the PHLT BBALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY ta
Par a Weekly If Readers Represent the LARGEST BUYING POWER la Charlotte
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Endorsed by the N. C. State Federa
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AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
Tenth Tear Of Contini
Pabication
Endeavoring to Serve the Masses
VOL. X—NO. 29
Vfv« ADVCRVIRRNRNT IN TNI JOURNAL IS *
CHARLOTTE, N. C-, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1940
$2.00 Per Year
A. F. L. MONTHLY BUSINESS SURVEY
ON LABOR AND NAT. DEFENSE;
MUST PUT SHOULDERS TO WHEEL
America’s future depends upon our|
ability to produce quickly the means
for adequate national defence against j
the revolution that terrorises Europe.!
Production is the key to our problem.
The whole nation must work together,
co-operating without waste of peo
ple, time or materials. Whatever
minimizes or blocks co-operation,
slows down essential production.
Whether interference lies in individ
uals or groups it impedes progress
toward national defense when every
hour is important. The key to de
fense lies in the spirit of our people.
If there is the will to do, to dare, to
endure hardships rather than give
up a way of life, to such a spirit all
things are possible. But such a spirit
is born of freedom and is nourished
by confidence of rights maintained
and confidence that even handed jus
tice will assure opportunity for prog
ress and higher standards and levels
of living.
Naturally union men and women
are the nation’s great reliance in this
time of emergency. We can give to
the utmost in our daily work because
we know that our rights are pro
tected by union agreements. We can
guard against fifth columnists. It is
for us to put our shoulders to the
wheel with renewed vigor in whatever
industry we work.
While giving of our best, we also
have another responsibility: To pre
serve the work standards already won
in this country, and to bring a better
living standard to those now below
the danger line for health. Under
nourished and underprivileged peo
ple are a liability to any nation at
any time. Iq a time of national
emergency they are a danger. They
are easily persuaded to Communism
or other unAmerican philosophies.
With rising production and employ
ment, and higher company profits,
we have for the first time in eleven
years a chance to see that no one
shall be undernourished. So let us
eliminate danger to national unity
from the hungry and those denied
opportunity.
MAINTAIN THE FORTY HOUR
WEEK
mi story snows mat production in
creases when work hours are short
ened.. The pictograph tells the Btory.
In 1909 the average factory worker
worked 53 hours and produced 100
units of produc* pel- week; by 1929
the work week Mia been shortened to
46 hours and production per worker
had increased, to 173 units; in 1939,
the work week averaged 38 hours and
weekly production reached 188 units.
Labor saving machinery and high
speed work, possible only under the
short work week, have brought about
this change in 30 years.
American industry is geared to the
40 hour week. Modern machinery re
quires great alertness, speed of ac
tion; top efficiency cannot be main
tained for long periods. Germany,
after lengthening hours to increase
armaqient production, was forced to
shorten them again.
NO LABOR SHORTAGE
Industrial production is at all time
peak levels. Reliable estimates place
October production at 128 by the Fed
eral Reserve Board index, which is
above the previous all time peak of
126 in December, 1939. Nevertheless,
in September 8,544,000 were still un
employed according to Federation
estimates, and in October about 8,000,
000, preliminary estimates. At the
end of September, 218,000 workers
with skills needed foi* defense work
were registered at employment ex
changes.
Now for the first' time since 1929
these men and women can be put to
work at adequate income and made
a constructive part of America’s de
fense program. The task of training
and placing them in industry is al
ready underway. To obstruct this
great re-employment program by
lengthening hours would leave mil
lions of undernourished people a ready
prey to fifth column activity. Ameri
can factories are already at peak pro
duction on an average work week
of only 39 hours.
RAISE WAGES
me rresident oi tne united states,
the Defense Commission and many
leading citizens have repeatedly point
ed out that adequate living standards
are a first line of defense. To bring
those who are underfed, ill clad and
poorly housed to a decent living level
will require industry to pay the
largest wage increases possible.
What is an adequate wage today?
For the country in general, a bare
subsistence budget for a family of
four costa $1,350 a year, or 65 cents
an hour for a 40 hour week with 52
weeks’ full pay. To keep a family
of five in health and efficiency costs
$2,211 a year or $1.06 an hour for
52 weeks of 40 hours. Very few wage
earners today receive enough for
the health and efficiency budget, and
millions receive between 30 cents and
50 cents per hour.
Wages are already on the up trend;
increases have been widespread in
1940. Average hourly earnings in
manufacturing are up from 64 cents
an hour in September 1939 to 67 cents
in September 1940. In the Cleveland
area alone, unions affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor have
increased buying power of members
by more than $1,130,000.
HIGHER PRODUCTION MAKES WAGE
INCREASES POSSIBLE
From 1937 to 1939, the factory
worker’s production per hour rose
11%, but his wage per hour rose only
5%. In key defense industries, as
shown in the chart, wage in
creases have fallen far behind the
worker’s increased producing power.
In the machine tool industry, the
wage earner’s yearly income rose only
2%, but his yearly production rose
10%. In chemicals, wages were up
5%, production per worker up 17%;
in rubber tires, wages rose 9%, pro
duction per workers 18%.
The worker today is producing
to pay himself a larger wage increase
than he has had.
PROPITS ARE HIGHER
Reports from 350 leading industrial
corporations show that profits in the
first nine months of 1940 have in
creased 42% above the same months
of 1939. These figures show that on
the whole business firms are well
able to pay higher wages this year.
The table below shows profits of lead
ing companies in several important
industries, as reported by the Na
tional City Bank.
OFFICIALS FROM THREE STATE
FEDERATIONS OF LABOR TO BE
IN CONFERENCE IN CHARLOTTE
(This report codim oat of Atlanta from the Southern Labor
Newt Bureau.—Ed.)
CHARLOTTE, N. C., Nov. 25—President H. L.
Kiser, of the North Carolina State Building and Construc
tion Trades Council, has announced a meeting to be held
in the courthouse here at 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon,
December 8. George L. Googe, Southern Representative
of the American Federation of Labor; A1 Flynn, presi
dent and F. E. Hatchell, secretary-treasurer of the South
Carolina Federation of Labor; Dewey L. Johnson, presi
dent, and Miss AUie B. Mann, secretary-treasurer of the
Georgia Federation of Labor, and C. A. Fink, president,
and H. G. Fisher, Secretary-Treasurer, of the North Caro
lina State Federation of Labor, will attend the Charlotte
meeting. In addition to these labor officials it is an
nounced that aU building trades union members are in
vited to attend.
Labor officials from the three states, together with
Mr. Googe, wiU remain in Charlotte over Monday, when
it planned to hold a joint conference with employers
whose businessese are operated in the three state. Presi
dent Kiser further announces that delegates and visitors
will bring their wives to the Sunday meeting in the court
house, and a large crowd is expected to attend.
Journal Readers Co-operate With Those
Who Advertise In It.
A. F. OF L VOTES US EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL POWER TO SUSPEND
TWO OR MORE UNIONS UNITING
TO CONSPIRE AGAINST FD’ATION
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 26.—The American Federation of
Labor last night, after a bitter two-hour debate spearheaded by
David Dubinsky, voted its executive council power to suspend two
or more unions uniting to conspire against the organization.
Salary hikes also were voted—but
after a protest—to President William
Green and Secretary-Treasurer
George Meany, the former being
raised from $12,000 to $20,000, and
the latter from $10,000 to $18,000.
The delegates additionally decided
to make the present one cent per
capita tax two cents for one year. A!
one-cent assessment, which Dublnsky
charged was created in 1937 as a
war chest against the Congress of
Industrial Organization, was abol
ished.
Dubinsky, president of the Interna
tional Ladies’ Garment Workers, was
defeated in his proposed amendment
that any union suspended by the coun-1
cil be allowed to appear with its full,
voting strength before the conviction.!
The protest against the officials’
salary increases was made by John B.
Burke, president of the International
Pulp and Sulphite Workers, who ask-!
ed that Green’s pay be raised only!
from $12,000 to $15,000 and Meany’s'
from $10,000 to $12,000.
All salary increases should not be
HELPING OTHERS
-
TO HEALTH
This Christmas—be a partner in a great life-saving campaign. Use plenty of
Christmas Seals on your letters and packages. They are gay, colorful... and
what's more important. .. they spread a message of Tuberculosis control and
prevention that is vital to the good health of us all!
Since 1907, the annual sale of Christmas Seals has done its share in helping to
reduce the death rate from Tuberculosis by 75%! Complete eradication is now
in sightl But no one is safe from Tuberculosis until everyone is safe. So help your
self—by helping othersl
CHRISTMAS
C/Aulmoi
/ I94Q
paw*1
' v iffiN |
Th«N=ti
T ^%i^yyy
’ • >'
STUCK
First Mosquito: “Hooray;
comes a new arrival.”
Second Mosquito: “Good;
stick him for the drinks.”
here
let'*
Subscribe for the Journal
LASTING VALUE
The successful resistance of the American Federation
of Labor to the introduction of Communist purposes and
methods in the labor movement was an outstanding patri
otic accomplishment. Its lasting value will be recognized
more and more as time passes.—-John P. Frey.
PITY SERGEANT WHEN
HE CALLS THIS ROLL
BALTIMORE, Nov. 26.—There's
a workout in store for army serf*
rents celling the roll saimif Mery*
lend’s first contingent of draftees,
induction as civilian-soldiers to
Of the first eight reporting for
day, four were: Edward S. Kriy*
stynski, Daniew J. Ordakowski,
Casimir W. Paskpewics, and Adas
L. "Kozlowski.
Language is something extrava
gant because talk cost so little.
MMMWMMMMM*
MMAMM
SKATING AREA
DEDICATION
Today at II Aid. the skating aroa
•t Cordelia Pork, sponsored by Char
lotte Control labor Union will bo
dedicated with fitting ceremonios.
J. A. Moore is chairman of tho
onion's committee in general charge
of that program. Amoag the events
will bo a flag-raising and mask by
OM'Of the school bands, said Mr..
waoaovwvwmawaaanaanaaaaM
The times comes when enough peo
ple are free of debt to start a wave
og buying.
“Culture is what is left after every
thing we have learned has been for
gotten.’*—Dr. G. Bromley Oxnam.
given to top men, Burke mid, sug
gesting that at the next convention
labor organizers be considered for in
creases.
The report of the committee on law,
headed by Dan Tobin of the Team
sters’ union, pointed out that Green
had received no raise since becoming
president in 1924. Meany has held
his present office one year.
Dubinsky broke the storm over the
convention’s hitherto almost idyllic
session when Tobin’s committee sub
mitted a proposal that:
The executive council be deprived
of the right to suspend any single
union, but be empowered to suspend
two or more unions if they “unite and
conspire to create and launch an or
ganization for any purpose dual to
the American Federation of Labor.”
This report proposed further that
such suspended unions be given the
right to appeal from the council’s ac
tion at the next general convention.
Dubinsky said that when his union
returned to the A. F. of L., after de
serting the C. I. O., President William
Green promised that the executive
council would be stripped of the power
to suspend any union at all.
He quoted Green as saying that
“this would mean the power to sus
pend would be vested only in the con
stitution.”
Nevertheless, Dubinsky said he was
willing to agree to the council’s power
to suspend if the report to be acted
upon by the convention contained the
explanation that any suspended union
when tried by a convention be allowed
to make its appeal and use its full
rating strength in the verdict.
Then Tobm, also a member of the
executive council, said he had dis
agreed with that body when it drew
ap the report to strip itself of the
power to suspend a single union
‘guilty of a crime against the A. F.
Three Labor Board
Members Who Quit
Job Still Stay On
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2B.—The La
bor Relations Board officials who re
signed when President Roosevelt fail
ed to reappoint Chairman J. Warren
Madden continued in their positions
today because of an impasse between
William M. Leiaerson and Edwin S.
Smith, the remaining board members.
Those who resigned were: Nathan
Witt, secretary of the board whom
Leiserson has tried to oust; Thomas
L Emerson, associate general counsel,
and Alexander B. Hawes, chief ad
ministrative examiner.
One board official described the
resignations as declarations of “no
confidence” in the board, but ex
pressed the belief that nothing would
be done about them pending Senate
action on the nomination of Harry A.
Millis, Chicago educator and member
of the old NRA Labor Board.
Millis may appear before the Sen
ate committee tomorrow. The Sen
ate was expected to approve hie ap
pointment with little opposition. The
board is supposed to have three mem
bers, and approval of Millie would
bring it back to full strength.
When the resignations of Witt,
Emerson and Hawes came before the
board last week, Leiserson favored
making them effective immediately,
but Smith, with whom Leiserson has
disagreed frequently, expressed the
view that the board would be incon
venienced by making them effective
before the new member took office.
Thus, although both members were
agreeable to accepting the resigna
tions, disagreement over an effective
date left them tabled.
NO CENTRAL BODY
REPORT
Due to the fact that The
Journal goes to press Wednes
day this week there is no re*
port of Central Labor Union
which meets on Wednesday
night.
......
One of the most courageous acta of
the Dies Committee thus far, was to
publish the names and positions held
by 668 different federal employes
known to be members of a certain
Communistic organisation. Some of
those named received as much as a
ten thousand dollar salary yearly.
Subscribe for The Joonwl
Reprinted from “PRINTERS INK”
★ “A Labor Paper is a far better advertising mediant
than any ordinary newspaper in comparison with circulation.
A Labor Paper, haring 2,000 subscribers, is of more raise Is
the business man who advertises in it than the ordinary
newspaper with 12,000.”—Printer’s Ink, acknowledged
authority on Advertising.