New Britain herald., 1930-01-21
SpONGING ON LABOR

SPONGING ON LABOR
 News within the last few days has told another chapter in the dis couraging history Of labor troubles n New Bedford, Mass, once thriving textile city Of about 12o,- n00-now experiencing to some de- gree that slump that has hit most 0. the northern cotton goods ccnters- Significantly, though, the new de- velopment is the return ot Fred Er- win Beal, Communist agitator specializing in textile organizing" Beal is no stranger to New Bedford. for he saw the inside Of the New Bedford jail several times during the textile strike there over q year ago, And now he is back. opening his campaign in much the same way that he opened his previous one.
 One Of the first things Beai and his ilk always try 10 do is rile the police. For Beal is nothing more nor less than professional trouble maker There is little idealism in his work. no philanthropy in his system. Primarily he is working for Fred Be4l. while on the surface he is supposed 10 be helping the down trodden" worker. Far from an or dinary labor union cnploye, his methods can be readily understood when 1t is realized that there is no strike in New Bedford. Beal was not moved to go 10 the city 10 as- sjst in the strike-not by any means he went there to help promote one.
 Beal is under sentence of 70 year in iail on his conviction in the kill ing of the chief Of police in Gastonia, \. C., and is now out on appeal. Even q labor organizer wants pay en- velope. though. with as little manual Ia bor involved as possible. so he Is organizing" the New Bedford dis rrict in behalf Of the National Tex tile Workers union, which is red from start 10 finish. He will or ganize" all who will follow ms sus- ecstion.. promote strike if pos sible. thrive on arrest, as he has al ways done. and profit from the un- employment that he is trying 10 cause.
 Meanwhile "capital' in New Bed ford, the favorte themc in any such campaign, IS watching in disgust. lf in. mill owner in New Bedford, whose property was idle during the protractcd strike, whose profit IS small, whose market is non-cMstcHt al least part Of the time. can ba called "capilahst," then i5" IS q capitalist" in many instances. who ba. nearly lost his shirt r you don't believe this take a look ai th. stock values Of New Bedford mills. as compared with few years sgo.
 Probably the biggest mistake the polic. in New Bed ord or elsewhere make in dealing with hon ike HeAi i. in arros,ine them. And y>' 'H"re is little else that they can do- l9ds- tns from experience in allowing Bea1 to run loose and hold hls labor" meetings Baa' lo'os to o' arrested. He feels that he makes an excellent martyr. and. a' that h. does get quite 3 fo,lo@ns oul Of ' During the strike in x " Bedford he WIS jailed. stayed jn o"'. while. anI when b.. fmalE manage. 10 get out. was greeted by reo"p ton commtter. presented a bouquet and in general trpaled nj," a trans atlantic aviator.
 Tn any event. the experiences " several cities with this man moa" on. wonder jus, how ion@ M> abiding citizens wj) tolerate 5ht type of proceeding. Labor suo1 organize along sensible, prac'ica rne.-,hat s ua cstaIdisas economic yrinciplo The only point about which anyone can argue S" cessfuily are the terms Of orgaD'zo ron the spirit Of the workers. tno' sense of fairness in their demand and their willingness to realize 'Aa the manufacturer is entitled 10 '&. return on his investment. BeaI snl .aribos 10 none Of these principle He advocates getting all 1t IS h' manly possible 10 gct. Actual aPpi cation Of his principles would lea to confiscatIon Of factories. atmu workers against line "eapitatIs' police" and in general promo'i something closely akin 'o dnarch
 Honest labor hangs lts head whe f hears Of this type Of man TT American Federation O. Labor nc only will have nothing 10 do wit him. but in the South strove to 2