The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-25
SPIES EXPELLED
BY MORE UNIONS
IN new CLEANUP
Much of Information
Is Not Secret

WASHINGTON, July 24.-Chaun-
cey Peterson, one of the labor spies
employed by the steel trust and ex-
posed by Frank L. Palmer in his
book "Spies in Steel" has been ex-
PEELED from the Intl Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers by President
Noonan of that organization. Peter
son operated in Duluth. He was not
only active in the Electrical Work
ers but he had been elected to the
state legislature by the Farmer-La-
Dor Party, when Palmer's investiga-
ton led to his being thrown out
of the union and suspended from the
party.
Did Not Appeal.
Noonan, at I. B. E. W. headquar-
tiers in Washington, toldsa represen-
tative of the press on July % that
he had received copies of reports
made in handwriting by Peterson
to the Silver Mining Co., subsidi-
airy of U. S. Steel, showing beyond
doubt that the man was regularly
reporting the names of men attend
ing building trades meetings, names
of union members and alleged ac-
ton taken in meetings. Upon get
ting evidence, he ordered "perman-
ent suspension" of Peterson's card
notifying him that he would have
the right appeal before formal
expulsion was made. Peterson did
not appeal. Inquiry in Duluth show
ed that he had gone into the meat
business.
"This is merely one of many such
cases, occurring at intervals in
many industries" said an electrical
official. "The industrial concern
pays an agency so much per day
about journeyman's wage-to be
paid extra to the man on the job
who is to do the spying, In point
of fact, the company was gypped of
the money it paid Peterson, because
none of the information he supplied
it was really secret. And that is
true of most of this spying-the
information could be had for the
asking. We do not know whether
he caused any union men to be dis
missed"
Another of Same Breed.
Cletus L. Mcmillan, formerly rec
ordinp secretary of Machinists'
Lodge No. 274, who played spy while
in that job, has been expelled by his
lodge since the expose appeared
Mcmillan had been foreman after
getting out of his job as union sec
rotary, but he kept his union card
and watched the men who came into
the organization.
Another member of the machin-
lists recently caught red-handed as
a betrayer of his fellow unionists
was man named Mears, operating
in Wisconsin. He was expelled
Dawson stated without loss of time
Palmer, in his book-published at
SOC by the LABOR Press, 312 Inter
state Trust Bldg, Denver, Colo
mentions Vergilio Bertone, president
of the Chisholm Musicians Union
as drawing $125 a month as a spy
for steel. Luke Healy, clerk of the
Hibbing Hotel at Hibbing, Mimi, is
described as one of the busy mem
bers of the sneaking-
dropping squad. Others include a
barber, letter carrier. etc.
Who furnished Palmer with the
documents from the safe of the steel
trust secret service in Duluth, there
by upsetting the spy system for a
while, has not been disclosed. AS
the leak occurred several months
ago, it is assumed by the Electrical
Workers and the Machinists that a
new spying staff has been employed
with new code numbers, new meth
DDS of approach and new humbug as
to trade union secrets.