Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Oct. 12, 1950, edition 1 / Page 2
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Editorial THE CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL AND DIXIE FARM NEWS Published at Charlotte, North Carolina OLDEST LABOR PUBLICATION IN THE TWO CAROLINAS_ H. A. Stalls. Editor and Publisher W. M. Witter. Associate Editor - -- •■■■ .- ... Entered an second-class mail matter September 11, 1931, at the Poet Office at Charlotte, -N. C„ under the Act of Contresa of March 3, 1879. , %____ Endorsed by Charlotte Typographical Union, Number 338, An Af filiate of Charlotte Central Labor Union and the North Carolina Fed eration of Labor. ' 2 DON’T LET IT HAPPEN IN *50! In 1938, 42 million citizens DIDN’T vote. Result: Defeat of 71 liberal Congressmen .. Preservation of our armed forces by only one vote . . . Death of WPA , . . Refusal of President Roosevelt’s request for public works program . . . Start of Republican-Dixiecrats coalition. * • • In 1942, 55 million citizens DIDN’T vote. Result: Defeat of 51 liberal Congressmen . . . OPA turned over to industry . . . Refusal to help farmers . . . Removal of curbs on excessive war-time salaries . . . Pas sake of “relief-for-the-greedy” tax bill over President’s veto . . . Approval of anti-labor Smith-Connally Act. » * * In 1946, 55 million citizens DIDN’T vote. Result: Defeat of 49 Congressmen and election of ter rible 80th Congress . . . Wage-Hour Act gutted . . . Farm price supports damaged . . . Department of Labor and Fed eral Security Agency weakened . . . Taxes for the rich slashed . . . Action on hou|jng, aid to education, civil rights, excess profits and hig prices killed . . . TAFT HARTLEY ACT PASSED. # • * Such has been the voting pattern and the resulting legis lative dress every four years since the big liberal vote of 1934. Don’t let it happen in 1950! Congress won’t change just because you plead or threat en its Members. Congress will change only when you send new faces to Washington. STRONG APPROV AL Sen. Edward Martin (Pa.) is a bitterly anti-Truman Re publican. But listen to what he says abqut the war in Korea: "The great victory that is being achieved in Korea is the result of a magnificent retirement .... It is one of the greatest things ever to be achieved in military history.” Martin is a former commanding general of a World War II division. He knows something about how wars are won. Sen. Robert A. Taft (R., Ohio), who knows nothing about how wars are won, has, by contrast, been extremely criti cal of the manner with which the Truman Administration has handled the Korean war. Taft’s sidekick, Sen. Kenneth Wherry (R., Nebr.) has been saying that President Truman and his military aides were just "bumbling and blundering.” Whom do you believe—a former major general of the United States Army or two gents who never heard a shot fired in anger? FOOT-IN-MOUTH DISEASE Sen. Alexander Wiley (R., Wis.) tells the Milwaukee Ki wanis Club that the “anti-Communist issue” and “appease ment or sternness with Russia” are two of the most im portant issues in this fall’s elections. They certainly are, Senator. And on Sept. 22, 1949, you voted againt sending military aid to Korea and on May 25. 1950, you voted against sending ecenomic aid to Korea. Were you fighting Communists in September of last year? YVere you being stern with Russia in May of this year? • * HEARD EVERYTHING? William Schmidt of Chicago is managing editor of Free Enterprise, the weekly paper of the Property Owners' As ‘ sociation of America. He explained the Korean war to a group of Milwaukee property owners the other night this way: “The war in Korea,” Schmidt said, “is merely an inci dent. It was started by the maneuvering of bureaucrats in Washington for one purpose—the extension of rent con trol!” v-t FARM INCOME DROPS In the first nine months of 1949, farmers received $19.5 billion for their products. * In the first nine months of this year, they received only $18.7 billion—in spite of the Korean war which drove up the prices of everything eWe. So reports the Department of Agriculture. Do the reactionaries still say the farmers are getting rich off the war? Sno-Wkile Launderers & Dry Cleaners, Inc. J. J. Felleni, Mgr. 20 Per Cent Discount Cash and Carry **The Fastest Service In Town’* 1107 E. Fourth St. Tel. 3-8885 CHARLOTTE, N. C. ' ft LABOR DAY GREETINGS BILTMORE DAIRY FARMS 2000 West Moreheod Phone 3-2153 CHARLOTTE, N. C. CAPITAL REPORTER RALEIGH. | Technically, the congressional j district rallies are being held to promote peace and harmony j within the Democratic party and i to inspire party members to roll up a record Democratic vote in the November 7 election. State leaders and officeholders are journeying over the State for these sessions, and are putting their arids around each other to sing of party harmony—for pub lic consumption, at least. But back of the . scenes—in smoke-filled rooms and on wind swept corners—the boys are try ing to get their ducks in a row for a conservative-liberal fight that will get into full swing the day after the election, November 8. (A Some of the maneuvering, in fact, makes you wonder if they really know there is a general election coming up in less than a month. Out of the first week’s tour— with big rallies at Sylva, Marion and Morganton—comes an indica tion that the conservatives are getting jumpy. The public tout ing of Bill Umstead of Durham as “the nest Governor” is an in dication' of this. The first men tion of Umstead in this vein came after an indication at Sylva that Governor Scott, titular head of the party and leader of the liberals, is gaining in popularity. The tossing of Umstead’s name in the gubernatorial pot was done by Monroe Redden^ 12th district Congressman, at Sylva. Redden was introduced by Umstead—for no apparent reason The reason showed up when Redden began to talk. He called Umstead the next Governor, and pledged his support. The heaving of Umstead s hat in the ring caused some raised eyebrows. Although the Durham man has been repeatedly men* tioned as a conservative entry, it's a long time until the race starts for the next Governor.I Some folks remembered Charlie; Johnson's failure being attributed to too early a start. Some folks wondered if Umstead wasn't be ing. thrown to the wolves; others thought his backers were trying to sound out opinion as to the strength of the old east-west tra dition (Umstead being a definite eastern man); and some <folks were wondering how the conserv atives would counteract their own claims last spring that Um stead had failed to run against Graham because of a “deal”- with Scott. Despite Urns toad s host of friends on both side* of the fence in the Democratic party, some of the liberals believe that he would be the easiest of any conserva tive candidate to beat. Having lost once (being beaten by Broughton), and with his failure to run for the Senate against Graham because of ill health— despite the stories—they feel that Umstead would have trouble getting a majority. Meantime, others mentioned as gubernatorial candidates in 1952 were much in evidence on the district rally circuit; Secretary of State Thad Eure bad a red fare and a ready answer when the AP carried a report that he had announced his intention of running for Governor. Somebody just got the wrong idea from some kidding that was going on, Eure said. That fiasco is being tabbed by some as a trial balloon. Oth ers think it was just what Eure said, a slip. Even if Thad de cides to run—and it’s no secret that he would like to be Govern or—-his friends think the hand shaking Secretary of State has too much political savvy to come , out this early. Others mentioned in the Gov ernor’s derby—Agriculture Com- ) missioner Stag Ballentine, High way Commission Chairman Henry Jordan, and Jjtate Treasurer Brandon Hodges—are keeping quiet on the tour, at least they’re having nothing to say for public ! consumption. The clique in Raleigh that pre-1 dieted and hoped for an unbal- i anced budget are worried. In-! stead of a deficit, that they hoped would discredit Kerr Scott’s ad ministration, a surplus is certain for the biennium. So just as soon as the election is over, they are planning a big anti-adminis tration campaign. It’s not that they mind being proven wrong as it is that they i fear the gaining popularity of the Governor, and even hi* se verest critics admit that Kerr Scott right now is riding high in the minds of a big share of Tar Dee) voters. Battle lines are being drawn, but the ironical fact is that it isn’t just on two fronts. In the early stages there apparently will be about four camps jockeying for position in the coming fight for political control—and the Governorship. After the Gener al Assembly is over, and the cards on the table, there likely will be a consolidation move. The big question right now— and one that his opponents would love to see answered—is “will the Scott administration back a can didate?" Up to now the "'Gov ernoc has been tending to his1 own knitting and been an onlook er in the preliminaryr skirmish es. Several obvious attempts to draw him out have failed. Ques tioned last week at a press con ference about rumors that he or his assistant Ben Roney and Pri vate Secretary John Marshall were (1) promoting D. Hiden Ramsey of Asheville and (2) pushing Highway Commissioner Jordan for the 1952 Governorship race, brought only a chuckle from the Governor. Meanwhile, the opposition growls and Kerr Scott’s popular ity increases with the people. His gains, believe it or not, are not confined to original Scott supporters. During the last month at least three boards of county commis sioners have passed resolutions endorsing Scott’s road program, and his drive for more rural elec- , trification and telephones has grown into one of the most po tent political weapons in North Carolina political history. Republican Gavin could have rolled up quite a vote, possibly won the electibn, with a different sort of campaign. A great num ber of Democrats in the State, who supported Frank Graham, were bitter about the type of campaign waged against the for mer UNC president. A lot of them were talking about voting Republican, others about writing in Graham’s name on the balA>t, and still others about not voting at all. A non-partisan campaign, such as Gavin advertised, with an ap peal to vote against bigotry could have put a Republican in the Sen ate for the first time in many1 years. But Gavin apparently got tom* i bum advice from somewhere and has used practically all of hit speeches to cuss the Democratic administration, both State and National., ' j Despite this, there still is a strong possibility—from reports from over the State — that the Republicans will run up their | biggest vote in years this No vember. If ‘they do, it will be the fault of the conservatives—winners in the primary—who still are on the defensive about their campaign methods and are trying to dis*' credit the State administration via a whispering campaign that; is going on-right now. If State Chairman Jordan and ' his cohorts don’t change their tactics, and start really working for a united Democratic front November 7, there still is a re mote possibility—and it's in the miracle class if it does happen— that Sanford’s E. L. Gavin could be the next U. S. Senator from North Carolina. Willis Smith’s failure to show up at the Alamance County YDC rally last Friday evening didn’t help things. The rally was deliberately staged at Governor Scott's Haw River farm in an effort to boost Smith’s stock. Alamance is about evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, and some ob servers see a likelihood that the Lounty’s vote could go to GOP, standard-bearer E. L. Gavin of Sanford, despite the Governor’s personal popularity. Around the fringes of the, : rowd of some 6,000 who ate bar becue and listened to the speech es, there was a distinct tone of iisapproval of Smith’s failure to on hand Smith sent a telegjam of rc <ret, stating that he had a pre- 1 ious engagement with the State Bar association at Pinehurst. THE AUTO CUjr l?) CTT‘ ADVISORY BUDGET COMMISSION Wttncontf 40NC* From the reports of the bar meeting. Smith’s duty was to in troduce the main speaker at the bar association’s annual banquet. The senator-nominee was defend* ed on all sides for not appearing, but there were a lot of folks | present who seemed to think that> it was more important to carry Alamance County for the Demo crats than it waA to put on a dress suit and inffoduce an out-! sider at a banquet. All of which comes back to this: the conservatives are in charge of the Democratic cam paign. The liberals, who fought j them bitterly in the primary, are calling for a united front and a big Democratic vote for Smith. | Governor Scott and defeated-! Senator Frank Graham are domg all they can to assure the party of a bigger-than-ever majority in the general election. If the vote falls off, with the Republicans getting more than a; normal 21' to 30 per cent of the ballot*, it will be the conserva tive faction which is to bl*me— no matter how hard they may try to pin it on the Scott-Gra ham-Daniels group. First things should come first, but State Democratic Chairman Everette Jordan, Willis Smith and fellow conservatives apparently consider the election in the bag and not worth worrying about. They seem to be more Interested in a victory in the 1952 guberna torial campaign. T • i From Washington via Raleigh comes word that Selective Serv ice is seriously considering estab lishment of draft deferments for essential occupations In agricul ture. Farm labor, already a critical item in some areas, is expected to be on the short side throughout the nation come spring. The United States Depart ment of Agriculture already is considering a list of proposed es sential occupations. This is not expected to be put into effect until after the age limit is upped, however. Actually, few able bodied men between 19 and 25 will be deferred in 1951 regard less of developments in the Ko rean war. School teachers will get the ot* ficial word October 27 on the supplemental pay raise question and it’s certain to be yes. Nearly three weeks ago the Advisory Budget Commission said that the pay boost could be made if gen eral fund revenue continued at the then present level through October. Revenue Commissioner Eugene Shaw has indicated that his de partment will have a pretty clear picture of October collections by October 27, when the Budget Commission meets to continue its study of requests for the next bi ennium. Last week, Shaw announced general fund collections for Sep tember showed an increase *ol, 1932,602 over collections for the same month last year. That was a boost of 13.71 per cent. Aver age increase for the previous two months was 13.6 per cent, which brought the total increase for the first quarter of the fiscal year to 13 61 per cent, or more than 13,100,000. This rate of increase—if it continues-7-will mean that the Stqfe will have a surplus of more thtjki six and 41 Quarter million dollars by December. Add to that Ihe $800,000,000 the budget com mission declared surplus as of last June 30, and it runs the to- ( tal to the ''$7,000,000 needed to put something in the pot for the teachers. Meanwhile, machinery is being set, up for issuing the bonus ! checks to the State’s 26,000 teachers for a very Merry Christ mas. State departments would do well to take the J. B. Moore case as an example and make a con tinuing check to see that no mis use of public property, tax money or State personnel is going on u> their own back yards. Moore’s plea of nolo contendere was a technical one. It means neither admitting nor denying guilt, but after hearing very con flicting testimony Judge Hunt Parker gave Moore a fine of $!, 000 and put him on two years* probation. Ironically, Moore had done noth ing that has not bees quite pop ular in the past. There seems to be a general philosophy prevalent that it’s all right to use or taka anything that belongs to the gov ernment. Ex-GIs will recall that what actually was theft of gov ernment property was generally practiced and laughed at during World War II. In fact, most servicemen were taught that It was a lousy soldier that couldn’t “confiscate” equipment to replace that that was stolen from him. It was accepted practice to latch on to anything that would make life a little more comfortable. This is not meant to condone Moore’s indiscretions. Far from it. I believe that *an iron clad system of checks should be made by the State to see that no one— no matter how high the office— perverts State property, money or personnel for his own use. The prison department inci dentally is undergoing a quiet cleanup. SBI investigations are being made in prison camps, and hasn’t been made. Some folks say it shouldn't be personnel change* being made wherever there is even saspicioir of wrong doing. **>' From down Hertford county way comes word of road trouble. Seems the County Commissioners claim that some roads are being hardsurfaced that they hadn't recommended. So, they’ve asked the district engineer (W. N. Spruill) for an explanation. The Commissioners say they were supposed to name the roads to be surfaced first out of road, bond money. . Now they claim a five-mile stretch which they did not okay—-but which runs by the farm of T. E. Browne, a retired agriculture department worker and strong Scott supporter—ha* been hardsurfaced. Don't suppose it’s possible, but wouldn’t it be nice if they could keep politic* out of the road-building pro grams? Ironically, over at Greensboro last week the N. C. State High way Employees Association voted almost two to one against a mo tion that would have barred asso ciation members from taking part in politics. State Department heads are de nying it, but that same old elec tion story is making the rounds. That’s the one where pressure is supposedly being put on State employes to make them contrib ute to the Democratic party’s war fund. Department heads have received letters from State Dem ocratic Chairman Everette Jordan politely asking for a donation. Reporters have been unable to find State employes who can prove they were put on the spot for a campaign fund shakedown, ; but the 'usual story of someone | coming by with a list of names and a “suggested” amount for the employe to give is going around. j Scott forces were charged by the conservatives with doing the | same thing during the road-bond | election campaign and the sena torial primary. This time the .shoe’s on the other foot, with the | conservative (or Old Guard) boys j being accused of asking for the money. There hasn’t been an election in recent years that the same charge done; others say that the job holders wouldn’t be working—or should I say drawing pay—if it wisnt for fhe E&nocratie party, so they should be happy to do nate to the cause, j Workers should be chosen for , their ability, not their political connections, and should be free to donate or not as they see fit. But that’s just a beautiful dream. Declare your independence by buying Independence Bonds, .... 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The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 12, 1950, edition 1
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