Twin-City herald., 1933-09-23
This World
PATRIOT
OUR OWN HOUSE NOT IN
ORDER
PULLMAN UNIONS AND
WAGES
By Cecil E. Newman

nj. JOlibOls, Haitian patriot and
militant editor imprisoned by order
of American interests in Haiti, was
released from prison last week by or
der of President Stenio Vincent. For
eighteen years the venerable patriot
has been in and out Haitian jails
usually because of his criticism of
American occupation with its
Marines. Naturally years of such life
have impaired his health. When he
emerged from prison last week he
was pitifully stopped.
Jolibois has not let years of fight
ing against u. S. domination of the
Magic Island" dim his spirit. On
emerging from prison he issued the
following statement:
"My crime is to state the obvious
fact that Marines are still in Haiti
and our finances and therefore our en-
tire economic life are under the die
tatorship of the United States Off
cials. President Vincent himself is but
a rubber-stamp having to put on
Haiti's payroll North Americans
chosen by the United States State De-
partment."
Our government has despatched
-warships to Cuban waters to protect
American citizens and rightly so. Our
only complaint is that official Wash
ington has not yet raised it's voice
in protest against 26 lynchings of
American citizens, at home here in
America since January 1. How may
we honestly and sincerely seek to set
Latin American "houses" in order,
when law and order is openly defied
within our own country's confines?
General w. w. Atterbury, presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania r. R. re-
duced his salary from 100000 to $780,
900 per year. Joseph B. Eastman,
Roosevelt's railroad conservator has
been after the high salaries being
paid railroad presidents and other
higher railway officials which reminds
us of the plight of the poorly paid
Pullman porter.
We hear that the Pullman porters
who are members of the so-called
company union set-up are planning to
meet with Pullman Co. representa-
tives to prepare new wage agree
ment. In the offing, sniping at the
contemplated wage conference is the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
of the A. F. of L. which is actually
the only legitimate and truly repre-
sentative porters' organization. Most
of the men who are elected under the
company plan of Employee Repre-
sentation" down in their hearts know
that the company plan is not made
which will fairly and honestly pro-
vide for the rights of the employees.
Wanting to hold their jobs (and who
doesn't in these days) these men con-
tinue to give feeble lip service to the
company plan knowing in their hearts
that they do not believe in it. The
Brotherhood led by A. Philip Ran
dolph who has so selfishly championed
its cause, has demanded that the Pull
man company treat with representa-
tives of the Brotherhood. This, the
Pullman Company will prob
ably continue to refuse to do. Ger
tainly it will not recognize the
porters' union as long as it can subtley
and otherwise coerce its porters into
supporting the Employee Plan of
Representation" Of course the COM
pany union has some good qualities,
but its benefits to the employees is far
outweighed by its detriments. If its
rules were fairly and honestly OBJ
served by the company it would prob
ably be a fairly good plan, but this is
where the hitch comes. 1t is not the
nature of American corporations to
erect organizations for bargaining be-
tween the corporation and its en-
ployees that operate fairly and prop
erly. The corporation is bound to take
advantage of the employee in such set
ups. Especially is this true with
concern which continues to treat even
the oldest Negro employees like chill
dren. The high status of the Ameri-
can working man was not brought
about by the ready cooperation of en-
p1eyefs but by the labor unions which
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