Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-06-14
EVASION IS ALLEGED.
Assertion Made Regarding Statement
By Central Trades Head.

President II. A. White Of he Rich
mond Central Trades and Labor Coun
Gil, has issued statement in which
he SctS forth that tho two rcSolu ions
adopted at Alexandria last week cen
surfing the conduit Of Statc Labor
Commissioners John llirshbcrg for
his attitude is labor commissioner
toward tho working women and chill
drcn of the state were not adop cd by
the convention in session as Il whole
but were the resolutions Of the cXccu
two board Of the Safe Federation OF
Labor.
When the statement was shown 10
members of the opposing faction in
the state federation President White
was taken to task for ''cvading the
facts in the case" One of the most
active men in tho fight that resulted
the defeat of thcWilcoX lIrschbcrg
faction made this statement: "Nlr.
White does not deal fairly i'll his pre-
sentation of tho case. The plain un
vanished fact is that If the Wilcox
IIirschbcrg faction which had the back
. ing of the Richmond unions. had
captured the Negro vote all would
!
cox cannot deny that both sides
fought hard to get the Negro support
Ills side lest. Hence the cry against
, the Negro.
! "Thcrc arc SEQ seats in The state
federation convention. niichmond is
entitled to nincty--odd, less than one
fifth. This year Richmond sent the
largest delegation in many years. Mr..
llirschbcrg's strength with the union
labor men was failing and ho was
' eager to bolster it up on account of
his candidacy for mayor of Richmond
Both Hirschberg and Wilcox were
fighting hard for the reelection of
: Wilcox as president OF the federation
because Mr.. Wilcox is II candidate
for tho legislature in the August pri
mary. To win reelection meant Il
, stronger vote in Richmond for vii
cox.
! Now. it so happened that the i'm
preston became fixed i'll the minds
Of the union men OF other cities OF
the state that Labor Commissioner
liirschberg and his deputy inspector
Wilcox We're attempting TO use the
sta,c federation for their private po-,
lticai Interests. Therefore, they band
; ed together against Richmond. Tncy
chose rs their candidate for the pres
idcncy to oppose Wilcox II man from
por, smouth, Jonn IL. Hall, Jr., who
was not seeking the office. lie had 1T
thrust upon him rs Il surprise. The
vote was not so much for Hall as it
was against the WilcoX-nirschberg
faction the unions outside OF Rich
mond desiring to show their diSap-
prevail OF the too active participation
OF state oiiiccholdcrs in the affairs of
the federation OF labor.
Mark this: Giles b. Jackson, Ne
gro lawyer came to the convention
and pleaded the cause of Wilcox with !
the Negro delegates. When Jackson :
failed TO accomplish anything Mr..
Hirschbcrg's personal and political /.
friend, President Tucker OF the state !,
commission on wCrkmen'S compcnsa- /
ton, was telcgraphed for and pro-
ccdcd with all speed to Alexandria,.
His Influence counted FOR nothing
Judging by the results. Giles Jackson
was heard by the convention at the
request OF Mr.. Wilcox. !
Mark this too: Mr.. Wilcox refers
in his statement, in Il dcprecatory |
way to the resolution offered in the !
in the state federation any man hold !,
ing a public office. He exuIts that
this resolution was defeated. ~
Now, the cold fact is that the rcso
luton to which Mir. Wilcox objects is
identically the same in effect and al
most verbatim the same resolution OF
fered by Mr. Wilcox himself last year
and at several preceding conventions
and defeated. Mr.. WilcoX's resolu-
ton was actually copied by d. NJ.
Blankenship, who intended to offer it
without changing one word. TO make
it read more smoothly q few words
were changed at the last minute. But
it is the original Wilcox resolution
that Mr.. Wilcox fought to have adopt
ed by several conventions before he
became himself an office-holder by
grace of Labor Commissioner Hirsch-
berg"
1t is expected that a majority of
the trades unions in Richmond will
withdraw from the state federation.
The machinsts and mouldcrs nave
already Withdrawn. The allied print
ing trades it is said, will also with
draw. The reason given is the large
increase in the Negro membership.
Most of the Now Negro members came
from Norfolk and Portsmouth. They
are employed largely in the metal
trades and as carpenters on govern
ment work. Richmond, Va. Evening
Journal, juno 1919. /.