Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Jan. 21, 1937, edition 1 / Page 1
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Official Or it an Central Labor Union; standing for | U»rA. F. of L. m Charlotte labor Journal Patronise ear Adver tisers. They make YOUR paper possible by their co operation. 7 ruthful, Honest, lmpartuu VoL VI.—No. 36 roui AovrtTiiimuT in Tmb INVIITMINT AND DIXIE FARM NEWS CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1937 Endeavoring to Serve the Masses 'OU"N*L ‘0y" ””.D;"n: - $2.00 Per Year for » Weekly. Ita Readers Represent th^LARGBST BUYING POWER hi Thr ONLV REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY in Mecklenburg County CONSUMERS, CHURCHES, LABOR HAVE RALLIED TO THE AID OF STRIKING AUTOMOBILE WORKERS DETROIT.—Assurance of sympathy and support have come to the United Automobile Workers from labor, church, fraternal and consumer organizations of every kind, since the general public became aware of the great social issues involved in its struggle with the General Motor Corporation for the right of collective bargaining. Craft unions of the American Fed eration of Labor as well as industrial unions of the Committee for Indus trial Organization are represent ed among the many pledges of sup port. A. F. of L. bodies in the auto cent ers have been particularly responsive, the Detroit and Wayne County and Cleveland Federations of Labor being among the first to endorse the strike and pledge their support. The Wis consin Federation of Labor also took similar immediate action. Charles P. Howard, president of the International Typographical Un ion, expressed the “wholehearted sup port” of that union for the auto workers in a wire to President Homer Martin, of the U. A. W. The general executive board of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers, meeting in Washington when the strike broke out, voted full support. “The I.L.G.W.U. will wholehearted ly support your organization in this great struggle against industrial au tocracy to the fullest extent possible,” President Davis Dubinsky wired Martin. The National Catholic Welfare Conference, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America and tne central uomerence oi Am erican Rabbis addressed a joint com munication to the auto union express ing the following sentiments: “In accordance with the principles long advocated by our church organ izations supporting the right and so cial desirability of democratic rela tions between employers and organ ized labor, we earnestly hope that a national understanding may be reached quickly between the corpo ration and the union on the princi ple of collective bargaiing through majority representation of workers.” First indication of consumer sup port, which is expected _ to play an important part in the dispute, came from Evelyn Preston, president of the League of Women Shoppers, who asked the union for a list of auto manufacturers who “appear least hostile to trade union organization, so that we may be guided in recom mending purchase of cars.” “I happen to be in the market per sonally tnis week to replace a Buick and do not wish to buy one as long as Sloan refuses to recognize the ne cessity of a national trade union in the automobile industry. Riding in a Fisher body at the present time would cause me intense moral and physical pain.” SUMMARY OF THE AUTO SITUATION LEADERS IN AUTO STRIKE MAP PLANS WEDNESDAY DETROIT, Jan. 20.—Rival leaders in the automotive industry’s labor conflict traveled to the east today to confer with associates on means of ter minating the widespread strike. A few hours after William S. Knudsen, executive vice-president of General Motors corporation, entrained for New York, Homer Martin presi dent of the United Automobile Workers of America, said he would fly to Washington. Knudsen presumably was to talk with Alfred P. Sloan. Jr., president of the company. He was accompanied by Donaldson Brown, chairman of the finance committee, and John Thomas Smith, chief of the corporation’s legal staff. Martin sai dthe purpose of his trip was to confer with John L. Lewis, head of the committee for industrial organization, which is co-operating with the U. A. W. A. in his strike. John Brophy, a director of the C. 1. O., went with him.—A. P. Press Dispatch. TUESDAY EFFORT TO END STRIKE FAILS WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.—Secretary Perkins’ peace conference deliber ated fop nine hours Tuesday without finding any means to end the General Motors strike. The conference broke up shortly after 8 p.m.. E.S.T. Governor Frank Murphy of Michigan and John L. Lewis, the industrial union leader who is directing the strikers’ strategy, were with the Labor department chief throughout the long meeting.- Miss Perkins said General Motors officials were consulted by telephone throughout the day. "We explored every avenue and every phase of the subject,” she added. The’ conference was not a “failure,” she asserted but she could announce no agreement for a resumption of negotiations between the striking United Automobile Workers and General Motors. Despite the failure of a peace conference which Murphy helped arrange recently between strike leaders and General Motors officials, he expressed confidence upon arriving here this morning that everything would “work out all right.’’ PEACE EFFORTS IN MOTOR STRIKE EXPLODE DETROIT, Jan. 19.—Prospects for an early settlement of automotive strikes paralyzing General Motors corporation production lines exploded Monday in a five-minute meeting. Leaders of the United Automobile Workers of America whose strikes have thrown 115,000 General Motors wage-earners out of work sat in a con ference room with corporation officials. “There was no discussion," a General Motors announcement said. “There can be ho bargaining until the plants have been evacuated (of stay-in strikers).” The union said General Motors “refused to enter into the ne gotiation.” Late this afternoon Governor Frank Murphy announced his im mediate departure for Washington to confer on the strike situation with Fed eral officials he declined to name. He expressed confidence “the problem will be workerd out. It may be long drawn out, but it need not be.” The entire situation tonight was bark in a deadlock apparently more unyielding than it was last week when Governor Murphy brought opposing leaders together in a 17-hour conference that produced a truce agreement providing for settlement negotiations to start yesterday. Again blocking the door to peace is the occupancy of two plants of the Fisher Body company, a General Motors unit, at Flint Mich., by union members who have held their positions since December 50 in spite of a street battle with police in which 27 persons were injured, and the subsequent call ing out of 2,300 national guardsmen. Further complicating the impasse were union charges that General Motors committed “flagrant violations of a bona fide agreement” by agreeing to negotiate with the “Flint alliance” which the union said “ is in no sense representative of automobile workers.” (Brought out of the records and readopted December 9, 1936) NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS AND BUSINESS MEN A resolution adopted last year as to The Labor Journal and solicitation of funds in the name of Central Labor Un ion was brought out of the minutes and republished as in formation. The resolution reads as follows: “Resolved, That we publish in The Charlotte Labor Journal, that we do not condone any solicita tion of advertising except for The Charlotte Labor Journal, purporting to represent labor, unless over the signature of the secretary of the Charlotte Cen tral Labor Union. INAUGURATED FOR HIS SECOND TERM YESTERDAY FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT President of the United States and Originator of the New Deal WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.—President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated himself anew at the start of his second administration to removal of ‘cancers of injustice” that cause want in the midst of plenty. In his inaugural address, delivered beneath a storm-darkened sky to thousands gathered on the capital plaza, he pictured counted poor families living “under the pall of disaster” and said: “t\e are determined to make every American citizen the sub ject of his country’s interest and concern.” Progress in recovery is obvious, the President said, but the “new order of things” brought about since 1933 means more than that. Restating his philosophy in broad terms and leaving his spe: cific program to the future, he spoke of using new materials of social justice “to erect on the old foundations a more enduring structure for the use of future generations.” I i Pertinent comment ON i Timely Topics I I I CHATTING A man in Jersey City, N. J., who was receiving money from govern ment relief, a few weeks ago, reported to the police that his only friend had stolen $250,000 worth of diamonds from him. The diamonds were secreted in a mattress. The police got busy. What they discovered was plenty. In a deposit box in a bank they discovered $350,000 worth of diamonds and jew elry, but not the original diamonds reported as having been stolen. More jewelry was discovered in another place. The owner of this wealth and the recipient of relief money is separated from his wife, and he says he secreted his wealth, fearing his wife would attach the estate in order to make him support her. The friend who was reported to have stolen the gems was arrested, but later released. The complainant was living under an assumed name. Just what should be done to this man for owning so much valuable property, and then changing his name and gonig on the government relief rolls in order to avoid paying his wife a small sum to keep her from starv ing, is a matter we will leave to the good judgment of those in authority, and it is a safe bet that when they get through with him he wlil not be quite so wealthy. He knows no good except earthly possessions, and he will learn that money flies. * <f» «§> <§» There have been so many airplane disasters in the United States in recent weeks that one is inclined to suspect they are not all pure accidents. It may be possible that some tampering has been done with some of these ships of the air by unauthorized persons. They are coming too thick and fast to convince the public they could not be avoided if left as the authorized workmen had left them. Perhaps a little investigation may develop some interesting information. Many persons prominent in.-the life of the United States and the world generally are becoming victims of these accidents. One in particular is Martin Johnson, hunter of big game and jungle ex plorer. .He was so badly injured he died later. His wife was also injured in the same crash. ❖ * 4* . Just as the people were beginning to think we had really broken up the game of kidnaping, a new case came to light in the adbuction of Charles Mattson from a room in his own home, where he was enjoying the Christ was tree with others about him. A ransom note was left behind. Efforts were made to secure his release. While this was in progress his nude and battered body was found dead by a hunter. Rewards are offered for the cap ture of the perpetrator of this awful deed. State and Federal officers are on the hunt. If and when found, which will be the case, sooner or later, there should not be much time between the day of his capture and the day of his death. The state of Washington permits capital punishment for such crime, and no shyster lawyer should be permitted to frustrate the law in this or any similar case. ♦ ♦ ♦ The following item is copied from the January issue of the Typograph ical Journal: “Robert Wood Johnson, who supplies surgical dressings for half the United States and has 5,000 employes, declares that the long-hour, low-wage captains of industry must be driven out of business. ‘Private industry has not done an adequate job for the wage earner in the United States,’ said Mr. Johnson. It is important that we now act promptly and again attack the problem of unemployment. . . . Privete business, with government help, must act, set up a system of simple regulation which will make impossible the continuation in business of the industrialist who wants long hours and a low wage level.” | All workers know of the Johnson products and should act accordingly ♦ ♦ ♦ And this is also taken from the January issue of the Typographical Journal: “Considerable- notoriety was gained by its originators when the Bedeaux company ‘speed-up’ system was announced a few years ago. More of the same will be forthcoming because of the invention and use of a S. C. NINE-POINT LABOR UNIT LEGISLATION IS OUTLINED BY COM. OF LABOR, JOHN W. NATES COLUMBIA, S. C., Jan. 19.—The State Department of Labor outlined a nine-point legislative program yesterday, making its recommendations after a careful survey and as a result of 965 inspections dealing with mat ters pertaining to labor.” John W. Nates, State commissioner of labor, made public the depart ment s proposals in a letter addressed to the Governor and the members of tne ueneral Assembly. a .?*““.in the letter that it would be “for the good of the citizens of South Carolina to have them enacted at the present General Assembly.” I he proposals follow: I* Ratification of the child labor amendment as sponsored by President Roosevelt. 2. A bill to amend the present 14 years of age child labor law to 16 years of age except far agricultural and domestic labor. 3. A general 40 hour law for all workers except those in agricultural and domestic work. )■ 4. A minimum wage law. 5. A law prohibiting the sale of convict made goods within the State in competition with goods made by free labor. 6. A wage collection law. 7. Adoption of the Federal standard boiler inspection law with provis ion for a State boiler inspector. 8. Repeal of the present labor conciliation law and placing of the mat ter of conciliation with the State Labor department. 9. Certain amendments (not specifically stated) to the act creating the Department of Labor. Thomas F. McMahon, President of the United Textile Workers of America since John Golden’s death in 1927, will likely resign to become Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Labor. The textile workers will have lost a good man in McMahon, but the move will be hailed by many as another progressive step by the UTW. McMahon’s many and varied qualifications will not be entirely lost to the International Union though, as it is felt among leaders that he will assist and advise at any time he is asked and can. Francis J. Gorman, who will no doubt accept the Presidency of the UTW when McMahon resigns, fully realizes the responsibilities attached to such a position and will take over the reins just when militant, progressive leader ship is most needed to direct the southern organizational drive. Gorman possesses the knack of being able to spur his fellow workers , into direct action and enjoys—and deserves—the confidence of the thinking workers. The Southern Organizers for the UTW were in Greenville last Friday through Monday for a conference preparatory to beginning the new drive in the South for organization on a major scale. Ideas that have worked were advanced by all the organizers and from*the »js?get,t:cna offered at the conference will come a program of a somewhat revolutionary character as regards the methods heretofore used. This time the workers will be re cruited into permanent organizations and educated as the campaign pro gresses. The workers in the southern textile mills are anxious for the union to be permanently established and know that “organization” will come to stay among them.. Long years of effort has built a firm foundation among the textile communities and on this will be organized the revised structure. John W. Pollard, President of the South Carolina Federation of Textile Workers, said the other night, in one of his eloquent moments. “What this country needs is more people who really know what the country does need.” We will hear some more from David Clark soon, now that the new' drive is being started on a unified program and Gorman will probably rise to the directing post of the UTW. In another red-baiting editorial in the Textile Bulletin we may read that McMahon was all right but Gorman is a "Red.” It takes a truthful person to be consitent though, so we may as well look at the situation iit an intelligent light. There is considerable speculation in textile union circles about whom the UTW Executive Council will select as the 5th Vice-President to fill the va cancy. The job payd $55.00 weekly, plus the many headaches entailed. The American Federation of Hosiery Workers has assigned a new Or ganizer to work in the hosiery centers in North Carolina. This brings the total number of well-trained men for this organization to five who are con centrating on North Carolina, including Henry I, Adams, who is District Maanger with headquarters in High Point. All the fellows are intelligent, union-conscious leaders, well versed in trade union principles and tactics. R. F. Strickland, of Selma, and lopgan organizer for the _UTW, told recently of some more “persecutioon” ti> which he had been subjected. , Being tired late one night he stopped in a tourist camp in eastern North Carolina for the night’s rest. As one usually does in such places, he left his car parked outside the cabin; the gas tank was almost full. When he arose and prepared to depart, it was discovered tht his gas tank was empty of gas but filled with sand . . . eastern Carolina sand. This discovery was somewhat late, however, as h^ had tried to start the car as usually was done in the morning. The carburetor had been ruined as well as other parts of his motor and the repair bill amounted to slightly more than $25.00. Strickland had to pay the bill too, as the UTW treasury is not raided every time an organizer gets into trouble. This is just another example of what labor organizers have to suffer. Cooley To Be Boosted By McDonald Men, Is Report Circulated! Will Congressman (Harold Cooley! fall heir to Dr. Ralph McDonald’s 216,000 anti-administration demo crats in the next governor’s race? was a question which Mecklenburg ers on both sides of the fence were wrestling with today. It was a whale of a question. All that was known here was that the McDonaldites were preparing to make overtures to Coo ley. They want him. He is a politi cal natural, so far as they are con cerned. They see in him a Joshua to lead the wandering lshmaelites out of Moses McDonald’s wilderness over into the Promised Land, there to blow, some blasts and crumble the walls of Jericho. The fight, if it comes off, accord ing to the present dope, would be be tween State Treasurer Charlie John son, who will take the Hoey mantle and carry on for the old guard, and Cooley, silvert-ongued liberal of Nashville, who defeated George Ross Pou and the state machine for the Pou place in congress. He is very friendly with the Dick Fountain fac tion in the east and the Fountain and McDonald groups last year were in separable and indivisable. Between Cooley and Johnson, the state could expect one heck of a scrap.—Char lotte News. MRS. HARRY BOATE HOME FROM HOSPITAL The many friends of Mrs. tHarry Boate will be pleased to learn that she has returned home from General Mercy hospital, where she under went her second operation within the past three months, and that she is convalescing nicely, being, it is be lieved, on a speedy roard to recovery. The Colonel is wearing a broad smile, and well he way, at such good for tune. moving: picture camera which can take from one to four thousand pictures a minute. Focused on workers, the device will register every movement. If there be found what may be termed ‘lost motion/ steps will be taken in the business office to eliminate it. Mechanization of industry may be inev itable, but mechanization of workers is a step too far to be tolerated.” Workers in cotton mills throughout the south already know much about this speed-up system, and they should fight shy when they see a camera pointed at them in the workroom. It may mean more trouble for them ■ I . '■ ■
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Jan. 21, 1937, edition 1
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