m Charlotte labor Journal
12 YEARS OP
CONSTRUCTIVE
SERVICE TO
NORTH
CAROLINA
READERS
Endorted by the N. C. Stat*
Federation of Labor
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
Official Oi gan of Central Labor Union; Standing
for the A. F. L.
i
$2.00 Per Year
VOL. XIII—No. 7
YOU* AOVtNTierMCNT IN TH« JOURNAL IS A GOOS
INVESTMENT
CHARLOTTE, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1943
JOURNAL ADVERTISERS DESERVE CONSIDERATION OR
THf READERS
Labor Is On the Job For Victory
The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT ♦WEEKLY In Mecklenburg County Seck^enb.Tc ccot>!m entire?? For a Weekly Its Readers Represent the LARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte
EDITORIAL
Our President Is Not A “Repudiated
Commander-In-Chief
By W. M. WITTER
Despite the ravings of a large portion of the daily press of the
nation, whose income and means of existence comes through, to
large extent, national advertising from Roosevelt-hating corpora
tions, many, or all, of whom have waxed fat on war contracts,
The Journal cannot, and does not, believe that Franklin D. Roose
velt is a “Repudiated Commander-In-Chief,” as many of them
have termed him, nor does it believe that on election day in 1944,
if the war is still on and he is a candidate to succeed himself,
which he should be, that the American people will sanction the
“Repudiation” given him on several occasions by a “Hot” Con
gress, more especially the last “Repudiation,” when Congress
was REALLY “SUFFERING WITH THE HEAT”
The Charlotte Observer’s Washington correspondent, Jesse
S. Cottrell, and a good one, by the way, led off his article in Sun
day’s issue (June 27) of that paper, with the following:
“WASHINGTON, June 26.—Senators and House members from
the Carolinas who yesterday joined in over-riding the President’s
veto of the anti-strike bill were today receiving telegrams of con
gratulations on the position taken.
“A CHECK OF THE OFFICIAL VETO REVEALS THAT OF
THE FOLK SENATORS ANI) 17 HOUSE MEMBERS FROM THE
CAROLINAS, THAT ONLY CONGRESSMAN JOHN H. FOLGER
OF MOUNT AIRY AM) CAMERON MORRISON OF CHAR
LOTTE STOOD BY THE PRESIDENT AND VOTED TO SUS
TAIN THE VETO. SENATOR BAILEY OF NORTH CAROLINA
s WAS ABSENT, BUT SENATOR REYNOLDS VOTED TO OVER
RIDE THE VETO, AS DID SENATORS SMITH AND MAY
BANK OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
"The effect of the mutinous Congress in failing to sustain
President Roosevelt's veto of the Connally-Smith anti-strike bill is
that the President is today a repudiated commander-in-chief on the
home front x x x.”
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT IS NOT A “REPUDIATED
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF” BY ANY MEANS, AND THE OR
GANIZED LABOR MOVEMENT IS GOING TO NOT DESERT
THE ALL-OUT EFFORTS TO WIN THIS WAR BY DOING
WHAT IT WAS EXPECTED TO DO IN SOME QUARTERS:
KICK OUT OF THE TRACES AND CAUSE INTERNAL
STRIFE, BUT IS GOING TO STICK ALL THE CLOSER TO THE
ADMINISTRATION IN ITS EFFORT TO WIN THIS WAR,
BOTH ON THE HOME FRONT AND IN THE ARMED FORCES.
Labor has taken it in the neck before, and because of the
opening given labor-haters by John Lewis’ action, (and we do
not blame the miners, as a whole) ALL LABOR HAS HAD AN
OTHER MILLSTONE THROWN AROUND ITS NECK UNDER
THE GUISE OF PATRIOTISM, AT A TIME WHEN LABOR
WAS GIVING ITS ALL IN AN EFFORT FOR A SUCCESSFUL
CULMINATION OF THIS WAR.
But for more than half a century organized labor has been
striving to place the worker upon a higher plane, and by contri
butions of sweat, blood, dollars, misery, starvation and bullets
from death-dealing guns, in the hands of hired strike-breakers,
has succeeded in placing the average man on a higher plane than
any Manufacturers’ Association or big business association would
have ever placed him, or his.
ORGANIZED LABOR IS NOT A TRAITOR TO ITS COUN
TRY’, IT IS THE BACKBONE AND FOUNDATION OF ITS
LIBERTY AND ITS FIGHT HAS EVER BEEN FOR THE FLAG
AND TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES DESPITE ALL PROPAGANDA TO THE CONTRARY.
It has worked with capital, it wants to work with capital, and to
a great degree is so doing, and harmony exists between employ
ers and employees to a greater degree than ever before. Of
course, we all have our faults—but because one industrialist is a
crook, or a dozen or more are, is that a reason to place all in
dustrialists in chains: and because one man or leader in labor,
or a dozen of them, are crooked, is that a reason for seeking an
opening wedge to enslave all labor, or to throttle organizations
seeking only to procure a fair portion of profits accrued from
their labor, and for the uplift of its membership along every line
of endeavor.
The Labor Journal, a firm adherent to the principles of the
A. F. of L., and an exponent of all organized labor, that is striv
ing for better conditions for its membership along legitimate
lines; is not, and has never been, biased against the manufac
turers, or any business, that has shown a willingness to deal with
the workers upon a fair, square, open and above-board basis.
Its editor has preached the doctrine of arbitration, mediation and
counciliation in labor halls for over 50 years, and through the
columns of The Journal the past 13 years, never giving an inch
when it came to seeing that labor got a square deal, but still
preaching the doctrine of the fellowship of man. and that we are
our brothers keeper.
AND LAST. BUT NOT LEAST, how many of our “great
thinkers” paused to ponder over the fact that today, in America
there are problems which are going to prove far more dangerous
in the days to come for our internal well-being than the fight
between Capital and Labor. Read your daily papers carefully;
your magazines scan closely, especially those of a commentative
character, and you will find some problems already showing their
heads above water in the printed word, that it is going to take
a citizenship above creed, race or the color line, etc., to settle, and
the handwriting is on the wall for those who would care to read
and ponder.
SO, TO THE MEMBERS OF ORGANIZED LABOR IN THE
CAROLINAS THE JOURNAL IS GOING TO SAY, STICK
CLOSER TOGETHER THAN EVER BEFORE; WORK HARDER
FOR YOUR ORGANIZATIONS AND EMPLOYERS THAN
EVER BEFORE; ATTEND YOUR MEETINGS REGULAR; CO
OPERATE WITH YOUR BROTHERS AND YOUR FRIENDS;
BUY BONDS AND KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING—
YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH AND YOUR CAUSE
IS FOUNDED UPON THE SOLID ROCK.
RETAIL SALES
SHOW A 16 PER
CENT INCREASE
—V—
A sales gain of 16 per cent for May
1943 over May 1942 was reported by
15,531 independent retailers in 34
States, according to preliminary data
released by J. 'C. Capt, Director of the
Census.
Most nondurable goods trades re
flected upward sales movements for
this May over May a year ago. Eat
ing and drinking places led with a
gain of 34 per cent, followed by ap
parel stores, 28 per cent; drug stores,
26 per cent; department stores, 25
per cent; dry goods and general mer
chandise stores, 23 per cent; food
stores, 19 per cent and general stores,
"\
*
Old Qory
’er the land of the
free and the home
of the brave.”
THE PLEDGE OF EVERY LOYAL
A. F. OF L. UNIONIST
“I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of
America and to the Republic for which it stands—One Na
tion, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All!”
BUY U. S. WAR SAVINGS BONDS AND STAMPS NOW!
--————-—
ROOSEVELT SAYS
HOME FRONT O.K.
IN HIS OPINION
—V—
W ASHINGTO N—June 29
—President R«>osevelt expressed
belief Tuesday that things are
going along pretty well on the
domestic front, and asserted that
newspaper writers had stirred up
some of the controversies among
officials and agencies of' his ad
ministration.
Asked to name specifically the
“internecine affairs” started by
newspapermen, he told reporters
at his press conference that there
were flocks of them.
Read any columnists, pretty
nearly, and go back to the files,
he added.
He went on with some blunt
.criticism of some newspapers,
and contended at one point that
reporters on occasion had to
write under orders. In at least
one instance, he said, the w'ar ef
fort was hurt. He said that was
when several newspaper owners
had published reports about the
morals of the WAACS. The
President said that was a shame
ful thing which hurt the war ef
fort and caused a great many
heart burnings. He termed' it a
deliberate newspaper job, not
necessarily accomplished by re
porters' but on orders from the
top. We all know that, he said,
but it does not make it any less
shameful.
Answering another question,
he said would include radio per
sonalities in his discussion but
not so high a percentage as news
papermen.
Asked whether he differenti
ated between reporters and col
umnists, the Chief Executive said
he thought they did it themselves
in their daily writings. Report
ers, he said, are supposed to give
news but some have to color it
or else are likely to lose their
jobs. He knew of a lot of cases
right in the room, he said, where
reporters had to write in accord
ance with orders.
He described this as a tough
situation and iot.-i«raMe to' many
people, but he said the livelihood
of some of them depends on tak
ing orders.
A reporter, coming back to the
question- of controversies, re
marked that Vice President Wal
lace’s statement criticizing Sec
retary of Commerce Jones had
been distributed to the press and
. had not been sought out by any
one. Mr. Roosevelt remarked
that it took him by surprise, too.
THE RIGHT KlfiD ©F „
i FIREWORKS FGRTHEG™
16 per cent. Sales of filling stations,
however, were off 4 per cent.
Jewelry stores recorded the largest
sales gain of the durable goods trades
—47 per cent. Dollar volume of fur
niture stores gained 14 per cent and
motorvehicle dealers, 9 per cent; while
sales ‘were down 3 per cent for hard
ware stores, and 17 per cent for lum
ber-building materials dealers.—Vic
tory Bulletin.
-V
“The Government made Hot Springs
a Federal Reservation and then im
ported 100 cases of assorted liquor
for the opening of the food confer
ence. ”—Exchange.
I OIXWWWXWMXWXKWMXXyUllHO »■«
THE JOURNAL has by far
the largest city circulation of
any weekly published in Char
lotte. Your ad in The Journal
will bring results from the
workers.
An eastern jeweler took the dia
mond show tray out of his widow
and replaced it with a nice ripe, ba
nana. Crowds blocked the sidewalk.
-v
The average estimated weekly wage
in Iowa industry is $34.54.
LABEL TRADES OFFICIALS
THANK THE LABOR EDITORS
The following resolution was unanimously adopted at
the last meeting of the Executive Board of the Union Label
Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor
and Secretary-Treasurer I. M. Ornburn was directed to send
copies to the labor press:
“WHEREAS, the weekly labor newspapers, the official
monthly labor journals, and other labor publications have
formed the mainstay in our publicity campaigns for Union
Labels, Shop Cards and Service Buttons; and
“WHEREAS, Publicity for our official emblems and the
promition of Union Label goods and Union services could
not be carried on successfully without the support of the
labor press; therefore, be it
“RESOLVED, That the Executive Board of the Uifion
Label Trades Department of the American Federation of
Labor does hereby express its deep gratitude for the liberal
space so generously contributed by the weekly labor news
papers, the official monthly labor journals and other labor
publications.’’
Pridgens Receive
Word Of Son’s
Injury In Action
—V—
Vernon Pridgen, fireman first
class, U. S. Navy, has been seriously
wounded in action and is being treat
ed at a naval hospital in Hawaii, ac
cording to a message from the Navy
Department to his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. C. J. Pridgen of this city.
The message conveyed no other in
formation beyond the statement that
his injuries were considered critical.
Young Pridgen has been in the
Navy since February, 1940, and has
seen service in many parts of the
world.
Mr. and Mrs. Pridgen have two oth
er sons in the Navy, Jack Jr. and
Wilbur. Mr. Pridgen was in Wash
ington visiting Jack when the mes
sage announcing that Vernon had
been wounded was received here. Jack
had just been transferred from a for
eign station to attend a special school
in Washington.
Mr. Pridgen is a linotype operator
for The Charlotte News—News, Tues
day.
-V
“Half of America’s youth are in
voluntary agnostics.”—Dr. J. Camp
bell White.
SCOGGINS HEADS
CENTRAL BODY
FOR THIRD TERM
J. A. Scoggins was elected
president of Charlotte Central
Labor Union last Thursday
night for his third term, with
out opposition.
J. J. Thomas was elected vice
president and T. L. Conder, sec
retary; R. R. Harris, treasurer,
and E. D. Barr, sergeant-at
arms, the last three having no\
opposition. -The three trustees \
elected were J. A. Moore, J. S. \
Barrow and O. A. Snipes.
As delegates to the State Fed
eration of Labor, which meets
in Winston-Salem, August 9-10
11, at the Robert E. Lee hotel,
J. A. Scoggins and J. J. Thomas
were elected delegates, with C.
R. Meacham and R. R. Harris
as alternates.
-V
A new anti-freeze solution is said
to have been invented. Sprayed in
a room it is said to destroy all cold
germs.