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

President H. \. White of he Rich
mnnd Central Trades ana Labor tuun
Gil, has ISSUED Il statement in which
hC sets forth that the two Tc&Dlu ions
adopted at .AlcAandria last week cen
Surfing the conduit Of S;a g Labor
commissioners John lIirshlrrE for
Ills attitude e labor commissioner
toward the working women aud chill
drcn Of the state were not udop ed by
the convention in session aS Il whole
but were the resolutions OF the cNccu
tive hoard Of the S ate Federation OF
Labor.
When the statement was shown 20
members of the opposing faction in
the state federation President White
WAS taken TO task for "cvadiEG the
facts in the case" One of the most
active men in The fight that resulted
the defeat of thcWilcoN | lirSchbcrg
faction made this statement: MIR.
White does not deal fairly in his pre-
scntation Of the case. Tho plain un
Vanished fact is that if the Wilcox
llirschhcrg fac,ion which had the back
ing Of the Richmond unions. had
captured the Negro vote al would
have been we'll and good. Mr.. Will
, cox cannot deny that both sides
fought hard to get the Negro support
/ Ills side lest. Hence the cry against
, the Negro.
"lhcrc are $50 seats III ;hc state
federation convention. ltichmund Is
entitled to nlncty-odd, less than one
fifth. This year Richmond sent the
largest delcSa ion i'll many years. Mr..
lhrSchhclG'S strength with the union
labor men WAS failing and he was
eager to bolster it up on account OF
his candidacy for mayor of Richmond
Both llirSchbcrg and Wilcox were
fighting hard FOR the rcclcc ion OF
Wilcox as president Of the federation
because Mr.. Wilcox is II candidate
for the legislature in the August pri
mary. TO win reelection meant Il
stronger vote in Richmond for Will
cox.
Nov, it so happened that the i'm
preston bcCam. fixed in the minds
Of the mliun men Of other cities OF
the state that Labor Commissioner
liirSrhberg and his deputy inspector
Wilcox were attempting to use the
sta federation for their private po-
ltical interests. Therefore. they band
ed ;os;clhrr against Richmond. Tnry
chose rs their candidate Tor the pres
idcncy to oppose Wilcox II man from
pGr, smoulh, joan II. Hall, Jr.. who
WAS not seeking the office. He had it
thrust upon him rs 4 surprise. The
vote was not 50 much Tor Hall as it
was against the WilcoN.ilirSChbcrS
faction the unions outside OF Rich
mond desiring to show thrir di$ap-
proval oi The too active participation
OF state oniccholdcrs in the affairs OF
the federation OF labor.
MARK This: Giles Is. Jackson, Ne
gro lawyer came to the convention
and pleaded the cause of Wilcox with
tie Negro delegates. When jackson
failed to accomplish anything Mr.. !
Iiirarhhrr&'s personal and political .
friend, President Tucker OF the state
commission on workmcn& compCnfa- I;
tion, WAS tclcgrapAcd for and pro-
>rdcd Aith all speed to Alexandria.
His Influence counted tor 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 .
convention to bar from membership
in the state federation any man hold :
ing Il public office. lie eXults that
this resolution was defeated. i
Now, the cold fact is that the rcSo
luton To which Mir. Wilcox objects is J
idcntically the same in effect and al
most verbatim the same resolution OF
fcrcd by Mr. Wilcox himself last year
and at several preceding conventions
and defeated. Mr.. WilcoXS rcSolu-
tion was actually copied by ID. NJ.
who intended to offer it
without changing one word. TO make
it read more smoothly Il 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 ofiicc-holder by
grace of Labor Commissioner Iirsch-
berg"
1t is expected that a majority OF
the trades unions in Richmond will
from the state Federation.
The machinists and moudcrS have
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
mcnt work. Richmond, Va Evening
Journal, June 1919. /.
I