Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / July 23, 1942, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
$hf Charlotte labor Journal Endorsed by the N. C. Stats Fedsration of Labor AND DIXIE FARM NEWS Official Organ of Central Labor Union; Standing for the A. F. L._ VOL. XII.—NO. 9 YOUR ADVKRTIBfHCNT IN THE JOURNAL IS A GOOD INVESTMENT CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1942 JOURNAL ADVERTISERS DESERVE CONSIDERATION OS ▼hs Readers $2.00 Per Year - “United We Stand for Victory” - The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY in Mecklenburg County 1>luWTim AWP co*ro',p I”.q^KLOTnt ^For a Weekly Its Readers Represent the LARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte -- --- MECKLENBURG COUNTY W ENTIRETY F. D. R. MAY ASK WAGE CONTROL; CUT IN PARITY LEVEL POTENTIAL AIM FOR LIVING COST TALK WASHINGTON, July 18.—A high administration official said yesterday President Roosevelt may ask congress in a new cost of living message for broad, flexible authority to control wages and for additioanl power to clamp down on farm prices. The president told his press con ference the whole problem of infla tion and wage controls was under study, but indicated he was not yet ready to make definite recommenda tions. Congressional leaders said later they were informed any forth coming message might be delayed at least 10 days. The official, who would not be quoted by name, said the president and his advisors were discussing a request for a broad delegation of power to him by congress to put a ceiling on wages that would hitch them definitely to the cost of living index. Beyond that, the president was re ported to desire a reduction in the 10 per cent parity level congress fix ed as the lowest point in which ceil ings could be placed on • ' crops. (Parity is the price calcuk teii to give a commodity the same relative pur chasing power it had in a past period, usually 1909-14.) It was said that Mr. Roosevelt was not likely to recommend any specific keep pay checks and prices in line methods for controlling wages but would want general power that could be used to adjust inequalities and to I with each other. The president said at his press con ference that the basis of all policy on the problem was to keep the cost of living from going up. He gave some hint of the seriousness with which he regarded increased food prices in discussion of the 44-cents-a day wage increase recommended by the war labor board for union em ployees of “Little Steel” who had asked a $l-raise. While he said an inquiry was under way to determine if a wage raise meant that steel prices must be boost ed, the president remarked that a 5 per cent wage increase there would not force up the living cost nearly so much as would a similar raise in a canning factory. The whole thing was relative and must be kept in line as much as pos sible in all industries, he declared. Price Administrator Leon Hender son recently was forced to puncture the ceilings established on canned fruits because they did not reflect 110 per cent parity returns for .growers and his apprehension about the effect of this action on the whole price con trol structure was said to be shared by the president. CHARLOTTE LABOR UNIONS SUPPORT “PAT ON THE BACK DRIVE” Sentiment among all union officials and members has been very strong for the “PAT ON THE BACK” campaign. A campaign to buy appropriate gifts and good will presents to the men of CHARLOTTE AND MECKLEN BURG COUNTY who are mustered into our armed services. General Campaign Director, S. A. Van Every called especial attention to the fact that only this week has been designated as the period for the special effort, “Tim© is of the essence," said Mr. Van Every, “and we are confident that our people will respond promptly, and effectively.” Chairman Sid Me Aden expressed himself as follows: “This is one of the finest things of which I have ever heard. Certainly every person in Mecklenburg County who can have a part in this movement to provide a cheery sort of farewell for our young men as they leave for service in the army.wil lwish to do so.” Reverend Herbert Spaugh, general chairman of the “Pat On The Back” club under whose sponsorship this campaign has developed, said “This campaign appeals to everybody, and we are confident that the response will, in the aggregate, not only prove large but will also embrace very wide participation.” MAIL ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOX NO. 411—or to MR. IVEY W. STEWART, CAMPAIGN TREASURER—or avail yourself of the many attractive boxes and containers set aside in key points of theatre lobbies, lobbies of our stores and hotels and many other public places—and make your contribution. LET US REALLY “PAT OUR BOYS ON THE BACK.” TO VACATE SOME SWIVEL CHAIRS In his “Washington Front” column, Charles M. Kelley in Labor, writes the following: “Washington is about to witness— and with great relish—the exodus of a big contingent of swivel chair army officers who have been shining brass buttons since the war started and discussing strategy at cocktail bars. Their palmy days in the capital are over, for they’re going to be sent to the front, whether they like it or not, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson promised last week. Their places are to be filled by experts plucked from civilian life and enrolled in the new army specialist corps, under Dwight F. Davis, Secretary of War under President Coolidge. Stimson stiffened qualifications for admission to the special ist corps to keep draft dodgers and costume soldiers out. No person who can serve with the colors in the field will be accepted, he said. Nobody knows, not even Stimson, how many men have ob tained commissions with the sole object of escaping service at the front. “But,” he said, “there are far too many. My strongest desire since I’ve been here is just to accomplish this.” It’s been a tough battle to clean out draft dodgers, he ad mitted, adding: “You may not know what pressure is brought up on the War Department to put some people in combat uniforms without sending them into combat.” r m SENATOR REYNOLDS, “THE AMERICAN VINDICATOR” The current issue of “THE AMERICAN VINDICATOR,” sponsored and edited by Bob Reynolds has some very definite ideas on many things and many people. Here is the BOX SCORE: THE VINDICATOR IS AGAINST Lend-Lease to ENGLAND Support to RUSSIA The Labor Unions The Greeks The Jews A League of Nations with an international police force to prevent further aggression. X—Result: The Score Is Tied. HITLER IS AGAINST Lend-Lease to ENGLAND Support to RUSSIA The Labor Unions The Greeks The Jews A League of Nations with an international police force to prevent further aggression. Get Your Gunl —From Akron [(Ohio) Beacon-JoumaL ■ 3 \ Labor Builds Hemisphere Solidai ;y, Nelson Rockefeller Acknowledges WASHINGTON, D. C.—The frame work of our present hemisphere soli darity has been built up “in import ant measure" by the efforts of or ganized labor. Nelson Rockefeller, coordinator of Inter-American Af fairs, declares in a significant article in the July issue of the American Federationist. American labor was “one of the first organized groups in the country to appreciate the possibilities and the need of hemisphere solidarity,” he says.i The stake of American labor is en during friendship among the repub lics of the Western Hemisphere is very great, Rockefeller points out, and he calls upon the trade unions of the United States to continue their ef forces to stimulate interest in the other American nations. The unions have already done a great deal in this direction, he says, but “intensifica tion of this educational activity would be “a substantial contribution to the general war effort.” “The will of the people to achieve inter-American solidarity is the real foundation for success,” Rockefeller says. “Every citizen can help to strengthen the foundation by improv ing his knowledge about the problems involved and then helping to spread that knowledge in his own communi ty.” Defining inter-American coopera tion as “application in a practical way of the truism that in unity is strength,” Rockefeller observes: “In many ways it is the transla tion into the international scene of those principles which every union man knows have made for the strength of the labor movement and of social progress at home.” Rockefeller says it is “no coinci dence” that the estabishment of the Pan-American Union, the first great forward step toward inter-American cooperation, was accompanied by United States labor’s first moves to ward cooperation with workers in the other American republics. He points out that more than 50 years ago Sam uel Gompers proclaimed his belief that the problems of labor throughout the hemisphere were linked. Rockefeller, citing the growth of the labor movements in the republics to the south, says the ties between them and the labor movement of the United States have been strengthen ed as the Latin-American unions de veloped. Today the labor leaders in the nations of the hemisphere are in creasingly familiar with one another’s problems, he remarks. Turning to the war, Rockefeller writes: “The organized labor movement has recognized that this is indeed a peo ple’s war. Workers know that the united force of the world’s free peo ples can and will win the war. They understand that a peace in which the standards they have won will be se cure, and in which they can proceed to higher gains for themselves and their fellows, is the reward of vic tory. Inter-American cooperation is a vital factor in the victory of the United Nations.” “THEY ARE LIKE LILLIES OF THE FIELD...” Recent investigation by Congressional Committees have uncovered the startling fact that fabulous sums of money have been paid out to various firms and individuals as commissions for securing War contracts. These individuals Contribute very little to our war effort—management does not get this money as a rightful return on its capital and labor does not get it for its effort and the Army and the Navy does not get it in extra equip ment or better munitions. It goes into thin air as far as the general welfare is concerned. In one instance it was shown that one individual received $256,000.00—over a quarter of a million dollars as commission for Naval contracts. A sum that would create 5 combat aeroplanes or 15 heavy cannons —or2 armored tanks. Now that it has been brought to full light, it will be interesting to see how soon this waste will be eliminated. Workers in a Mid-West war plant worked 127 days without a day off to speed the Production Drive and they’re still working. Do No Retire If You Want To Live DENVER, July 17.—Think you’ll be happy when you sell that business and start taking life easy? A psychotherapist, attending the international College of Surgeons, says not. The man who rites after an active business or professional life doesn’t know how to adapt himself to idle ness in the belief of Dr. Tom B. Throckmorton of Des Moines, Iowa. You’ll live longer and die happier,” he says, by sticking with your work. Dr. Throckmorton contributed his views on retirement while discuss ing emotional instabilities produced by the war. LABOR LEADER’S WIFE MAY SPONSOR LAUNCH ING “SAMUEL GOMPERS” Mrs. John P. Frey, wife of the pres ident of the Metal Trades Council, AFL, will sponsor the “Samuel Gomp ers” when the ship is launched at Terminal Island, California, on La bor Day, according to present tenta tive plans. John Fry is expected to deliver an important message to the ship workers at the yard. The address will be radioed to all shipyards. Respectfully To The “Observer” For several days the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, our great and highly respected neighbor has emphasized the fact that an injustice may be done to the vast army of unorganized work ers—by reason of the fact that in a recent decision UNION WORKERS have achieved a slight increase in wages based on the rise in the cost of living. If the purpose is to speak for the unorganized workers there can be no argument whatsoever, but is not the result itself the greatest tribute to UNIONISM? IS IT THE FAULT OF THE LABOR UNIONS—that the unorganized workers do not have proper representation? Is there any disgrace in talk ing up for your iriembership? Labor Unions are no more than associations long in existence and similar to organizations acting as spokesmen for MANUFACTURERS—INDUSTRI ALISTS — CHURCHES — FRATERNITIES AND MANY OTHERS. The basis of UNIONISM—the original idea behind it—as set forth by the first UNION—the TONTINE SYSTEM IN FRANCE—was that—AT THE POINT OF HIRE—an indi vidual with nothing more than a wife and children stood before another individual who had a HUGE ORGANIZATION BE HIND HIM. It was then thought that the worker, admit tedly contributing one third the share to wealth — (Adam Smith, “Wealth is 1-3 capital, 1-3 land, and 1-3 labor)—it was thought then that labor should also have an ORGANIZATION behind him. __ _ In all conferences on this earth out of which some common good has come, it has come through some such spokesman for a group, great or small. The farmers for nearly 100 years have had such central bodies—the steel manufacturers and the other great businesses on this earth have also had these unions. Even the Churches have accomplished their tremendous work through conferences at which FEDERATED UNIONS OF MANY GROUPS have been able to speak up for the vast bodies behind them and ultimately for the common welfare. MOST OF OUR PEOPLE ARE NOW AGREED THAT IT IS SOME “UNION OF NATIONS” THAT WE ARE NOW FIGHTING FOR—surely, a strong “unioiCL-in 1933 and 1934 —when the seeds of destruction were bein sowed in Europe —surely if such a strong “union” had exis , there may have been no bloodshed now. “LET’S GO U.S.A.-KEEP ’EM FLYING” WHAT DOES THE COAST GUARD DO? What does the Coast Guard do in ! time of war? That is a question fre quently asked about this branch of: the servcice, which operates under the treasury department as Uncle Sam’s j police and rescue squad is peacetime, and adds the duties of a military force, in wartime, under the Navy, department. _ i The Coast Guard’s primary duty is 1 about what the name implies, guard-' ing our coasts. This is done with Coast Guard cutters, patrol boafe;-^ airplanes, and men afoot. The cutters, 165 to 327 feet long, are fast, heavi ly armed vessels, which ply along pur coasts night and day, looking for abb- ! marines, persons or ships in distress, any threat to American life, proper^; ty, or laws. Patrol boats are smaller , and perform the same duties where greater speed and maneuverability | are needed. Coast Guard planes, J mostly seaplanes and amphibians, al-/j so patrol the coasts, watching for anyi suspicious activity, flying to the I _1_ rescue of ships or men m trouble. Goast Guard surf men tramp along every foot of our beaches night and day, keeping an eye on everything along the shores. The Coast Guard is putting into operation hundreds of sub-chasers, fast, 83-foot boats, carrying 12 men, radio equipment, machine guns, depth bombs, and the last in listening equip ment for locating subs under water. Another major job of the Coast Guard in this war is supervising all harbors and ports. It supervises the loading of every cargo, including ex plosives, the collection of customs, watches for spies and saboteurs, en forces all laws governing ships, their safety, and the warfare of the crews. Coastguardsmen also stand guard over all government prpperty along the coasts and waterways. These, and many other duties less dramatic but just as important, con stitute the Coast Guard’s wartime task of looking out for things around the home shores so that most of the navy can go wherever it’s needed. I TRUCK DRIVERS FURNISH , THE LARGEST GROUP IN DUCTED INTO ARMY More than 15 per cent of the white males inducted into the Army from February 1 to May 31 were truck drivers, tractor drivers, teamsters, chauffeurs or garage mechanics, ac cording to the War Department. They furnish by far the largest group classified as occupational speci alist who were inducted under the selective service act during that peri od. About 56.4 per cent of those inducted were classified as occupa tional specialists and the other 43.5 per cent were classified for basic training. There were 50 heavy truck drivers per 1000 selectees, 43 light truck driv ers, 26 tractor drivers, 14 auto service men, 12 teamsters, and 6 chauffeurs. The next largest group was com posed of sales clerks—31 per thou sand—or about one-fifth as many as in the automotive group. There were 27 machine operators in every thous and; 9 clerk-typists, 9 stock clerks, 7 miners, 6 bookkeepers, 5 teachers, 4 lawyers, 4 accountants, and 4 chain i store managers. All other occupa tional groups had fewer than 4 rep | resentatives in every thousand. SEAMEN INVEST PREM IUM PAY IN BONDS Two thousand members of the Mas ters, Mates and Pilots of America, West Coast Local 90, AFL, have ap proved acceptance of War bonds and stamps in lieu of thousands of dol lars in overtime pay they are receiv ing, because of war conditions, ac cording to a report made by Capt. C. F. May, president of the local, to Ad miral E. F. Land, War Shipping Ad ministrator. In addition to “all overtime,” the licensed deck officers of the Merchant Marine agreed to put half their war bonus into bonds and stamps. It is estimated that under current condi tions each man will be putting a mini mum of $150 monthly into war bonds. “They risk their lives, every time they go to the sea,” Capt. May com mented. “Now they are putting in their earnings besides.” DANGER IN FIREPLACES MONTGOMERY, Ala.—Open fire places in Alabama were greater haz ards to life than scarlet fever and diphtheria combined in 1940. Fire place burns caused ninety-seven deaths, scarlet fever fifteen and diphtheria sixty-one. USE THE PAYROLL PLAN 10% EACH WEEK FOR WAR BONDS ! I To Our Many Correspondents Thanks very much to the many many people of the mills, factories, projects and just friends who write us each week. We cannot spare the space to print the letters, but we will devote ap entire page for these interesting items in our an nual LABOR DAY EDITION at the end of AUGUST. You will all see your letters, poems, and stories then. Thank you again, and keep them coming.
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 23, 1942, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75