The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-20
WAR PREPARATIONS Seen
IN ROOSEVELT PLAN TO
UNITE RADIO TELEGRAPH

communications industry Is recog-
ntzed to be of primary importance
Gin case of hOstilities and for ma
tionaI defense" This Is not spon-
taneous gesture Of the Administra-
ton, but part of carefully planned
study and "stock-taking" of the
war resources of the government.
IL is not by chance that on this
InterdepartmentaI Communications
Committee we find General Irving
Carr Of the War Department and
Captain C. c. Hooper of the Navy
Department. 1t is not by chance
that the chairman Of this commit
tee, Secretary Roper, is that very
same gentleman whose fascist SEN
timents are weu-kn0wn throughout
the country and whose deep inter
est and hearty approval Of the Hit
Ter regime was expressed In his
speech at the Madison Square Fas-
ciSt meeting few weeks ago.
To Cut Wages
There is also another important
consideration involved in this under
taking. That is the reduction Of ex-
penses for the Western Union and
Postal Telegraph Companies. AL
though the Western Union has con-
tinually made statements to the effect
that it is not "in the red" as SO many
other firms are, and, in recent ar
ticle stated that a considerable profit
running into the millions has been
made in the past year, it is never
theless DESTROYS Of reducing ex-
penses." This blow is aimed directly
at the employees.
A merger of both telegraph COM
panies means a drastic pairing down
of the forces of workers. Where
in the past each department needed
q section or branch manager there
will be a consolidation into one de-
partment with one head. Thou
sands of these smaller managers Will
be released. With the merging of
the companies and the ensuing in
crease of efficiency" viii come a
wholesale determination Of older
operators and clerks. Most of the
workers who have given many years
OF devoted service will be replaced
by newer forces at much lower
wage standard. Workers with higher
positions will be reduced to lower
pead jobs.
Company Union
In the telegraph industry the work
ers have had no real organization
to fight for them. The postal work
ers were represented either by an
A. F.. L. union, or not at all In
the A. F. L. organization the work
ers received as poor a deal as has
usually been handed out by A. F. l..
unions to the workers.
There is but one organization Of
the Western Union employees, which
is called the Association of Western
Union Employees. This is a COM
pany union to the core The work
ers know it as such and have never
brought any of their problems to it
or looked to it for any guidance.
Dues were paid only in order to
protect jobs. The same officials held
oface year after year. Meetings, held
infrequently and poorly attended,
were less lively than morgue. The
whole organization had the stencil
OF q stagnant and decaying COM
pany controlled union. And this is
the only organization which is sup
posedly representing the telegraph
workers. Can these workers turn to
the A. w. U. e. in such a crisis as
now looms over them? Can they
expect that the A. W. U. z. will
struggle with them in the face OF
this emergency? Not by a long
shot VIII Franklin G.. Burton,
President of the A w. U. E., who
has recently been appointed as an
advisor on the National Labor Board,
assist these workers in getting a
fair deal?" BY no means! His
bread is buttered on the other side
and he is well aware Of it.
Such is the situation which now
faces the workers of the Western
Union Telegraph Company in par
ticular. There are two alternatives.
Either to wait for the boulder to
come crashing down without stepping
aside to safety OF to begin to take
such measures as will insure ade-
quate protection and results in the
impending struggle Surely the latter
is more digestible to American work
ers who have been known to prefer
struggles to submissive humiliation!
ED NOTE.-Workefs or the Teie-
graph industry arc urged TO coz
respond with the Daily Worker
which will be glad to hear their
problems. Communications Of telc-
graph workers are in the Daily
Worker every Friday. Be sure and
get your copy and show it to you
friarSl<