Newspapers / Shelby Daily Star (Shelby, … / April 24, 1935, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Shelby Daily Star (Shelby, 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
C. W. Bolick, Commander in Shelby Strike, ■ Sees U. T. W. “Unreliable” in Resignation * CHARLOTTE. April 22.—C. W. BoUck. wbo commanded the Shetby ,, strike front in February, 1934, dur • lac the Cleveland Cloth mill walk out, a strike finally settled by tiie Natioal Textile Labor relations board In meeting in Shelby, has re signed as organizer for the United Textile Workers. “I have learned from bitter ex perience,” he says, "that the Uni'eJ Textile Workers is a very unstable and unreliabale organization, and to made so because the leaders do i not practise what they preach.” He explains his resignation in a communication to the "Textile Bul letin,' from which the following quotations are taken: BoUck Statement. First of all, I wish to Impress on the readers mind that I am deal ing only with facts—I have been in the employ of the United Textile Workers of America approximately five years, directly representing ■ them in organizing textile workers ' and serving in other capacities. With all good faith I Joined the United Textile Workers of America about 1931, and soon thereafter be 4 came an organizer. My experience • in the movement, has been great and I have dealt with managers of the textile Industry and with many thousands of textile workers. This article was inspired by a feeling of pathos for the cotton mill workers. I have learned from bitter "expe rience that the United Textile Workers u a very unstable and unreliable organiaatlon, and Is made •o because the leaders do not practice what they preach. They preach higher wages anf shorter hours and better working conditions. Some of their own em ployes, those looking after local unions, work very long hours, and get very small pay, while the lead ers and organisers usually get very good pay. I am not grumbling about my own salary, however. I was nev er paid what z was promised and worked for a long time, getting paid every two weeks, for what X was promised for one week. They claimed that the funds were low - SW 1 told that they could not ao any better. I received a letter from President McMahon to cut down expenses as much as possible but I learned that the executive board was, at that .time, Jumping on him because he was, hlmsair. wasting money in many ways and wa* reporting unnecessary expenses. Jill textile workers who are mem ber* Vf the C.T.W. wiU remember ' that the money the U.T.W. spend.' i is of their per capita tax and^lnitla I tlon fees. The U.T.W. promised the workers much spoil If they would join their go-getter organization. Had High Hopes. I Joined under the promise and 1 worked hard for the U.T.W. and was loyal and In earnest about all my work. X told the workors after they joined the United Texttle Workers of America, paid their per capita tax, Initiation fee, and kept up their dues and stuck with the organization, all they would have ' to do would be to ask and they ! would receive. My si vice has covered a great I portion of the Southeastern states I have come in contact with many thousands of textile workers and | they know my sincerity and my anvlety for the welfare of the mill people, and there was no question I of my loyalty to the cause of labor My work in many parts of the Southern States stands today as e monument of good service, but my ideas are such that would be Impos sible for me to work In harmony with Third Vice-president John A. Peel, who has an office In Oreen vllle, 8. C„ and Is supposed to be supervising the organizing work In the Southern states Mr. Peel Is a carpenter, not a tex tile worker, and I do not believe that he knows much about textile workers or has any real Interest in i their welfare. Why he holds such a position, when he Is unqualified vnd has never been a textile worker, is ; more than I know and more than many others can understand. A pe tition has been sent to U.T.W. head quarters by many workers In the State of South Carolina asking for Peels resignation. I say that he should be removed from office and will give my reasons: First, he is not a qualified textile worker; sec ond. he is practicing the discrim inations which he, as Veil as the U. T.W. and all their representatives preach against. I ave letters to j prove the above statement. John Peel Is a carpenter and many of the others placed in charge of tex tile unions In the South were print ers. I am a qualified textile worker having about 30 years experience In all departments of the mill, and served ten years or more as over seer in several departments and have a record as good as can be found, but it did not suit John Peel a carpenter, to have a textile work er as an organiser or supervisor. Emotional Strike. I want to give some of the facts about the big strike last September. I think the strike was the most emotional they ever hed. The un»un members were worked up by big speech-making, and promises ot better things. The workers got all excited; they were ready for the big day to come; and after It was all over they were going to git better wages, etc., as they were promised—and, I helped make th* promises. But, what really did happen? The strike was called on Saturday night, September 1, 1931 Monday was Labor day and we all got ready that day. holding big mass i meetings and making big, long- j drawn-out speeches. Tuesday, Sep tember 4th, the exciting time was' on hand. I was In Columbus, Ga.. j and we closed down every mill there The workers believed they were going to get what they were prom ised because they had obeyed orders and were looking for the U.T.W. now to do their part. Now what did the U.T.W. do? Plying squadrons were sent out to different places, that had not struck, and they forced the work?rs out. I had been to Rockmart, Cedar town, Aragon and other places' aroud Rome, Oa., and advised the! workers not to strike, In some of! the mills, where there were but 'ew members, as the others did not' want to strike. John Peel, third vice president, put S. A. Holllhan, a former life Insurance agent, m charge of the strike In the 8tate of Georgia. Mr. Holllhan had his of fice In Atlanta, and one day wh;le I was In Atlanta Mr. Holllhan ask ed me for money to fin/lice *ho flying squadron; I refused to let, him have It. He said all right, I’l; get It, and I suppose he did. Any way, the flying squadrons went Into Aragon and other places and forced the workers out. Several fights oc curred and some workers were badly beaten up and run off from their homes. After the flying squad rons left, the workers beat up some of th«* union members and I saw some with their heads bruised and badly cut. Their heads were almcwt covered with bandages. U.T.W. Did Nothing What did the L.T.W. ever do for them? Nothing. Write them or vl3it j them and ask any question you may j I can say that the flying squadrons | shot the works and did damage to the cause of union labor that will never be repaired. I tried to get help for the poor Universal Car \:\T" * tflli i One name comes quickly to mind when you think of “The Universal Car.” The description is distinctively Ford. No other car is used by so many millions of men and women in every part of the world*. Everywhere it is the symbol of faithful service. . . .That has always been a Ford funda mental. Something new is constantly being added in the way of extra value. Each year the Ford has widened its appeal by increasing its usefulness to motorists... .Today’s Ford V-8 is more than ever “The Universal Car” because it encircles the needs of more people than any other Ford ever built. It reaches out and up into new fields because it has everything you need in a modern automobile. . . . The Ford V-8 combines fine-car performance, comfort, safety and beauty with low first cost and low cost of operation and up-keep. There is no other car like it. FORD V-8 •**1 up, f.o. b. Detroit. Standard accettory group including bumper* and apart tire eitra. Small down payment. Eaay term* through Univer*al Credit Company. All body types have Safety data throughout at no extra co»t. workers who had their heads heat up, or were In need of food and medicine, but never got any. I tried to get help for those run off from their homes, but failed. The work ers called on John Peel, third vice president, for help and I think they got a few promises, but, ask the workers how much help they got. I felt sorry for them as some had no homes to go to, no Jobs and no money and could gett no help. Yet Mr. Peel was receiving his $S3 per week and expenses. I was get ting my salary and all other U.T W. officials yet, I was powerless to help the Jobless workers. After the strike was called off there were thousands of workers out of Jobs and money How many of them are receiving help from the U.T..W. now? The poor workers have been so disap pointed In all their expectations that very few are now looking to the U.T.W. for anything. They are dropping out of the union by the thousand all over the country. Members of th* union know I was honest and dealt with them as fair ly as any one could, but I have found out the U.T.W. does not prac tice what It preaches and I never expect to work for them again or be a member. Lost Jobs and Homes. Looking at the workers' sde as the U.T.W. pictured It to me, I believed that the only thing for them to do | was Join the union and soon they would have a haven of rest. But as time went on worker after worker loet hie Job and instead of the ex pected spoils which were to be their dividends they lost their Jobs and were evicted from their homes be cause they did what the U.T.W. told them to do. There are many things. In detail, I could say If It did not take too long to writ, butt In spite of the statements which have been Issued, I have been un able to see where the textile work-' ers gained anything as the result of the strike. Many of those who are now out of Jobs because of things they did during the strike were only obeying the orders and the Instruc tions which were given them. I think I can understand better,* now, why so many union members [ and workers are out of their jobs and I believe the reader can, too. ] I wonder If the U.T.W. is going to try it by pulling another big' strike which they are threateningV j The textile workers have not for- [ gotten their troubles of last Septem ber and will not be easily fooled, so soon, again. I hope all textile work ers will remember me and not blame me for their troubles, for I did what I thought was best , and that is why I have written this ar ticle. ' T Likely I will receive much criti cism from some labor leaders for writing this article but why should I not criticise the wrong practice? We cannot help others when we are guilty of the things we preach against. This article has not been written through any malicious feeling. I have only given facts, and have more to give if necessary. C. W. BOLICK. 1,400 ASK FOR FARM LOANS IN SPARTANBURG The Spartanburg Production Credit association has received ap proximately 1,400 applications for crop loans from farmers in three counties of this area, the applies-1 tions totaling about $400,000. W. A. i Hambright, secretary-treasurer, an nounced. He said about 1,000 of these ap plications have been closed, total ing $300,000. This year’s total applications closed marks an increase over list year's total df $280,000. AMOSKEG MILL LOSES OVER ONE MILLION MANCHESTER,~N H., April 24 — A net loss Of $1,088,458.20 for 1934 was reported by Frederic C. Du maine, treasurer of the Amoskeag Manufacturing company, one of the largest cotton textile units in the world, at the annual meeting of stockholders here. Little figures of horses found in the ruins of an Assyrian city re vealed that horses were known in Mespotamia as early as 300 B. O. Beach Styles for 1935 Even More Stream-Lined Some 1935 •*y!e» Figures show that there will either be more drown ings in 1935 or fewer men will go in swimming. At least the figures shown above modeling the 1935 bathing suit styles indicate that the poor male is going to have a hard time concentrating on swimming this season. One of the more dashmg 1915 1935 numbers calls for a little net judiciously arrange over a silken lining. Another novel design ij ck ated from cellophane. Native Tahitian prims ii riotous colors will also be smart. Generally speak ■iug, the 1935 beach styles will depend to a gree extent on one’s coat of tan. a Drive Away Smiling.. Funs Ahead! When motorists “fill up" at Esso dealers and stations you can see a merry twinkle in their eyes. It\the smile of pleasant anticipation, for they know that fun lies ahead. They're happy motorists .. carefree adven turers .. even though their travels take them no more than a few miles from home. For with Aerotype Esso or Escolene in the tank to give their cars pep and power.. Essolube to keep their motors running free and smooth .. and Esso station service always conveniently at hand .; every ride is a Urk . . a gay adventure . . wherever they chance to go. And it's surprising how far they can travel before they have to “fill up" again. i If you've been using any other fuel than Aerotype Esso or Essolene .. or oil other than Essolube.. change over today. Try just one complete filling and we’re sure you’ll agree that you’ve been missing a lot.. that you never before have known the true meaning of “Happy Motoring.” ESSO MARKETERS RECOMMtNDID FOR 'Htippi] . Atrotype SSSO-/Af recognteed leader among premium fuels.. ESSOLENE—,guarantees smoother perform**'* then any other regular.prt'r £*»Zww..ESSOLUBt—the premtum quality otl at regular price ATLAS tires, hotterres and *r cessories — sponsored by the uorld's leading petroleum organization. Free air. . free water . . free windshield cleaning. . Neat rest rooms . . Road maps and touring information yours for the asking. the s.cn or itappq fftefotwcf! Where you see act ESSO sign you'll find a' ^ welcome and a helping hand. Displayed ~ dealers and stations. 30.000 strong ^1 to Louisiana .. it identifies the products and ' vices of the world’s leading petroleum comp STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF NEW J E R S £ \j ^^
Shelby Daily Star (Shelby, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 24, 1935, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75