i • . ' !
The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY In Mecklenburg County. For a Weekly. Ifa Readers Represent the LARGEST BUTiNQ POWER fa rh—W^>
Ctir Charlotte labor Journal H*?
Truthful, Honest, Impartial *fT* . . AND DIXIE FARM NEWS Endeavoring to Serve the Maim
VOL. VIII—NO. 36 .1" j;.^wlw,*L " * *—* CHARLOTTE, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 1939 m $2,60 Per Yea*
CRITICISM BY A. F. OF L. OF N. L. R. B.
TO BE CARRIED TO CONGRESS-SAY
BOARD HAS BEEN PARTIAL TO C. L 0.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, —The
American Federation of Labor will
carry to Congress this week its criti
cism of the National Labor Relations
Board.
A. F. of L. officials, ho have con
tended the board is partial to the
,, C. I. O., said today amendments had
> been prepared which would restrict
the agency’s power and make substan
' tial changes in its methods of acting
on labor cases.
Senator Burke, Democrat, Ne
braska, an outspoken congressional
critic of the board, disclosed that he
had some additional changes in mind,
but he did not detail them/
. Burke said that he expected the
A. F. of L. recommendations wbuld
cause the Senate Labor Committee
to investigate the board and that he
would not renew his 1938 proposal
for a special inquiry.
“The board has demonstrated its
weaknesses so conclusively that I do
not think special hearings will be
necessary,” he said.
Burke made public yesterday a let
ter he had written to J. Warren Mad
den, board chairman, charging that
“■instead of diminishing the causes of
labor disputes and pointing the way
toward industrial peace, you have,
multiplied such causes and produced
a condition approaching industrial
' anarchy.”
An A. F. of L. official said the
amendments to be offered would em- j
body principles approved by the Fed
eration convention last October.
Major changes proposed ^include:
A requirement that the board must
grant one craft or class of workers
the right to select its bargaining rep
resentatives by majority vote.
A limitation of the board’s power
to invalidate union contracts, coupled
with a requirement that the board
notify all interested parties before
passing on a contract in dispute.
Establishment of standard quali
fications for NLRB examiner, a pro
vision .to permit affidavits of preju
I dice to be filed against examiners,
and clarification of the board’s power
' to issue subpoenas.
Elimination of alleged “star cham
ber proceedings” by making case
files and records available to all in
terested parties.
A 30-day limitation on the time
in which the board may call hereing
after a request is filed, and a 45-day
limitation on the period in which a
case must be decided after all testi
, hony is taken. ,
A. F. of L. Maps Five-Point Program
For Organizing United Textile Workers;
To Launch Campaign Immediately
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.—The
American Federation of Labor an
nounced yesterday a five-point pro
gram for organizing textile workers.
. The announcement followed a con
ference ofrFrancis J. Gorman, presi
dent of the United Textile Workers;
Francis P. Fenton, chairman of the
northern division of the National
Council of Textile Workers; and
George Googe, chairman of the south
ern division of the council.
C. I. O. textile leaders do not rec
ognize Gorman as president of the
U. T. W. They recognize George
Baldanzi as the head, claiming Gor
man had been ousted by union of
. ficials.
Gorman recently broke into the
Congress of Industrial Organizations
and proposed calling a convention of
the United Textile Workers to deter
mine a future policy of affiliation.
Today’s announcement said union
representatives reported “demorali
zation” of the Textile Workers’ Or
ganizing committee and that its mem
bers were, eager to join the A. F. of
L. The T. W. O. C. is the textile or
ganizing foree of the C. I. O.
The announcement said the confer
ence recommended that an organiza
tion campaign be launched immedi
ately; that the A. F. of L. executive
council be asked to reinstate the U. T.
W„ expelled when the union joined
the C. I. O.; that a special convention
of U. T. W. workers be held before
June 1; that the National Council of
Textile Workers, established* several
months ago by the A. F. of L., con
tinue to function pending the U. T.
W. convention; and that a southern
cotton textile federation be created, j
Googe announced that he had .called i
a conference in Atlanta for January
28 and 29 to organize the southern
federation.
Women’s Union
Label League Has
First Meet of Year
Editor: Labor: Journal: \
The first meeting of the Women’s
\ Union Label League tihs year was
, well attended. We are starting the
new year off in a big way. We took
in one new member. Many matters
of importance was brought up. Mr.
Thrift explained the work of the edu
cational committee. The two mem
bers he asked for to serve on the edu
cational committee were appointed,
they are as follows: Mrs. J. A. Moore
and Mrs. U- L. Kiser. We were very
glad to have the' educational com
mittee meet with us.^ We are co
operating.! with this committee and
hope we can be of much help to them.
We had election of officers. They are
as follows: President, Mrs. A. J. Du
mas; vice-president, ,Miss Vernette
Threatt; secretary, Mrs. H. L. Mc
Crorie; treasurer, Mrs. J. A. Moore;
Sergeant-at-Arms, Mrs. J. A. Scog
j, gins; doorkeeper, Mrs. W. M. Witter.
/ Miss Vernette Threatt.
CROSLEY PRODUCTS
CARRY UNION LABEL
CINCINNATI, Ohio.—A campaign
to mobilize the millions of members
\ of the American Federation of La
bor to purchase the union label pro
ducts of the Crbsley Corporation was
started here by Local B-1061, Inter
national Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, an. A. F. of L. affiliate
The company’s products carry the
union label of the Brotherhood.
PATRONIZE THOSE
WHO ADVERTISE IN
N THE JOURNAI.
City Employees
Must Live In
The City Limits
Within 90 days; City employees
who live beyond the city limits wil
have to return their residence to the
city or resign their positions with the
City Government, it was revealed in
notices which yesterday were in the
hands of department officials.
The notice went front J. B. Mar
shall, City manager, who said that
the Council, at the insistence of Coun
cilman Claude L. Albea, had adopted
the ruling.—News.
Martin Ready To
Sever Relations
With Lewis’ C.I.O.
DETROIT, Jan. 24.—Homer Mar
tin, whom the C. I. G. refused today
to recognize as president of the United
Automobile Workers union, indicated
tonight that he wished no further re
lationships with the U. A. W.’ parent
body.
. Martin, who frequent reports have
said would attempt to lead his U. A.
W. adherents out of the Congress of
Industrial Organization into an in
dependent union or renewed affilia
tion with the American Federation of
Labor, commented crisply:
“It (the C. I. O.’s action) simply
means that the C. I. O. is leaving us.
I shall make no appeal to stay within
their good graces. I have no desire
to appeal.”
The scientific evolutionist may do
some wonderful things in theory and
one of the roots of many evils.
[CBAKLOTTE | Friday • Saturday I
"LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT
(Title). “LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT"
(Subject)—“New Eba"
NO. 2
We are living today in what you
may term the “New Romantic Era"
far from the horse and buggy days,
where rugged individualism days are
passing away. Where all wise and
far-thinking men and women are
organizing. A day when the unor
ganized will eventually become organ
ized, because men must co-operate to
live as our complex civilization leaves
no choice. Where the American Fed
eration of Labor is today the organ
ization for all laboring people. Not
only because it is the majority and
that the American people believe in
the majority rule. Not only because
it is built upon independent, stalwart,
mutual respect lines. But, because
it has fought the fight and kept the
faith, and has always believed In the
fundamental principles of democracy.
We are living in this new era when
you may see the Queen Mary sailing
the Atlantic, the China Clipper span
ning the Pacific, men flying around
the world in less than five days.
All of which teaches us to always
be mindful to keep in step with
sciences that the American genius
has achieved, which in doing so will
ultimately insure to the everlasting
benefit of Luboi’s social and economic
foundation.
Labor has aided wonderfully in
the building up of the United States,
and should get in return a just por
tion of the increased dividends made
possible by its co-operation and effi
ciency. This should come about by
capital and labor having mutual re
spect for each other, and getting
together in socalled conferences to
settle their disputes by arbitration
in a brotherly-love way. In this
new era the two must work hand in
hand, because one can’t survive with
. out the other. Capital and Labor
i should work together so that busi
. ness would click like the pendelum
of a clock. First, let us in the labor
ing ranks show the public that we
can work together with that indispen
sable brand of harmonious co-opera
tion, which is a stranger to defeat
and a friend to an avowed objective.
Our main objective as I see it it
“Shorter Hours and More Pay.” Who
is it that wouldn’t want shorter hours
and more pay so as to enable them to
I have more time and money so they
could go places, see things, and be
come better educated—consequently,
making for themselves and their pos
terity better American citizens? Who
.s it that with love in their hearts
would deprive a man or woman of
that chance?
! One good thing for every body to
remember in this new era is this—
! “There is a principal which is a bar
against all information, which is a
proof against all argument, and which
cannot fail to keep a man in ever
lasting ignorance, and that principal
is condemnation before investigation.”
In closing let me tell you about a
Negro driving his master in a buggy
down a country lane in southern
Kentucky. As the two drove along
the Negro would take his whip and
crack it at bumble bees sucking the
beautiful flowers which grew on the
side of the road. , Finally they came
beneath a limb of a tree spreading
over the road whereupon hung a hor
net’s nest. The master noticed that
the Negro failed to take a crack at
the hornet’s nest, and asked Sam
why? Sam replied thusly—No, no'
sir, boss, no siree—des are Organized.
“Next week the subject will be
“New Philosophy.”
‘ . W. S. CAMPBELL,
President N. C. Fed. P. 0. Clerks.
WILMINGTON TRUCK DRIVERS HOLD
FIRM IN THEIR STRIKE AGAINST
SOUTHERN OIL TRANSPORTATION CO.
WILMINGTON, Jan. 23.—Strike
of truck drivers employed by the
Southern Oil Transportation com
pany which was called October 30
continues in effect here. Labor offi
cials, United States Department of
Labor conciliators, representatives
from the State Department of Labor,
and others have been in on the case,
but so far R. L. Brinson, head of
the concern, seems able to withstand
it all. Strike-breaking truck drivers
have played havoc with Brinson’s
trucks, it is said, damages to rolling
stock amounting up in the thousands,
yet the man continues his fight.
Brinson is ill, so he tells the Labor
Board Officials—so ill that he can
not appear before the board. Yet
it is known that Mr. Brinsin sroes
right on day-alter daTSH^dihg to
the affairs of his business.
The striking drivers are holding
firm. There is no thought of giving
up the fight, leaders say. Picket
lines are kept intact, although full
three months have elapsed since the
strike was forced upon the men.
Brinson is also head of the Atlantic
States Motor Lines, and it is said
interested people are now working
among the drivers oh this line, and
that complete organization of these
drivers will soon be an accomplished
fact.
Shower Given By
The Typo. Auxiliary
To Mrs. C. B. Capps
The Women’s Typographical Union
Auxiliary met* Monday night with
Mrs. John P. White, on Grandin road,
Mrs. C. B. Capps being joint hostess.
While it was a regular business meet
ing, a shower given to Mrs. Capps
was one of _ the features, and it was
one of which she, as well as the
auxiliary, should be proud. The next
meeting will be held with Mrs. J.
H. Honeycutt, 205 Sylvania avenue,
on Monday, February 20.
The attendance was very good and
reports were made as to the activities
in the label field, as well as along
other lines.
Mrs. W. R. Cashwell, president,
presided.
ROBERT BYRON HEADS
SHEET METAL WORKERS
WASHINGTON, D. C.—The exe-|
cutive board the the Sheet Metal
Workers International Association,
m session here, elected Robert Byron,
of the Springfield, Illinois, local of
the Association to serve the unexpir
ed term of John J. Hynes who was
re-elected general president for a,
four-year term last year and who ’
died in Washington a few weeks ago.1
Land held for higher prices will not
starve like Labor, nor go to waste
like Capital.
Central Labor Union
Educational Com
To Sponsor Dance
Wednesday, Feb. 23
The delegates from-the various* lo
cals which comprise the Educational
Committee of Central Labor Union,
whose main work is to forward the
label, also met in the Journal office
Fliday night, and was well attended,
and plans made for future work. A
dance at Central Labor Union hall
was announced and approved for
Wednesday night, February 23, 8:30
to 12, taking the place of the Central
body meeting that night. Round and
square dancing will be enjoyed. Ad
mission was placed at $1 per couple.
This fund goes into the committee
work for the label.
Subscribe for The Journal
The scientist claims that billion, of
years ago, a single, vast atom new
up, its far-flying fragments becoming
stars of the universe. But where’d
the atom come from?
Food prices are still high. And the
AAA for 1939 aims to deplete soil to
the extent of 270 to 285 million acres.
Farmers will receive $712,000,000 in
Federal funds for not raising crops
on the depleted soil.
Ancient Greeks considered black
berries a preventative of gout.
Subscribers Please Take Notice!
The Charlotte Labor Journal requests subscribers when
changing their addresses to either telephone 3-3094, or mail
to the Office, 302 South College street, the new address. By
doing this the Labor Journal will save time and money and
will assure the subscriber to the paper when mailed, its
certain delivery. Subscribers failing to comply with the
above request, cannot hold the Labor Journal responsible for
not receiving their paper. So, please do not fall to do this,
if you are contemplating moving, or changing your address.
The Labor Journal will be very grateful for this information,
as its local list has increased so rapidly within the past six
months that this information will help a a great deal in
keeping the “come-backs" down, and the P. O. does not like
“comebacks," even if they do collect two cents each for them.
TAX EXEMPTION. BILL OF VOGLER
OCCUPIES SPOTLIGHT IN GENERAL
ASSEMBLY’S JOINT MONEY COM.
RALEIGH, Jan. 24.—Represents
tive Vogler’s tax exemption measure
occupied the spotlight in the Assem
bly’s joint money committees Monda:
afternoon and there was plenty o:
talking for exclusion of all article!
of food for home consumption fron
the present North Carolina sales tax
First organization to take the flooi
before the joint finance committe<
in support of the Vogler group ex
emption measure was the North Caro
lina Food Dealers association undei
the leadership of Mayor Thomas E
Cooper of Wilmington. The mule
dealer chief executive directed his
remarks in behalf of sales tax relief
for the farmer and the small trader in
the border counties.
Representative Vogler was then
called upon by Senate Finance Chair
man H. P. Taylor to pilot the North
Carolina Food Dealers association
and others who were present in be
half of the food exemption amend
ment. Vogler yielded to O. A. Swar
ingen, a merchant of Concord, who
appealed, for the measure “not in the
name of merchants, but in the name
of unfortunate and poor people who
need every penny £>r essential food
each day.”
Swaringen, a member of the 1935
State Senate, declared that “those of
us who serve little children and the
poorer customers across the counters
of retail stores only ask for justice.”
As a pledge of good faith by the
food dealers of North Carolina,
Swaringen extended an offer to the
• committee: “If you are willing to
i exempt all foods for home consump
. tion, we, as retail merchants are
, willing to pay a higher license or
, franchise tax on a graduated scale
in an effort to offset the tax revenue
1 loss to the State that might accrue."
1 R- P- Covington of Charlotte treas
urer of the association, fallowed
Swaringen and presented the public
reaction of inability and refusal to
pay the sales tax pennies. “I only
wish that we could convey the daily
public.protest which arises over the
collection of the sales tax,” explained
Mr. Covington, “for these difficul
ties and irritations over sales tax
pennies are the daily lot of the poorer
housewife.
“In the end, the small neighbor
hood retail grocer pays the tax he can
not, or does not have the heart to
collect," Covington continued, "for
every hour in the day he must «W1
with many small children and poor
people not able to pay the extra penny
on a 10-cent purchase of necessity.
A. L. Berry of Hickory, and D. L.
Angelo of Winston-Salem also spoke
briefly in favor of the proposal while
Representative Vogler clarified sev
eral questions from the floor.
After the public hearing, Mr. Vog
ler displayed a petition in behalf of
his food exemptions from 2,200 resi
dents of .Catawba county. The com
mittee will take action on the amend
ment at a later date.
The meeting was attended by Sen
ator Blythe and Representative Vog
ler. ,
AUTO WORKERS CLASH IN DETROIT
AS C. I. 0. CLAN TRIES TO OUST
HOMER MARTIN FROM AUTHORITY
DETROIT, Jan. 23.—Hand-to-hand
fighting broke out in a meeting of ap
proximately 2,000 automobile workers
Sunday afternoon, marking the first
mass violence of the clash between
adherents and foes of Homer Martini
whose position as president of the
powerful United Automobile Work
ers (C. I. O.) union has been chal
lenged by the union’s executive board.
The fighting occurred:at a meeting
of the Plymouth local of the U. A.
W. in Cass Technical High School. A
force of nearly 300 police was on hand,
and the violence was short lived, but
the audience was dotted with black
eyes and bruised chins.
After the meeting Pat McCarthey,
a pro-Martin leaders of the local, an
nounced that the body had voted
“about 7 or 10 to 1” in support of
Martin’s activities.
The anti-Martin group, however,
charged that their forces had been in
control of the meeting at first, but
that “the McCarthy outfit came in
with police protection and took over.”
“It was a clear demonstration of
the will of the rank and fUe,” Martin
said after the meeting.
Richard T. Frankensteen, a U. A.
W. vice-president suspended by Mar
tin Friday in what was described as a
purge of “Communist dominated fac
tions in the union,” said that “the po
lice provided every comfort for the
McCartney men,” and added that the
resolution had no official status un
der the union’s constitution. Ha
clpirged that police had surrounded
the microphone and allowed only
Martin adherents to use the public
address system.
Sporadic fist fighting had broken
out while the throng of union mem
bers waited outside in the wind-swept,
street to be admitted to the building.
As the crowd UvJded into the hail,
each man being stopped to have his
credentials examined by police and of
ficials of the local, other scuffling
took place, and when the crowd was
seated fighting broke out on the
stage. One man was knocked from
the platform to the concrete floor be
low, but apparently was not injured
seriously. Police said that probably
25 men were involved in the fighting
on the stage. Extra police were then
called in, and the stage was ringed
with them, .while other police were
stationed throughout the auditorium.
Both sides attempted to gain the
floor. Leo La Motte, who had been
suspended by Martin as president of
the Plymouth local and later was re
instated by the executive board, stood
on the table and was cheered. Me
Carthey seized an American flag and
waved it and was cheered.
One section of the crowd shouted
“we want Martin” periodically, and
was answered with a chant of “C.
I. O.—C. L O.—C. I. 0.” ^
Local Relief Load
Leads Carolinas
With 643 Cases
WASHINGTON, Jan 24.—Char
lotte still carries the heaviest relief
load of any city in the Carolinas, the
Social Security reported today. Tak
ing December figures, it was stated
that Charlotte had 643 cases on the
rolls in December, with the total cost,
$5,126. Increase over November was
32 per cent in costs. Spartanburg,
S. C., had only 62 relief cases last
month, with the total costs only $652.
Sec. Labor Perkins
Says 230,268 Were
Given Jobs in Dec.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.—Secre
tary of Labor Perkins reported Satur
day 230,268 jobs were filled by em
ployment service office in Decem
ber, bringing the 1938 total of .place
ments to $2,701,349. She said the
December total included 160,982 jobs
in private industry. Applications for
work, she said, “continued the down
trend which had been evident in re
cent months.”
P.O. Clerks Auxiliary
Gives Silver Tea At
Mrs. D. T. Ashcrafts
The Ladies Auxiliary to Local No.
375 of the National Federation of \
Post Office Clerks held a silver tea
at the home of Mrs. T. D. Ashcraft i
at 2300 Charlotte drive Tuesday after
noon.
Mrs. W. S. Campbell, president of
the auxiliary, met the guests at the
door. rMs. T. F. Alexander kept the
register and Mrs. R. H. Thomas pour
ed tea. Mrs. D. T. Ashecraft, Mrs.
W. H. Moon, Mrs. S. F. Blackwelder,
and Mrs. R. T. Joyner served. The
table was decorated with a lace doth,
a centerpiece of mixed flowers,
white candles. Sixty guests called
during the afternoon.—Observer.
CARD OF THANKS
Earle E. Johnson, of 215 S. Ramsey
street, Hoskins, wishes to express
thanks to friends for their expres
. sions of sympathy and kindly aid dur
ing the sickness and death of his
wife, Willie Irene, who passed away
after a brief illness, Thursday, Jan
uary 19th.
Patronize Journal Advertisers
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Every union in the eity should have u press correspondent.
You want news of your unions to appear in your paper.
Then get busy and see that some one is especially appointed to —*
it in. r .
And see that it reaches the office on time, for every paper has a
closing time. t
All news must be in the office not later than 5 o’clock Tuesday evening,
if it is to appear in our next issue.
THE CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL —
CHARLOTTE, N. C.