New-York tribune., 1917-07-23
: I ak of
City Hall

The old campaign question as TO
which side can expect the most support
from organized labor has appeared on
the horizon of the coming munlcipai
campaign. The MitchelFusion forces
have not made pretentious claims as 10
the labor vote, being willing to concede
that the usual majority from that quar-
ter is with the Democratic organization.
the Tammany anti-Fusion workers
however, are starting early to make po-
ltical capital of the labor issue.
The Mitchell administration has IN
Cured the i'll will of certain labor or
ganizations, chiefly because Of its frank
and fearless policy of economy ana
efficiency which necessitated the reduc-
tion of wages in some branches OF
the city employees. The labor unions
while not directly affected, have raised
objection to such reduction CT wages on
general principles. There also has been
specific appointments by the Mayor
which have not found favor in labor
circles.
Joseph P. Holland, president Of the
State Federation of Labor, introduced
the labor issue recently by resigning as
a labor member of the Fusion Com
mittee of 1917. Mr.. Holland offered as
an excuse for his withdrawal his oe-
lief that the present city adminlstra-
ton was dominated by the Rockefeller
interests through the Rockefeller Foun-
dation. Tammany has encouraged THIS
belief. The picture of a Rockefeller
grip on city affairs, for campaign pur-
poses at least, is sufficient TO excite the
radical labor element and moderately
stir the most docile union man. Mr..
Holland sought to revive all the DARK
undertakings credited by labor to the
Rockefeller interests IN the west ana
other parts of the country. Ten other
so-called labor party men still remain
as members of the Fusion Committee
Of $50, which is working for the renom-
ination of Mayor Mitchell
Tammany and affiliated campaign or
ganizations are endeavoring TO follow
up Mr. Hollands lead. Recently the an
nouncement was made at the headquar-
ters of the Democratic Fusion Com
mittee of 10, which includes many
prominent Tammany men, that "organ-
| lied labor has begun an aggressive
campaign against the reelection of John
| Purroy Mitchell as Mayor"
Peter ]. Brady, president Of the New
York State Allied Printing Trades
Council, has sent to all the labor unions
| in the city copies of three resolutions
! passed at the twenty-frst annual con-
vention of the council, recently held in
| Syracuse. One resolution denounced
Mayor MitchePs appointment of A. c.
| Wessman to the Board of Education as
obnoxious and insulting to the work
! ing people OF the City Of New York"
| IL appears that Mr.. Wessman was ap-
pointed to succeed Thomas J. Carroll. a
former president of the New York State
Allied Printing Trades Council. II also
appeared that there was a strike on in
the plant of the j. +. Tapley Bookbind-
ing Company, of which Mr.. Wessman Is
president, at the time of his appoint
ment. The third resolution urged the
defeat of Mayor Mitchell because Of
"the domination of the city government
/ by the Rockefeller Foundation and the
Garyization Of the public schools"
Mr.. Holland has sent suggestions for
| planks in the Tammany platform to
! Anthony J. Griffin, chairman of the
! platform committee of the Democratic
Fusion Committee of ITO, which, if
adopted, he declared, would result in
"the united support of organized labor"
| These suggestions include municipal
ownership of ell public utilities, free
| dom of the public schools from "Rocke-
! feller influences" a pledge that the po-
| lice will not be used "as strike-breakers
or for the purpose Of tapping telephone
wires of trade unions" and the estab-
| lishment of adequate free markets.
I'VE desire to call your attention to
the enormous dividends now declared
by the subway and elevated companies" ,"
| continues Mr.. Holland, (which divi-
dends demonstrate that the people of
this city would be entitled to cheaper
transportation and that it would be an
easy matter to establish a three-cen
| universal carfare. with free transfers
throughout the city. II is our belief
that the operators and managers of
! the surface car transportation system
deliberately refused to recognize their
| organized employees, not only because
they are foes and bitter antagonists of
organized labor, but also with the de-
liberate intention to demoralize and
wreck the surface car systems so that
they could Justify their demand for the
right to ask two cents for a transfer"
While Mr.. Holland has been the
spokesman for the labor propaganda Of
the Tammany forces, Coroner Timothy
Healy has been an ardent champion Of
the Mltchel-Fusion movement Mr.
Healy rang a bullseye for the Fusion
cause at the recent ratification meeting
Of the Fusion Committee of 1917 when
he said:
Men Of the labor movement Of this
city, the honest, sincere men. are thor
oughly in favor of Mr. Mitchell and the
entire Fusion ticket. Wage earnere ~