The labor world., 1922-02-25
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to men who do not work. They are
than 500 week.
National league headquarters in
Minneapolis has let most Of it's cler-
ical force go and now there are only
managers who have nothing to man.
age except getting their pay checks
while the farmers are being threat
ened with suits if they do not pay
up their league dues. The league
has an attorney to attend to this
work.
Ditching Riff-Raff.
The better element in the league
is drawing away from the riff-raff.
It is trying to throw off the onus
cast upon it by grafters. who drink
liquor in league headquarters and
gamble with printers squads during
the dull moments in the call for re-
form.
Desperate efforts are being made
to prevent disaster, but the gaff is
too much to stand.
John Lind. former Minnesota gov
ernor and President Wilson's per-
sonal envoy to Mexico in 1921,
startled the state several months ago
by eulogiZing the league, but since
then he has been unusually silent.
James Manahan, former congress-
man-at-large from Minnesota and
once a strong Lacquer. is known to
be demanding reform. His law part
ner, Thomas Sullivan, league candi-
date for attorney general, is lined
up with the malcontents and is ready
to break away from league influ-
ence.
Thomas Van Lear, whose energies
produced the $1.O00,00O to establish
a farm labor daily paper. is primar-
lily the object Of the existing leagues
attack because he doesn't want the
paper used by the league influences.
Split Is Serious.
Just how serious is the split can
he understood from an informal
speech recently delivered at meet
ing Of the Daily Star staff. Herbert
f. CASTOR. editor Of the Star, at log
gerheads with Van Lear for more
than year over the papers policy,
announced that he had got rid of all
Socialists and intended to get rid Of
more If they We're found on the pa
per. This was a direct slap at Van
Lear. for Castor, former league pa
per editor and Townley's right-ha nd
publicity-man, ordered by the pa
per's executive board%o cut expenses,
fired all the Van Lear men and left
ION the pay roll all those who were
friendly to him but whose salaries
had drawn the directors thrust. Van
Lear hurried back to Milwaukee to-
day to call a meeting of the direc-
torate to consider the matter.
Townley himself has said that he
is through with the Socialists. On the
other hand. the Socialists want to
get through with ToMnley who has
served Jail sentence and who next
month faces a charge in Fargo, NJ
d., Of aiding and encouraging an al
legged bank embezzlement.
In North Dakota. birthplace Of the
league, a similar condition exists.
The governor, attorney general and
commissioner of agriculture recently
were recalled from offices.
The attorney general was William
8&Lemke. He is the backbone Of the
fight on Townleyism within the
d league. His henchmen. despite the
fact that they are leaguers, are cred
tied by Senator Porter j. McCum-
ber. chairman Of the senate finance
committee, who seeks reelection
this year, to be the regular Repub-
4llcan party of the state. While the
I anti-leaguers are deemed outcasts.
Lemke Under Fire.
y Lemke, however. is under fire by
! his Successor. who has demanded an
accounting Of a special fund raised
I by the farmers during Lemke's ad-
ministration to be used in criminal
prosecutions after the stTte had re-
fused an appropriation.
The North Dakota league news
paper situation also is all muddled,
a board Of directors supervises its
policy but the directors are COM
posed Of extremist and conservative
leaguers, neither of whom pull to-
gether, with the result that only spe-
cial appeal for funds keeps the pa
per going.
Already in this state the league Is
considered dead issue. regular poll
ticians no longer take it seriously,
its rebuilding is deemed impossible
for there has been too much scandal
connected with it. Poor business
methods, coupled with the ambitions
of salary grabbers. have made it
bankrupt.
Bad Financing.
An incident of the business meth
ods concerns a book by Charles Ed
ward Russell, published by Double
day, age and company; the books
title is 1.-The Non-Partisan League
f, Townley was so much impressed
with it that he guaranteed the sale
: of 10000 copies. Only 1000 copies
have been disposed Of after five
years and the bankrupt league is re.
sponsible for payment Of the other
10000 copies.
u Townley is making grand efforj
Ito come back" Now in Washing.
ton he is seeking to put through
congress his pet project for reviva
(, Of the United States Grain corpo
T ration. This rs his campaign to wir
over the farmers to him so mucf
per head for league membership
If he wins, he will have tremen
dous advantage over his foes 80 fa1
|. as the farmers are concerned bu
labor organizations upon who's
r,nSa hn~ 1on no k4@