Montana labor news., 1933-10-26

lON-krI
and confident on the surface under
Roosevelt's NRA, profuse in express
ing loyalty to the presidents policies,
the delegates to the 3rd annual con-
%vention of the American Federation of
Labor utter different sentiments when
they are speaking off the record.
Though eager to get what crumbs and
solid loaves may be snatched for their
members under the new deal they are
by no means assured that there is
much left on the Roosevelt table to
scramble for.
"The NRA will fail before the snow
is gone" predicts a delegate from the
northeast. "The blue eagle will be
forgotten in a couple Of months" says
a union label crusader of considerable
standing. Its shooting skilled
wages to HE'LL" says the president Of
al international union in the food in
dustry. "Chiselers? What else do
you expect of a country bossed by
chiselers since the beginning ?" de-
mands a realistic construction worker
in comment on Father Haas conven-
ton statement that all our govern
ments have been o%penshopper govern
ments-until Roosevelt, and the dele
gate was not so ready to exempt F. D.
either.
The labor boards and other authori-
ties of the new deal are looked upon
by ~unionists who have run up against
them as less helpful than had been
expected. Chairman Wolman of the
labor advisory board and Counsel
Richberg of NRA, are, in particular,
considered as Of doubtful pro-labor
value. These and other disappoint-
ments are probably responsible for
the frequent declarations by conven-
ton speakers that labor will get out
of NRA only what it determinedly
fights for, as was pointedly stated by
Pres. G.. W. Perkins of the label
trades department and one of the few
survivors of the Gompers old guard.
Between loyalty to Roosevelt poll
cies and anger over Roosevelt's fail
ure to put teeth into the enforcement
of those policies, it is likely that an
ger will get the upper hand. The 30O,-
900 violations of codes by employers
on file with the A. F. of L., the in
finetesimal correction accomplished
by the Wagner and other boards, the
multiplying signs that the big trusts
have the government and its codes on
the run-these Invitations are appar-
emily mounting to explosive heat.
That is why, as delegates conjecture,
Roosevelt issued his warning at the
Gompers memorial dedication that
horses that won't work in harness
must be locked up. He senses the ris-
ing labor storm and the crash of the
NRA house of codes. Labor men fear
that it will be the labor horses, not
the employer steeds, that are to be
locked up. One guess is that Roose-
welt will use the radio to brand all
foes of labor RECOMMENDATION as reds
and that Atty.-Gen. Cummings will
revive the Palmer reign Of terror of
the Wilson war and postwar days.
Prominent in the ranks of angry
and restless workers are the govern
ment employees, including the postal
workers. They are ready to call
Roosevelt all sorts of names, and do
so under their breath, because that
great prophet of larger purchasing
power for the masses has slashed
them with a Is per cent straight cut
and maintained the Hoover furlough
cut of z per cent additional, though
it seems that the furlough may be
lifted. On top of these cuts are con-
tinued firing of workers from all de-
partments, including highly trained
scientists of whom 30 were recently
put on payless furlough for three
months in the geological survey with
no guarantee that there would be pay
for them after that-a practical dis
missal.
For the first time since MIRA was
born the monthly survey of business
of the A. F. of L. sounds a less hope
full tune. Usually exaggeratedly OPP
timistic, the survey in it's October is
sue admits that "the business mood at
present is n of uncertainty"
Though trying to reassure it's readers
it has to concede again that "uncer-
tainties cloud the outlook" To the
trade union official these uncertain
ties in concrete form are hordes of
unemployed members, falling wages