F, . W-kb It,
Official
Labor Uaioa;
Ob* A. F. of L.
Che Charlotte labor Journal
H«1
poaiUl
■A
Truthful, RUmst, Impartial
-. 'A*
vol. viil-no:*
by tbo N. C. Stata
naa of Labar
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
Endeavoring to Serve the Jf<
«9V« AtVMTItlMUIT IN TUB JMRMH « A
INVMTMSNT
12.00 Per Taai
CHARLOTTE, N. G, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1939
ALABAMA COAL MINERS SAY LEWIS
“SOLD THEM DOWN THE RIVER;”
CALLS IT CRIME AGAINST THE UNION
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 22.—“It
is the Bfatck Crime of 193#,” was the
answer that a veteran coal miner here
gave to a reporter when asked what
he thought of the contracts signed
with commercial coal companies by
John L. Lewis for the United Mine
Workers, and under Lewis’ direction
the contracts signed by the UMW offi
cers in the Birmingham district.
“It is a crime against the Union, a
crime a/ainst the members and a
crime against freedom and democ
racy," the miner said. The miners
had 26 demands for their advance
ment and protection in the original
proposed agreement, and John Lewis
waived and surrendered every demand
of the miners in order to get the closed
shop feature in the contract, the miner
pointed out.
“Not only that,” he said “but the
contract contains the penalty provis
ion, and we cannot make a noise nor
utter a word of protest against any
condition that may be imposed upon
us during the coming two years, nor
can we re-open the contract during
that period, ho matter what inflation
might do to us. We’ve simply been
sold down the river by John Lewis
for the sole right of the closed shop,
and all that he wanted with that
clause was to enable him to lay assess
ments upon just whenever and in
whatever amounts he wants to. We’re
helpless now, and it is a crime, a
black crime,” he said.
Id th« captive mines operated
here by the T. G. I., an open con
tract was signed covering only the
small CIO membership in these mines.
The American Federation of uabor
Miners’ Unions in the properties at
the T. C. I., and in other captive
mines, are negotiating contracts for
the A. F. of L. membership.
The miners of the Birmingham dis
trict are most resentful. They lost
48 days’ work during the negotiations,
and then had to g:o back to work with
a contract that did not get them one
single advancement in wages, im
provement in working conditions, or
any other thing of value of any kind.
All that John Lewis got, as stated by
the irate miner, was the closed shop
agreement which, as stated by the
miner above quoted, “got nothing for
the miners for the time lost and suf
fering endured, but did put us in
bondage under John Lewis, so he can
assess us whenever he wants to. And
to get this right to assess us, he sign
ed away every right we have to strike
by agreeing to insert the penalty
clause, so now if conditions arise that
we can’t stand, we dare not protest,
for we will be penalised a dollar a
day each if we do.’’
So strong is the feling of resent
ment and revolt among the miners
against Lewis that some of the local
officials of the UMW are known to
be uneasy about the situation facing
them.
Ladies Of Typo.
Auxiliary Enjoy
Monday’s Meeting
With Mrs. Kuinpie
The Women’s Auxiliary of Char
lotte Typographical Union had one of
its sooet enjoyable meetings on Mon
day night of this weak with Mrs. J.
E. Kuinpie acting as hostess. The
meeting was one of business, yet the
social contact was not forgotten by
the ladies, and the gracious hostess
did not stint on hea#itaiitg. The gist
of the meeting, of course, was to de
vise ways and means of raising funds
for the Auxiliary’s delegate, Mrs.
W. R. Cashwell, to the Fort Worth,
Texas, convention of the I. T. U.
Auxiliary, which meets in conjunc
tion with the I. T. U. The home was
decorated with sweet peas and roses,
with “a bouquet” for all present.
The next meeting was announced
for Wednesday of this week with
Mrs. Hugh Sykes, 1701 E. Boulevard,
at which time a card party was
given, which resulted in adding much
to the delegate fund. A fish fry is
60,000 Aircraft
Workers Soon To
Be Called For
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Sixty thou
sand skilled workers in the aircraft
industry in addition to the forty
thousand already employed will be
required to meet the expanded mili
tary and naval program of the Gov
ernment, according to the report of
President oRosevelt’s interdepart
mental committee on mechanics’
training for that industrial group.
slated for early in June, announce
ment of which will be made at a later
date.
One of the features that was
frowned upon by all the ladies pres
ent was the resignation tendered by
Mrs. Robert White as secretary of
the Auxiliary. Mrs. White has served
for 10 year8 in this capacity, and it
is hoped by every member of the
Auxiliary that she may be prevailed
upon to continue in that capacity.
INTER. LABOR OFFICE AT GENEVA
SUGGESTS REDUCTION OF HOURS BE
POSTPONED AND REFERRED BACK;
25 GOVERNMENTS MAKE REPLY
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.—In a
report on reduction of hours of work
in industry and commerce which will
be submitted to the International La
bor Conference when it opens in Ge
neva on June 8, the International La
bor Office suggests that the question
be postponed and referred back to the
Governing Body for reconsideration
at a later date.
The report discloses that of 25 gov
ernments which have replied to a
questionnaire sent out last autumn
by the ILO only 7 governments favor
a 40-hour wek. 9 others are definitely
opposed to any reduction of the work
week below 48 hours and the remain
9, while favoring the principle of a
shorter work week declared that they
coud not coontempelate a reduction at
this time.
The report points out that in the
present state of political insecurity
and economic instability throughout
<a great part of the world, govern
ments hesitate to assume an inter
national obligation at this time to re
duce hours of work in industry and
commerce.
“It is obvious," says the report,"
that they wish to remain free, in order
to be able to meet any obligations
that may be suddenly imposed by the
requirements of national military and
economic defense.
“The International Labor Organiza
tion cannot ignore the present situa
tion. Thus the ILO is of the opinion
that, unless there is a very marked
change for the better in the situation
durin gthe next months, the Confer
ence would do well to postpone the
discussion on the generalization of the
reduction of hours of work in indus
try and a request to enter it again
on the agenda when the prospects of
success are better.
“The present situation is altogether
exceptional and cannot be other than
temporary. When it becomes possible
to build up a genuine political and
economic peace, the probler of, re
ducing hours of work will be increas
ingly important and will have to be
examined internationally in all its
aspects."
ANOTHER BRINSON CO. HEADED
FOR LABOR TROUBLE—TO TURN CO.
UNION INTO AN A F. L OF UNIT
ANOTHER PRISONER—18 d c
ATLANTA, Ga., May 22.—Atlanta
trade unionists are planning real as
sistance to the truck drivers fired last
week by the Atlantic Motor Lines, and
the truck driven of the Southern Oil
Transportation company, Wilmington,
N. C., who have been on strike since
lest October. R. L. Brinson, of High
Point, N. C., is head of both truck
ing companies.
Brinson’s drivers on the Atlantic
States Motor iines, running from
Atlanta to Baltimore and points East,
met last week for die purpose of turn
ing their company union into a local
union chartered by the Teamsters and
Chauffeurs International Union. Fif
teen of the drivers were fired, and
the superintendent who did the fir
ing is said to have made the bold
statement that they were being dis
ckufidte JfliAf tki AeferfL
The case has already bam laid be*
fore the Labor Board, while E. C. Cur
tis, United States Commissioner of
Conciliation, is in High Point this
week attempting to adjust the mat?
ter through conciliation. In the mea£
***? Atlanta labor movement is
getting into the situation with an ex
pressed determination to help the
truck drivers of the Brinson companies
H* thui*1 struggle for the right to be
t®"* J® union of their choice. In
teresting developments are expected
at an early date in this situation.
^TheAmeriw1 workman receives in
EDITORIAL
WHITHER ARE WE DRIFTING
With Geneva holding off the International Shorter Work
Week Conference on account of chaotic conditions existing be
tween the Nations; with Germany and Italy telling the ‘‘cock
eyed” world where to get off; with the C. I. O. arraying itself
against the A. F. of L., causing disruption to a degree among
the workers of America; with charges and counter charges be
ing hurled at one another by the “Mule” and “Elephant” political
factions; with the turmoil in the WPA and the PWA; the Arabs
and the Jews in Palestine; the different factions politically, even
among one-time bedfellows in our own bailiwick; it must be said
that we are upon turbulous times. Yea, one-time friends knifing
each other; former enemies becoming bedfellows; royalty visit
ing our shores to be katowjed to, etc., the average American citi
zen would like to know, if he ever comes out of the state of coma
he has been in for some time, where he is at. Mark Sullivan tells
us this; Roger Babson tells us that; Pearson and Allen in the
“Merry-Go-Round” rear back on anything and everybody, while
Tucker and McMillen, in “the Whirligig,” make surveys that
the public enjoys but brings pain to many of the “subjects” dis
cussed; churches splitting and combining; concessions by and
wooing of the different factions in many organizations; the U. S.
Chamber of Commerce shooting the works against Roosevelt and
the Administration, and our President retaliating with a counter
blow carrying force, it seems as if we are headed for the “demni
tion bow-wows,” to use the saying of old Man Wittowsky, in the
early days of Charlotte.
If only men could realize, both of high and low station, that
we are all of the earth, and to the earth we return; that the con
ditions under which we are born makes the difference, unless
those conditions are surmounted. It is true, as has been said of
old, you can not get a thoroughbred race horse out of a plug,
unless you breed it up through the mixing process; you can not
get a thoroughbred Jersey out of a scrub cow; you can not make
a silk purse out of a sow’s ear—but you can breed up, educate and
build up a finer race of humans, and we are marching toward that
goal.
America—the melting pot—yes, America the home of the
free and the land of the brave; discovered by Columbus, and
first ruled by lords and over-lords, commissioned by a king who
despised the “common herd,” the “common herd” in turn despising
him, and whose shores they left in the first instance as slaves
or semi-slaves, to great degree; a few Gentry being among them,
with grants for landed estates, and with toil placed upon the
backs of the “subjects,” in other words, serfdom in its worst
form—until the day of reckoning came, all in the brewing years
prior to 1776; prior to the Boston Tea Party; prior to the Twen
tieth of May Declaration in Charlotte, and the July 4th Declara
tion in Philadelphia. And yet, Autocracy and Aristocracy, in the
guise of Liberty, took on more keenly the slave idea.
Time went on, the (Jivu War came, ana our beloved boutn
net its defeat; slaves were liberated after the Confederacy’s de
feat, and the South suffered humiliation never to be forgotten at
the hands of the “Carpetbaggers” and OTHERS; but it arose from
the ashes to be the greatest section of a great Republic. Then An
archism came, with the Haymarket riots in Chicago, with its Red
Flag of destruction, and vandalism following in its wake; with the
Mafia not far behind in murderous intrigues—but, America sur
vived it all. And then along came the American Federation of
Labor, ceasing only momentarily for the Knights of Labor, under
Z. V. Powderly, to appear as a flaming comet and disappear into
the Great Unknown. Then the A. F. of L. started on a March
under Samuel Gompers that was to lead labor to emancipation
from industrial slavery, and a march that was tq make America
safe, to great degree, from the termites that would eat in and
destroy the foundation upon which our great Republic is built. . It
has educated along the lines of Labor! it has preached education
for the underprivileged, as well as for our entire citizenship; it
preached the elimination of immature children from the sweat
shops and mills, along with our frail and helpless women, saving
them from long hours of suffering; it has preached loyalty to the
Flag; it has preached conservatism; it has preached the right of
man to a decent wage, to decent living conditions, to reasonable
hours of toil; to recognition in society as man to man, as against
class vs. class; it has preached the right of collective bargaining,
as against the dictatorship of employer over employe; it has put
forth the doctrine of Christianity; it has ever believed in and
stood for averting war, whenever possible, yet yielding from the
ranks of Labor a great portion of the “material” that served as
gun-fodder so that munition manufacturers and those deailng
in the necessities of life might stay, at home, "glorify” the boys at
the front, and wax fat.
And the A. F. of L., tried and true, a body of workers who
have weathered the gale, rode out the storm, is still, this writer
believes, one of the greatest factors in the preservation of our
indpendence. It has never had an “ism" other than Americanism;
it has never been desirous of telling our Government where to
get off, or on; it has only fought for elevation of the masses and
the masses are the toilers to a great degree.
The Labor Journal would not detract one iota from Capital,
for the men who control capital are versed well in the manipula
tion of figures, and worries and tribuations and sleepless nights
are their portion, and were “Big Business” placed in the hands
of the workers ill would it fare. Each man to his own task, each
man to his own calling; some in high places, some in obscure
places; but we can at least deal fairly one with the other, accord
ing to his works, his ability and his needs.
The writer did not start this editorial off as a diatribe, but
merely to call attention to the confused conditions existing to
day among all peoples, and he wandered'off in the lanes of thought
and reminiscence; Thinking of the old days and the new, and won
dering if today we are building upon the solid rock of our fore
fathers; wondering if commercialism has not drawn us from our
fellowman and our God—other than the fellowship necessary for
business and survival of the fittest. »
MENACE OF THE UNEMPLOYED ARMY
The social stemsco of s permanent unemployed army was presented in
trenchant terms in an address by William Alien White, editor of the Emporia
(Kansas) Gasette, before the convention of the Asperican Society of News
paper Editors atWaaktegton. D. C. Mr. White, who was the retiring presi
dent of the Society, deplored the fact that newspapeS editors and
cease of their “large property investment, have taken the side
in mai
unfair"
to be
_„_ of property
with the result that the newspaper people
rights."
Turning to the recognised
American institutions, ltr. White said
who are seeking “new ref
in property
of mUHons of unemployed workers to
_ A threat to democracy is abroad
ployment problem In this nation restates unsolved
ed it is a meaace to the stability of ear institution*.
"We are treading on dangerous ground,
in the world. The
and every day it is -- . ,
sm 4cTcloptnj s duia€oiiflciou pfolcUuiftt which is
"It was bad enough in the days of the big boll market of the twenties to
maintain the idle rlek, but.
to maintain the idle
if in addition, wo of the middle class now have
and then the idle rich.
will ho
UNANSWERABLE INDICTMENT OF
LABOR RELATIONS BOARD BY
PADWAY SHOWS THAT BODY
BENT ON A. F. L DESTRUCTION
WASHINGTON, D. C.—One out
standing thing was clear at the con
clusion of Judge Joseph A. Padway’s
five days’ testimony before the Sen
ate Committee on Education and La
bor in favor of the amendments pro-,
posed by the A. F. of L. to the Nat
ional Labor Relations Act contained
in the Walsh bill introduced by Sena
tor Walsh of Massachusetts in the
Senate of the United States.
The purpose of the amendments is
to change the Labor Act so that it
will be impossible for any National
Labor Relations Board to ma lad min
ister the Act, as the present Labor
Board has done, with pronounced bias
against the American Federation of
Labor and in favor of the Congress of
Industrial Organizations.
Relying on the record of the La
bor Board as recorded in its decisions,
Judge Padway built up hour after
hour and day after day the well-de
fined purpose of the Board to outlaw
legal A. F. of L. contracts with em
ployers, to destroy craft unions which
are basic in the A. F. of L., and by
various other devices to injure the
American Federation of Labor and
promote the C. I. O.
In Labor Board decision after re
ciaion, Judge Padway showed that the
dates of elections to choose bargain*
ing representatives had been arbitrary
tly fixed to favor the C. L O. and dis
criminate against the A. F. of L.
unions, that elections had been either
postponed for month after month or
called quickly for the same iiliiiwes.
that the Board had voided A. F. of L.
contracts only to have t*«»n declared
valid by United States ConrteTand
that the Board’s general policy has
been one of histility to the American
Federation of Labor.
.When Judge Padway’s detailed in
dictment of the Labor Board’s anti
A. F. of L. and pro-C. I. O. policy was
finalised, there was not the shadow
of n doubt in the taliwia of impartial
observers who attended the Wring
that the case for the American Fed
eration of Labor amendments was
complete and incontestable, and that
Congress should write them into the
National Labor Relational Act and
thus make impossible for the pres
ent Labor Board or any future La
bor Board to carry out a destructive
policy against a great national and
international labor organisation like
the American Federation of Labor,
whose paid up members now approach
nearly four million.
N.C. Youth Registers
For Old-Age Pension
Insurance A c c ’ t s
Totaling 35,985
More than half of the 130,698 old
age insurance accounts set up in 1938
for worker in North Carolina were
for men and women under 30, accord
ing to a statement issued today by
G. N. Adams, Manager of the Social
Security Board’s field office at Char
lotte. N. C. More of these account
numbers, he stated, were assigned to
young people betwen 16 and 19 than
in other age group.
Mi1. Adams called attention to the
fact that workers who already bad
jobs in employment covered by Fed
eral insurance got their numbers at
the start of thrf program in 1937; and
therefore, the pulk of the new appli
cants are naturally young men and
women who are taking, or are about
to take their first jobs.
The records show that applications
for account numbers received (luring
1938 in North Carolina from young
people 16 to 19 years of age amounted
to 36,986. Some ‘81,921 application
Local Employment
Service Placed 131
On Jobs Last Week
Placements for the North Carolina
State Employment service for the
week ending May 20 were 181, ac
cording to a report released by Dis
trict Manager Philip Bunn Saturday
night. Of these placements, 118 were
in private industry. White place
ments were 37. There were 188 new
registrations.
For the corresponding weak a year
ago, there were 88 placements against
156 new registrations.
came from
20 to 24 years old,
__ , ti 29 accounting
for 19,298. This heavy demand for
social security account numbers in
1938 was found among young people
in all the States.
The preponderance of young appli
cants is particularly noticeable among
women. About 66 per cent, or 22,870,
of the women who applied for social
■security account cards in North Caro
line doing 1938, were under age 26.
Of the State’s 89,094 male applicants,
i45,470 were under age 26.
A. F. OF L AND LABOR BOARD
CONFERENCES ARE ABANDONED;
FRANK, FRIENDLY EXCHANGES
OF VIEWS INDULGED IN
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Counsel
for the National Labor Relations
Board and the American Federation
of Labor announced that they had
been unable to agree on proposed
amendments to the National Labor
Relations Act and that no further con*
ferences would be had.
Hearings held by the Senate Com
mittee on Education and Labor on
the amendments proposed by the
American Federation of Labor were
recessed to see if representatives of
the Labor Board and the A. F. of L.
could not agree on amendments
which would remedy the bias which
the Board has shown against the
American Federation of Labor and in
favor of the Congress of Industrial
Organizations. After the meetings
extending over two days, Charles
Fahy, general counsel of the Labor
Relations Board, and Joseph A. Pad
way, counsel of the A. F. of L., is
sued the following joint statement:
“Since noon of last Tuesday the
National Labor Relatione Board has
had several conferences with repre
sentatives of the American Federa
tion of Labor for the purpose of dis
cussing the proposed amendments to
the National Labor Relatione Act.
"While there was a frank and
friendly exchange of views, the Board
and the Federation were not kfale to
come to an agreement with reference
to the proposed amendments.
“The Board of the Federation are
advising Chairman Thomas of the
Senate Committee on Education and
Labor of the termination of tie con
ferences.”
Following the issuance of tbs Joint
statement, Mr. Padway said:
“The A. F. of L. will continue to
press its amendments as vigorously
and forcefully as it has to date. The
amendments were the result of the
Houston convention. They are vital
ly necessary if we are to have a fair
administration of the Labor Act on
behalf of labor and the public. Cessa
tion of conferences will have no ef
fect upon our demands.”
President U. T. W.
Charlotte Visitor
During The Week
C. M. Fox, newly elected president
of the United Textile Workers of
America, was in Charlotte this week
in connection with matters pertaining
to the organization. President Fox
is well pleased, he says, with the re
sponse which has been made to efforts
of the textile organisation forces since
the charter was re-instated two weeks
ago to the U. T. W. of A. He says
there are many thousands of textile
workers in the Carolines who will now
come into the organisation, but who
refused to affiliate as long as the
International Union was an affiliate
of the CIO.
PATRONIZE THOSE
WHO ADVERBS IN
THE JOURNAL
Keely Grice Named
Police Commissioner
By Our City Council
Keely Grice was yesterday named
Klice commissioner by Acting City
anager James W. Armstrong, at a
■alary of $4,200 a year. The board
refused to reappoint Chief Pittman.
At the private meeting of Condi,
held before the regular open session,
Mayor Douglas refused to break the
tie in the Pittman affair. Tbs ap
pointment of Grice was argued upon
by the private meeting of council by
a vote of six. Pittman will serve un
til his successor is appointed. Legal
ity of tbs action was questioned and
it is rumored that it will be taken to
Superior Court The statua of De
tective Child Littlejohn is a matter of
I conjecture. Mr. Grice states that no
changes will be mads until he has
made a thorough survey of
N. C.’s potato crop will start North this weak. In' 1918 oar
growers of “Spuds” received $3,315,000 for their crop, with this
year’s acreage 6 per cent above the ’38 crop. We “know ear
onions,** but wo must have our Haters.