bonds
Ihr Charlotte labor Journal
Gndorted by the N. C. State
Federation of Labor
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
Official Organ of Central Labor Union; Standing
for the A. F. L.
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VOL. XIII—No. 22
YOU* ADVMTItlNKNT IN TMI JOURNAL !• A OOOO
INVUTNINT
CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1943
JOURNAL AOVMTIIRRR DCOKRVC CONFORMATION OF
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~ : Labor Is “Producing For Attack” =
The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY in Mecklenburg County™*™ and compiled o< cbasu>t« ak« For a Weekly Its Readers Represent the LARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte
-- - MECKLKNBUKG CO U NTT IN II* SNTUUCTl
GOES INTO ITS SECOND WEEK;
LEWIS PROPOSITION TO COME UP
A. F. OF L. CONVENTION AT BOSTON
BOSTON.—The American Federation of Labor Convention
begins its second week Monday with most of the organization's
business still ahead of it, principally the application of the United
Mine Workers for readmission, the Negro membership question,
plus a host of other resolutions and reports on Federation and Gov*
eminent affairs.
Members of the Resolutions Committee have discussed the
UMW application extensively, and well placed sources say there
is virtual unanimity for radmission of the miners provided their
president John L. Lewis, first makes a definite commitment on
the dismemberment of his catch-all District 50, which crosses the
jurisdictional lines of some AFL unions.
The Lewis issue is not expected to reach the convention floor
before tomorrow. A preliminary written report was to be ready
for discusison at anothe rexecutive session of the committee this
forenoon.
The Progressive Mine Workers of America, which holds AFL
charter rights in the mining industry, is a legal bar to the admis
sion of the UMW, but AFL leaders consider this a secondary prob
lem which can be worked out easily, if the District 50 issue is dis
posed of first.
Estimates of the Progressives* membership in Illinois and
Kentucky range from 9,000 to 35,000, compared with more than
a half million in the UMW.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONVENTION
BOSTON—Matthew Woll, head of
Labor’s League For Human Rights,
handed a $10,000 check to Luigi An
tonini, chairman of the Italian-Amer
ican Labor Council, for the purpose
of rehabilitating the free trade union
movement in liberated Italy. The im
pressive ceremony, serving as a sym
bol of American friendship for the
oppressed people of Italy, took place
on the platform of the AFL conven
tion Jiere immediately after the dele
gates unanimously adopted the fol
lowing report:
“The American Federation of La
bor, which has consistently fought
Fascism and has never forgotten its
fraternal ties with the organized la
bor movement of Italy, pledges itself
to help the workers of Italy with all
the means possible and. at its dis
posal. It will assist in the complete
destruction of Fascisf in Italy and
will aid in the restoration of democ
racy in that unhappy country until
the Italian people win the blessings
of a just peace and the benefits of
freedom and democracy as announced
in the Atlantic Charter.”
With regard to pending legislature
to lift the ban on Chinese immigra
tion, the convention refused to change
the AFL’s traditional policy in favor
of outright exclusion but directed the.
Executive Council to make a thorough
study of the subject with a view to
possible future revision of the immi
gration laws.
Joseph A. Padway, AFL counsel,
made a stirring speech to the conven
tion in which he warned of the coming
of Fascism to America through the
enactment of State and Federal laws
regulating and regimenting the activ
ities of labor unions.
The fraternal delegates to the con
vention from the British Trades
Union Congress—Harry Harrison and
William Bayliss—presented interest
ing reports to the convention on labor
conditions in England and Russia. At
the concAkdioft of their addresses,
President Green served emphatic
notice that the AFL is eager to col
laborate with British labor on war
and peace aims, but will not sit down
at the same table with representa
tives of Government-dominated labor
movements.
Secretary of Labor Frances Per
kins ridiculed exaggerated press re
ports on strikes. She said the sit
uation is remarkably good. The dele
gates got a laugh when she pointed
Free Labor Will Out-Produce Nazi Slaves
THE MARCH OF LABOR
TM6 PEAK Of
5IT-POWN
STRIKES
OCCURRED
in 1937 —
477 TAKiN®
fLACf ■
ENGLISH AR8lTRAT*OH ACT <*«00
PROVIDED TV AT EACH MNIVNAWC AN
AM1IU1M IN WARE DISPUTES. BuTtlE
MASTERS REFUSED, AND HO STEPS THERE
TAKEN ^ COMPEL THEM*
'tfuY
MOtt
BomqS
r\
SgSSg! '**■
UNION MCMKM! *>uMilP)buR
^ElF,ybuft ONION,ANOlM CAUSE
MBOR 8V INSISTING UPON
fMl* CASH IN tOOK NtW NAT •
LEWIS’ TERMS NOT ACCEPTABLE
TO A. F. OF L.—CONFLICTS MUST BE
SETTLED FIRST SAYS CONVENTION
BOSTON, Oct. 14.—Voting a gesture of welcome to
the United Mine Workers, the A. F. of L. voted over
whelmingly that a settlement of jurisdictional rights
must precede readmission.
The convention authorized the executive council
to negotiate the return of the miners after federation
leaders made impassioned pleas to delegates to place no
obstacles in the path of labor unity.
Chairman Matthew Woll of the resolutions commit
tee assured the delegates:
“This formula is designed to protect the interest
of every affiliated organization. This council is not go
ing to bargain away the jurisdictional rights of any or
ganization merely to admit the United Mine Workers.”
The convention’s action was a rejection of Lewis’
terms that the federation take the UMW “as is” and_
leave any jurisdictional questions until “after the fact
of reaffiliation.” The principal issue was the U. M. W.’s
catch-all District 50, which has enrolled workers claimed
by many A. F. L. craft unions.
OVER TEN MILLION DOLLARS GIVEN
BY A.F.L. AFFILIATED INTRNAT’NALS
IN THE THIRD WAR LOAN DRIVE
WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 8.—Early reports from national and inter
national unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor indicate
that their members have given outstanding support of the Third War Loan.
President William Green reported to Secretary of the Treasury Henry
Morgenthau, Jr., this week that to date he has reports showing $8,489,470
has been subscribed by the unions in the Third War Loan. Mr. Morgenthau
congratulated Mr. Green on this excellent showing.
The New York State Federation of Labor, through its secretary, E. W.
Edward, reported their goal to be $2,000,000 or as much more as will be
necessary to purchase a Liberty ship to be named for their past deceased
president, Thomas J. Lyons.
E. W. Jimerson .president of Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher
Workmen of N. A., announced the purchase of $1,000,000 in bonds and the
probable purchase of another quarter of a million dollars’ worth.
The Carpenters International Urn'll also reported the purchase of a mil
lion dollars’ worth of bonds through , president William L. Hutcheson.
William E. Walter, secretary of the /Boilermakers’ International Union,
announced the purchase by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers,
Iron Ship Builders and Helpers of America in the amount of one and one
half million dollars.
Other purchases of bonds by A. F. of L. Unions reported to Mr. Morgen
thau by Mr. Green to date are as follows:
International Molders International Union...--—$200,000.00
Amalgamated Association Street and Electric
Railway employees of America- <"0,ooo.uu
International Brotherhood of Bookbinders
International Union of Operating Engineers ----- 150,000.00
International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill
Workers of the U. S. and Canada.....—-.—
I Florida Federation of Labor ----.—. 56,725.00
Arizona State Federation of Labor---..105,000.00
Arkansas State Federation of Labor--—.. 18.0W.00
South Carolina Federation of Labor...—.- 1.000.00
Baker’s International Union-......-qi noao nn
Printing Pressmen’s International Union----- 91,0228.00
Brotherhood of Painter’s and Decorators . . . General fund of
International Painter’s and Decorator’s .— 850,000.00
Teamsters International, Indianapolis, Indiana. _ 250,000.00
United Association of Journeymen, Plumbers and Steamfitteis— 400,000.00
Bricklayers International Union —---—T 500.ooo.oo
[While later returns have not been received The Journal is informed
that the ten million by Internationals mark was passed and this does not
include the millions upon millions that the Central Labor Unions and affili
ated locals of the A. F. of L. bought. Ed.[
out that in the past year she has
seldom if ever been wakened in the
early hours of the morning by fran
tic telephone reports on strike crises.
Other convention speakers during
the first week’s sessions included Un
dersecretary of War Robert P. Pat
terson, Monsignor Francis J. Haas,
Wage-Hour Administrator L. Met
calfe Walling, Chairman Arthur J.
Altmeyer of the Social Security:
Board, Director Edward J. Phelan of
the International Labor Organization
and Fraternal Delegate Joseph Matte
of the Canadian Trades and Labor
Congress. Because of lack of space,
detailed reports on their addresses
must be deferred to later issues.
Besides presiding over all conven
tion sessions, President Green ful
filled several outside speaking en
gagements, notably one before the
Boston Chamber of Commerce. In a
straight-from-the-shoulder talk, the
AFL chief told the businessmen that
it is up to them to preserve free en
terprise in America by instituting a
post-war production program to pro
vide jobs for all and by desisting fi om
any post-war effort to destroy trade
unions. Otherwise, he warned, the
Government may be forced to step in
and take over, with consequent exten
sion of Federal regulation and regi
mentation which both business and
labor want to avoid.
The oldest delegate at this AFL
convention, in point of service, is vvn
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!”
liam D. Mahon, AFL Vice-President
and head of the Street and Electric
Railway Workers’ Union. He recent
ly celebrated his 60th anniversary as
President of the Union. The young
est “delegate” is 11-year-old Sally
Tobin, tiny daughter of Delegate Sam
Tobin of Detroit, representative of
Sally, however,
the Iron Workers. -
has been coming to AFL conventions
since she was a baby and considers
herself an “old-timer” because she
knows so many of the delegates by
Venerable, white-haired Frank
Morrison, secretary-emeritus of the
AFL, is also here. The convention
wouldn’t be the same without him.
Despite his advanced yearsi Mr. Mor
rison is in good health and is active
ly interested in every detail of the
convention proceedings. He will ad
dress the convention before adjourn
ment. .
In point of numbers, this is one of
the largest conventions in AFL his
tory. More than 600 delegates crowd
every inch of the huge hotel audi
torium. Of course, the number of
delegates is limited by the convention
rules; otherwise the representatives
of all the AFL unions would make too
great a gathering even for Madison
Square Garden or the Boston Com
mon.
-V
HORSE SENSE
Horse sense, says a very wise man,
is that level-headedness which keeps
a horse from betting on the human
race.
ITS LABOR’S WAR — LETS
FIGHT—WITH PAT DOLLARS IN
WAR BONDS.
PRODUCE
FOR VICTORY i
GOOGE CONGRATULATES LABOR
UPON PART IT TOOK IN
THIRD WAR LOAN DRIVE
Headquarters Area No. 2
A. F. of L.—U. S. Treasury
Joint War Bond Campaign,
416 Hurt Bldg., Atlanta, Ga.
October 7, 1943.
ro All Local Unions
and the Labor Press
Dear Sirs and Brothers:
May I take this opportunity to congratulate you upon your
organizations wholehearted support in the purchase of War Bonds
luring the Third War Loan drive, which ended last Saturday.
We are indeed proud when America topped the Fifteen Billion
campaign by running the sales up to approximately seventeen
billion dollars.
You and your sister local unions by your service made possible the fol
lowing statement of our Commander-in-Chief, President Roosevelt to the
ielegates of the American Federation of Labor Convention now in session at
Boston:
“The battle of production is being won in every shipyard ma
chine sly>p, factory and construction outfit in this country, and the
skill, speed and adaptability of the working men and women have
made possible the outfitting and equipment of our military forces in
record time. The participation of the wage earners in this country
not only in the production drive, but in the support of the war effort
by the purchase of war bonds, both out of union treasuries and out
of personal subscriptions is one of the items of American life of
which we are very proud. In this country we are proving ourselves
able to do voluntarily all that is necessary for the support of the
great war effort and to stand back of the brave men who go into
combat.”
America’s armed forces and production armies are attacking on all
fronts of the globe; it is up to us individually and collectively to “back the
attack” by periodically checking the Payroll Deduction Plan’s operation of
the members of each Local Union, to constantly encourage stragglers to
keep their 10% authorization in effect at all times. We would deeply ap
preciate a report from the War Bond Committee of your organization at
least once every sixty days that we may keep our records current.
Wish best wishes and kindest regards I am
Fraternally your,
GEORGE L. GOOGE
Consulting Expert, War Finance Division.
This Week,
This World
* —i—by Ted Friend—■ -
ON OCTOBER 1, 1942, Adolph Hitler stood before a vast
crowd of doting Nazis at the Berlin Sportspalast and said, “If,
for example, during the last few months—and it is only for a
few months each year that one can wage war in Russia—we ad
vance to the Don and then down the Don until at last we reach
the Volga—storm Stalinggrad and also take it—and you may de
pend upon it that we will do so—even this will be as nothing in
the enemy’s eyes! ... If one has to deal with military idiots, nat
urally one cannot say where they will attack us—they are capable
of embarking on the maddest enterprises.”
It is difficult to conceive that it was
just one little year ago that Hitler so
spoke.
A quick look at a map, of course,
will indicate that the Germans never
reached the Don much less the Volga,
and that their “storming of Stalin
grad” brought them only encirclement
and defeat. As for the mad ventures
[>f the “mlitary idiots” that Hitler
scorned—they have taken Africa, have
knocked Italy out of the war and have
organized the French into a commend
able fighting force. From one end
of Europe to the other the “idiots”
have the Nazis on the defensive and
irery much worried as to where the
next blow will fall.
Hitler unburdened himself of a few
other fatuous observations as he bath
ed in the sunshine of adulation that
gaudy day in Berlin. “No matter,”
he roared, “where the enemy chooses
as a place for landing, he may count
himself lucky if he manages to stay
nine hours on land.” One is tempted
to observe, “Like in Casablanca, Al
S'ers, Sicily, Sardinia and the main
nd of Italy, for example!”
But Hitler did not really throw
his audience into hysterics of en
thusiasms—with endless Sieg Heils
rending the air — until he declared,
‘All the hopes of our opponents in
believing themselves capable of dis
solving the bond between Germany
md Italy are simply madness!
Sieg Heil!—time has marched on,
ind away—from Hitler!
* * *
THE OLD AMERICAN CITY of
Boston, Cradle of Liberty, appears to
he next on the schedule to treat it
seu u> a Diooa Darn oi intolerance
and terror. Reports continue to come
in of many small time riots—which
may be expected to grow into one
big: time riot—assuming a dangerous
ascendency in Boston.
* * *
THE REMARKABLE trend away
from isolationism, reported by all
polls and reflected by the enthusiastic
Congressional support of the Ful
brignt Resolution, may be attributed,
next to the logic of compelling events,
to the book, “U. S. Foreign Policy,”
clarified historic American interests
in the world scene for the public.
Lippmann’s book deserves an honor
ed place in the library of every Amer
ican concerned with his country’s fu
ture well-being.
Evidence of the bankruptcy of isola
tionist thought is the pathetic ^effort
on the part of former isolationists,
such as Senator Wheeler of Montana,
to find some usable issue upon which
to hang their political hats. The dema
gogic effort to cash in on the draft
problem—as reflected in the Wheeler
appeal for the support of pre-Pearl
Harbor fathers may, however, act as
a boomerang with the rank and file
of servicemen alligned against him.
With the servicemen, Labor and the
anti-isolationsts all against him,
Wheeler’s senatorial days, in spite of
his play upon artificial issues, would
be numbered.
• * *
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: Unit
ed States expenditures for the fiscal
year that ended June 30 was $78,
178,885,240. But the indemnity which
the Nazis planned, not to mention ter
ritorial surrenders, was the neat sum
of $500,000,000,000.
“I AM THE PRINTING PRESS”
I am the printing press, born of the mother earth. My
heart is of steel, my limbs are of iron. My fingers are of
brass. I sing the songs of the world. Oratories of history,
the symphonies of all time. I am the voice of today. The
herald of tomorrow. I weave into the warp of the past, the
woof of the future.’ I tell the stories of peace and war alike.
I make the human heart beat with passion or tenderness. I
stir the pulse of nations, and make brave men do better
deeds, and soldiers die ... I am the laughter and tears of the
world, And I shall never die, until all things return to the
immutable dust.
I AM THE PRINTING PRESS.
—Robt. H. (Bob) Davis—1911.
“LET’S GO U.S.A.-KEEP’EM FLYING”