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VOL. XX; So. 10 T CHARLOTTE, N. C, THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1950 Subscription Prlre, $2.00 Per Year
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Godj
u 4*abor
NEW YORK. — Two more
Articles evaluating the ca
reer of Samuel Gompers ap
peared in magazines in June.
The magazines — Forbes,
which is edited primarily for
business men, and Survey,
which is edited primarily for
social workers — joined in
praising Gompers! contri
butions to American growth.
The Forbes article, based large
ly on a statement prepared for
it by Matthew Woll, AFL vice
president and chairman of the
Samuel Gompers Centennial Com
mittee, emphasized Gompers’ ag
gressive faith in democratic and
American ideals.
•
"Gompers’ credo was volun
tarism,” Mr. Woll told Forbes,
"a belief that no lasting prog
ress for humanity could be
gained except by actions volun
tarily undertaken in conformi
ty with democratic ideals and
traditions.”
The Survey article which was
written by veteran journalist
John A, Fitch, who attended 8
AFL conventions at which Gom
pers presided, also stresses Gom
per’ motivating faith.
“He believed in America,” Mr.
Fitch writes, “he embraced its
democratic principles, he gloried
in being a part of it—a citizen.
To him everything that contrib
uted to human wellbieng -was
American, and whatever threat
1 ened the liberties of the people
was a betrayal of America.
“So it was that he became the
acknowledged leader of trade un
ionism in the United States, as
he molded it to accord with his
own philosophy and sense of di
rection. he thought of it V *
fundamentally American growth,1'
Mr. Fitch declared. “America
and the labor movement were
destined to go forward together,
indomitable, indestructible and.
in basic essentials unchangeable.”
Forbes, recalling conditions at
the time of Gompers’ entry into
the labor movement, said:
“Interested in his own. class,
the young cigarmaker saw around
him a milieu direly needing or
ganization. New York (where
Gompers lived) was hopelessly
in the plundering grip of Boss
Tweed. Capitalism was in ita
jungle phase, and the Tree labor
market’ was a wasteland of lost
causes.”
It credits Gompers with having
led labor out of the jungle.
“Gompers delighted in activity,
in the rousing fight for prog
- reas," it says. “He was no cold
phHosophee in the style of Mars
or Bakunina. Yet he sensed the
threat implicit in their dogmas.
_ Declares Woll in 1950: ‘Gompers
was never attracted by the idea
•f labor rule. Domination of so
ciety by any of the elements
within it was repugnant to
him.’*
Declare your independence bj
baying Independence Bonds.
—*-7
f President Gompers
•____.^&.
at tbo aonith of Ho career aa the nation'* feremeot labor leader.
Tbo AFL io celebrating thio year tba centenary of Mo birth, on Job.
n. UN, in London. England._
Is Citizenship
Worth Your Vote?
f.
By GEORGE MEANT.
Secretary-Treasurer American Federation of Labor and
Labor’s League for Political Education.
(From the July issue of The American Foderationist)
WASHINGTON.—In every part of the world there are
countless -thousands of people who would be willing and
eager to give up everything they possess for the privilege
of coming to the United States and becoming American
citizens. To them American citizenship is priceless. What
is it worth to you?
Unfortunately, au tne maica
tiona tend to justify the con
clusion that the met majority of
the American people are inclined
to take their precious citizenship
for granted. Certainly they have
repeatedly neglected both the
privileges and the obligations of
eitiaaaship.
Perhaps the highest privilege
oi American citizensnip it uie
right to vote in a free election
That it alto the highest obliga
tion of dtisonlhip. Upon the
right to vote and the free ex
ercise of that right recto the
whole foundation of oar system
of self-government. If oar dti
xene fail to vote, democracy it
(Coatiaaed Oa Page §)
Russia .Holds Combat Edge Now
COMBAT
POWER
WfSTERH DEMOCRACIES
M,
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MSMMWsmum
AFt Ufct Urntlr hm
THANKS EDITORS
New York.—AFL Vice Presi
dent Matthew Woll director of
the AFL Union Industries Show
and president Internationa! L«
bor* Press of America, thanked |
editor* of the labor press for
stories and picture coverage of
the show held in Philadelphia
last May.
Green Says We Must Win War
To Maintain Freedom In World
Home From Europe
New York.—AFL Secretary-Treasarer George Messy aad Mrs.
Meany retara from six weeks' feiwiaess trip ta Bar ops whose the
AFL tlcisl foaad la ronfereaccs with free trade salsa Isadora that
Rassta’s setbacks farced the CeaaMaists ta attempt hat war la Keraa.
AFL Convention Call
Labor Omnia Vimcit
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
LABOE
A. F of L. Building
Washington, D. C.
to All Affiliated Unions Gseet
lags:
June 30, 1950.
You ape hereby notified that,
in pursuance of the Constitution
of the American Federation of
Labor, the Sixty-ninth Conven
tion of the American Federation
of Labor will be held in the Civ
ic Auditorium, Houston, Texas,
beginning at 10:00 o’clock Mon
day morning, September 18, 1950,
and will continue in session
from day to day until the busi
ness of the Convention shall have
been completed.
\ ———
Many interesting developments
have taken place in both the in
ternational and the national fields
since* the adjournment of our last
convention. The extension of aid,
assistance and help to the im
poverished people of Europe
through the Marshall Plan and
otherwise, has been supplement
ed through the organisation and
establishment of a new world
confederation of free, democrat
ic unions, the International Con
federation of Free Trade Unions.
All of this mast be interpreted
as a contribution toward the pro
motion of international welfare,
good will and co-operation. No
one can adequately appraise the
value of the service thus ren
dered in the promotion of
international peace and security
CARE FOR MDU
New York.—rood, clothing and
books, to bring immediate help
to the destitute and scientific
know-how for a better future,
can now be sent to India through
CARE.
Paul Comly French, executive
director of the Co-operative for
American Remittances to Europe,
announced that, effective at once,
orders will be accepted for three
types of CARE service to that
country: A special $10 India
food package; an $8.80 cotton
textile package, and the CARE
UNESCO Book Fund, which ac
cepts • contributions in a a y
amount
Orders or contributions for
packages or hooks can be mailed
for the AFL Representative,
CARE, 20 Broad St, New York
6, N. Y. The agency has estab
lished a mission in New Delhi
and the first packages, to be
stockpiled awaiting delivery ord
ers, will arrive in India on July
1, 1910.
r
and ia the determination to pro
serve freedom, liberty and do
mocracy.
In the national field, our un
ions hast, succeeded in maintain
ing the economic and andpi
gains which they have tggd4
in raising their standagft* f* Ufa
and living to somewhat higher
levels. In this respogt we have
not lost but instead have gained
much. Through the enactment
of improved social security leg
islation, the estabiisnmont ot
higher minimum wage rates, the
extension of a shorter workday
period in many instances, and
the development of a favorable
public sentiment in support of
adequate retirement legislation,
the social and economic welfare
of the masses of the people has
been advanced.
In fighting for the realisation
of these social and economic
gains we have learned that we
must continue as aggressiusly
and militantly as ever for the
preservation of froodom, liberty
and democracy. Even during this
period when we meet again in
annual convention, there is!
abroad throughout the nation n
dashing of governmental ideolo
gies and controls. Wo of the
American Federation of Labor
who cherish freedom and liberty
as a priceless heritage can not
and will not surrender to totali
tarianism or the totalitarian
form of government Because wo
cherish freedom we will fight to
(Contiuaod Os Pago 4)
WASHINGTON.—AFL President William Green pledged
united labor support for the United Nations until Korea
is won for freedom, liberty and democracy. “Until the
conflict is wen, no matter how long It takes, you can rely
on the organized labor movement to support the United
Nations,” Mr. Green said; “We must win in the Far East
to maintain freedom, liberty and democracy in the whole
world.
CHEST FORUM
Seattle, Wash.—the AFL Na
tional Newsletter of the Com
munity Chests and Councils of
America reports that Seattle set
a “first" for the Pacific Coast
with >an all-day labor-social wel
fare forum . The forum was
sponsored by the AFL Central
Labor Union, CIO and independ
ent unions, and the Community
Chest and Council of Seattle and
King County.
Dave Beck, executive vice pres
ident Teamsters Union, told the
luncheon meeting that “la'bor’s
recognition of its right and duty
to, and the necessity for spon
soring this form is a priceless
heritage ^guaranteed us by our
founding fathers when they wrote
our Federal Constitution.”
Heads Musicians
COMWtt TO CONDUCT
»• M*C
iympbany QraMatra I* awna •?
Ma balm** maiadtaa In «ba k«*
nwr Canaan bariaa an tunbay.
Ana. IfL Caarana JamaJIa kavalna
ana barkana Warran Oaljaar will
ba tba «uaat vaeallata.
“The issue affects our fellow
workers in Belgium. Germany,
France and Italy.”
Mr. Green spoke at a luncheon
riven by the AFL and CIO for
i visiting delegation of BrlgUn
trade unionists here under the
auspices of the' Economic Co
operation Administration.
Other guests included four
trades unionists from Japan:
Juan C. Tan. president Federa
tion of Free Workers, and Pa
ofico Crus, presideat Liberal
Labor Union Manila Railroad,
both- of the Philippines; Oscar
Zuniga, Confederation of Labor,
Costa Rica, and David Lee, for
mer South Korean secretary of
labor.—*"u" '
Libert DeLanghs, Antwerp
Woodworkers and Building
Trades, responded to greeting!
from Mr. Green and CIO Vice '
president Allan S. Haywood. All
three speakers emphasised the
necessity for dose co-operation
between the free trades uunion
ists of the world to maintain
peace.
The Belgians, representing tha
nation’s 3 major Ubor groups,
visited U. S. production censers,
to assimilate techniques which
can |f used to raise their own
of living.
r Besides AFL and CIO leaders,
there were representatives from
tho Railway Labor Executives
Association, International Asso
ciation of Machinists, Depart
ment of Labor, Economic Co
operation Administration and In
ternational Labor Organisation.
The Belgian guests were Mr.
DeLanghs, Armand Coile, Charles
Gaspard J. Everling, Henri Jan
sen, Josef Keuleers, Leo Alois
Fraeters, Nathalie De Bock, Pe
true Camille Nuyts.
Bay Independence Beads.
ECA AIDS FIGHT
OF SOUTH KOREA
Washington. — The Economic
Co-operation Administration took
immediate action to back np the
resistance of the South Korean
people in their heroic struggle
to maintain their independence.
ECA’s “immedidate action" pro
gram included diverting all ves
sels carrying war non-essentials
to ports where they would not
fall into communist hands and
rearranging shipping schedules
so that all available supply ves
sels could be used to rush mil
itary supplies to the besieged
peninsula.
Buy Compere stamps!
But U. S. Has Production Margin
V
PRODUCTION
POWER
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warm mocuuts
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RUSSIA AMR SATWJm
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