The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-13
UNION BUSTER is
IN POWER TRUST,
PLANNING STEAL
Connected With Mellon
and Republicans

WASHINGTON, (FPl, July 12.-
Al Smith has dealt a singing blow
in the face Of the labor movement
of the United States, by designating
his personal friend John J. Raskob
yice-president and chairman of the
finance committee of the General
Motors Corporation, as chairman of
the democratic national committee.
Raskob is a DUPONT executive by
training He has been treasurer.
president and member of the fl
nance committee Of the E. I. dupont
de Nemours Company, and through
the dupont capture of General
Motors from Durant some years ago
he was placed in charge of the fl
nancing of the biggest non-union
employing concern in the world. Re-
cent estimates have placed the num-
Der of wage workers employed by
General Motors and its subsidiaries
at more than 100000. Not l peE
cent of these-so far as is known
are organized.
Company Unions.
The only dent made thus far in
the solid anti-union front maintained
ty General Motors under the RasIob
regime has been the revolt of the
eomp&ry union in the Canadian plant
at Oshawa, Ont, when some $500
workers joined the various trade
unions affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor After vigor-
GUS fight they compelled this Cana
dian branch to recognize the unions.
In the huge plants of General
Motors in Michigan, especially, the
industrial spy system is maintained
at pitiless efficiency. Let man be-
come known in his section of the
shop as a trade union sympathizer
and he becomes conscious that his
fellow-workers are afraid of being
seen talking with him. Let him pro-
pose any step toward unionism and
he loses his job. The smuggling of
trade union sentiment is as ruthless
as in the mills of the United States
Steel Corporation or in the shops of
the Pennsylvania Railroad. While
the heads of these latter corpora
tions are supporting Hoover and the
republican ticket, Raskob has shown
other anti-union bosses that the DEM
-ocrats are equally anxious to line up
with them as a pledge of industrial
Policy for the coming four years.
Labor Takers Pretend.
American Federation of Labor exc
cutives who support Smith were mo-
rhentarily staggered by the news of
the Raskob appointment, but quickly
recovered with the suggestion that
other high officials of General
Motors were for Hoover. Leaders
Of the metal trades unions who did
not want to be quoted in connection
with the political campaign-on the
ground that religious and other
feeling might be aroused, to the
Injury of their unions, pointed out
that both the republican and demo-
cratic national committees have now
declared their debts paid, thanks to
the kindness of big business cor
Horations.
Who Are Als Pals?
Another phase Of the Raskob APP
pointment is seen in the power trust
influence over RasKob's, career. The
duPonts are heavily interested in
waterpower, especially through
their connection with the American
Pioneer Power Co., which proposes
development Ct power along the st.
Lawrence when the deep waterway
to the Great Lakes is constructed.
The Mellon and General Electric in
terests are in this venture with the
duPonts. Raskob, in other words,
is one of the power trust group.
His influence on democratic party
policy, in the next congress, as to
operation of giant power stations,
can easily be forecast. And the
whole power trust group is anti
union in labor policy, just as the
duPonts and General Motors are
anti-union.