The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-07-06
SELL-OUT DEALS
OF JOHNSTON ARE
Barred AT CONFAB
Rank, File Move for
Board of Working
Engineers
BY r. v. STRAN.

CLEVELAND, O., July 5.-Evidence
that Grand Chief Alvanley Johnston
of the Brotherhood Of Locomotive En-
gineers worked his hardest to put
over the original 10 per cent cut on
the railroad workers, with the idea
of obtaining favors in Wall Street
was produced in the closely guarded
report of the Banking Committee to
the Brotherhood's convention, now in
its fifth week in Cleveland.
> The report includes such exposures
of financial manipulations on the part
of the Grand Officers that every pre-
caution is being taken to keep its
findings from the membership and
the public. 1t has been kept out of
the minutes and only sufficient copies
have been printed for the delegates
and Grand Officers. Each copy is
numbered and has the delegates
name name printed on it; he must
sign for his copy before receiving it.
Included in the committees report
as read to the convention, is a letter
from c. Stirling Smith to the Chase
Natl Bank in N. Y. Smith is former
president of the Standard Trust
Bank, of which the B. of L. E. is
largest stakeholder, and an intimate
personal associate of Grand Chief
Johnston in all his financial trans
actions. In this letter Smith told
his Wall Street friends that Johnston
was doing his best to put over the
10 per cent cut on the railroad work.
ers, but that he was meeting with
some opposition from the other Broth
erhoods. Smith wrote that Johnston
was hopeful of putting over the cut,
however, with the aid of the Con-
ductors' officials.
Pleads Ignorance
Johnston made long speech to the
convention, attempting to defend his
financial record, pleading innocence
or ignorance, claiming persecution
and blaming the Federal Reserve Dr.
rector for closing the bank. He bare
ly mentioned the evidence of his 10
per cent cut sell-out, saying: Smith
probably put that up as an argument
to get some favors down there. I
never knew a thing about it. There
is nothing to that"
Both discussion and action on the
Banking Committees report were de-
ferred until the report should be
printed and the delegates have an
opportunity to study it. The commit
tee is understood to be preparing an
answer to Johnston's denials.
Rudolph's Sham Opposition
The sham character of Carl Ru-
dolphs alleged opposition to the
Johnston machine on the advisory
board, was revealed in the debate on
the suspension of Division 436, Bir-
mingham, Ala. Rudolph is chief con-
tendant against Johnston for the job
of Grand Chief. He has succeeded in
foisting himself onto what is basically
a movement of rank and file discon-
tent, on the basis of a very flimsy
record of opposition to the Johnston
regime.
Division 1876 was suspended by
Grand Chief Johnston under the gag
law, Section So, for circulating a call
for a special convention of the Broth
erhood, following the failure of the
Standard Trust Bank. 1t appealed to
the convention for reinstatement and
its fight was taken up by the opposi-
ton. In the discussion on the COM
mittee's recommendation to sustain
the Grand Chief, the records of the
Advisory Board were produced to
show that it had voted unanimously,
with Rudolph present, to approve the
Grand Chiefs action. Rudolph was
repeatedly booed by delegates when
he sought to excuse his action on con-
stitutional grounds and complained
that the records did not show that
he had denounced the gag law at the
same time as ne voted to sustain
Johnston. The committees report,
however, was declared adopted amid
bitter charges of "railroading."
An important amendment of rank
and file origin is the subject Of pro-
longed discussion. 1t provides for a
Board of Directors made up of five
working engineers, who shall have
power to supervise the Grand Officers
and their handling of the finances,