Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Aug. 14, 1947, edition 1 / Page 1
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f Year 6N|m»M ia Protest Agiiist All ANTI -LABOR Bills! JOURNAL VOL. XVII; NO. 14 CHARLOTTE. N. G. THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1947 Subscription $2.00 Per Year l)ARES GOP TO PICK TAFT Green Asserts Labor Is Opposed To Tatt By 100,000 To 1 _______ t San Francisco.—AFL President William Green predicted that Senator Robert A. Taft, if nominated by the Republi cans, win “suffer” the worst defeat ever handed to any candidate of a major party for the Presidency df the United States.” Mr. Green declared that labor will vote against Taft by 100,000 to 1. The AFL leader, speaking before the convention of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, issued a chal lenge to the Republican party to nominate Senator Taft a* its presidential candidate so that the nation may have a clear-cut issue in the coming political battle of 1948. "We are going to wage an all* out campaign in the 1948 elections to elect our friends and defeat our enemies, and no one is going to stop us,” Mr. Green told 5,000 delegates and spectators. “Of course. Senator Taft claims that the rank and file member ship of our unions do not support our opposition to the law he sponsored. He seems to think he can gain votes by attacking labor. Well, let’s put it to the test.” tive Fred Hartley, co-author of the vicious 'labor law. to change his mind about his intention of not seeking reelection.' He urged Representative Hartley to enter the campaign and promised that “our people in New Jersey will take care of him.” The AFL president recounted the victories of the reactionary forces which have captured tight control of Congress and. of many state legislatures. “Their next objective is to take over the White House,” he asserted and continued witfy the warning: “Please remember that these moves are preliminary to an all out assault against the organized labor movement and against the whole body of social justice legis lation that has been enacted dur ing the last two decades. “Certain elements of Big Busi ness are now determined to tear down the labor movement, to weaken and destroy it and to render it powerless to protest the interests of the great masses of the nationi workers. In the furtherance of these objectives, they hope to install a Tory re gime in our Government.” Mr. Green defended vigorously the free enterprise system which has made America great. He noted, however, that America is “the last fortress” of this sys tem. He drew a parallel between the dttitude of the National As sociation of Manufacturers and the reactionary Tories in Eng land who, by their actions, brought about the eclipse of in dividual freedom and the intro duction of socialist methods of nationalisation of banking and industry. Of the trend of reaction sup ported and promoted by |die NAM, Mr. Green said, “This is the way to foment a class struggle in America which can only end in the destruction of free enterprise and our present way of life." President Green called upon all labor to fight, and pledged the American Federation of Labor to “concerted action to strike back at the enemies of the workers with every legitimate weapon at our command until the Taft-Hartley Act is repealed and the whole Tory trend is reversed. “In the coming year, labor must be militant, for it will be fighting for its self-preservation and the protection of the freedoms in herent in the American way of life. Difficult tasks aad prob * ■1 a Calls Marshall Man ‘Wise And Simple' Measure Washington, D. C.—In an edi torial appearing in this month's American Federatioaist William Green, AFL president, assert*’ that the Marshall plan for ISP ropean economic recovery is a “wise and simple way of enabling European nations to cope with their own problems." “The proposal assumes the will ingness of the various nations to work together and share resources in order that all might have se curity and make progress,” Mr, Green declared. The AFL chief pointed out the Marshall plan has thus far served to emphasise the gulf which sep arates democratic civilisation from totalitarian, regimes. He criticised Russia for her refusal to co-operate. He said: “The U. S. S. R. refused to co operate or to permit the nations she controls to co-operate, thus di viding Europe into two parts— those willing and those unwilling to work together under democratic leadership. The world desperately wants and needs peace, but it can have peace only when all are will ing to place common welfare above special interests but with out detriment to human liberty. The purposes of the U. S. S. R. stand out with unmistakable clarity and it is well that wage earners and all other citisens un derstand and face the facts. “All democratic nations arf willing to respect the right of any people' to have a totalitarian state if they wish. We believe such a decision is ill-advised—but a decision which a nation has a right to make. However, no na tion has any right to impose this or any other form of government upon another nation.. “After the Communist Party got control of the Russian gov ernment, it s«t up the Comintern, or committee responsible for “converting other countries to communism. During the recent war the Comintern was officially abolished, but its members were assigned to various countries to direct Communist secret agents and the Communist Party mem bers in the varoius countries. “Those whQ value democratic institutions, including free enter prise, have responsibility for knowing how to .safeguard and preserve this free way of life. We must not only conserve our institutions at home but we must do our share in convincing the wage-earners of other countries of their value and basic impor tance. If we would retain democracy, we mast prepare our selves to persuade others to share it" Taft Record In Senate Is Assailed TAFTS HAT IN PRESIDEN TIAL RING — ITS EMPTY EVEN WHEN HE WEARS IT. Washington, D. C.—His friends hare thrown Senator Robert A. Taft's hat into the ring for the Republican presidential nomina tion, thus exposing his bald spot to the public spot-light and call ing attention to his soft-headed policies. Despite the build-up some of the reactionary Washington col umnists have given the Ohio Sen ator as a “courageous” and “forth right” politician, he still coyly re frains from announcing his own candidacy. Obviously on the hunt for delegates, he insists his forth coming speech-making tour of the country will be merely to tell the people about the record of the 80th Congress, which he helped to fashion. In reviewing that record, Sena tor Taft may see fit to omit some the facta in order to make the 'picture look prettier. Just to keep the record straight, here are a few facts which every American workingman and woman should remember in considering Taft’s candid acy 1. The Ohio Senator was one of the authors and prime movers of the Taft-Hartley A,ct, which seeks to destroy at one blow all the trains which the members of | organized labor have won over the past generation. In discus- j sing this measure publicly before its enactment. Senator Taft ad mitted that it contained “three quarters of the matters pressed upon us strenuously by employ ers.” The question is—Can American workers look with favor upon the prospect of having in the White House a man who takes dictation from employers »n<f puts their in terests above the interests of the great mass of American citi zens? 2. Senator Taft, by his single objection, prevented Senate ac tion just before' adjournment of the first session of the 80th Con gress on the Lanfer-Chavez Stevenson Bill, previously adopted unanimously by the House of Rep resentatives. This bill sought to increase Federal retirement allow ances slightly to compensate for the lowered purchasing power of the dollar. Republican Chairman Langer of the Senate Civil Serv ice Committee was so angered by Taft’s action that he urged the two million Federal workers in the country to vote Democrat ic in the next elections. An over whelming majority of the mem berg of the Senate favored the bill, but Taft thwarted their wishes. 3. Senator Taft, so anxious to curb hbor, displayed only the faintest interest iq another bill to which he had previously lent his own name. This was the Wagner Ellender-Taft Bill, designed to en courage vast expansion of housing construction, a program the na tion vitally needs. Taft’s sudden lack of interest resulted in sabo taging this, measure. Perhaps it is only a coincidence that the pow erful real estate lobby fought this bill viciously. 4. Taft also blocked efforts to enact the Wagner-Murray-Dingeli Bill, providing national insurance against the cost of medical care, a reform badty need in this country. As s substtiute, Taft proposed a measure which would grant people (Continued #n Page 2) BENT CONTROL Washington. D. C.—The follow ing ia an explanation of the new Federal rfcnt control law and its effect upon tenants. The analysis was prepared by the AFL’s Hous ing Committee: The new rent-control measure called the Housing and Rent Act of 1947 is a bad law. It fails to give tenants adequate protection. It allows “voluntary” rent in creases up to 15 per cent over the present rent ceiling. It removes federal safeguards over evictions. It completely does away with rent control on some types of housing. But it .'is a law now. Every tenant should know how to se cure maximum protection under the new rent law. Here are its important provisions. 19 Per Cent Increase If: you refuse to sign a new lease, your rent cannot be in creased. until March 1, 1948. The law permits up to a 15 per cent increase above your present max imum rent if all the following conditions we met: 1. If the voluntarily situ a written lease. You are not required to sign a lease for an increased rent. Until February 29. '1948, while the law remains in eiffect, your landlord cannot evict you for not signing. Moreover, the landlord cannot reduce the essential serv ices he has been supplying to you. If you decide not to sign, your present rent ceiling will remain in effect until March 1, 1948. If your landlord tries to force you to sign a lease, talk with the people at your area rent office. Tfiey are there to protect you. If you decide to sign a lease,' read the lease Wry carefully. If you have questions about the con ditions your landlord has written into the lease, before you sign it, take the lease to the area rent office and discuss it with rent officials there. Remember, you are not required to sign a lease. If you do sign one, the increase does not have to be for tfie full 15 per cent. It may be for less. t If the lease is executed on or before December 31, 1947, and extends through December 31, 1948. Without a lease, the landlord cannot demand an increase above your present rent ceiling until the Rent Act expires on Febru ary 29. 1948. After that, there will be no controls on your rent, unless Congress extends the Rent Act or your state or city has en acted its own rent-control law. The law sayd that if you sign • lease for an increased rent the lease must extend at least through December 31, 1948, It may go beyond that date. If you do sign a lease for an increased rent, your dwelling is “decontrolled" as of December 31, 1947. Th:s means that you can no longer ap peal to the area rent office. You can seek protection only in the courts and only to enforce the terms of the lease. 3. If the signed lease la tied by the landlord with the area rent office within IS days after the date on which it was exe cuted. You are not required to pay an increased rent to which you have agreed in your signed lease until it has been approved by the acre rent office. The executed lease most be filed with and approved *by the area rent office before it can go into effect. The area rent office will send you a copy of the registration card which- the land lord file*. 4. If the lease does not reduce the essential services, furnishings or equipment that your landlord has had to furnish you under the former regulations. The area rent office will not approve a 'lease which Increases the rent and decreases the serv ices to which you have been en titled. You should make sure that your lease provides for at least the same services. Be sura that agreement to provide the same services is written into your lease. Otherwise it may take considerable time and negotiation before services are returned. Do not depend on oral promises. 3. If the lease does not contain an escalator clause which provides for a farther rent increase after December 31. 1948. If you decide to sign a lease for an increase up to 15 per cent over your present maximum, the lease must extend through De cember 31, 1948. It may be for a longer period. Rut no lease will be approved by the area rent of fice if it requires an additional increase after December 31, 1948. h.JI the lease dues not give the landlord the right te termi nate It before its expiration date. The lease may give the tenant the option to, terminate it before it expires, but the lease cannot give such an option to the land lord. Every one of these six condi tions must be met if the lesse is to be approved by the ares rent office. If any of them are vio lated you are not obligated to pay an increase even if you have signed a new lease. But, remem ber . . . the new law does not require you to pay an increase. It must be a voluntary agreement between you and the landlord. If you do sign a lease providing for an increase up to 15 per cent, the increase you agree to cannot be raised further during the life of your lease. Fifteen per cent is the absolute maximum increase for housing still under control. Even the area rent offiee cannot raise the figure. Eviction of Tenants Under the federal law, the land lord who wants to get you out of the dwelling, is still required to go to court and prove that he hag grounds for eviction. How ever, he is no longer required to apply to the rent office for ap proval of an eviction action. Yon must rely on the local courts for protection. As long as your rent is paid, the following are the only grounds for eviction. 1. If the tenant violates the obligations of his tenancy under a local eviction law, ao long as the provisions of the local evic tion law are not in confict with the federal law. The landlord cannot evict you for refusing to sign a lease call ing for an increase up to 15 per cent. Because you have signed a lease for more than 15 per cent increase or one which gives the landlord the right to terminate the lease, you cannot be evicted, rfiuch leases are prohibited by the federal law, regardless of the pro visions of the local law. 2. If the tenant is committing a nuisance on the preatisee, or Is using them for Immoral or illegal purposes, or for other than living space. I Your local law says what ac tions are legally considered as “nuisances" in your community. If your landlord tries to evict you on these charges, her must go to court and prove them. .1. If the landlord in good faith, wants In occupy the prem (Continued on Page 2) Blaine Of Durha II Vice President; 1948 . Meeting In Asheville C. A. Fink and H. G. Fisher, both of Salisbury', were re-elected president and secretary-treasurer, respectively of the North Carolina Federation of Labor in the closing session of the 1947 gathering Wednesday afternoon in Wilmington. J. A. Scoggins of Charlotte, who has served as first vice-president for two terms, was defeated by Mr. Blaine of the Tobacco Workers Union of Durham. Mr. Blaine received a last minute nomination to run against Mr. Scoggins and F. L. Dew of Wilmington, the other candidate for the second top position. The convention was wound up by naming Asheville as the 1948 convention city. The three-day session, which opened Monday, August 11, was packed full of Lahpr business, which Included several very able addresses, delivered by both La bor leaders and invited guests. Forrest H. Shuford. State Com missioner of LaborJspoke on Mon day, George Goose, Southern AFL director, and T. A. Wilson, chair man of the North Carolina I» dustriat commission, both delivered F 1 C. A. FINK H. G. FISHER addresses on Tuesday, as did also C. H. Williams, regional director of the U. S. Conciliation Sendee of Atlanta, Ga. Mr. Forrest Shuford in his ad dress attacked law making by “pressure groups, and called for a closer co-operation between la bor and management. “The clashing of minority groups, together with an inade quately informed public opinion, has created a serious problem in our national life which goes to the roots of the democratic process,” Shuford said. Shuford said that to obtain good labor-management relations laws, the electorate will have to become more politically conscious and work harder to elect to pub lic office lawmaking representa tives who will pass laws “de signed to benefit all of the peo ple.” He said that America needs more leaders of both labor and industry who “have an eye open to the future and to their duties aa responsible citizens of a demo cratic nation, as well as to their immediate interests.” Shuford pointed out that the problems of organised labor and organised management are not clearly understood. “Too many people who do think about them allow themselves to be guided by personal feelings rather than by hard, honest thinking about prac tical issues," the commander said. ( ShuW uW HutJis easy for powerful minority gtfcope "to ex ploit first one trend of popular feeling, then another, in order to secure legislation to serve minor ity interests or to satisfy some fanatical prejudice.” He told the delegates that th^ir most important responsibility, as representatives of labor, “is to educate public opinion concern ing the real meaning of organized labor as one of the granite-strong supports of democracy.” Mr. Googe in hiy address told the delegates that “the anti-labor law passed by the last session of the North Carolina legislature is the same as a paralytic stroke to unionism,” George L. Googe, southern director of the American Federation of Wbor, told delegates to the 40th annual convention of the North Carolina Federation of Labor which today entered the second day of the three day meet ing at the Community center, Orange and Second strpets. “Federal corrupt practice act, or not, I urge that Sen. William Umstead and Sen. Clyde R. Hoey be kept at home if they seek re-election. These men, like the Bilbos, Pappy Daniels and other reactionaries, are trying to make serfs out of American laborers with the Taft-Hartley labor law,” he added. Previously Googe Mid: “If I told you to keep Senator Hoey af home in 1960, I would be violating the Federal corrupt practices act and would be sub ject to a year and a day in jail and a fine of $1,000 could be levied against the American Fed eration of Labor. “Likewise, if I told you not to send “Bill" Umstead back to the Senate because he stuck a knife in labor’s back, I woujd be vte lating the same law. But I would not mind going to jail for making such a statement," he Mid. Appearing here as President William Green’* personal repre sentative, Googe said the Ameri can Federation in the south has grown from 230,000 in 1930 to 1, 800.000 at the present time, with 436.000 new members added dur ing last year. A plea for unification of the labor movement in America was made by John O’Hare, president of the Tobacco Worker’s Interna tional, American Federation of La bor, who was the first speaker of the session. Mrs. Julia Parker, assistant di (Continued on Page 4)
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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