Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-05-27
A 0 R N E W S
BY
F. T. CORNELIUS, Secretary
Salisbnry-Spencer Central Labor Union

AH1Of ~
The refusal of those who own and
operate industry to reduce hours &C
cording to the larger output of labor
due to chronological progress, and in
crease wages to whatever extent may
be necessary to provide a market for
the output, is evidently an interna-
tional conspiracy of reactionary en-
Ployers in every country.
The workers in mill, mine and fac
tory produce commodities for wages.
The commodities are the private prop
erty of the owners, and the extent of
distribution depends on the purchas-
ing power of the masses, which is ar
bitrarily restricted in at least two
ways by those who own the industrial
plants and the labor produced COM
modities.
The owners reduce the distribution
of goods to a nulity of over eight
million workers by refusing to m
ploy them at all, and reduce it dras-
tically for many millions more by
compelling them to accept wage cuts
and part time work.
Putting all the jobless t work and
reducing the length of the work day
and work week to what ever extent
may be necessary to keep them at
work is Labor's way and the only way
to settle the unemployment question.
Adjusting wages so that the people
will have buying power sufficient to
purchase all the commodities of mass
production is Labor's way and the on
ly way to settle the distribution prob
lem ethically.
Those who own and control indus
try refuse to apply either Of these
principles to our industrial system.
The great question is, Will labor
and thousands of other intelligent and
forward thinking citizens permit these
hide-bound reactionaries to carry us
all down to ruin in their endeavor to
save a form of production and distri-
button that has neither sanity nor
ethics to support it?
Postal Checking Accounts
The Central Labor Union at its last
regular meeting unanimously Endorsed
Senate Bill No. 1868 introduced by
Senator Clarence C. Dill proposing to
permit checking accounts in postal
savings banks for small depositors.
Two outstanding reasons for this
endorsement were: first, that small
depositors are now being discriminate
ed -=5ains1 and burdened by che bank
ing institutions of the country by
means of a monthly charge for small
accounts and a special charge for
checks. Second, that in view of so
many bank failures, protection such
as would be afforded by this proposed
system is absolutely essential to the
workers.
Submit QUESTIONABLE
The Central Labor Union, in con-
junction with the Federated Shop
Crafts, and the Big Four Brother
hoods, have submitted a joint ques-
tionnaire to the candidates for the
Legislature.
This is the first time in the history
of our organizations that these three
local groups have taken joint action,
and the QUESTIONABLE submitted con-
tains 10 questions directly or indirect
ly affecting labor.
Coltrane Speaks
Superintendent E. ]. Coltrane, of
the Salisbury Public schools, made a
splendid address before a we'll fepresen-
tative group at the Central Labor Tn
ion Hall last Monday evening. Mr.,
Coltrane, after being introduced by
President C. A. Fink, discussed prob
lens of our school system in a most
able and impressive manner, and say
ing that our schools were facing their
greatest crisis of the last twenty years
and pointing out as the greatest dan
gers, the efforts of some to shorten the
school term and the possibility of low
ering the city schools to state stand
ards. The address was well received and
Mr.. Coltrane was given a rising vote
of thanks for his very instructive and
informative discourse.
Representatives of the Grange, the
Four Railway Brothershoods and 9TH
er visitors were present and added
much to the success of the meeting,
also short talks were made by ]. L.
Shaver, J. W. Rideoutte, D. J. But
Ter, and others.
Prisoners Make Sacrifice
Unemployment relief in the state
of Utah received a donation this week