Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Jan. 19, 1950, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
DmM to the Interests of the A. F. of L. and the CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL State-wide Labor Weekly, Presenting Labor News and Views Without Fear and Without Favor Dedicated to the Contiaaod Industrial Growth of North Carolina VOL. XIX; NO. 37 CHARLOTTE, N. C, THURSDAY. JANUARY 1», 1950 Subscription Price $2.00 Yeas Georgia Federation Of Labor Opens Gompers Centennial Campaign Washington.—Georgia Federation of Labor opened the nationwide series of state meetings marking the start of the Samuel Gompers Centennial Year drive for 1,000,000 new AFL members and election of a liberal Congress. Harry O’Reilly, AFL director of organising, told the capacity audience of AFL union officials, organisers and rank and filers in the Atlanta Labor Temple that the cardinal principle of the AFL is still to “proclaim the organizing of . the unorganized.” I Mr. O’Reilly attended the Jan uary 7-8 meeting fresh from thf. hug* Samuel Gompers Memorial Diwier here. hHm meeting was an enthusias tic success." Mr. O’Reilly said. HWe are off to a good start in our effort In this centennial year to give eV ery workingman in America the opportunity to join with his fellow workers in the American Federa tion of Labor to improve the eco nomic, social and civic position of all workmen.** Mr. O'Reilly is due to be the principle speaker at an organizing ■ rally called by the Central Trades and Labor Union of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, at Harlingen, Tex as, on Jan. 14 and 15. J. L. Rhodes, director of south ern organisation work, and AFL organisers in Texas been called to 4a conference * . Other statewide organising and political rallies already arranged Include: Ohio Federation of Labor (dedi cation of new home), Columbus, Jan. 81 and 22; Indiana Federation of Labor, Indianapolis, Jan. 21 and 22; Minnesota Federation of Labor, St. Paul, Jan. 23; Texas Labor League for Political Education, Austin, Jan. 27; Louisiana League for Political Education, Alexandria, Is., Jan. 28; Connecticut Federa tion of Labor, New Haven, Jan. 29; Pennsylvania Federation of Labor, Harrisburg, Jan. SO and 31; West Virginia Federation of Labor, Clarksburg, W. Va., Feb- 19. Virginia^ Federation of Labor, Richmond; Va.,Jan. 15; Kansas Federation of Labor, Wichita, Jan. 21; Vermont Federation of Labor, Barrington, March 5. The AFL convention last year in St. Paul called on every state federation to hold a Gompers’ Mem orial organising and political rally ■t the start of the year. Arrange ments have been started for most of those events. These meetings aimed at enlist ing 1,000,000 new members are in honor of Samuel Gompers, found er and first president of the AFL who eras bom 100 years ago on Jan. 27, 1850. U. S. HELPS FORMOSA. Washington.—American aid to Formosa, especially its support of rent reductions for tenant fanners and its fertiliser supply program, has helped keep the political and, ,.v econpmic situation on the island i from deteriorating badly in the free of Communist success on the Chinese mainland, says Raymond T. Moyer, chief representative of the Economic Cooperation Admin istration on the island and also a member of the Chinese-American Joint Commission for Rural 'Re construction which is sponsored and financed by the Economic Co . operation Administration. Green Soys New Housing Bill Aid To AFL Fomilies Washington. — AFL President William Green said that the new cooperative housing amendment introduced at the start of the pres ent session of Congress paves the way for decent housing for thou sands of American families in the moderate income group: Mr. Green said In a statement: “The introduction by Senator Maybank and Representative Spence of the cooperative housing amendment to the Middle Income Housing bill paves the way for providing decent homes for thou sands of American families in the so-oalled moderate income group. “This new amendment, which represents a modified version of the cooperative housing tection of tfie middle income housing bill now before the Congress, will set up a vigorous new housing program for middle income families. “At its last convention the American Federation of Labor unanimously endorsed the cooper ative housing program for middle income families. We were most pleased when President Truman in his State of the Union message urged prompt enactment of the co operative housing program. “The American Federation of Labor strongly endorses the co operative housing amendment which has now been introduced.** I Texas Federation Marks 50th Year Austin, Tex.—The Texas State Federation of Labor observed its 50th anniversary on Jan. 15. The Federation was formed Jan. 15, 1000 in Cleburne with Brother F. N. Graves presiding over 20 delegates representing 5,475 mem bers. “On the federation’s 60th anni versary we feel quite sure that the increase in membership and pres tige is far beyond the dreams and expectations of those few indi viduals who were so far-sighted and wise enough to organise the great federation which annually brings together over 500 delegates,” Executive Secretary Paul C. Sparks said in his monthly report. During its golden anniversary year, the Texas Federation will play host to the 70th AFL conven tion at Houston next Sept. IS, clim axing the AFL’s celebration of the lOSNi anniversary of the birth of Samuel Compere. The Texas Federation has called its state-wide organising and polit ical rplly to be held Friday, Jan. 27, this anniversary of Mr. Go cop ers’ birthday at Austin. An intensive drive is being made to see that every member of or ganised labor pays his pell tax in Texas before the Jan. SI deadline. Edwards On 8 Labor Stations Washington.—Eight labor-owned radio stations are carrying the news commentary of Prank Ed wards, sponsored by the American Federation of Labor, Monday through Friday. The call letters of 6 Mutual sta tions were incorrectly listed in the * news service of Dec. 23. Their correct listing is: WIDE, Biddleford, Maine, 10 ». m*. M-W-F; WILH, LowellLaw renet, Mui, N p. m M-W-F; WREX, Duluth, Minn., 9 p. ul, M W-F; WEBB, Buffalo, N. Y„ 10 P- ul, M-Th-F; WBPZ, Lodi Hor en, Pa^ 10 p. *l, M-W-F; KPDN, Puapa, Texas, 9 p. ul, M-W-F. Labor paper editors are again urged to run the list of gfaHms aad time for Mr. Edvards’ broad east aa a standing feature to genre AFL members and readers. AFL Says Workers Need Substantial Raise In1950 To Maintain Full Employment Levels Will DEUAKO FOR MODS SUPPORT "fUU URHOYMBlfIN1950? Ht00€S tit 4f€U9J0 $P6$14A6$ CONSWMfft! Washington.—The AFL told Congress that the nation’s low-income workers can improve their lot by organising into labor unions. George D. Riley, AFL national legislative representative^ so advised the joint committee on economic report studying low-income families. He said the AFL “takes strenuous issue with the do-nothing attitude” of people who say nothing can be done for the low-income groups or who argue that “the poor are always with us.” More than one-third of the nation’s non-farm families receive 1ms than $2,000 a year. family incomes tomeet living costs and government taxes. New Stamp to Carry Gompcrs Likeness SAMUEL GOMPERS z.:.. _r, will b* la •f Mr ■■4 trat itlw* Gwtrtl ■p hi bmmr •( Samacl of Um America* Mmtioo af ___j.will carry a Ilka __i aad will be an* af Um Tinna* Amaricaaa” aaries. _i are to pattba aaw atamp aa aala hare aa tbe ltfth aani weary af Mr. Gamptra’ birth, Jan. XI. lfti Iaaaaaea af Um stamp la aaa af tbe areata marking the centenary af Mr. Gam para’ birth ta be earned aa by the AFL Uureagbont IMS. Buy a year's supply of Samuel Gompers stamps! That is the suggestion to AFL local unions and members made by AFL Vice President W. C. Doherty, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers. His proposal is endorsed by AFL Secretary-Treasurer George Meany and other AFL officials. "By buying a year’s supply of stamps and using them on all mail, AFL members and unions can keep the centennial celebration of Samuel Gompers’ birth alive throughout 1960,” Mr. Doherty said. "There is a good chance that such ea move will exhaust the first printing and require re-issues.” The Post Office Department said that 112,000,000 of the stamps will be printed in the first run. They will be sold for the first time on Jan. 27, the 100th anniversary of Mf. Gompers’ birth, in Washington only. Later they will be sold by all of the more than 40,000 post offices across the country. More than 400,000 requests for first-day covers hav£ been received by postal authorities. Appropriate first-day cere monies with AFL President William Green and government officials participating are being planned. New Senators Sworn As Congress Opens Dvfc? «f lit SIX W. Hartley (lift) — H. I abates ** New far electiea; •a* Sea Darby is s _ Vke« Ltor, sewly-ewera l AFL is his ud Harry Sun Hurls Last Lie, As If Stops Breathing SUN HURLS LAST LIS .... Gf.58 BY ARNOLD BBICBMAN New Yerk Csrrsepeadsat ter AFL Nava 8arrka> New Yark.—The New York Sim. m uRru*4g»itiat, 1 !• M ■iiavtlr •Be labor journal, died last week after living to aa overripe old age of 117 years. Death can* after a long coma. Post-mortem diagnosis of the vital organs revealed it had died during a cataleptic seizure, chronic hard ening of the arteries, poor circu lation, and ulcerated stomach walls caused by too long brooding over the passage of the 1909 income tax amendment to the Constitution. The passing of the New York Sun was not a pretty sight because with its last death-rattle it gasped out an accusation that New York's trade unions had killed it and then its wizened little heart gave out. Its last will and testament—or perhaps better yet, its suicide note —makes it difficult to speak good about it, as one should about the dead. The Sun has been sold to the Scripps-Howard New York World Telegram; rather what was sold was its name and—God save the mark!—its "goodwill"; that’s what it said. The likelihood that the cause of labor liberalism will be the gainer by the Sun’s sale to the Scripps-Howard interests ere re mote at this writing unless Roy Howard, the newspaper chain’s boss, is suddenly victimised by a Pauline vision, a prospect even more dismally remote. But forevermore in the newspa pers of this land will be enshrined the myth that labor killed a New York newspaper. As so often in life the Sun lied about labor—so, in death, the Sun uttered the same obscene untruths about working men and their unions. "Despite continued warnings of the economic consequences," said the Sun’s deathbed statement, "va rious unions have forced and are continuing to force, higher wages, until, in the newspaper business as a whole, they have risen beyond reason. In the 10-year period from 1939 to and including 1949, the average adyunce in individual pay at the Sun’s employes was 80.4 percent In the same period, the price of newsprint rose from 848 to 8100 a ton. Prices of all other supplies increased in correspond ing ratios.* Even erith pulse failing, the Sun could still play games with figures. It didn’t say what the actual dollar wages were but craftily used a percentage. Yet the annual increase was 8 percent, certainly not out rageous when the price of food and over-all cost of living were soaring beyond the matching pow er of any increase. Certainly, the 80.4 wage increase was less than the more than 180 percent news print increase. that tha Saa never issued to tha newsprint monopolists, tvin when abla nawaprint coat increases, nor ia there any known record of sim liar warnings to makers of "all other supplies” whoee prices ware “increased ia corresponding ratios.’' Yet the Sun wheeled that "the demands of the unions have brought here in New York—what they are working elsewhere throughout the nation—an unprece dented and increasing number of casualties among newspapers which once were great and strong.” Let it be noted for future historians that the Sun had no onion of its newspapermen unlike other metro politan papers with American Newspaper Guild contracts. Let it be also noted that the wages paid in the AFL printing trades were no different than those paid by other New York newspapers which seem to be thriving. The Sun died because it had to die Just like the dinosau? or ptero dactyl. The Sun died because in a city which four times voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, a city militantly prolabor with several million union-minded wage earners and family members, the Sun was an aging mistress under going unpleasant climacteric agonies. MARKS FIFTH YEAR-' Washington.—The Textile Chal lenger, published by the AFL United Textile Workers, celebrat ed its fifth anniversary in January I960. Edited by Ben Haakel, The Challenger has won- many prises for editorial excellence. hot pi nbmlc they "Organised labor la csminesi that something can ha done to ia prove the condition* of tow-pal^ workers because that to tsaelty what labor unions have been do* in* for the last 100 year*," Mr. Riley said. “The experiences of ear affil iated international unions tell ne that many workers are tow paid not because their productivity' to low bat because their toifaUif power is weak,” he said. "(My through union organisation oaa workers in low-paid Jobe find a way to obtain the eon—ttow strength necessary if they are go ing to bargain with their emplegnra on an equal basis.” Mr. Kiioy said that the Ibft Hartley law threatens this' long established APL policy that “eaton organisation is the primary moth od wherebv workers can raise their living standards." . "The Thft-Hartley law has pre vented our unions from carrying m-1—a mm _ -st i *s -»— - - - - - * xorwmra enictiveiy tneir orftitts* ing programs." Mr. Riley soldi “Unless this tow to repealed. there is grave danger that the effects of organised lobor to eliminate per law, broaden aortal security eeeer age and increeei the aseeant of benefit payments under social ee» satioa; enact health laeeranei, federal aid to education and special measures to help appmntiee-treia Ing, handicapped end older work ers, members of minority groups and form laborers. "The APL," Mr. Riley said, "finds no difficulty in suggesting who shell participate In n bettor income. The answer is 'everybody/ including the low-income faiatltoe who still ere lowest on the totem pole of our national economy." A subcommittee of the congres sional Joint committee reposted tote lest year that one-third of the nation rocojhreo incomes of toes than 12.000 n year. It said they "have been left behind in the aoenomta progress of America." More than 8,000,000 incomes are under $1,000 e year and another 7.500.000 under $2,000 annually. V$h Checks R«ody Washington.—The first of 10 000,444 checks tor the $MNr 000,000 National 84rvtoo Ufa Insurance special dividend wiU he mailed January 16, Veterans Administration announces. The moiling operation will he ~ done by the disbursing office of the U. 8. Treasury. The goal - is to mail 200,000 checks daily sack week, or a total of 1,000, 000 checks weekly. Bakery Workers Win Rose Parade Award Calif.—Thie float entered la Dm Bobo Porado ay tao , confectionery Worker. Union. of tko AFL woa on award Leo Boy ley of Baker. Local 17 (left) and P.al J«-» a. Jiroctor of tko Baking ladaatry Connell of 8ontl.-n» ' koM tko American Flat.
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 19, 1950, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75