tknCHLT RBALLT INDEPENDENT WEEKLY to MeckknbnrgOoanty
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VOL. X—NO. 7
YOUR AOVCRTIRIUtNT IN TN« JOURNAL. IR A
INVIRTURNT
CHARLOTTE, N. C, THUR8DAY, JUNE 27, 1940
$2.00 Par Y<
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BY CONGRESS—SECOND BILL CALLS
FINGERPRINTING OF ALL ALIENS
WASHINGTON. I>. C.—The nation
wide drive against “Fifth Column
ists” assumed gigantic proportions
with the passage by Congress of leg
islation purging all Communists and
Nazis from relief rolls and requiring
the registration and fingerprinting of
all aliens in the United States.
In the interests of national de
fense, Congress ruled that after June
30 all WPA workers will have to
swear allegiance to this country and
sgn the following affidavit:
“1 do not and will not advocate or
hold membership in any organisation
that advocates the overthrow of the
Government of the United States:
“And further that I am not an
alien, nor a Communist, nor a mem
ber of any Nazi Bund organisation,
and that 1 will not became a Com
munist or a member oK. any Nazi
Bund organization during any time
1 may be paid from funds appro
priated to the Work Projects Admin
istration.”
Any relief worker who makes a
false statement in these respects is
liable to a $2,000 fine and two years’
imprisonment.
The second bill passed by Congress
provides that within four months
from the day it is signed by the Pres
ident aliens must go to the nearest
Post Office for registration and fin
gerprinling under penalty of depor
tation for infraction of the regula
tions.
The bill sets up drastic punish
ments for all types of subversive ac
tivities and for aliens who are con
victed of carrvin*' certain types of
firearms. The measure prohibits the
organisation of groups advocating the
overthrow of the Government by
force or violence and likewishe forbids
any person to “knowingly or willingly
advocate, abet, advise or teach the
duty, necessity, desirabilitv or pro
priety of overthrowing or destroying
any Government in the United States
by force or violence or by assassina
tion ... or distribute or publicly dis
play any written or printed matter
advocating . . . overthrow of the Gov
ernment.”
Furthermore, it was disclosed that
the Federal Bureau Of Investigation,
under J. Edgar Hoover, has estab
lished a nation-wide index of persons
suspected of engaging in espionage,
subversive activities or other activi
ties detrimental to the nation's in
ternan security.
President William Green, of the
American Federation of Labor, was
invited by J. Edgar Hoover, to de
liver the graduation address of the
F. B. I. National Police Academy
which trains classes of local and State
A SHOP “SERMON”
BY CHARLES STELZLE
(Member International Association, of Machinist*)
looks at the nail that he’s driving
It's a mistake to scorn a mechanic
simply because he has learned his
trade in what is commonly known as
a “one horse shop.” Some day he may
out-class you. You may- have had
high-grade experience in a first-class
shop, where everything needed was
provided for you, but when the time
comes that you’ve got to shift for
yourself, you may be at a loss to
know what to do. The chap from
bowic shop" has lw«l *n all
router lapeneiif." U-sol,
for example, how to use his brains
to make a tool of his own when this
is necessary to do a special job.
In most cases he’s the fellow that
is pushed ahead, not because he has
worked in a “one horse shop’?, but be
cause experience in this kind of a
shop has made him more versatile
and resourceful than the man who has
a swelled head because he got his
training in an aristocratic shop where
everything was provided for him.
Even in these days of “mass produc
tion,” we still need men who have
been all the way “down the line,” in
stead of simply knowing how to twist
a nut as the machine passes their
station.
An experienced workman knows bet
ter than to look at the head of the
chisel when he is doing a chipping
job. It is more important to keep his
eyes on the job than it is to look at
the tool with which he is working.
The carpenter doesn’t _ look at the
hammer when he is driving a nail. He
home. Some men spend so much time
looking for ’’tools of production” that
they never turn out any kind of a
job. They are so concerned about
platforms and programs that they
fail to transmute them into action.
When a mechanic has carelessly
made a piece of work too small, it is
poor practice to bend the gauge to
fit the job. It not only badly affects
the man who bent the gauge but it
hurts the mechanic who later uses
the same gauge. Some of us are do
ing this sort of’thing in* our daily
living. We are trying to lower stand
ards in order to accommodate them to
our own crooked deeds. Instead of
trying to measure up to what we
know is fair and square, we attempt
to pull down the level for everybody
in order to suit our mental and moral
convenience.
Every mechanic knows that there’s
always a scaly surface on a piece of
rough cast-iron. Before he can give
it a polish it is necessary to cut away
the scale. Nor is it possible to tell
what a man may become unless you
get at something beneath his vest.
Somebody once said that men are
wrong when they “look out” for op
portunities. They should look “in,”
for that’s where they come from. The
same principle applies in judging
men. Sometimes it appears like a
hopeless job when you look at the
outward appearance of some men,
but, given the right kind of treat
ment, some of the worst of them have
become top-notchers.
“HE IS AN AMERICAN”
He hears an airplane overhead, and if he looks up at all does so
in curiosity, neither in fear nor in hope of seeking a protector.
His wife goes marketing, and her purchases are limited by her
needs, and her tastes, her budget, but not by decree.
He comes home of an evening through streets which are well
lighted, not dimly in bine, he reads his newspaper and knows that
what it says is not conoccted by a bureau, but an honest, untrammeled
effort to present the truth.
He has never had a gas mask on.
He has never seen a bombproof shelter.
His military training, an R.O.T.C. course in college, he took because
it excused him from gym course, and was it was not compulsory.
He belongs to such fraternal organizations and clubs as he wishes.
He adheres to a political party to the extent that he desires— the
dominant one. if that be his choice, but with the distinct reservaion
that he may criticize any of its policies with all the vigor which to
him seems proper—any other as his convictions dictate, even if it be his
decision, aone which holds that the theory of government of the country
is wrong and should be scrapped.
He does not believe, if his party is out of power, that the only
way in which it can come into power is through a bloody revolution.
He converses with friends, even with chance acquanintances, ex
pressing freely his opinion on any subject, without fear.
He does not expect his mail to be opened between posting and
receipt, nor his telephone to be Upped.
He changes his place of dwelling and does not report so doing to
the police. ,. .
He has not registered with the police. . ,
He carries an identification card only in case he should be the vic
tim of a traffic accident , , ^ J . 1L
He fhlwks of his neighbors across international borders—of those
to the north as though they were across a State line, rather than as
foreigners of those to the south more as strangers since they apsak
a language different from his, and with the knowledge that there
are now matters of difference between his govrnmnt and theirs, out
of neither with an expectancy of war.
He worships GOD in the fashion of his choice, without let.
His children are with him in his home, neither removed to a place
of greater aafety, If young, nor. if older, ordered ready to serve the
SUte with sacrifice of Umb or life. . 4 „ A1_
He has problems, his troubles, his uncertainties, but all other are
not overshadowed by the imminence of battle and sudden death.
He should straggle to preserve his Americanism with its priceless
privileges.
He is a fortunate man.
PATRONIZE JOURNAL ADVERTISERS
LIBERTY AT STAKE
To most of os liberty is a priceless heritage. We
have gloried in our freedom, bat some of os have forgot*
ten the price with which our freedom was purchased. We
have enjoyed liberty as though it were a gift which car
ried with it no obligation, and we have been reckless
spendthrifts of our inheritance.
It seems a great bore to stand when the band plays
“The Star Spangled Banner,** forgetting that it repre
sents that for which “our fathers died * * * * land of the
pilgrim’s pride,** whereas we should feel like jumping to
our feet and waving our arms, with tears in our eyes,
because of what “Old Glory** means to us. This may
seem a bit hysterical, but the whole world is on the verge
of a great catastrophe which may vastly affect our own
country.
While we have been enjoying liberty without dis
cipline, the people in the totalitarian countries have been
subjected to discipline without liberty. They have been
systematically hardened for brutal combat while we have
been softened through indifference, self-indulgence and
sheer laziness. The virtues which dominated the fathers
of our country, who through great sacrifice wow for us
the freedom and liberty which we still enjoy, have been
replaced by sophistication and wisecracking, and'we are
permitting crackpots and irresponsible agitators to in
sult our constitution and ridicule our form of govern
ment.
We have supinely accepted teachers of subversive
doctrines from abroad, viewed with indulgence leaders of
movements who frankly declared that they are trying
to create class hatred and race prejudice in our midst,
and condoned politicians who are too spineless to protest
against those who are boldly laying the foundations for
our destruction. The same tactics indulged in in the
countries which they hold up as idealistic would send
them to a concentration camp or before a firing squad.
When such enemies of our country flaunt their con
tempt in oar faces, the time has come for every loyal
American to stand up in his wrath and speak out as a
loyal citizen, particularly as we are now confronting
forces which threaten our future as a Republic of free
men and women.
We have not attained the full glory which lies inher
ent in our system of government, although we believe
that we already have the best form of government in the
world. But we must vigorously oppose those whose sole
purpose is our destruction and humiliation, lest we be
subjected to the rule of those who are opposed to the
principles of freedom and liberty which were bought at
so great a price, and which have made America the haven
for the oppressed of other nations.—Mobile Labor
JournaL
I THE PRESS PANS LEWIS
SQUARING THE CIRCLE
(From the Washington Post)
So where are we? Mr. Lewis
does not like Mr. Roosevelt. He
does not like the New Deal. Bnt
he does not like the Republican
Party either. At the ^moment
we can assume only %at his
affection is limited to (1) John
L. Lewis and (X) Herbert
Hoover. But since Mr. Hoover
is not likely to head a third
party sponsored by Mr. Lewis,
we are back just exactly where
we began. And, despite the
“beauty in the bellow of the
blast” he unloosed against the
G. O. P., that may be where the
C. I. O. leider is going.
WAR AT ANY PRICE
(From Newsweek Magaxine)
President William Green of
the AFL again invited the CIO
to resume peace conferences
broken off by John L. Lewis,
CIO chief, a year ago. But
Lewis, meeting with his execu
tive board, still opposed such
action.
Further strength for the
AFL’s position in the dispute
was contributed by the Inter
national Ladies’ Garment Work
ers Union, one of the original
CIO unions which went inde
pendent in 1938. The ILGWU
took its 250.000 members back
into the AFL last week.
MAN WITH A PAST
(From Time Magazine)
Besides wanting to see Frank
lin Roosevelt re-elected, much
of C.I.O. wants Labor peace.
This was one of the subjects np
for discussion when the C.I.O.
executive board met last week
in Washington. Members emerg
ed to announce that they saw a
ray of hope. Not so Lewis.
“I wouldn’t think so,” said he.
Mr. Lewis began to look like
a man with a past.
JOHN L. (FOR LONELY)
LEWIS |
(From the Philadelphia Record)
John L. Lewis must be pretty
hard up for somewhere to go
politically. He has rushed in
where even Republicans fear to
tread—the area reserved for the
exceedingly limited number of
people who publicly admire the
Hoover Administration.
To hear John L. Lewis tell
ing how Hoover’s policies started
the country out of the depres
sion and that we might have
made more progress but for the
New Deal, inevitably recalls the
Republican oratory of 1936.
Even the Republicans, we think,
will be wise enough not to re
peat that in 1940.
police officials in the best methods of
investigating and suppressing "Fifth
Column” activities.
More than one thousand city and
61 a t e organizations representing
American Federation of Labor unions I
in New York ar distributing posters
headed “How to Identify a Fifth'
Columnist” prepared b” tbe League |
for Human Rights, Freedom and
Democracy.
Officers of the league are Matthew
Woll, president; David Dubinskv, vice
president; former Supreme Court
Justice Jeremiah T. Mahoney, treas
urer, and Edward F. McGrady, secre
tary. William Green, president of the ]
A. F. of L., is honorary president of.
the league. Mr. Woll is vice-presi
dent of the A. F. of L., and Mr. Du
binsky is president of the Interna
tional Ladies' Garment Workers’
Union.
Announcing the distribution of the
posters Mr. Woll said: “Organized la
bor, together with all other freedom
loving Americans, must root out the
propagandists who disrupt our nat
ional unit at this critical time by in
citing group hatreds. That is the
Hitler technique; divide the country
.before you conquer and rule it. We
must not let that happen here.”
“No greater thing can come to our
land than a revival of religion . . .
I doubt if there is any problem, social,
political or economic, that would not
melt away befoer the fire of such a
spiritual awakening.”—Pres. Franklin
D. Roosevelt.
Patronise Journal Advertisers
Committee Kills
Patman Chain
Store Tax Bill
NORFOLK, Va., June 24.—Rejec
tion of the Patman chain store tax bill
by the Congressional subcommittee
wa sto be expected in view of the over
whelming volume of opposition voiced
during the weeks of hearings by per
sons representing all segments of the
Nation's economic and social life,
Thos. P. Thompson, managing editor.
Southeastern Chain Store Council,
declared today in commenting on the
committee’s action.
Mr. Thompson also expressed belief
the testimony of the many leaders of
agriculture, industry, labor and con
sumers in opposition to the Patman
bill had already done much to help
clarify the thinking of the public in
regard to such discriminatory and
punitive taxation—"which helps no
one, injures the consumer and hamp
ers business generally.”
TYPO AUXILIARY AND THE
BOSTICS WELCOME A SON
The ladies of Typographical Aux
iliary are congratulating Mr. and Mrs.
W. M. Bostic upon the arrival of a
son at the Presbyterian Hospital last
week. Mother and son are doing fine
is the report received.
Subscribe For the Journal
SCOGGINS HEADS CENTRAL BODY;
GREENE RE-ELECTED SECRETARY;
F. ft DELLINGER IS VICE-PRESIDENT
Election of officers of Charlotte
Central Labor Union last night
(Wednesday) was one of the high
spots of the meeting.
J. A.
— Scoggins was unanimously
elected president.
Other officers elected were: Vice
president, P. H. Delinger of the City
Employes union; secretary and .treas
urer. William S. Greene of the Mu
sicians union; sergeant at arms, H. P.
Walker of the Railway Express Clerks
union.
Delegates elected to attend the an
nual convention of the State Federa
tion of Labor in Durham August 12
14 were W. S. Campbell of the Nat
ional Federation of Postal Clerks local
union and J. A. Moore of the Machin
ists union. Alternate delegates are
H. P. Walker of the Railway Express
Clerks union and C. C. Thomas of the
Firefighters union.
The following members were elected
to the board of trustees: T. L. Conder
of the Carpenters union, R. W. Hun
Singer of the Railway Express Clerks
•union, and I. H. Plyler of the Barbers
tinion.
Onth of office was administered by
H. L. Kiser, vice-president of the
State Federation of Labor, president
of the local Plumbers union.
A new local union, the Railway Fire
men and Oilers union, was admitted
to the Central body last night. Va
BRITAIN TO SEND 20,000
CHILDREN TO DOMINIONS
LONDON, Eng.—The Briish Gov
ernment is setting up a plan to send
20,000 children between the ages of
5 and 16 to the Dominions of Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and South
Africa as a measure of protection
from the bombings already begun by
Germany’s air force.
Subscribe For the Journal
rious committee reporta were rsad.
Claude Albea thanked member* for
their co-operation and well-wishas
while he waa in the hospital. Retiring
president, J. A. Moore, thanked mem
bers for their co-operation during his
term of office. Efforts will be made
to bring the 1941 State convention of
the American Federation of Labor to
Charlotte, it was announced.
FINED FOR NOT CARRYING
COMPENSATION INSURANCE
NEW YORK, N. Y.—On complaint
of the New York State Labor Depart
ment the Attorney General during
May criminally prosecuted 297 New
York City employes for failing to
carry workmen’s compensation insur
ance, securing 258 convictions for
which 195 fines, ranging as high as
$50, were imposed for a total of
$1,717, the Department of Labor re
ported. In 47 prosecutions during
May for evasion of the workmen’s
compensation law by “fake partner
ships of contracts, “40 defendants
were convicted.
Meeting Of S. C.
Federation Labor
Friday-Saturday
COLUMBIA, S. C.. June 24—
Everything is in readiness for the
opening of the annual convention
of the South Carolina State Fed
eration of Labor which begins its
session here Friday morning,
June 29. The sessions will be
held in the newly constructed
Wade Hampton Hotel, built
throughout by Union labor. Sec
retary Fred Hatchell’s report, it
is said, will show a decided gain
in affiliated local unions over say
report of past years. ^
JUST ONE HAPPY FAMILY
WASHINGTON, D. C., June 24.—President Roosevelt named Sid
ney Hillman, CIO Vice President, to draft plans for a compulsory uni
versal service program for the nation’s youth. -
■ * * • v
PHILADELPHIA, Pa„ June 24—John L. Lewis, CIO President,
denounced President Roosevelt’s compulsory universal service pro
posal as a "fantastic suggestion from a mind in full intellectual re
treat.” Lewis indicated he may support the Republican)ticket and gave
a special pat on the back to Herbert Hoover as a candidate tor
President. -• j
• • * •
MILWAUKEE, Wis., June 24—Van A. Bittner, CIO Vice-Presi
dent, urged the convention of the American Federation of Hosiery
Workers (CIO) to support Roosevelt for a third term.. He said 95 per
cent of the workers of America are for Roosevelt. Emil Rieve, an
other CIO Vice-President, also urged support for Roosevelt.
• * ■ • <
WASHINGTON, D. (’., June 24. E. H. Oliver, executive director
of Labor's Non-Partisan League, the political front for the C.LO.,
handed his resignation to John L. Lewis. He declared that the vast
majority of C.LO. members favor a third term for Roosevelt He
charged that the President is opposed within the League by only an
"infinitesimal minority, predominantly composed of individuals affiliated
with or followin gthe leadership of organizations controlled from out
side the United States, whose policies are fixed without reference to the
needs of American labor.”
... *
NEW YORK, N. Y., June 24.—Nineteen C.I.O. locals here, claim -
ing 75,000 members, openly revolted against John L. Lewis. They sent
a telegram to six C.I.O. Vice-Presidents expressing “deepest consterna
tion” over Lewis’ attacks on President Roosevelt. They urged the
Vice-Presidents of the C.I.O. to disavow Lewis’ policies.
BUSINESS IS BUSINESS
Business is Business!
And as long as business is business, we have a situation wo can
depend upon.
Farmers will grow the crops which will bring them the greatest
dollars return. Processors will accept raw materials and produce at
the lowest possible prices and turn out something for the consumer
at the highest rate they can get for it.
And to separate the two (the buying and the selling price) as far
as possible, the processor will attack the consumer with a portion of
the difference to convince him that he is getting something worth
more than he is paying for it.
And that will explain why such cheap basic articles as flour, corn
starch, synthetic coloring, glucose and vegetable shortening emerge
combined into some remarkable, vitamin-charged irradiated, stimulated,
super-packed, ornamented, decorated, cellophane wrapped, fortified,
super-super-super food product with a coupon on the box entitling
Junior to raise particular Hell with a cowboy hat, a G-man hedge, a
death-ray projector and a Dick Fearnought identification kit.
If beef on the hoof is 10 cents a pound and in the skillet 60 cents a
pound—business is business. Allah is Allah and Mohammed is his
prophet. Kismet—Exchange.
PATRON]
B
JOURNAL ADVERTISERS