of the State
■p to be discussed tNH
disposed of at the At$•
nst meeting in High
Point.
VOL. XVI; NO. 10
Unionists, Do Ertrytklag Within Your Power To
Aid In the Soother* A. F. L. Membership Drive
JOURNAL
Working For A Better Understanding Between
North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor
■'LABOR
it Newspaper Dedicated To The Interests of Charlotte Cektral Labor Union and Affiliated Crafts—Endorsed By North
v _Carolina Federation of Labor and Approved By The American Federation of Labor.
“Were it not for the labor
press, the labor movement
would not be w hat it is to
day, and any man who
tries to injure a labor pa
per is a traitor to the
cause.”—Samuel Gompers.
CHARLOTTE, N. C.. THURSDAY. JULY 18. 1946
Subscription Price $2.09 Per Year
TRUMAN SIGNS HOBBS BILL AFTER GURK
ASSURES HIM LAROR’S RIGHTS ARE SAFE
Washington, D. C. — President
Truman signed the Hobbs Bill, im
posing penalties on labor unions
or officials interfering with goods
in interstate commerce, but only
after assurance by U. Sr Attorney
General Tom Clark that the legis
lation could not be construed as in
terfering with labor’s basic rights
as guaranteed by other laws.
In a formal message to Con
gress, the President declared he
signed the measure upon the as
surance of the Attorney General
that it oould not be interpreted "to
deprive labor of any of its recog
nised rights, including the right to
strike, picket and take other peace
ful, concerted action.”
Thus, by this unusual step of
placing before Congress his and
the Attorney General’s construc
tion of the new law, he made his
interpretation of the measure part
of its legislative record to guard
against any misunderstanding of
its scope by say court.
Labor leaders who had urged
veto of the bill were inspired by
grave fear Unit its wording might
be cons trade as outlawing strikes
The President emphasised that
he was assured by the Attorney
General that nothing in the bill
would “repeal, modify or affect”
provisions of^ protective jdeces rf
labor legSsmlion sot®i as We KlifT
way Labor Act, the Norris - La
Guardia Act, the Wagner Act and
some sections of the Clayton Act.
These measures were described
by the President as “the great leg
islative safeguards which the Con
gress has established for the pro
tection of labor in the exercise of
its fundamental rights.’’
Mr. Truman made it clear that
when he vetoed the Case Bill June
11, he expressed “full accord” with
Section 7 of that measure, which
contained the provisions of the
Hobbs Bill.
“Section 11 of the Case Bill,” he
added, “seriously weakened the
protection afforded to labor by the
Norris-La Guardia Act, and cor
respondingly crippled the excep
tions contained in Section 7 of the
Case Bill. The present act, stand
ing alone, is not subject to this
objection.”
Attorney General Clark issued a
statement declaring that the bill
as a whole must be construed ‘in
the light of interpretative state
ments made during the Congress
ional debate on the measure” which
he said, made it evident it was not
the purpose of the bill to interfere
with legitimate union activity.
Among statements cited to bear
out his interpretation, the Attor
ney General cited one by Hep.
Hobbs (D.) Alabama, author of the
bill, who stated the measure "ex
empts from the operation of the
taw any conduct under the anti
trust statutes, under the N orris
LaGuardia Act, the NLRB Act and
the Railway Labor Act,” the so
called Big Pour that have been
termed the Magna Carta of Labor.
“On this understanding,” the
President declared in his message
to Congress, ”1 am approving the
fhr.” ' . -
The measure makes it a felony
carrying a fine up to $10,000 or
up to 20 years in prison, or both,
for illegal interference with goods
in interstate commerce.
Meanwhile, in New York City, a
test case challenging the constitu
tionality of the new law, was pre
dicted by the attorney for New
York Local 807 of the Internation
al Teamsters (AFL).
JIFL BUILDING TRADES DEPT, SIGNS
AGREEMENT TO MB HOUSING PR06IUM
Washington, D. C.—Marking a
long step toward insuring uninter
rupted development of the Gov
ernment’s vast emergency home
building program, the Building and
Construction Trades Department
of the AFL signed a “memoran
dum of understanding’’ with Hous
ing Expediter Wilson W. Wyatt
signifying agreement “to use ev
ery means within its power to
bring about a settlement of any
industrial conflict’’ that may or
may not threaten a stoppage of
work.
Signatories to the agreement for
the AFL were R. J. Gray, acting
chairman of the Executive Council
of the Building and Construction
Trades Department, and Herbert
Rivers, secretary-treasurer. Wyatt
and his chief general deputy, Kirby
Smith, signed for the Government.
Under the agreement, a Con
struction Labor Advisory Commit
tee was created by the AFL group.
It is composed of Mr. Gray, sec
retary-treasurer, Bricklayer's, Ma
sons and Plasterers; President Wil
liam Maloney, International Union
of Operating Engineers; President
Robert Byron, International Sheet
Metal Workers; President Edward
Brown, International Electrical
Workers, and General Organizer
Thomas O’Brien, International
Teamsters.
The memorandum said in part:
“The Building and Construction
Trades Department of the Ameri- 1
can Federation of Labor and its
affiliated Building and Construe-1
tion Trades Councils throughout
the Nation are prepared to provide
the maximum degree of co-opera
tion to the National Housing Ex
pediter in furthering Housing Pro-j
gram. National and International
Unions in the Building and Con
st ruction Trades are prepared to
render their best services nation
ally, regionally, and locally in
meeting the housing emergency by
getting the job of building homes
done well and done with speed.
“In order to make their co-oper
ation with the Housing Expediter
effective in all phases of the pro
gram, it is the desire of the Build
ing Trades Department to estab
lish a working relationship with
his office which would make it pos
sible to resolve after full consid
eration such operating problems
may arise; would enable the Build
ing Trades representatives to pro
vide the Housing Expediter with
such advice and assistance as he
and his staff may need; and would
assure the ready flow of informa
tion to the Building Trades re
garding the policies and operating
procedures formulated in the ad
ministration of the program.”
An Editorial
la order that oar readers
and advertisers may be given
a greater service The Char
lotte Labor Journal announces
in this week’s issue its change
in name. Henceforth this
newspaper will be known as
the Charlotte Labor Journal
and Carolina Journal of La
bor.
Although for a long time
The Journal has been serving
a large number of renders
outside of Charlotte^ and
the State, the publisher is en
deavoring to co-operate with
the Southern 'Membership
drive of the AFL and intends
giving both readers and ad
vertisers on even greater out
of-town coverage.
H. A. Stolls, Publisher.
North Carolina Firemen Close
Successful Charlotte Meeting
ADDRESSES FIREMEN
J. J. Thomas
Says U. S.
Must Keep
Controls
1$ashliigton, D. C.—Grave warn
ing that the Nation “stands at the
crossroads” and must choose be
| tween disastrous inflation on the
one hand or, on the other, a pro
gram of reduced Federal spending,
a strong OPA, high taxes, a bal
anced budget and continued credit
controls was served on President
Truman and. Congress by John R.
Steelman, director of the Office of
War Mobilization and Reconver
sion.
In a quarterly report on the
country’s progress toward recon
version, Mr. Steelman said that ex
penditures for the armed forces,
covering nearly half of the Federal
budget, “must be re-examined in
the light of the present, need for
anti-inflationary action.”
Possibility of economies in the
Federal agencies were minimized
by Mr. Steelman, who said they ac
counted for only 6 per cent of the
costs.
Commenting later on the Steel
man report at a news conference,
President Truman pledged his Ad
ministration to a reduction in Fed
eral spending and declared that
programs for the military and the
veterans would be reviewed “to de
termine where they can be reduced
without endangering national se
curity or causing unjustified hard
ships.”
Both Mr. Truman and Mr.
Steelman hailed the great strides
which the country had taken to
ward production. Both were insis
tent upon controls to check the
danger of runaway prices.
President Truman issued a spec
ial statement on his reconversion
director’s report and made a point
during the news conference of
reading some of its highlights.
The President’s statement said
in part:
MUp to June 30 the setbacks
which we suffered had been dis
1 proportionately magnified.
The facts are that production by
1 midyear reached the highest level
ever attained in peacetime.
“More people are working now
than ever before—4,500,000 more
than in 1941, our highest prewar
year. Particularly gratifying is the
face that eight out of evey ten re
| turned veterans already have jobs;
but we shall not be satisfied until
j the rest of our veterans have suit
I able employment opportunities.
The number of people looking for
work was only slightly above 2,
(Please Turn to Page 4)
State Fir# Fighters of North
Carolina closed its Seventh annual
convention July 11 with or.e of the
greatest meeting ever held by the
organization. Delegates came from
their respective cities loaded with
enthusiasm for what they had ac
complished during the past year.
One new local, at Asheville, N. C..
affiliated with the association dur
ing the year.
President John P. Redmond of
the International Associaton of
Fire Fighter!, Washington, D. C.,
gave an inspired address on var
ious phases of fire fighting and
what firemen are accomplishing
throughout the United States by
affiliating with the I.A.F.F. Fire
Marshall of North Carolina Sher
wood Brock well spoke on how to
keep youth in the Fire Depart
ments over the state. Youth means
better protection of life and prop
erty. It can be done by setting up
an adequate pension plan whereby
firemen may retire after 26 years
of service.
Clarenc# O. Kuester of the Char
lotte Chamber of Commerce, gave
the delegates some very interest
ing information on the growth of
Charlotte la the last fifty years.
He also spoke on how variiuis
modern mac hires had taken the
place of laber and if we are to;
keep pace with modern times and (
supply full employment for all, we i
must cut down the working hours 1
of the week to 40 and if necessary
to 30 hours.
President Redmond was called
back to Washington and Brother
J. J. Thomas installed the new of
ficers, Officers for the coming year
are: President, J. B. Keeter of Ra
leigh; secretary-treasurer, H. E.
Blackmon, ''harlotte; first vice
president, Joseph Hall, Asheville;
second vice president, W. E. Cox,
Winston-Salem; and third vice
president W\ H. Copley, Durham.
This group of officers form the
executive emmittee which was
authorized to carry out the wishes
of the convention. The committee
will conduct a study of occupation
al diseases of the fire fighting pro
fession, adequate pension plans,
civil service for all paid firemen in
the state of North Carolina, and
will increase activity on behalf of
the I.A.F.F and the A.F. of L.
There is a goal of several new
locals by next convention time.
In his ad-lreea to the delegates
assembled in the Hotel Charlotte.
Mr. J. J. Thomas, president of
Local 660 I.A.F.F., Charlotte,
stated “If the A.F. of L. accom
plishes its plana in the future we
will live on in prosperity. If it
fails we will suffer in poverty."
Green Assails
Labor Enemies
Chicago. — Anti-union forces in
national an4 state legislative bod
ies were assailed by APL President
William Green in an address be
fore the 23d international conven
tion of the Firemen and Oilers
here: He hailed particularly as a
triumph for labor the recent veto
by GoV. Davis of Louisiana of a |
bill to on£.aw closed shops in the
state.
Declaring that the AFL would
never join hands with Communists,
Mr. Green called upon the union
for the greatest possible unity in
guarding against infiltration of
those who would attempt to de
stroy organised labor from within.
Impressive gains in membership
and grea: strides in the Improve
ment of the members were revealed
(Please Tara to Page 4)
People Pay And Pay
Without Price Control
Washington, D. C.—The Senate voted to outlaw any future OPA
price ceiling* on meat, poultry, eggs, food made from these products,
and on milk, butter, gasoline and oil.
Here are the results, as learned the hard way by a stunned Nation:
MEAT—Cattle prices break all records in the 81-year history of
Chicago livestock market. Beef cattle sell for $23 per 100 pounds,
hogs climb to 50 cents above previous high figure to $17-75, or $4.90
above the OPA ceiling . Market observers said they expected beef
would go above $30.
STEAK—In the Nation’s capital, steak sells for prices ranging from
$1.10 to $1.85 a pound, depending upon the grade and the decision of
the butcher.
HAMBURGER—Selling at 78 cents to $1 a pound.
LAMB—In Chicago market from $20 to 20.60 in one day.
PORK CHOPS—Upped to 94 cents a pound.
klB ROAST—Reported available at $1.25 a pound.
BACON—Selling at prices ranging from 75 to 98 cents a pound.
MILK—Selling at 22 cents a quart in some areas, with indications
of further increases.
ICE C REAM—Expected to follow milk pnce jump.
RENTS—Up anywhere from 30 to 300 per cent in areas where no
state or local controls are in effect.
COTTON—Increase of $5 a bale in single day, to daily limit.
WHEAT—Jumps 17 cents a bushel in day.
SHOES—Leather up 20 to 30 per eent above OPA ceilings, shoe
manufacturers’ prices up 8 and 9 per ceht with prospect of further
jumps.
OPA economists, after a careful study of the swift spiraling of
prices, predicted retail beef prices will jump 50 per cent and pork
will increase 30 per cent.
The headlong gain in cattle prices, reflecting the Senate’s action
in voting down the restoration of meat price celiings, was just a be*
ginning, according to the livestock traders, who said prices might go
soon to $30. The Associated Press quoted a Chicago trader as saying:
“There is nothing in sight to stop it. These current high receipts
will peter out before tong. Mostly they’re stock which has been held
back for the last cooffle of months tit expectation of higher pdcar
When they’re gone—hang onto your hats!”
A report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on wholesale prices of
28 basic commodities went up another point, to 233, of 17 per cent
above the June 28 figure. Its primary market prices on 900 com
modities went up 4 per cent in a week, the most rapid rise since
September, 1939.
Dun & Bradstreet’s index of 30 basic commodities rose to its highest
point since the computation was begun in 1932.
OPA offcials’ analysis of the meat situation took this form:
Average prices of hogs on the hoof are up 15 per cent and those
of beef cattle are up 22 to 25 per cent. If packers and retailers in
creased their prices only by the increases in cattle prices—that is, if i
they did not expand their mark-ups— the average price of pork would j
go up .about 4 1-2 cents a pound and beef at retail would be 8 cents
a pound higher. This would be an increase of about 13 per cent for
pork and 25 per cent for beef.
But these prices do not include, offsets to the subsidy payments
formerly going to packers and processors. To compensate for this
loss, the retail price would have to rise another 15 per cent.
Labor and Management
Profit By Bargaining
New York City.—Following is
a reproduction, in part, of an
article written by Thomas 8.
Holden, president of the F. W.
Dodge Corp„ and published in
the “Architectural Record” clear
ly demonstrating how both labor
and management can and do
benefit by “Collective Bargain
ing at Work ”
By THOMAS S. HOLDEN.
Industrial peace and sound («•
ployer-employe relationships in
New Yorks building industry dur
ing the next five yean are the ob
jects of the master agreemnet re
cently consummated by the Build
ing Trades Employers’ Association
of New York City and the Building
and Construction Trades Council of
Greater New York and Long Is
land.
Hailed by George Meany, secre
tary-treasurer of the American
Federation of Labor, who signed
the document as a witness, as “a
real triumph for the American
system of collective bargaining."
the agreement resulted from many
months of discussion and negotia
tion by a 14-man joint committee
of the two organisations. It was
ratified by 23 constituent member
sssociations of the BTEA and 26
constituent unions of the Council.
Arrival at this result through
established bargaining procedures
was no mean achievement in a pe
riod of nation-wide labor unrest,
when one great American indus
try after another was beset by
excessive wage demands, strikes
and work stoppages. As Mr. Mcany
said, there was no coercion or
threat in the New York building
industry, no policeman or political
, party involved in bringing labor
and management together.
Influence of the master agree
ment has already spresd from
building into heavy engineering
construction activity in New York
City. It was largely followed as a
pattern for the recent pact be
tween the Heavy Construction
Council and the General Contrac
tors Association, the organisations
representing respectively t h e
unions and the employers engaged
primarily in heavy engineering
work. It has been reported that
New York's master agreement is
being actively studied and dis
cussed in a number of other cities
with a view to working out simi
lar arrangements.
The agreement outlaws strikes
and lockouts, establishes wage in
creases in accordance with the
Little Steel formula, standardizes
the workday as seven hours and
the work week as five days,
strengthens existing machinery for
arbitration of jurisdictional and
other disputes, sets up a perma
nent industry board with the func
tion of regulation of the industry
and general enforcement of the
master agreement.
BAN ON CONTROLS OVER
MEAT, MILK. EGGS.
AND POULTRY
Washington, D. C. — Com
pletely disregarding the in
terests of consumers through
out the Nation, the Senate
deliberately outlawed price
ceilings on food vital to every
American family.
Bowing to demands of spec
ial interests, it voted to re
move from OPA control meat,
poultry, eggs, milk (its food
and feed products including
butter and cheese), cotton
seed, soybeans and petrole
um.
As the emasculated bill was
approaching its final form,
there was strong indication
that this, like the previous
measure, was heading
straight for a Presidential ve
to.
Only by the narrowest of
margins, a 40-40 tie vete, did
the Senate reject the Taft
amendment, aimed to strip
OPA of discretionary powers
and force it to guarantee
manufacturers’ profits plus
costs. This was one of Pres
ident Truman’s chief objec
tions to the original bill he
vetoed.
The tie vote came following
a moat unusual procedure
when Majority Leader Bark
[toy joceased the Senate night
session for two hours at the
coktail hour to permit the
members to attend a party
piven by Senator Guffey (D.),
Penn., for Senator Radcliffe
(D. Md.), who was defeated
for renomination. Nearly
every member of the Senate
attended the party.
The amendment to exempt cot
tonseed, soy beans and their prod
ucts, including butter and lard
substitutes, was fathered by Sena
tor Eastland of Mississippi, and
was approved, 42 to 34.
The petroleum exemption amend
ment was presented by Senator
Moore of Oklahoma. Approved by
a vote of 40 to 30, it specifies
that ceilings cou^J not be rein
stated in petroleum or any of its
products unless the price de-con
trol board, which would be set up
by the bill, certified the item> to
be short in supply. Since the OPA
concedes that the petroleum sup
ply equals the demand, little like
lihood was seen that this condi
tion would occur.
An effort by Senate leaders to
hasten final action on the bill co
incided with a statement by Pres
ident Truman that every day of
delay increased the danger of in
flation.
The President, whose veto on
June 29 of an amendment-laden
price control extension bill was a
factor in the OPA’s expiration the
following day, declined to say
whether he would sign a new
measure canrying the additional
amendments already approved
by the Senate. Instead he author
ised the following quotation:
"Ceqtainly, up to this point run
away inflation has been prevented,
but, as the seventh report of the
Reconversion Director points out,
all of the ground we have so la
boriously won against inflation
will be irretrievably lost Without a
workable price control law. Every
day that passes without a law on
the books increases that danger.”
WAGNER HOUSING BILL
ESSENTIAL. WYATT SAYS
Washington, D. C.—Passage of
the Wagner-Ellender-Taft Housing
bill, approved by the Senate in
May, is absolutely essential to at
tainment of the goals set for the
Veterans’ Emergency Housing
program, Housing Expediter Wil
son Wyatt told the House
and currency committee.