Evening star., 1926-03-07

Y OU hear a lot of loose talk
" about union labor and labor
unions. every now and then,
Il says Weigs o. Frost, writing
in the New Orleans States.
You hear union labor leaders pictured
as oose-mouthed dema gogues by some :;
as belligerant. loud-talking grafters by
others. The anthracite coal strike has
brought on lot of such talk more IN
the North than in the South--but IL
lot of it.
New Orleans has seen labor leaders
of varying caliber. This past week
New Orleans saw labor leader worth
any mans measured consideration and
| study.
| He is a labor leader who has nailed
his flag TO the mast TO battle for the
/ principle that there shall be no strike
! by his union. "A strike is a crime, .
he says. He has voiced the doctrine
| that: Organization is vital to both
employer and employe. If labor or
ganiZes, labor cannot logically oppose
employers organizing. Collective
bargaining, brings the best possible re
/ suits for both. When the employer
accepts the right of employers and
| workmen both to organize: when the
employer. if conciliation fails. is will
| ing to arbitrate-that employer has
; gone as far as any American trade
| uniOnist has any right to expect him
| to 60"
! He is George l.. Berry. president of
! the International Printing Pressmer
and Assistants Union of North Amer
| let. At the age of AZ he is one #
| America 'Smost amazing union leaders;
and remarkably powerful one.
Drew GOmpers' ScOrn.
Nineteen years ago. when he was
only lad of %. they elected him presi-
dent of that union. He had headfull
of ideas and ideals He laid them be
| fore Samuel Gompers. And Sam
Gompers laughed at him as a vision
ary, impractical youngster. SO Berry
went to work inside his own union.
| 1t had $1,000 members when he
| started. 1t has $4,000 members today.
| It's assets were $4,000 when he
| started. They are more than $1,000
! 900 today. The average wage of its
members was S2.65 day when he
/ started 1t is $3.50 a day. today. Its
work week was 60 hours long when
| he started. It's work-week is A. hours
! long today. Up at the town of Press
mems Home. Hawkins County, Tenn.
the Tennessee mountain county. where
| George l.. Berry was born. that union
| has a great training school, with $500
| 900 worth of machinery installed in il.
| 1t has a modern tuberculosis sani-
tarium where any of it's members thus
! afflicted are treated free. 1t has a
! home for aged members. 1t has Il
| farm, a dairy. flour mill. 1t is q lit
tie compact nation all in itself self
supporting. Every citizen is a press
man. Berry and his men built that
| town.
There" says President Berry. ''i~
our proof that cooperation pays better
! than belligerancy.'
His union members agree with him
Born i'm Log Cabin.
Rather an amazing man. this George
l.. Berry. Big-framed biG-tisted, keen
blue gray of eye, with a thinkers fore
head and a fighters jaw
He is of old pioneer Scotch hAmericar
stock. Ten brothers of the Berry fam
ily, born in Hamilton. Scotland. came
to America back in pioneer days anC
settled in Virginia, to branch out al
over the new country. George j.
Berry was born in 1884 in log cabin
up in the mountains of Hawkin,
County, Tenn.
1t is a remarkable training he ha!
had. At II he joined the gold rusl
into Nevada.
! Three years he spent as miner.
Then he went to San Francisco.
| For two years he was with the sun
set Magazine. He had been farmer
la merchant, a banker and a newspape
publisher-and successful to com
Portable degreee at all of these jobs
But print shop holds his love. And il
1907 at New York they elected hin
president of the international Press
men.
New York. scene of his first rise t.
power among the trade uniOnlsts .
America. was the scene of one of hi
| greatest battles. Every one even re
motely connected with the printin:
trades remembers the great pressmen
strike of 1922 in New York. Geor%
Rerry's part in that was epic. TIL
Pressmen's Union in New York he'll
in it's membership some fine men badl