers struck
the same note in their prolonged
uttU j •
John P. Frey, who brought the
“insurrection” charges that led to
the suspensions, was the executive
council's No. 1 defender. Frey con
tended the rebels had violated every
rule of democracy in trying to bring
all the workers in each big industry
into one big union, regardless of the
federation’s traditional craft union
principles. •
Pro-Lewis delegates heatedly pro
tested against this policy, • recom
mended by the convention’s resolu
tions committee. They wanted the
suspension lifted. Old-line leaders,
with their large block of votes, easily
shouted down the opposition, however.
•'hey said they were willing anc
eager to talk peace, but could not
countenance '•ebellion without pun
ishment. The delegates’ vote left the
relationship between the A. F. of L.
and Lewis’ rebel faction in their pre
convention state. Lewis says he is
willing to talk peace after, the rebels
are reinstated.
Federation leaders are willing to
talk peace at any time, but will not
reinstate the rebels, they say, until
they dissolve their Committee for
Industrial Organization. Jhe funda
mental issue—craft versus industrial
unionism—is no more settled than it'
was after last year's Atlantic City
convention.
Lewis and his allies believe all the
workers in each big industry should
be organized into one big union.
The federation’s old-line leaders say
“no"—that workers should be organ
ized by craft, no matter where they
Just before the vote, William
Green, federation president, made a
fervid plea for reunion. “The door
is still open, the hand of fellowship
is still extended,” he said. “Only
our enemies will profit by this
division.”
Green reqalled he had warned
Lewis nearly a year ago “not to rip
the labor movement apart.” He
then assailed the rebels for half an
hour for refusing to meet various
peace overtures. “To what depths
must you go?” Green shouted after
he pointed to his many attempts to
“heal the breach.”
“There is no issue that transcends
unity and solidarity in the move
ment,” Green said. “I’d do anything
in the world to unite the movement.
I’ve suffered from humiliation and in
sult, and I’ll suffer again to reunite
the movement . . . I’m speaking with
feeling because men get up and de
nounce the council for trying to pre
serve unity.
“The council had to do one of two
things. It had to prostrate this (A.
F. of L.) movement or pour water on
the fire and put it out ... I do not
know what the future has in store
for us. But I do know that no self
respecting movement will stand for
minority rule or minority control.”
Debate centered on the legal issue
—whether the executive council had
the right to suspend the rules.
Waiving a copy of the Federation
constitution in his hand, Zaritsky
argued for an hour that the council
lacked that right.
Woll vociferously defended ' the
council.
Shortly after 6 p.m., the conven
tion recessed until 8:30 p.m.
Practically every delegate was in
his seat when Green called the night
session to order.
J. C. Lewis, president of the Iowa
Federation of Labor and one of two
members of the United Mine Work
ers at the convention, was the first
speaker.
Lewis was a member of the resolu
i tions committee and, along with A. A.
[Myrup, of the Bakers, dissented from
the report.
After Woll’s “legalistic” defense
of the council’ right to suspend the
rebels, Lewis said, the situation was
“as clear as mud.”
Lewis called the suspensions
“economic treason” and added that the
miners would “fight against being
dumped out of the federation this
way.”
“They’re not going to take it,” he
concluded.
A. F. of L. May Use
Vast Sum To Get
Into Industrial Fields
TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 21—Chieftains
of the American Federation of Labor
roughed out battle plans to bring
thousands of now unorganised work
ers into unions affiliated 1 with the
L.&A.RailwayTnice
Hailed With Delight
By Parties Concerned
BATON ROUGE, La., Nov. 21.—
Both union workers and railroad of
ficials yesterday expressed satisfac
tion over the harmonious agreement
that ended the sixty-day old violence
marked strike of transportation em
ployes on the Louisiana and Arkansas
railway.
Governor Richard W. Leche an
nounced early today that controver
sies over wages and working condi
tions had been ironed out in a series
of conferences in his offices between
rail heads and representatives of the
four brotherhoods who called the
strike on September 19.
The governor said both sides “made
concessions in the interest of har
mony.’’
MRS. HARRY BOATE IMPROVING
STEADILY AT MERCY HOSPITAL
It is with pleasure that we learn
that Mrs. Harry Boate, who was op
erated on at General Mercv hospital
about two weeks ago, is coming
through all right, and it -is expect
ed she will be taken home within the
next week.
COUNCIL FOR INDUSTRIAL
PROGRESS TO MEET DEC. 11
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21—Taxa
tion, business competition, and wa
ges and hours were named today as
the leading matters for discussion at
the meeting of the Council for In
dutrial Progress here December 10
and 11, by George L. Berry, co-ordi
nator for industrial co-operation.
Joe Brown Easy
Mark For A Fast
Talking Salesman
Joe E. Brown, is star of the First
National comedy, “Earthworm _ Trac
tor,” which comes to the _ Criteiron
Theatre Thursday and Friday. He
says-.
‘‘They’ve made a salesman out of
me in my latest picture at the First
National studio. It’s called 'Earth
worm Tractors.’ I’m supposed to be
one of those guys who could sell elec
tric heating pads to natives of the
tropics. They’ve certainly put me
right in character this time; for I’m
the man who could do it.
“This is no idle boast on my part.
During the past ten or fifteen years
I’ve learned more about high pressure
salehmanship than the average man
who has forgotten to put a salesman
proof lock on his front door. I didn’t
have to go to school to gather this
knowledge. I learned it from the
boys who sell the stuff.
“I don’t know why salesmen re
gard me as the perfect specimen of a
man sadly lacking in that quality
which businessmen call ‘sales resis
tance.’ They do, though, and I have
; gone through life buying things I
didn’t need with money I didn’t have,
to store away in closets packed with
other similar things I didn’t want.’’
RAIL EMPLOYES GET
A RAISE ALONG WITH
OFFICERS N. C. & ST. L. RY.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 21.—
President Fitzgerald Hall, of the
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis
railway announced today that sala
ries and wages of all officers and
employes will be back to pre-depres
sion levels December 1.
CHATTING
The year 1936 is almost over, and as is the custom in the United
States, the President has proclaimed the last Thursday of November be
set aside as a day of thanks to the Lord of All for his many blessings
to us, both as individuals and as a nation.
It is true that many will say they have nothing for which to be thank
ful, but if they will just look about them it will be discovered that there
much has come into their lives in 1936 which is worthy of heartfelt
thanks, and these blessings should be given those thanks.
First, the mere fact that we are yet alive and able to read this article
is a thing for which to be thankful, especially the fact that we are alive,
even though the article has no appeal. ~
Again, this nation is at peace with ail the world, and while countries
in various sections are torn by war and rebellion we are enjoying that
peace which comes to a God-loving nation.
While strikes and labor troubles have been abundant in the United
States from the Atlantic to the Pacific, they have been small disturbances
mostly of a local nature, and no great harm has been done, which is an
other thing to be thankful for. A few destructive storms have swept the
country at odd times, a few have been killed and homes have been de
stroyed, but we should be thankful the destruction was not greater, for it
could have been worse, and in fact worse storms have occurred and much
greater destruction has been wrought.
A few years ago the slogan was, “Prosperity is just around the corner.”
According to all reports of the present day that corner seems to have
been turned, and we are. now facing what may soon prove to be one of
the greatest business booms this country has ever known. In fact, the
government is now fearful that prosperity may develop into a boom that
may in the future be a boomerang. However, let us be thankful for things
as they are, and trust to the Lord to protect us from a recurrence of the
great financial and business distress through which we have passed and
are now facing the silver lining of the dark cloud which has so long
hung over us. , . ,
Business is now so brisk that there is a crying need for skilled help
in almost all lines of industry. Every day the papers contain advertise
ments for help wanted, both male and female, and it is not so far back
that such calls were as scarce as were the dollars so much needed with
which to secure the comforts and necessities of life.
It is also true that there yet remains many thousands of men and
women who need work and who really want work, many who are expert
in their chosen trade or profession and who will give their best to any
who will employ them, yet the business outlook is far better than for many
months, and it is the duty of each individual to go to some thanksgiving,
service and join heartily and sincerely in rendering thanks for all the
blessings and mercies which they have received, and there is none who can
find nothing whatever for which to be thankful. ;
A familiar hymn in many churches of today reads on this order:
“Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings,
see what God hath done.” This is a very appropriate hymn for this
season of the year, and while we wish that you may enjoy all the fes
tivities of the day, for it is intended to be a day of feasting and good
humor, it is also intended that we should remember God on that day for
Dermitting us to live and enjoy the feasting. , ,
Services of prayer and thanksgiving will be held in many churches
throughout the land, and let us one and all attend at least one such service.
It will be remembered that on one occasion Christ healed ten lepers,
and only one returned to render thanks, and Christ, said: Were there
not ten healed? Where are the other nine?” .... _nH
Do not imitate the nine, but be the one who is truly thankful, and
show that you really are thankful by taking part in some such service on
that day.
federation.
Leaders at the federation's conven
tion here hinted vast sums might be
used in forays upon industrial fields
regarded as possible working grounds
for John L. Lewis’ committee for in
dustrial organisation and labor units
not affiliated with the A. F. of L.
As chairman of the organization
committee, Tobin reported the cam
paign would not reach top speed un- ■
til after the first month of the new
congress had passed, “as we wish to
concentrate now on the legislative
program.”
Temper of the new congress tow
ard labor legislation would be of
more than passing importance in ^e"
termining strategy of the member
shiD drive.
. Growth of some unaffiliated
unions, Tobin said, was aiding the
federation. “Many employers and
owners of large industries,” he said,
“now are anxious to get thir work
ers into legitimate unions that are
controlled and disciplined by inter
national unions that believe in law
and order.” •
A militant band of John L. Lewis
supporters, short in voting strength
but determined to be heard on the
floor of the American Federation of
Labor convention, whipped up oppo
sition today to steamroller action on
their resolutions proposing peace with
industrial unionists.
Gathering, their temporary chair
man annuonced, in the name of
“those who love democracy,” some
hundred delegates laid plans, elected
a board of strategy, and went forth
into convention by-ways, button-hol
ing others to gain converts tq, their
cause.
Smarting under defeat in the first
major test of strength at the con
vention, the industrial unionists for
got any technical differences for an
united front after a boycott had
been voted by the convention on men s
clothing made by the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers, affiliated with the
Lewis committee.
Speakers at the council of war de
nounced the boycott as “undemo
cratic” and serving to widen the
breach in labor’s ranks caused by the
A. F. of L. executive council’s sus
pension of the ten committee for in
dustrial organization unions.
The week-end respite from speeches
and deliberations—the convention is
in recess until Monday—gave the
rebels time to marshal forces and
leaders in both camps occasion to pre
dict reprisals would come from the
Amalgamated boycott.
The Amalgamated, suspended with
Lewis’s own United Mine Workers
and eight other unions by the A. F.
of L. executive council two months
ago for “insurrection,” has 160,000
workers. The United Garment Work
ers, whose products uninists now are
committed to use, has about 35,000
Leaders said most of these were
in work clothes plants, and Frank
X. Martel, delegate from the Detroit
Typographical union, shouted during
the boycott debate “to outlaw the
union label of the Amalgamated will
mean that a man who wants a suit
of union-made clothes will have to
get a pair of overalls.”
Thomas Ricket, veteran president,
crisply replied “yes” when Max Zar
itsky, president of the United flat
ters, Cap and Millinery Workers and
a member of the Lewis committee,
questioned whether the United Work
ers was well enough organised to en
able A. F. of L. members to use
clothes with their label.”
Opportunity for this stab at a
Lewis ally came through decision of
Amalgamated’s officers, after the
union’s suspension, to use thqir own
label instead of United’s. The Amal
gamated, it was explained by Wil
liam Green, president of the Federa
tion, agreed to use United’s label
when admitted to the A. F. of -L. in
1933.
Convention adjourned Friday over
Saturday-Sunday.
“In-Between” A.F.L
Convention News
TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 22. — The
American Federation of Labor con
vention’s legislative committee as
serted last night that “millions of dol
lars” would be available this winter
to a lobby seeking to kill the Senate
investigation of strik-breaking and
labor espionage.
The committee urged the conven
tion, in its report, to demand an am
ple appropriation to continue the in
quiry directed by Senator La Fol
lette, Progressive of Wisconsin.
“All the lobbies of the great anti
union financial forces and all their
secret pressures are being mobilized
to prevent the Senate granting an
appropriation to carry on the inves
tigation,” the report said.
“If our reports are as accurate as
we believe them to be, the greatest
and most adroit lobby that has ever
operated in Washington is being or
ganized to kill this astounding ex
posure.
HOWARD, t T. U. PRESIDENT, AND
SECRETARY OF LEWIS’ C. L 0.
ORGANIZATION, SAYS A. F. OF L. IS
“HEADED FOR DESTRUCTION”
TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 25.—Charles P. Howard, president of the
Typographical union, accused American Federation of Labor lead
ers Tuesday of “starting the Federation toward destruction” by
continuing indefinitely the suspension of John L. Lewis’ 10 rebel
unions.
Howard is secretary of Lewis’ committee for industrial or
ganization.
“The issue which has split the
trade union movement into what is
certain to gecome two determined
groups,” .Howard said, “is not the
guilt or innocence of the committee
for industrial organization.
“It is not the question of whether
industrial unionism in mass produc
tion industries is the best form of or
ganization and it is not a matter of
who is right or who is wrong.
“The real issue is whether or not
the executive council of the American
Federation of Lahor is-to be govern
ed by its constitution. Nowhere in
that document is authority delegated
to the executive council to suspend
an international union for any cause
whatever.
“It is generally accepted as a dis
honest method to accomplish indirect
ly that which can not be accomplish
ed directly. In this case the execu
tive council usurped the power to
suspend international unions repre
senting a million and a quarter mem
bers.”
Following the midnight vote to con
tinue the rebel suspensions, only a
handful of delegates were in the
convention hall when William Green,
federation president, called for order
this morning.
Resolutions, re-election of officers
and selection of a city for next year’s
convention was the only remaining
business.
An official said tonight the Am
erican Federation of Labor will send
a new plea to talk peace to John L.
Lewis, rebel leader, within the next
few days.
George M. Harrison, president of
the Railway Clerks and chairman of
the federation’s special peace com
mittee, told reporters he would send
an “official communication” with
this plea to Lewis.
Harrison discounted reports that a
specific plan with in the wind. Be
fore any plan could be considered, he
said, a round table conference with
the rebels was necessary.
Informal negotiations between A.
F. of L. leaders and persons close to
Lewis may precede any formal peace
offers, it was learned tonight in usu
ally well informed quartern.
Observers looked with interest to
the presence here of the Rev. Father
Francis J. Haas, former member of
the National Labor Relations board.
Meantime, the federation’s conven
tion, at today’s session, termed Com
munism, Facism and Naziism “a defi
nite threat to human liberty and to
peace,” and voted to fight the spread
of these doctrines with all its
strength.
A movement to wind up the conven
tion tomorrow night started among
the delegates today but President
William Green said he thought ad
journment before Friday impossible.
“Prominent Citizen”
Takes Anti-Union
Stand On Labor
To the Editor of the Labor Journal:
The writer was very much sur
prised to learn that one of our very
prominent citizens who is being men
tioned for an important position with
the new county commissioners recent
ly took a very anti-union stand in
a dispute between a union and a non
union organization.
This was especially surprising in
as much as his sponsors ran for of
fice on a pledge of 100 per cent sup
port of organized labor and that his
stand was taken before he had in
vestigated the facts and given the
union, an opportunity to state it’s side
of the case.
It is just as important for labor
organizations to watch the actions of
officials that have been elected to
office and their appointees as it is to
carefully consider the labor record
of the candidates for office. Organ
ized labor in this county will watch
with interest the outcome of this af
fair.
V
J. A. W.
“The La Follette committee has
made only a beginning, but what a
beginning! It has dragged into the
light the underworld that serves the
biggest businesses—the spies and
thugs whose profession is wrecking
unions,, or even murdering workers.
“Espionage and thuggery are
shown to be businesses organized on
a nation-wide scale, to which great
corporations pay tens of millions an
nually. Stnke-breaking munitions,
gas grenades, and machine guns afe
proved to be stocked by plants in
every line of industry.
“Criminals, paid by business,
march out of plants badged as dep
uty sheriffs, free to frame union men
to prison. Big employers are shown
personally instructing gangsters in
the arts and tricks of destroying
unions.
“Local public officials have been
revealed as selling tear gas by night
and, by day, drilling vigilantes as
‘law and order leaguers’ to crush
unions. . . .
“The nub of the matter is that the
Senate must grant the La Folette
committee adequate financing for
lack of which its work is being
stalled.”
While the convention was in recess
some of the delegates sympathetic
with John L. Lewis’ revolt organized
for a "united front” when the rebel
lion issue comes to the floor Mon
day.
These rebel sympathizers admitted
they had little chance of blocking any
action the old guard wished to take,
but they were determined to get their
views before the convention.
Leaders reiterated predictions the
convention would approve the fed
eration executive council’s suspension
of the 10 unions allied in the Lewis
revolt, but would leave the door open
to peace by refusing to expel them.
/
“The Three Wise
Guys” To Be At
Charlotte Theatre
Damon Runyon’s prize short story,
“The Three Wise Guys,“ opens Fri
day at the Charlotte Theatre with all
of its original virility more laugh
provoking in celluloid than in type
and infinitely entertaining from ev
ery standpoint.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has treated
the story with the exact attention it
required for screen adaptation. The
choice of stars and cast was peculiar
ly fortunate and George Seitz, the di
rector, caught the spirit of Runyon’s
humorous philosophy toward modern
youth and the current American
scene.
Robert Young and Betty Furness
are co-featured as a spendthrift
youngster who falls in love with a
pretty girl whom he meets on a
speeding transcontinental train. The
story shifts from New York to Bol
lywood at the smart pace of the 20th
Century Limited. Their romance
runs into wild adventure whef
gangsters enter into the plot to “blow1
a safe and almost wreck their love
i affair.
Dosh Goes To Fla.
To Wrestle With
The “Big Fishes”
Right on top of a summer vacation
in Florida, and getting himself a new
car, “Bro.” L. H. Dosh has let the
“fishing bug” hit him again and has
hied himself back to Florida to do a
little big fishing- The Journal is
looking for another groun of “fish I
caught” pictures upon his return in a
week. Frank Barr had better look to
his laurels!
We gues she will be accompaneid
by the Madam, which would certain
ly be a wise precaution.
HOSIERY WORKERS TO PUSH
FOR PASSAGE OF TEXTILE ACT
PHIALDELPHIA, Nov. 21.—John
W. Adelman, research director of the
American Federation of Hosiery
Workers, said today that the national
textile act regulating wages, hours
and employment conditions in the
textile and hosiery industries will be
re-intorduced early in the coming
session of congress.
SWIFTY
With a charming air of romance
and pleasant sentimentality, the com
pany were discussing how each mar
ried couple among them first met.
“And where did you first meet your
wife?” the little man in the corner
was asked.
“Gentlemen, I, did not meet her,” he
replied, solemnly. “She overtook me.”
An elephant's trunk contains about
40,000 muscles.