TU ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY la Mackknbgrg County
jg » W—hfr If RoidMrs
tho LARGEST BUYING POWKK ki
Offldal
Ua
tbe A. F. rf L
Che Charlotte labor Journal
—
Mate TOVB
Truthful, Honest, Impartial
Endorsed by tbs N. C State Fedora
tioa of
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
Endeavoring to Serve the Me
VOL. IX—No. 46
■ ■NT IN Tim JOvnnal m a
CHARLOTTE, N. C, THURSDAY, APRIL 4,1940
92 04 Fee Jem
Organization Committee of Central
Labor Union Asks for Ambitious
Program, And Opening of Permanent
Organization Headquarters Charlotte
The meeting was called to order by President Moore,
with Chaplain Ernest Morgan making the invocation, and
the minutes of the previous meeting were reaid and ap
proved.
A report of the special resolutions committee formed
to draft a resolution to the President favoring clemency
for the WPA strikers in Minneapolis was received, and
action concurred in by the assembled delegates.
The various regular and special committees made
their reports. Actual construction is being held up on the
Skating Areas due to a delay in action by the School
Board assigning school property for them to be put on.
Hie housing authority report was very favorable.
The organization committee asked for an ambitious
program to be put over, and a motion passed to accede
in their requests that a special committee, consisting of
the Executive Committee and the organization commit*
tee, meet, with power to act, re the opening of a per*
manent organization headquarters. It was explained that
there would be no expenses involved in any way for the
Central Labor Union, other than stamps for circulation,
if necessary, etc.
The recommendation of the Board of Trustees, which
is made a part of these minutes re the Electrical Workers
local, were concurred in by the assembled delegates.
A sad announcement to Charlotte Labor circles was
the announcement of the retirement of State Vice* Presi
dent H. L. Kiser as Business Agent for the Charlotte
Building Trades Council.
A new representative has been chosen to represent
the carpenters local, as announced by the Delegates from
the Carpenters.
Two International Representatives made their usual
enlightening talks on conditions in the South in the field
of Labor, particularly affected their repsective crafts:
Brother Clary of the Electrical Union, and Brother Me*
Guigan, of the international Retail Clerks. The Secre
tary was instructed by President Moore and the assembled
delegates to turn over a report of the meeting to Bro
ther Witter in time for his publication. After much fur
ther discussion for the good of the order, the meeting
adjourned.
WM. S. GREENE,
Sec. Charlotte Central Labor Union.
Contestants In
4-Star Essay Are
Getting “Busy”
WASHINGTON, D. C.—I. M. Orn
burn, secretary-treasurer of the Un
ion Label Trades Department, Amer
ican Federation of Labor, announced
that the 4-Star Essay Contest spon
sored by the department is in foil
swing with hundreds of essays still
pouring into his office here. Point,
ing out that every contestant should
read carefully the twelve rules for tht
contest which can be obtained from
the department, Mr. Ornburn said
“many contestants are disqualified
because they do not abid eby tne rules
It would not be fair to award a prize
because they do not abide by the rules,
while another sent in an eaually good
essay and complied with all of them.”
Southeastern Over-the-Road Council
Meets In Charlotte Friday - Saturday;
Fourteen States To Have Delegates
The meeting scheduled for Char*
lotto Saturday and Sunday, April 8th
and 7th, of the Southeastern Am
Over-the-Road Council, of Teamsters
and Chauffeurs promises to be one of
much importance aa far as the truck
ing industry in the south and south
east is concerned. ,
H. L. McCrorie, business agent of
the Teamsters and Chauffeurs, in this
district, informs The Journal that 100
delegates are expected, and that the
meetings will beheld in the Mecklen
burg hotel, which is to be headquar
ters. The attendance will be made
up of business agents, presidents of
locals and secretaries from the vari
ous states, and matters pertaining to
interstate traffic, state and local con
ditions in the trucking industry will
be taken up and thoroughly discussed.
Organiser Frank Prow, of Birm
ingham, Ala- and Organiser T. P.
O’Brien, of Washington, D. C., will
be present and address the assem
blage.
The first meeting will be held Sat
urday afternoon, and on Sunday the
entire day will be given over to busi
ness and talks along welfare lines of
the Teamsters and Chauffeurs.
The Teamsters and Chauffeurs In
ternational is one of the largest labor
oragnisations in the country today,
beiug headed by. Dan Tobin, and is
also the largest loeal in Charlotte,
carrying nearly 600 paid-up members
on the roll, and H. L McCrorie, the
present president and business agent
organiser, is due much credit for the
forward strides made by this organ
ization, he also having been instru
mental in the formation of many other
locale in Charlotte within the past
year.
HUTCHISON EXONERATED BY FED.
COURT ON CHARGES OF ARNOLD
DECISION IS A MAJOR VICTORY
ST. LOUIS.—Federal Jodie J. C.
B. Davis threw oat of coart the anti*
trust indictments obtained against
William L. Hutcheson and three other
officials of the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners of America by
Assistant Attorney General Thur
man Arnold.
In dismissing the charges, Judge
Davis held that the Federal Govern
ment had failed to show a conspiracy
to restrain interstate commerce. The
case arose from a jurisdictional dis
pute between the carpenters’ and ma
chinists 'unions at the brewing plant
of Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
“The real purpose of the defend
ants, as disclosed by the indictment,”
Judfe Davis ruled, “was not to re
strain commerce but to prevail in a
*ocal labor controversy."
The court declared that labor unions
engaging in jurisdictional strikes are
immune from suit in the Federal
courts so long as lawful means are
employed, under the provisions of the
Nonris-^i Guardia jfr of 1932. v
, TW* important decision completely
destroyed the basis for all anti-trust
indictments growing out of jurisdic
tional disputes that have been filed at
the instigation of Thurman Arnold.
It directly controverted the recent
ruling of a Federal Court in Wash
ington, D. C., upholding an indictment
ajpdnst officials of the Teamsters’
Arnold has contended that unions
involved in jurisdictional disputes can
be prosecuted under the anti-trust
laws. Judge Davis in his decision de
molished the Assistant Attorney-Gen
eral’s contentions.
While the major daily newspapers
of' the East published big stories
about the indictment of President
Hutcheson last November, only one or
two printed a brief item about the
dismissal of the indictments, despite
the fact that the Associated Press
carried a ful laccount of the decision.
. .1who were indicted with Prea
.»nd were exonerat
ed with him by Judge Davis included
George C. Oftens, of Chicago, a gen
eral representative of the union: and
*nd Joseph A.
Klein, of the district council in St.
Infill.
The decision of Judge Davis was a
J * for the AmoriMw Fed
contended that labor unions” cannot
be prosecuted under the anti-trust
«*P*rte<> to prove a severe
blow to Thurman Arnold’s campaign
to place organized labor under the
thumb of the Federal Government, i
Ancient Egypt had their own anp.
ply of asphalt for preparing mum
mies. It was probably received from
a spring at Zaaate.
state
DEPART MEAt
LABOR.
utoi—iii—tT
>r~1H
'it mi
JOB APPLICATION
(UNEMPLOYMENT
, COMPENSATION CLAIM
I
^INSPECTOR'S REPORT
i\
\'.WORKMEN’S
A COMPENSATION CLAIM
WAGE
CLAIMS
^INDUSTRIAL HOME-WORK COMPLAINT
EMPLOYMENT \
CERTIFICATE
' sd
^MINIMUM WAGE COMPLAINT
lb SAFETY
SwNSULTANT
State Labor Departments serve
wage earners in many important
/tractions cp government
■ ...
A. F. L Overwhelms
C. L 0. In Elections
During Past Month
Smashing victories for the Ameri
can Federation of Labor over th<
CIO all over the country were re
corded in the latest official bulletin
of the National Labor Relations
Board on the results of coUsctive bar
gaining elections during the past
month.
Of forty-one elections listed in the
NLRB release, the results were:
A. F. of L. unions won_24
CIO unions won_7
Independent unions won_5
Voted for no union_5
Tabulation of the results also show
ed sweeping majorities for the Amer
ican Federation of Labor in the total
popular vote of the workers. The
totals compiled in the forty-one elec
tions were:
Voted for AFL unions_.4,800
Voted for CIO unions_1,728
Outstanding among the A. F. of L.
election victorias were the clean sweep
achieved by Federal labor unions
against the CIO in New England rub
ber mills and the overwhelming vote
rolled up by the International Broth
erhood of Pulp, Sulphite and
Mill Workers among'the employes>of
the Union Bag and Paper Corp., f
-Ga.
MASS MEETING
Mecklenburg County Court H
SUNDAY. APRIL 7th.
AT 2:30 PM.
For Retail Clerks, Grocery, Cloth
ing; Dry Goods, Department Store,
Etc.
Come learn your rights through
organization and let us help yon
secure better wages, hours and
working conditions in Charlotte,
Improve your standards of living
and don't forget that you can stand
to improve your working ea “
tioas . . . Organise to give |
family and dear ones a bettor
tag . . , protect your eeonemfc
tercets by Joining ths uakm.
Come and Bring a Friend.
Left ns help you and aft the same
time help yourself.
Retail Clerks LP.A. afMated with
the Aamricaa Federation of Labor.
It is generally conceded
scholars of Holy Writ that the Roman
Empire, as it existed in Christ’s time,
vibe re-established.
For two centuries oil has been fath
ered In Fsrn in shallow pits and stored
in vats.
ofll
PRES. GREEN’S REPLY TO PEGLER
IN ARTICLE NO. 2, DEALS WITH
HITLER’S CHARGE OF “DEMOCRACY
RACKETEERS ON THE PEOPLE”
There is just as much troth to the
charge that the American Federation
of Labor is a racketeering organisa
tion preying upon the workers of the
country as there is to Adolph Hitler’s
charge that democracy is a device by
which racketeering politicians prey
upon the pepole.
Would it be fair to condemn Amer
ican democracy because of a Teapot
Dome scandal and the disclosure that
even a Cabinet officer has been cor
rupt.
Would you lose faith in the courts
and American justice because the
Senior Judge of the United Circuit
Court of Appeals is now serving a
jail sentence for betraying his trust?
Would you lose confidence in the
Federal Reserve System and start
hoarding your savings under a mat
ters because a number of prominent
bankers have been sentenced to
prison for crookedness?
Would you condemn the police sys
tem of an entire city because an indi
vidual member of the force is exposed
as a bribe-taker?
Would you reject the capitalistic
system and join the Communist Party
because certain corporation offiicals
have run off with the stockholders'
money?
Well, then, there is just as much
sense in Westbrook Pegler’s attacks
upon the American Federation of La
bor because he has found two union
officials with criminal records.
The two men named by Mr. Pegler
are Willie Bioff and George Scauae.
I have never met Mr.. Bioff nor
spoken to him. He is ah appointed
representative of his union. Tne facts
in his case are that ha has been asso
ciated with the union movement only
five or six years. The crime for
which he was convicted in Chicago
took place many years before that and
had nothing to do with his subsequent
union activities. He is now charged
with having evaded his sentence and
the case is before the courts. It is up
to the ofifcers and members of the
union by which Mr. Bioff is employ
ed to decide whether they wish to be
represented by a man of his character.
My personal views in the matter are
1STnot reaponalhlg^*ttywr UfMiern.
And the elected officers of the union
are responsible to the members of the
union. If the officers nad members
of the union are dissatisfied with Mr.
Bioff, the union constitution provides,
the means of getting rid of nim. If
|the officers and members of the un
ion feel that Mr. Bioffs record is a
good one and that he should be retain
well known to the
ticular union. £
ed, they have the right to stick by
turn. The American Federation of
Labor itself cannot intervene in such
cases and I will why in th.
next article.
Now as to Mr. Scalise. I have
known Mr. Scaliae during the two
years that he has been President of
the Building Service Employes Union.
It appears that Mr. Scalise at the age
of 17 was convicted of a crime. He
served his sentence in Atlanta pen
itentiary. When this fact was pub
lished by Mr. Pegler after a lapse of
25 years, Mr. Scalise came to me and
voluntarily told me his story.
- that ever since he got eat
of jail he had gone straight. It show
ed he had worked steadily at various
jobs, in an automobile plant, for an
insurance company and as a chauf
feur. He became active in a local
teamsters’ union in Brooklyn and
later accepted a job as organizer for
the Building Service £mployoo Union,
which promoted him to higher posi
tions until he became President in
1937.
Mr. Scalise said he married .fvi
had a daughter and that the first
knowledge his wife and daughter re
ceived of his criminal record was
when they read it in cold print in Mr.
Pegler’s column. He said he lives with
his wife and daughter and his parents
in a cottage in Brooklyn.
Furthermore, Mr. s«ii<« charged
that certain officials of
whom he had exposed for alleged mia
appropriation of funds were respon
sible for reviving and spreading by
anonymous circulars the unfortunate
early chapter of his life. Mr. ib«iiy
made the point that if he were Mm
self a racketeer he certainly would
not be active in extirpating racketeer
ing in his union.
If Mr. Scalise’s story is true—and
I have no reason to doubt it—surely
Mr. Pegler rendered no peddle service
in exposing the sordid story of his
past. As 1 understand the theory of
penology and the principles of decency,
the object of punishment is to
the culprit see the error of crime and
mend his ways. If a man Dimmit. *
c™n.e-P*?8 the penalty and then goes
straight, is be to be penalised for his
past for the rest of his life!
American Fe'a^sMkS'Sf Labor’s
Witoii&rftanl--_
membership is made up of human be
ings. They are subject to human
frailties. They cannot all be perfect
But during its sixty years of exist
ence, dishonesty has been the rare ex
ception rather than the rule in the
American Federation of Labor and I ■
think that Mr. Pegler has
sciously helped to prove tlii«.
200,000 WPA WORKERS PASS OUT
IN APRIL—1,500,000 BY JUNE 30;
FUNDS CUT BY NEARLY MILLION
|. WASHINGTON, April 1.—The
Work Projects Administration an
nounced Saturday that approximate
ly 700,000 persons would be dropped
from its rolls within the next three
months.
CoL F. C. Harrington, WPA com
missioner, said the cuts were neces
sary to keep work-relief within the
expenditures authorized by Congress.
He said the reductions would be
made gradually to custion the shock
to local relief organizations. The
April curtailment, he said, probably
would not exceed 200,000.
Enrollment stood at 3,311,600 on
March 20. Officials said they expect
ed to work it down to about 1,600,000
by June 80. I
The forthcoming redactions, they
said, will be comparatively drastic be
cause WPA has been carrying through
the last few months almost as «miy
relief workers as it carried daring the
1938-1939 fiscal year when it had an
appropriation of $2,226,000,000. Con
gress made only $1,477,000,000 avail
able for the 1939-40 fiscal year which
ends next Jane 30.
Harrington said the first step in
reducing the rolls would be to
WPA workers on each current project
as it is finished. Next, he said, WPA
would eliminate the least needed proj
ects.
Officials said they sitll had $829«
000,000 of the 1939-40 appropriation
available and a carryover of $24*
000,000 from 1938-39.
LABOR PROBLEMS ARE NEVER
“SETTLED”
BT CHARLES STELZLE
(Member International Association of Machinists)
There ere few labor troubles in
Darkest Africa. It is only as we
progress toward a more advanced
civilization that controversies in the
economic field develop, paradoxical as
this may seem. This is one of the
penalties but at the same time one of
the signs of human progress. Instead
of being satisfied with a low standard
of living which halts all progress,
civilization demands that life for all
of us shall become richer and fuller.
This means constant change and ad
justment. And these changes will
never cease until the last day's work
is done.
Here are some of the problems fac
ing Industry and Labor today: First,
changed economic conditions arising
out of the use of revolutionary inven
tions; Second, the increasing develop
ment of mass production; Third, the
dislocation of skilled workers through
the use of machinery; Fourth, the
competition of low-standard workers
in backward countries which have
learned to dse the high-power pro
duction methods of the United States;
Fifth, tire higher social standards
which are inevitable in the develop
ment of the human race. These are
all determining factors in the labor
Situation, influencing both Industry
and Labor.
It is disconcerting to some employ
ers Oat when they rant all that La
bor demands in a particular controver
sy, Organized Labor never agrees not
to make further demands upon them.
Labor knows that neither Industry
nor Labor can prophecy as to the fu
ture. Labor knows that there is no
standard which can serve as a per
manent basis for future contracts, ex
cepting certain principles which are
more or less fixed. Too many ele
ments which are constantly changing
enter into the question. Because of
this the need for adjustment is con
tinually arising.
But the ability to see and under
stand these problems is not limited to
the men at the top — whatever may
be their professional position in edu
cation or economics. Among the
workers there are many who also
have the vision to see and under
stand them. For after all, the funda
mental facts to be discovered are
basically human and have to do with
life. It would therefore be the part
of wisdom -for employers to become
better acquainted with men of this
tope and to counsel with them, for
they may learn much which might
otherwise be hidden from them. An
important fact to be remembered in
this connection is that Labor will have
an increasingly importan place in
world affairs. And with this develop
ment there will come to Labor a
larger responsibility for the well-being
of all classes.