Great Falls tribune., 1921-10-02
UNION MEMBERS
SUSPICIOUS Of
LABOR OFFICERS
Fight Between Howat
and Lewis Has Caused
Much Bad Feeling.
Men Feel Leaders Are
Not Waging Battle
Strong Enough.
BY RALPH BURTON.
Special Correspondent of The Tribune

Copyright, 1921, by The Tribune.
Washington, Oct. 1.-Unrest
in the ranks of organized labor
as an accompaniment Of unem-
ployment is giving many mem
bers of labor unions and sym
pathizers with union organiza-
tions a considerable degree of
earnest concern.
They assert it is no secret
that there is a good deal of
dead wood in the labor move
ment. Neither can it be denied
that there are many labor poll
ticians.
One indication Of the unrest which is
stirring was the uproar which arose at
the miners convention in Indianapolis
Thursday over the question Of officials
salaries, which were cut very appre-
ciably. Then came a proposal to make
q refund of some of rhe money they
had already received. and in this the
officers were supported by an over
whelming vote, SO overwhelming. in
fact. that more votes were cast than
the total to which the whole conven-
tiOn was entitled.
Howat and Lewis Clash.
For long time. Of course. row has
hnfx
Lewis factions Of the miners 1t has
been charged that the officials Of the
miners would not permit any discussion
of the proposals Of the nationalsm of
the mines to appear in the official
journal. This has tended somewhat to
disrupt the organization. There has
also, ever since the discovery that
a former high official of the miners.
now deceased. left Il fortune of
$25O.OOO. been suspicion of leaders and
their NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that has not
many of miner union leaders suddenly
blossomed ont as officers of mining
companies. So unsettling has this prac-
tice Of shifting sides become TO the
miners that a resolution was proposed
for presentation to the convention op-
posing any negotiations whatsoever
with former union officials now acting
as representatives of mine owners.
SO much for warfare in the ranks of
the miners.
The Brindell case. which split the
building trades in New York wide
open. has also tended to discredit un-
ION leadership. There was an effort
at Denver to dislodge President Samuel
Gompcrs and his encourage in the
American Federation of Labor, but
Gompers won out handy in the con-
ventiOn.
Have Own Troubles.
The railroad unions have their own
troubles, which came to light at the
time of the outlaw strikes. Their
members think their organization un-
necessarily top-heavy. They contend
that they have too many paid officers
and that they are mulcted for enormous
sans in dues without receiving any
thing proportional in the way of ben !
efitn. The extreme hostility mani |
tested By organizations affiliated with |
the American Federation of Labor to /
the Amagamated Garment Workers /
ana their associated union is another !
divisional force in the labor movement. !
Inc Anlaigamated organized the cloth
ing workers after the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor had failed 1t got rid
OF the sweat shop and made the gar
ment trades among the best paid and
most independent in the country. The
Amalgamated. moreover. rontributed
generously to the striking steel work
ers when other unions did not.
Inc movement az n whole rs found
erlng about with tendency to lose
rather than TO gain ground.