BONDS
<Ihe Charlotte labor Journal
Endorsed by the N. C. Stats
Federation of Labor
VOL. XII—NO. 39
VOIMI ASIUTIIMMT IN T«l JOUNNAL •• A SOON
INVIITHINT
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
CHARLOTTE, N. C. THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1943
Official Organ of Central Labor Union; Standing
for the A. F. L.
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Labor Is On the Job For Victory
The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY In Mecklenburg County lmC"in,iSrmi5TFor * Week,y I*8 Read*™ Represent the LARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte
PRES. GREEN CALLS ANTI-LABOR
DRIVE IN SOME STATES A RUSE
TO BY-PASS ROOSEVELT AND HIT
WAR PRODUCTION PROGRAM
WASHINGTON, D. C.—President William Green of the
American Federation of Labor charged that reactionary interests,
facing certain defeat of anti-labor legislation in Congress, have
launched a concerted campaign to carry out their objectives by the
enactment of similar bills in the various state legislatures.
This is an attempt to “by-pass .
President Roosevelt and to obstruct
him in the direction of the war pro
duction program, Mr. Green warned.
He urged all State Federations of
Labor to be on the alert for such dan
gerous bills and to exert all their
power to deefat them.
Mr. Green’s statement follows:
"War production was more than
quadrupled during 1942, the first year
of the war. This year labor faces the
heavy task of doubling last year’s
staggering volume of war production.
We are confident we can attain this
goal, which is vital to victory, if the
not restricted and if the hands of the
trade unions that represent them are
not tied by vicious legislation.
“The splendid production achieve
ments of 1942 were made possible by
the hard work of American workers
and the all-out cooperation of their
trade unions with every program ini
tiated by the government.
"The Congress of the United States
understands this and so do the offi
cials of our federal government, led
by our Commander-in-Chief, President
Roosevelt. Therefore, we are confident
that the anti-labor bills now pending
in Congress will meet the defeat that
they merit.
“Apparently, the selfish, reaction
ary interests who are the real spon
sors of these bills also are aware of
this fact. That is why they have now
launched a concerted campaign to ob
tain enactment of similar laws in the
state legislatures.
“This is equivalent to stabbing the
government ana tne laoor movement
in the back. It is an attempt to by
pass the President and the leaders of
our Army and Navy and erect ob
stacles on the home front which will
hinder them in the successful prose
cution of the war.
“The American Federation of La
bor does not question the right or the
duty of state legislatures to adopt
laws which in their judgment are nec
essary for the welfare of the citizens
they represent. But we do protest
most vigorously against the false and
misleading propaganda with which the
enemies of labor are flooding the
members of state legislatures in an
effort to induce them to take piece
meal action on issues which in a war
emergency must be decided by the
federal authorities.
“State legislatures are not in a po
sition to know the facts with regard
to the war production program as well
as the heads of the War and Navy De
partments, the War Production Board
and the President, himself. We ap
peal to them, therefore, not to ob
struct the war production program by
local legislation but to give our Com
mander-in-Chief and his trusted aides
a free hand in directing it.
“At the same time, the American
Federation of Labor calls upon all
of its affiliated State Federations of
Labor to keep ever on the alert
against proposed state legislation
which, under cover of supposedly pa
triotic motives, attempts to hamstring
labor. We urge our State Federations
of Labor to exert all their power to
defeat such bills.”
LABOR POP VICTORY
MORE THAN 990
LABOR -MANAGCMENT
COMMITTEES ARC SPEEDING
WAR PRODUCTION
-• AND OFTOI
PISHIN& SAL PS OP
WAA. SAVINS) BONO),TOO/
-(WE Put «o% of oue .
' IN WAE. SOUPS RE60LAKLX/
BY CHAR LBS R£L££R
V88 710A
V. 8. lYeamry Deft.
Kicking Labor
In Pants Is A
New Pastime
DETROIT.—Quentin Reynolds,
war correspondent who has seen
England, France, Russia and Africa
in the grips of war, challenges
Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker’s views
on the patriotism and record of
In an address to Detroit busi
American workers,
nessmen. Reynolds said:
*T understand that lately it has
become quite popular to give labor
a kick in the pants. I don’t know
how many plants Capt. Eddie Rick
enbacker has seen. But I know
that I’ve seen 30 since my return
three months ago and I’ve seen
hundreds of plants in Russia and
England and in other spots on this
globe.
“And I say that nowhere in the
world is labor digging in and work
ing as hard as it is right here in
America.”
The Co-Operative
Movement Is
Growing In China
Keep your eye on the growing Co
operative Movement in China. It will
play a vital and influential role in
post-war economic life not only in
China but in all Asia. Through the
Sino-Japanese war, China has lost
four-fifths of her modern industrial
capacity. The Co-operatives were
first fostered to help overcome the
resulting grave economic shortcom
ings. At the end of 1938 China had
only 69 industrial co-operatives with
a membership of 1149 and no output
to speak of. By March of 1942 the
number of societies was beyond 2000,
their membership oi^r 30,000 and
their monthly production valued at
more than $20 million. There are
also co-operative transport and bank
ing societies.
-V
IT’S LABOR’S WAR — LET’S
FIGHT—WITH PAY DOLLARS IN
WAR BONDS.
CAPTAIN RICKENBACKER PAGED
TO LISTEN TO A LETTER WRITTEN
TO HIM BY A DEFENSE WORKER
Dear Captain Rickenbacker:
Please don’t rock the boat. Remember, there were other
heroes in the rubber boat with you. Among: those alongside of
the chief executive of the Eastern Air Lines was a member of the
United Textile Workers Union. Regardless of what his name may
be, regardless of his past heroism and present intentions, he who
seeks to pit our soldiers in uniform against our soldiers in over*
alls is rendering priceless service to Hitler and his Axis.
No heroic achievement of yesterday should serve as a license for any
one undermining today the fine feeling prevailing between the soldiers of
production turning out the tools of victory and the soldiers at the front using
these tools for victory. There can be no worse disservice to our country and
no higher service to Hitler than to disrupt our national unity by promoting
suspicion and antagonism between soldiers on the firing line and soldiers on
the assembly line. - .... . ,
Why do some individuals seek to stir up bad blood between American
soldiers and American workers? Aren’t both red-blooded members of one
great family—the American people? Besides, who has more brothers,
fathers, sons and sweethearts in the armed forces than the working people in
the army of production?
Please don’t forget: The OPA has revealed that our biggest munitions
magnates have been making fantastic profits. Its comparison of 1941
profits with those of the four year period (1936-1939) shows the following
increases: General Motors, 20 per cent; Curtiss-Wright, 994 per cent; Bethle
hem Steel, 123 per cent; Douglas Aircraft, 930 per cent; Consolidated Air
craft, 962 per cent; Glenn Martin, 177 per cent; United Aircraft, 321 per
cent; New York Shipbuilding, 2420 per cent; Lockheed Aircraft, 961 per
cent. In 1941 Boeing Airplane garnered $6,113,000.—as against a loss of
$840,000 in the peace-time period. Oh yes! you might raise the question
of what taxes have done to the poor fellows who can’t afford to pay over
time before the 49th working hour is over. We are referring to the very
poor souls who can’t make ends meet, who can’t exist, on a net income of
only $25,000 a year. Well, this OPA study discloses that with 200 of our
giant corporations, profits, after taxes, were about 80 per cent above the
pre-war average.
May we humbly suggest that the next time you address factory owners
(absentee as well as active) and factory workers you tell them that they
ought to do some Ull thinking about'the following facts recently brought
home by Price Administrator Prentiss M. Brown: “It may be flatly said that
business, small as well as large, is in a better position today than at any
previous time.” To illustrate, an analysis of 1324 corporations shows that
they have jacked up prices all along the line and that their profits on sales
mounted from 8.1 per cent in 1939 to 13.5 per cent last year. Thus, in 1942,
corporations cleaned up over $20 billion—nearly 300 per cent more than in
1931.
Tories and Labor-baiters of all stripes are filling the air and loading the
press with the hokum that Labor is imperilling the stabilisation of prices.
The very opposite is true. It is the failure to stabilize prices that is im-1
perilling Labor.
To put into the trenches the men skilled it. turning oi.t the tools of vic
torq would rob our country of these fcrv t«'jJs;«fi r^isVl the Vic*/Ties the
men trained to use rather than produce the tools of victory would only rob
us of our finest fighting men where they can do most good.
We wonder why anyone should now be forgetting the time-tested maxim
about putting square pegs into round holes. Such policies help nobody and
hurt everything.
To have been a hero once is one thing; to continue worthy of the fine
spirit that goes into heroism is something else. That always requires coura
geous loyalty to the welfare of the people rather than routine conformity.
—A Defense Worker.
WELCOME TO POLICE ORGANIZATION
GIVEN BY CHARLOTTE A. F. L. UNITS;
A CALL TO OUR “OLD WAR HORSES!”.
BY. J. A. MOORE
We extend a hearty welcome to the members of the Char
lotte Police Department that have joined the ranks of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, and pledge to them our co-operation in
enforcing the laws that are written, and helping them secure
some improvement in their working conditions, and let me say at
this time that they have been tried before a Microphone in the re
cent past and nothing was.brought out at that time that could
lead any one to believe they were inefficient or negligent of' their
duties; now, here comes accusations of inefficiency, (Old Age)
neglect of duty, drunkenness, and that they have JINED a Union.
How in the world can a man afford to stoop to a level where he
could neglect to protect the life and property of the citizens of a
city of over a hundred thousand souls? _It can’t hardly be done
by true Americans, and who wouldn’t “JINE” a Union for their
own protection when they were being followed by men that were
paid out of the same money they were and whose duties were the
very same.
I think the men that have been suspended will have had a hearing before
the Civil Service Commission before this is published and too, 1 believe these
men will have properly acquitted themselves. It seems that the evidence
right now is in their favor and, if such is their good fortune, let’s hope there
will be no more of this stuff that has all the earmarks of a fight against the
organization. They are entitled to a Union if they want one and, if such is
against the law, then let’s change the law to provide for them the same
privilege that all other people have.
Various and sundry meetings were held since our last letter was writ
ten. The Central Labor Union met on last Thursday night, the Electricians
met at the same time, the Building Trades Council having met Wednesday
night and the Carpenters always meet on Tuesday night. All local Unions
are regularly reporting all members working.
The Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor, at a meet
ing held during the month of January, 1943, adopted a lengthy statement
endorsing the National Red Cross Campaign and, President Green has is
sued an appeal to all meggers to give generously to this very worthy cause,
so let me ask that if yornaven’t given that you call some one connected with
the Campaign and ask that you be allowed to make a contribution to this
worthy cause.
The 3-Man Emergency Boards were slated to start sessions Monday of
this week in an effort to adjust the pay of over a million and a quarter mem
bers of the “Big Five” Brotherhoods in the Railway Group of Labor. More
than usual interest centers on the proceedings, for the outcome may be a
test of the Administration’s wage-stabilation policy. Locally we have many
members that are concerned in the outcome of these negotiations.
Through the columns of this paper we would like to urge some of our
old war HORSES to visit with us at some of our meetings. Don’t want to
embarrass them by calling their names out loud, they will know who I mean
when I say that they have been responsible for the very existance of the
Charlotte Central Labor Union. Some of them are working at nights and
some of them are cut of town; some are'careless and some are downright
lazy. Come on boys and see what you helped to build. Everybody will be
glad to see you. We need your assistance right on.
Have you given the information to the Editor of the Journal that he has
been asking for? Well less do it right away, then read what he has to say
about your brother and mine. Let’s read The Journal anyway.
Free Labor Will Out-Produce Nazi Slaves
Q. Can Stamp* of various de
nominations bo placed in
one album?
A. More than one denomi
nation in an album
greatly increases the
work and cost of re
demption. Please,
therefore, don’t mix
denominations.
Q. May a minor designate a co
owner or beneficiary?
A. Yes, if the purchase is
made by the minor
from his own wages or
earnings.
Q. Do I lose my investment if
my War Savings Bond it lost,
Stolen, or destroyed?
By Gib Croekttt.
A. No; upon uliifirtory
proof of loss or destruc
tion, the Treasury De
partment will issue •
duplicate, usually with
1 eel > quiring a bond of
lode .initv.
Q. May I register the name of
a beneficiary on a Bond with
out his knowledge?
A. Yes. Records of War
Savings Bonds are con
fidential. It is not nec
essary for the Treasury
to contact the bene
ficiary during the own
er's lifetime. Only indi
viduals may be named
as beneficiaries. No as
sociations, churches, or
dubs may be so named.
you keep War Bonds,
np to 10 years, the more
valuable they becomes
I PATRONIZE THOSE
WHO ADVERTISE IN
• THE TO? TRN Al,
BUY Bonds NOW
m *
4 *
V 9
ftV' ^
7/ie Choice Is Yours