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VOL. IX—NO. 50
YOUR ADVIRTISiarNT IN TNI JOURNAL •• A
I NVIRtNIMT
CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1940
92.00 Par Year
PRES. WM. GREEN IN SPEECH SAYS
CHANGE IN C.LO. LEADERSHIP IS
WAY LABOR CAN OBTAIN PEACE
PITTSBURGH, May L—President
William Green, of the Americanu Fed
eration of Labor, in a fiery address
yesterday declared C. L. 0. Chieftain
John L. Lewis was attempting to or
ganize a third party and become its
candidate for President.
Flushed with vigor and vehemence
of his extemporaneous address, Green
charged Lewis, the militant leader of
An axe or hoe was in his hand, I
tions, with responsibility for collapse
of peace parleys between the C. I. 0.!
and A. F. of I.
Green disclosed that three times1
President Roosevelt had attempted to .
bring about peace negotations be
‘ween labor’s warring factions and
asserted Lewis had thwarted each ;
ir.ove. He declared another similar.
attempt made “about two weeks ago”!
by representatives of Catholic Prot
estant, and Hebrew organizations, had ,
failed for the same reason.
Appearing before the 39th annual ,
convention of the Pennsylvania Fed- j
eration of Labor, Green said Lewis j
had invited negro, old age, and youth
groups to “Come on with me and we’ll
form a third party.”
“What for?” demanded Green, and
continued, “to nominate him (Lewis)
for president. Isn’t that a logical
conclusion?”
Lewis at Monogah, West Va., on
April 1, said that if the Democratic
party did not adopt a platform and
choose candidates acceptable to ’’la
bor and the common people,” he would
urge the American Youth Congress,
the American Society for the Ad
vancement of Colored People, the
American Negro conference, follow
ers of the Townsend organization, la
bor and “liberal farm groups” to as
semble in a “great delegates’ conven
tion” and formulate a program that
“each and every American can sup
port.”
Green said that in 1927-28, long
before the organization of the C. I. O., I
the United Mine Workers of Amer-j
ica, which Lewis also heads, was
“practically in the grave” and
claimed President oRosevelt had
“brought the union back to life.” 1
“You would think he ‘Lewis) would
be forever grateful, wouldn’t you?”
shouted Green. “But what hap
pened?"
•Ciwn sd Lends! yceent state
ment that President Roosevelt faces.
“ignorin'nous defeat” if he seeks a
third term, Green continued:
“And now he (Lewis) declares for
a third party.
“He says the President is no good,
nobody in the Democratic party is any
good, ... he can’t find anybody that
measures up so looks around and
says, “I’m the man’.”
Green spoke more than an hour but
never mentioned Lewis by name, re
ferring to him instead as the “auto
cratic leader” of the C. I. O., which
he described as “dual unionism.”
After declaring Lewis had balked
all attempts to bring the A. P. of L.
and C. I. O. together, Green shouted
to the hand-clapping, cheering Penn
sylvania unionists that, if labor peace
was to be atatined, there would have
to be “a change in the leadership of
the C. !. O.-’ or in the “mental atti
tude”' of the present leadership.
“Who could force such a change?”
he asked.
“God only knows. I don’t, but per
haps if the rank and file of the C. I.
O. would rise in its wrath against this
kind of autocratic leadership, they
could compel a change.”
Central Labor
Union
~ ^mt ^ ^ ^ ^ "1 A A
President J. A. Moore presided over
the meeting of Charlotte Central La
bor Union Wednesday night, which,
while not a lengthy one, and with no
thrills at all, was constructive and in
teresting. The matter of putting on
a drive for the clerk’s union was thor
oughly discussed and whole-heartedly
concurred in, and a period of hard
hitting is going to be indulged in by
the organized forces of Charlotte.
Brother Campbell, of the P. O.
Clerks, chairman of the organizing
committee, made a good report of
present and prospective activiteis.
Locals reported working conditons
good, and President Moore reported
for Brother McElice on the Housing
Authority, he also passing out some
information as to the Parks and Rec
reation activities, of which board ho
is a member. Qgjg
The meeting adjourned about 9:3f.
A. F. OF L. WILL NEVER SURRENDER
PRINCIPLE OF DEMOCRATIC CONTROL
“The American Federation of Labor will never surrender
the principle of democratic control or yield to minority force
and domination. It will ever cling to Democratic ideals and
will most jealously guard and protect the principles of De
mocracy and Democratic procedure. It will never accept a
dictator or submit to autocratic control. It is upon that
sound and solid American basis it has taken its stand and
there it will ever remain.”—WILLIAM GREEN, President
American Federation of I^abor.
ATTENTION, CANDIDATES
The CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL is the only
LABOR PAPER published in this section. It covers a
field that you can reach in no other way. Take ad
vantage of its paid circulation for your Political Ad
vertising. Phone 3-3094.
THE MARCH OF LABOR
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WAS A PRINTER « HIS WWW. AND AU
HIS LIFE ME WAS AN ARDENT 1EAM
UNIONIST, CHEDIMMO HIS TW
6RAPHICAL UNION CARD.
“PATMAN CHAIN STORE BILL
WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO
BUSINESS,’ SAYS ASHEBORO MAN
WASHINGTON, D. C.—“Passage of the Patman Chain
Store Tax Bill” would be devastating, not only to my com
munity, but to other towns throughout North Carolina, de
pendent primarily on operation of textile plants,” D. B. Mc
Crary, president of the Acme Hosiery Milk, Inc., Asheboro,
N. C., told the House Ways and Means Subcommittee last
week.
Mr. McCrary testified that 70 per cent of the output of
his mills, employing 1,300 workers, was handled through
chain store systems and that from experience in contrast
ing distribution costs his concern preferred selling to chains.
“We are certain that low-cost distribution, and that alone,
has enabled us to offer more jobs under better working con
ditions and at higher wage levels than would have been pos
sible under any other method or methods or releasing our
goods to the consuming public,” he said.
“We believe sincerely that the consumer is the chief
beneficiary of lower hosiery cost and the higher quality from
reduced cost of distribution.”
Half-Million Back
Pay Is Won By The
Wages - Hours Adm.
WASHINGTON, D. C.—The Wages
and Hours Administration reported
an increasing use of injunctions and
criminal prosecutions to force em
ployer compliance with the law. Back
wage restitution growing out of liti
gation over the payment of sub-mini
MMMM
mum wages, the agency said, had ag
gregated more than $600,000.
In the last six months 231 civil suits
and egihty-eight criminal cases had
been filed.
Injunctions totaling 208 have been
franted out of the 831 cases filed.
ifty employers pleaded guilty to in
dictments charging violations of the
law and were assessed $266,862 in
fines.
j- •_
“The Jewish colonists have been the
victims of organized terrorism—Dor
othy Thompson.
NATTi NEGRO CONGRESS BERATES
THE NEW DEAL AND GOES TO
THE C. L 0. AND JOHN L LEWIS
WASHINGTON, Auril 28.—The
National Negro congress condemned
policies of the oRosevelt administra
tion last night and accepted an invi
tation from John L. Lewis to join
forces with Labor’s Non-Partisan
league.
The action was taken against the
advice of A. Philip Randolph of New
York, president of the congress since
it was organised in Chicago in 1936,
who refused to stand for re-election
as a result. Max Yergan, of New
York, who had been vice-president,
was elected to succeed him.
Randolph warned against a tie-up
with any political organization and
said the congress had accepted con
tributions from the Communist party
and C. I. O. organizations. He term
ed this an unhealthy condition be
cause “wherever you get your money,
you get your ideas and control.”
With only scattered “noes,” the
congress adopted a resolution criticiz
ing government policies in foreign af
uirs and social fields and accusing the
Roosevelt administration of abandon
lng a policy of “welfare of the peo
ple’ ’in favor of “mobilization of
America’s resources of war.”
®'‘Jf8r. Gv ^ro^n. of Washington,
president of the United Government
Workers, appealed for support of
President Roosevelt and was greeted
with hisses and boos. He urged the
congi-ess to disregard “the white com
munists in the audience.”
“God help the Negro,” he said, “if
we do not stand by the policies of
’ ? '
m
*IOOOQO
Last Call For 4-Star Essay Contest
By
L II. ORNBURN, Secretary-Treasurer
Union Label Trades Department
American Federation of Labor
X4-STAR ESSAY CONTEST will close at 12:00 Midnight, May 30. No essays will be accepted
unless they are postmarked before or on this date. The Union Label Trades Department is anxious
to have everyone who desires to write an essay to get under the wire before this contest doses.
In looking over the essays which have been submitted to date, we have found that many con
testants have not strictly followed all the rules.
It is not too late for anyone who has submitted an essay to obtain the rules, rewrite his essay to
comply with them, and resubmit it before the dosing date.
The Union Label Trades Department is offering $1000.00 in cash and valuable Union Label arti
cles as prises for the best essays on the following subjects: “Why I Buy Union Label Goods,” “Why
I Use Union Services," “Why I Am a Labor Unionist," and “Why I Joined a Women's Auxiliary.” The
essays are limited to 250 words each. The Grand Prise for each essay is $260.00. This means a
dollar a word for the prise winner of each essay.
The essays must be original. However, the contestant is allowed to quote from other sources
providing he encloses in quotation marks any material that is not original. A rule is provided tor a
signed statement as follows: "This essay is my original production and is not copied from any source
except as indicated by quotation marks.”
The 4-Star Essay Contest is being conducted by the Union Label Trades Department to stimu
late the sale of Union Label goods and the use of Union services. The two essay contests, “Why I
Buy Union Label Goods,” and “Why I Use Union Services” are open to everybody. They are free-for-all.
It is very important that everyone desiring to write an essay read the rules carefully before en
ering a contest for any essay.
of L Bufldtag" W^hington* *>y writing to the Union label Trades Department, A. F.
President Roosevelt who now has ns
at peace.” *
Lewis had invited the congress to
unite with the league in an address
Friday. Earlier in the month, the C.
I. O. chieftain had announced that,
unless the Democratic party nominat
ed a presidential candidate and adopt
ed a platform satisfactory to labor,
he would call a convention of various
groups to “formulate a program that
each and every American can sup
port.” He said then that he would
invite several Negro groups.
The resolution for unity with the
league headed by Lewis said that the
Negro worker long had awaited "the
extended hand of organized labor”
and that the “Negro people should be
happy to accept” Lewis’ invitation “to
come to a working agreement with the
mighty forces of labor and go for
ward to victory.”
The resolution provided for appoint
ment of a committee of five to "ex
plore the possibilities by which this
congress can work together” with the
league.
Other resolutions denounced the
Dies committee and caleld for anti
lynching legislation and abolition of
poll taxes.
Central Body
Changes Dates Of
Nomination and
Election Officers
The Laws Committee of Charlotte
Central Labor Union has recommend
ed the change of Section 2 page 14,
of the Constitution be changed to
read:
Section 2. The Officers shall be
elected the last regular meeting in
June; ;nominations to be made at
the meeting previous, and shall serve
for one year beginning with the first
regular meeting in July.”
This makes the nomination and elec
tion come earlier than heretofore. Del
egates, please take notice.
LANDLORDS REMODELED 8M
HOMES IN CHARLOTTE, N. C.
Action of Charlotte, N. C., landlords
in improving some 800 dwellings in
the city during the last 2 years has
more than doubled the effectiveness of
the local housing program. According
to B. Atwood Skinner, City Building
Inspector of Charlotte, about 800
houses have been improved by reroof
ing, repairs, or repainting.
The Charlotte authority applied for
a USHAloan a year ago, and ia now
constructing two projects, providing
708 homes for low-income families.
These, added to the 800 improved by
local landlords, bring thi total replace
ment of substandard dwellings to
1,508, about 1 for every 7 standard
dwellings in the city. According to
a WPA survey, over 11,000 homes in
Charlotte were substandard in 1939.
Charlotte Journeyman Barbers Lo
cal (A. F. of L.) meets tonight
(Thursday) at the Chamber of Com
merce, at 8 o’clock.
Film Exchange Employees Local
(A. F. of L.) meets at the Chamber
of Commerce tonight at 7:30.
Mayor Cooper, of Wilmington, can
didate for Governor, was in Charlotte
Wednesday, but as he was barred
from his sound'truck campaign here,
he will return here for a rally the
night of May 10—place not yet desig
nated. No doubt a large gathering
will hear this colorful candidate.
Charlotte Typographical Union,
No. 338, meets Suuday, 8 P. M. in reg
plar monthly meeting at the Moose
Allied Printing Trades Council will
hold its- monthly meeting Sunday,
12:30, at Moose Hall, South Tryon
street.
The skating areas project, sponsor
ed by Charlotte Central Labor Union,
will be started shortly after closing of
the schools, in other words, in early
June.
Organize-. F. H. Me Guigan, of the
Retail Cleras, reports progress in his
work, and says Charlotte will have
a healthy local within the next few
weeks.
Carpenters Union
Has 10 Pet Jbb
on the New Hotel
The new Berringer Hotel, being
erected on North Tryon street, is a
, 100 per cent union carpenter job, The
Journal is informed by J. C. Hower,
business representative of Charlotte
Carpenters Local, No. 1469, he stating
that an agreement has been reached
to that effect. Mr. Hower, while be
ing on the job as business agent only
a short while, has been meeting with
much success in securing closed shop
jobs for his craft
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