Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Nov. 3, 1949, edition 1 / Page 2
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Editorial THE CHARLOTTE LABOR AND DIXIE FARM NEWS Published at Charlotte. North Carol OLDEST LABOR PUBLICATION IN THE TW H. A. Stalls, Editor and Publiaher H. A. Stalls ... W. M. WitWMFAflMhte Editor Editor and Publisher 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. Oldest Bonj Fide AFL Newspaper in North serving the American Federation of Labor and its was founded. May 12, 1941. Approved by the «f Labor in 1931. * - - - - - -. - -■ - Endorsed by Charlotte Typographical Union, Number flliate of Charlotte Central Labor Union and the North oration of tabor. News Services: American Federat on of Labor, Carolina Departments of Labor, and Southern Lai U % , S. and North Press Associa -V “LET THE BUNtlCHT . q ,* TA OP A FREE PRESS SHINE IN DARK PLACES” r.Htlti vrt • SOUTHERN LABOR PRESS ASSOCIATION MEMBER SOUTHERN LABOR PRESS ASSOCIATION CONGRESS FAR SHORT OF MANY AFL OBJECTIVES The 81st Congress adjourned its first session after a last minute redemption of some administration promises, but, it left a huge backlog of unfinished legislation supported by the American Federation of Labor in the general public interest. The most outstanding failure was the defeat of proposals in both houses to repeal the vicious Taft-Hartley law. Other disappointments included disapproval of President Truman’s plan to create a department of welfare and the failure to bring to the floor of either house bills to estab lish a health insurance system asd guarantee civil rights. Unfinished but through one house were such important measures as those expanding social security, granting fed eral funds to state school systems and adiniMfon of dis placed persons. The 81st Congress in some respects is as difficult as the discredited 80th from the standpoint of enacting liberal leg islation. AFL officials felt that the last-minute enactment of minimum wage, pay raises and military appropriations laws only partially redeemed some of thf promises made it the beginning of the session. They pointed out that the AFL’s 68th convention made it plain that the 8.000,000 AFL members expect the second session of the 81st Congress starting in Jafittsfy to make speedier progress on meeting the demands of all the people for Taft-Hartley repeal, broader social security, a health insurance system, aid for middle-income housing' atid educa tion. The convention was explicit on Taft-Hartley repeal: “If the 81st Congress persists In its lthillNwi af firmatively. we are prepared again to make our appeal to the people of this country and to make Taft-Hartley re peal the paramount issue of the 1950 congressional elec tion campaign.'* A similar strong policy is in effect on all measures pro viding for the greater welfare of all th# people. Joseph Keenan, director of Labor’s League L)r Political jver the* nlunis Education, expressed discouragement ovc istering and deadlocks which characterized the session just closed. But ho paw ray of hope also. tering and delaying tactics sign of in by not of that they c*n’t pass I they dun do is ob the Taft-Byrd coalition.are a > *iw»gth.”> said. “It is reactionary legislation and that al struct and hinder the enactment of progressive tien. This Is a great change from the 80th* when bill after bill was passed by a two-fhirda,,majority over President Truman’s veto.” , r t W,.. Mr. Truman himself said that he is “cepfideat that the American people will agree that the results have bfen well worth while.” Hie session lasted 290 days, longest in peacetime in 27 years. The journal presents the box score of the oist umgress, AFL objectives achieved in part: 1. Foreign Affaire—North Atlantic security treaty; mil itary aid to noncommunist nation members of treaty at first year cost of $1,314,000,000; Marsha) plan aid of $6,659,990, 000 for a second year; extension of the reciprocal trade agreements. 2. National Defense—$15,585,863,498 appropriated to na tional military establishment; armed services unification act strengthened; pay raises for military personnel amounting to $8,044,000,000 annually; additional military public works in Alaska and Okinawa. 3. Government Reorganization—Six plans approved in cluding transfer bf TJ. S. Employment Service and tJnem ployment Compensation Division to the Department of La bor; salary raises for President Truman, "\ftce President Barkley and other top executives of $1,063,000 * year.. 4. Salary Raises for Government Employee—885,000 civil workers granted $140 average annual raise and 500,000 post office employes $120 a year more. 5. Minimum Wage—Raised from 40 to 75 cents an hour. 6. Housing-—Additional low-rent housing, slum-clearance and aid to farm housing. 7. Rare! Telephone Service—Federal loans authorized to extend rural telephone service. $. Compensation for Disabled Government Employee— 15,000 cases under Public Law 357, and all employes who suffered functional injuries on the job since January 1940, eligible for specific payments; those injured in line of duty with dependents can receive up to 75 per cent of the base pay not to exceed $525 per month. Congress fell short on the following AFL goals: 1. Taft-Hartley Repeal—Failed to pass. 2. Department j of Welfare—Killed by, veto of President’s reorganization plan. 3. Health Insurance. 4. Civil Rights. 5. Extending “Point Four” to Underprivileged Areas—No action. The following AFL goals were achieved in one House: 1. Social Security—Bill almost meeting AFL proposals and called by President Green “greatest legislative victory of the session” passed by House. 2. Middle-Income Housing. 3. Poll Tax Repeal. 4. Dis-1 placed Persons—Passed by House. 5. Education—Annual j appropriation of 1300,000,000 for federal aid to state school systems—passed by Senate. * HERE’S AFL HOUSING PROGRAM The AFL housing program which President Green asks all Central Labor Unions to support is this: 1. Call on congressmen to enact the bill sponsored by Sen. John J. Sparkman providing middle-income housing through direct federal government loans at 3 per cent interest and the co-operative nonprofit form of organization. 2. Get behind public housing and slum clearance projects , in local communities under the 1949 housing law, urging j housing authorities in all cities and counties to take immedi-, ate action to obtain leans allotted by federal law for needed housing. 3. Support effective rent control until the supply of low price. housing units can be equalized with the demand. 4. Form local housing committees to work for these ob jectives and keep AFL headquarters informed. Small Town Unionists (CMtftaMd Fma Par* 1) to administer the schools. The union replied that tea|he have the rifht collectively to protect their professlo rights. Just before the start of the 1949-1950 school year, teachers’ local called a strike. Irving Kuenzli, AFT secre tary. went to Oglesby and tried to settle it. Strikes are il legal under the AFT constitution. After conferring all night with school board ofTiciSl*and representatives of the union, Kuenzli obta ifcd an agtee ment that a 58-hour truce would be called, dt ling which fhe full board would be presented with this {reposed settle ment: (1) that Mrs. Mecum would be employed for her third year, but (2) she would agree in advance to resign at the end of the year. The teachers, after debate, voted to accept the agree- j ment. But the school board turned it down. The strike was | re«umed. School started. Both schools were kept closed by j picket lines. Another board meeting was held, at which angry par ents and townspeople ordered the trustees to put Mrs, .Me cum back to work. The board did, bi$t four of the six trus tees resigned. The Illinois state superintendent of public instruction charged the board had been coerced, and with held state funds for financial aid to the school district. Isaac Mason, the board president, an insurance man, Was one of those who resgined. Then he ran for re-election. The trades and labor council put up James J. Scaliarfiafc a cement works foreman, against him. When the ballots were counted October 6, the fU&y showed the labor ticket had carried nearly 2 to 1. Scaliar.nl polled 1,346" votes to 786 for Mason. # —i... Is An Pmrt of Tnr Child’s “ . It is educational, cultural spiritual and exciting. See the rear 78 note Wurlits or spinnette piano, only $8954)0 plus bench and tax. Other One spin et * piano* 0* not* nri-e $496.00 pin* bench and. tax. ^»e Pianos $695.00 to fl'fliho.00 plus bench and tax. Other One makes that wa sell, Ivers A Pond, Poole and Sebirer. Alwavs in stock, used and nomhly. Free Delivery. PARKER GARMER CO. COMES THE REVOLUTION! It’» hare—mm—today! For you—the American citizen—are the greatest revolutionist in history! You have met those ace-old tyrant*—cold, hunger, dirt, disease—and burled them back. True, they have not surrendered. We still have pov erty. We still have sharp ops and downs of prices and jobs. The revolution still goes on. But it has gone farther here. We have won for our selves more comfort, more convenience, more security and independence, than any other people since the world began. As yet, this revolution—the Industrial Revolution— has hardly begun in other great areas. For two-thirds of the human race, the amount of food, clothing and shelter they are able to get with their best labore is never more than just enough to live on. In the modern world that can't last Right now the people of many nations are bead with a choice—between dictatorship and a free econ omy. ) And they are taking a long look at us. At the promise of individual reward that has stimu feted American invention and I At American technical progress, which has made mechanical energy perform miracles of mass produc tion, reflected in constantly lower costs—and in the long run, lower prices. At American workers—flee to organize, to bargain collectively with their employers, to choose their jobs and to change them at will—with no ceilings on ad vancement and constantly increasing real wages for shorter working hours. If we continue to make that system work—if we constantly turn out more for every hour we put in—if we keep on creating more wealth for all of us and more jobs for more people—then other nations will follow Let’s make our free, dynamic American system run so well at borne that others will want to follow our If we do that, we will give new hope to millions THE BETTER WE PRODUCE THE BETTER WE UVE . ^T”-: TO ' •/ Tbc Advert in»g Cummcil by ' tbc Public •' i Ciwlxry M Published m the Public Interest by: N. I. STILLS PRIRT16 CO. **» E-snt™ ^ charlotte, n .c. FREE Send for this interesting booklet today! —How our U. S. Ecooomic System started —Why Americans enjoy the world’s highest standard of living —How mass production began —How we have been able to raise wages anddwrten working hours -Why the mainspring.of on system is productivity —Why ** take pragmas for granted —How a still fetter living can be bad ifeal MAIL THE COUPON to Public Policy Com. mittee,The Advertising Council. Inc, 23 West 45th St., New York l5, N. Y. \4 :■ V occutahoh.
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Nov. 3, 1949, edition 1
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