, 1934-11-23
WASHINGTON
BY George Durno

BY George DurnO
Secession-Watch very closely all
activities Of American Federation
Of Labor leaders during the next
three days. A crisis has developed
within the organized labor move
ment which threatens 70 shake its
very foundations.
Are the Carepnters. the Brick
layers and the Electrical Workers
to be- accepted AS members OF the
Building Trades Department? on
Monday next, a convention Of the
Building Trades ASSEMBLIES here at
the call of a. ". or r. President,
william Green to settle the ques-
ton once and for all.
II Is chock full Of dynamite.
Only some highly masterful COM
promising ON Green's part In the
~ hours remaining will avert a
split OF major proportions In labor
ranks, regardless OF which way the
convention votes.
Green Is on q hot spot Once be-
fore the Building Trades Depart
ment. headed By Michael J.. Nc
Donough. closed its doors on the
three powerful internationals re-
presenting the Carpenters, Elec-
trical Workers and Bricklayers.
This action was voided by the A
r. Of LIS recent convention nc
San Francisco 70 give Green and
his executive council AS days IN
which to straighten the fight out.
All efforts at peace-making failed
and headquarters was forced to
assemble Mondays convention.
The smaller building trades
unions are convinced they are FIGHT
ing for their lives. Thew don't want
the big three back in again be-
cause they are sure they would be
swallowed up.
Should the Carpenters. member
ship 100000. the Electrical Work
ers. 10000. and the Bricklayers.
$500. be excluded. II Is possible
they might withdraw from the A.
". OF L. Should they be admitted,
certain smaller but highly special
lied unions threaten to secede.
Jurisdiction 49, Unless there Is a
last-minute compromise you may
soon see various trades striking,
not against their bosses. but
against each other.
Elevator constructors for ms
lance. are a small union, but about
90 per cent organized. They re-
sent the idea they should be en-
braced by the Electrical Workers
Union. The Plasterers-from whose
ranks McDonough came, incident
ally-dont want 70 be absorbed
by the BrickAyers. The old quest
ion Of jurisdiction in o building
operation is ~ hot q potato as
ever.
Leaders OF tn ebig three are
forcefuI, driving men-William L.
Hutchinson, az the CARPENTERS,
Daniel wv. Tracy, OF the Electrical
Workers. and Harry g. Eates. OF
the Bricklayers. n will be hard 20
make them swallow anything
short OF victory.
And meanwhile. Green faces the
fact that the BUILDING trades. TO-
~ether with the print crafts. cons
t'tute the real backbone Of the A.
". Of T.
LOFds-On the other eide OF the
fence Europe al present q fair
aiibi for shying awav. Backin 1905
he Ieague put forward a rrcpcsal
Cor Ncenrinv or sales. exDorts and
irDorts- The major mowers indi-
rated thev would sion no N We
lid. and for seven lone vesrs they
tried 70 srT' the idea o. Uncle sam.
Until 1881 CUR statesmen rom
tended such regulation would violate
the constitutional RIGHTS OF our
shot-and-Shell industry. Then
former Secretary Of State SF'm-
son discovered one dav that SUI
WtGNAE GO4Ah 4N&ANA0AAN AIMNANAAAN
the slaughter OF mivrstcrv birds
md this Ia serious-made II Dos
-ib'e for the government 10 con-
trnI commerce IN munitions.
Former President Hoover failed
to sen the idea 20 CONGRESS. but
Mr.. Roosevelt did last Nav. Now,
havinv adopted the 1926 conven-
ton. FDR PROPOSES world control
OF domestic consumption az well
II he catches hitler. Mussolini and
= few other potential war lords as
leep, ne may get away with &C.
solomon-As predicted here some
time ago would happen. the book
worm has taken q biz bite out Of
Secretary Of Interior Harold rckes
IRIS maiden effort. The New
Democracy" has run into several
editions. 50 you NAV as well widen
out your 60-foot New Deal book
shelf. Hes working O. a new
hnrK. tlaIn kirnm ahfMIt public works