Editorial
m cEAutm mot johnal
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
OLDEST LABOR PUBLICATION IN THE TWO CAROLINAS
Published at Charlotte, North Carolina
H. A. Stalls, Editor and Publisher W. M. Witter, Associate Editor
R. G. Thomas, Greensboro ............—. . Field Representative
Entered as second-class mail matter September 11, 1981, at the
■Post Office at Charlotte, N. C., under the Act of Congress of
March 3, 1879. 1
Oldest Bona Fide A PL 'Newspaper in North Carolina, consistently
serving the American Federation of Labor and its members since it
was founded. May 12, 1931. Approved by the American Federation
of Labor in 1931. ___
Endorsed by Charlotte Typographical Union, Number 338, An Af
filiate of Charlotte Central Labor Union and the North Carolina Fed
eration of Labor. __ .
News Services: American Federation of Labor, U. S. and North
Carolina Departments of Labor, and Southern Labor Press Associa
tion.
The Labor Journal will not be responsible for the opinions of cor
respondents, but any erroneous reflection upon the character, stand,
ing or reputation of any person, Arm or corporation which may ap
pear in the columns of The Labor Journal will be corrected when
called to the attention of the publisher. Correspondence and Open
Forum opinions solicited, but The Journal reserves the right to reject
objectionable reading nutter and advertising at all times.
MEMBER SOUTHERN LABOR PRESS ASSOCIATION
“LET THE SUNLIGHT
OF A
FREE PRESS
SHINE IN DARK PLACES'*
SOUTHERN LABOR PRESS ASSOCIATION
EMPLOYMENT PRODUCTION IN SHARP RISE; BUSI
NESS PROSPECTS HELD ENCOURAGING
Report* released by federal agencies showed a marked
improvement in employment and industrial production fol
lowing a summertime slump.
The heartening news was welcomed by organized labor,
plagued by lay-offs and reduced work-weeks which had
reached acute stages in some sections of the nation.
According to census Bureau figures, non-farm employ
ment rose 1,368,000 in August, while unemployment fell
from slightly above the 4,000,000 mark to 3,689,000.
The federal industrial production index for the month
jumped about 7 points to recover nearly all of its loss dur
ing July.
Total civilian employment did not rise appreciably dur
ing August, because of the drop in agricultural jobs due to
the “usual midsummer slack period,” the Census Bureau
report said.
Chairman Edwin G. Nourse of the Council of Economic
VAdvisera told reporters the general business psychology
was encouraging and that the country got by the “unfor
tunate prospects of last spring" without letting the situa
tion get out of hand. He said the country now was experi
encing the normal seasonal upturn and the question was
whether the trend would continue normal, go above normal,
or fall below that level.
Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer, in announcing
the August employment figures of the Census Bureau, said
“the marked increase in non-agricultural employment and
the more-than-seasonal decline in unemployment confirm
other accumulating evidence of a leveling off of the recent
downward adjustment in our economy. Hie decline we have
experienced earlier this year in business activity has been
moderate.
“We still have a high level of production, employment
and sales while the amount of unemployment and part
time employment is a matter of concern, particularly to
the families affected, we are in a fundamentally sound
condition for continuing our economic advance," Mr. Saw
yer said. •
The rise in non-agricultural employment, reflected pri
marily amor;? adult workers, was one of the largest record
ed for a single month in the last several years. In spite
of that increase, however, non-farm employment was still
about 1,250,000 below the all-time high reached in August,
1948.
In analyzing the drop in unemployment, the Census
Bureau said this resulted in part because many jobless
youngsters had found work or left the labor market.
JPSJ0** civlM*11 employment figure was given at 59,*
957.000, compared with 59,790,000 in July.
The Census Bureau also reported that according to pre
liminary results of a special study conducted in August,
a large number of persons were working abort hours. How
ever, the bureau said there apparently had been no furtbes
increase in this number since May.
In August about 1,250,000 persons with regular jobs were
working short hours (generally three or four a week) be
cause of slack work, layoffs, job turnover, and similar ec
onomic factors. In addition, about 1,000,000 who had part
time jobs wanted and could have accepted fulltime employ
ment. Hie number in both these groups was about double
the total found in similar surveys in March and Septembei
of 1948.
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YOUR SECURITY DEPENDS ON YOU—ANY YOU!
Some of the big corporations wculd have members of
organized labor, along with prospective members of trade
unions who desire to better their Security positions by
joining labor organizations of their choosing, believe that
if they would give up their union membership and refuse
to join a labor union that the Utopia man seeks would be
at hand. Full page advertisements containing such sugar
coated morsels appear from time to time in the daily press
picturing an almost perfect existence for the workers who
refuse to enlist as members of trade unions in order that
they may have organized bargaining agents to represent
them at the council table, instead of the single-handed or
individualized bargaining system in effect where no such or
ganized representation has been established.
These “sugar-coated pills’.' may work for a time, bring
ng “temporary relief’ to the unorganized patiente who fall
for this tommy-rot, but eventually the prescription gets to
where it doesn’t work and the patients seek treatment from
other sources. Then the unorganized worker has suffered
sufficiently to stir him to seek more experienced and capa
ble physicians to administer unto him; then is when the
worker begins to discard the teachings of his “Utopian
doctor” and look for a more practical means to provide he
and his family with a better position in the nation’s econ
omy ; then is when the worker seeks union organization
and joins with men and women who have long ago refused
to take the “sugar-coated pills” prescribed by masters who
have exploited them through the years.
1949 Convention Call
To All Affiliated Unions Greetings:
You are hereby notified that, in pursuance of the Consti
tution of the American Federation of Labor, the 68th Con
vention of the American Federation of Labor, will be held
in the Civic Auditorium, St. Paul, Minn., beginning at 10
o’clock Monday mornng, October 3, 1949, and will continue
in session from day to day until the business of the Con
vention shall have been completed.
Once again we convene in annual convention—four years
after the termination of World War II—moved by feelings
of uncertainty and increasing disappointment. Workers
everywhere are asking why, following such a long period
of time, no substantial progress has been made in the nego
tiation of an international agreement providing for inter
national peace and security. The facts seem to make it
clear that failure to arrive at an international agreement
is due to the negative, antagonistic and selfish policy of
Soviet Russia. Apparently the Russian government seeks
to extend and expand Communist control over certain na
tions of Europe, Asia and elsewhere throughout the world.
The fight, therefore, for international peace and security
is supplemented by a fight against the aggression of Rus
sia and its Communist philosophy.
We want world peace, but we want it to be based upon
the principles of freedom, democracy and liberty. This is
sue must be faced courageously and in a spirit of determi
nation that the free people of no nation shall be forced to
accept communism and Communist control against their
will.
As we meet in this historic convention, labor throughout
the nation is conscious of the fact that our enemies are
seeking to destroy, weaken, and if possible wipe out our
trade union movement through the enactment of vicious,
reprehensible antilabor legislation. As a result, the fight
ing spirit of the workers has been aroused as never before.
That fact was reflected in the election which was held last
November. The record shows that unity of thought and
action was developed to a high degree among working men
and women and their friends everywhere. This fight against
anti-labor legislation is still on. For that reason those
in attendance at this convention will formulate policies de
signed to win victories for labor both on the political and
economic field. Social security and health insurance legisla
tion, federal aid for education, minimum wage legislation
and other social justice and security legislation will and
must command the attention of the officers and delegates
in attendance at this convention.
Our purpose is to' bring about the realization of the hopes
and aspirations of labor, to seek to establish a standard of
living commensurate with the requirements of American
citizenship. We cherish the principles of freedom, liberty,
democracy and justice as a common heritage to be pre
served at any cost and transmitted to future generations.
In conformity with the record made by previous conven
tions, those in attendance at this 68th Annual Convention
of the American Federation of Labor will make a genuine
contribution toward the realization of this great objective.
WILLIAM GREEN, GEORGE MEANY,
President Secretary-Treasurer
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on a chop plate.
j LAYOFFS DECLINE, MORE
JOBS OPEN. LABOR
DEPARTMENT 8AY8
'aahington.—Job prospects im
proved and industrial layoff!1
again declined during the week
ending September 3, according to
(reports received from state em
ployment security agencies on un
employment insurance claims ac
tivities, Robert C. Goodwin, di
rector of the Bureau of Employ
ment Security, reported to Sec
retary of Labor Maurice J. To
bin.
1 Goodwin said the reports showed
, initial claims indicating new un
j employment had declined 12,000
from the previous week’s figure*
to 239,000. Continued claims
' representing completed weeks of
unemployment by individual claim
. ants also declined about 50,000
to 2,072,000.
"The downtrend in new unem
ployment among covered workers
which first began in mid-July is
still continuing indicating indus
trial layoffs are still declining,”
, Goodwin said. "Over the last 7
i weeks, initial claims have de
clined by 102,000. While part of
this docline is seasonal, the state
agency reports for recent weeks
indicate a substantial ifart of the
fall may be attributed to a more
optimistic viewpoint on economic
conditions on the part of em
ployers.
"During the last two weeks, the
volume of continued claims, which
is the best indicator of continuing
pnemployment among the 33,000,
000 workers covered by state un
employment insurance laws, has
also shown a moderate decline
due to rehires by employers and
improved job prospects. Since
the week ending August 20, con
tinued claims have declined by
106,000.
"A number of states reported
rehires by employers in the tex
tile, apparel and leathergoods in
dustries. Other states reported
that hiring in such seasonal in
dustries as food processing and
construction were helping to ease
claims loads.” /
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Folio Foundation Asks Dimas and Dollars
Now to Fay for Ration* Caro in Kpidomicof
Infantilo Paralysis Thoroughout Country
With thousands of children
and adults in hospitals today as
the result of current widespread
polio epidemics, and with as
many new cases likely to de
velop in the months Just ahead,
the National Foundation for In
fantile Paralysis has launched a
Polio Epidemic Emergency Drive
to provide immediate funds for
patient care.
The price-tag on this year’s
epidemic will be so enormous,
according to Basil O’Connor,
Naitonal Foundation President,
that 914,800,000 must be raised
to meet the national polio bill
During 1949, when there were
97,908 cases in the country, the
highest numbersince the record
total in 1918, the National Foun
dation and its Chapters spent
$17,000,000 in March of Dimes
funds to provide epidemic serv
ices, he said. With even more
cases this year, it looks as though
it may cost $29,000,000 in 1940
to pay for that part of medical
and hospital care which fami
lies cannot pay themselves.
By the end of August, as much
money had been advanced in
epidemic aid to National Foun
dation Chapters whose March of
Dimes funds have been exhaust
ed by the cost of care as was
sent in all of 1948. The nation’s
total number of cases now is as
large as a full year’s toll in pre
vious years, with predictions for
at least double that number be
fore December 81.
Furthermore, it is estimated
that a minimum of $8,000,000
will be required to continue
helping 1948 patients who still
need clinic or hospital treat
ment The National Foundation
gives assistance as long as medi
cal care is necessary, regard
lent of age, race, creed or color.
The money raised in the Polio
Epidemic Emergency Drive will
be used exclusively for services
to polio patients in all states,
Mr. O Connor said. Contributions
may be mailed to POLIO, care of
your local Post Office.
"This emergency drive is our
only hope of providing care for
patients without slowing up sci
entific research and professional
education programs of the Na
tional Foundation,” Mr. O'Con
nor explained. "It is an ironical
fact that this heavy incidence
severely taxing March of Dimes
resources, comes at a time when
the nation’s leading scientists are
more hopeful of finding an an
swer to the problem than ever
before.
"Scientists working under M
March of Dimes grants at top
medical and educational institu
tions are waging the largest re
search attack ever attempted
against a single disease in this
country, supported by March of
Dimes funds. We must not inter
rupt the search for a solution
because of lack of funds. We
must—and we shall be able to
do both Jobs—help pay for the
care of the stricken while finding
a means of prevention or con
trol— if the American people
contribute now to carry the work
through until the next March
of Dimes in January.1*
Progress since 1938 when the
National Foundation was
formed, was indicated by Mr.
O'Connor as follows:
More than $23,500,000 has gone
into a comprehensive research
and education program, seeking
control of polio and training o?
experts —virologists, orthoped
ists, pediatricians, public health
physicians, nurses, physical ther
apists, and other medical work
ers who make up the profes
sional army now battling the
disease in laboratories ana hos
pital wards.
At least $58,000,000 had gone
for patient care, prior to 1949. in
payment of polio bills families
could not meet themselves; in
stalling and equipping polio cen
ters for modern care and treat
ment, in establishing equipment
depots in six strategic locations
throughout the country from
which respirators, hot pack ma
chines, beds, cribs and other
emergency supplies can be rap
idly dispatched to hard-hit areas.
"We know now that fully 75*
of those stricken make good
recoveries if good treatment is
available,” Mr. O’Connor said.
"Surely no one would deny a
child a three-to-one chance for
recoveiy because of lack of
money.
I
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