, 1934-12-31

~ George Durno
h8Frage-Ihree factors are civ
in@ thoughtful labor leaders the
cold shiverE as they watch progress
klVe Developments In the knock
Gown, drhG-out fight now current
IN the building trades and metal
trades departments Of the Americsn
Feoeration Oh Labor.
First Of course, u the seriousness
Of the split In the ranks and the
effect II will have on the whole
organized labor movement.
Armed with the stout spear OF
IA OF the National Industrial Re-
covery Act. the unions have been
moving forward on all fronts for
over q year. Even with unempl0y-
ment rife ann millions Of workers
unable 10 pay dues II No minded.
the "A. y. OF Z. has been making
long strides toward the ultimate
goal OF speaking for all labor.
And now the labor artillery finds
itself throwing q oarrage on is
own shock troops.
Civil War-A second conSidera-
ton IL that the family quarrel has
reached the point OF mayhem Just
az "A time when employers are de-
handing lower wages IN the build
ing trades.
The federal government II StriT-
ing desperately, through the Fed
eral Housing Administration and
the Public Works Administration.
TO revive the so-calied heavy in
dustries by swing impetus 10 cons
tructlon work OF all kinds. On the
rise and fan OF heavy industry de-
penaS prosperity. The employer
has been screaming that the work
e. must make concessions also 70
star. the ball rolling
With the bricklayers carpenters
electricians. teamslerS, h~odcarriers.
hosting engineers and marble set
tiers lined up against the plumbers,
sheet metal workers, painters, ele-
water constructors, iron workers.
boiler makers and asbestos work
ers among others somebody Is
roiag To get hurt Chances r II
WiE be the man with q union card
rather than the boss. There are an
awful lot OF unemployed men I'm
thSs country who don't, and never
did. belong 10 a union
Warned Which leads 70 the
tlird and al-important danger I'm
the situation. as viewed by a union
man.
In the approaching session OF
congress there Is going 70 be q
Hcll-dlrected demand for iegisla-
ton limiting or denying the right
ef labor 70 strike on government
projects.
When you remember that Uncle
Sam Is financing directly or In
directly the bulk Of construction
work nov In progress, any such
action would be a solar plexus blow
70 the A. =. Of T.
This legislation many not finally
pass but smart labor leaders saw
The handwriting on the wall back
in the fall Of 1888 when the A. r. o.
r. had It's annual convention IN
washington. -. {. Al that time, Ed
McGrady. for years the A. ". or LIS
legislative agent. had been MADE "a
principal assistant 70 General John
son In NRA. he Is now Assistant
Secretary OF Labor.
Delegates 70 the convention gave
q dinner In McGrady's honor. Cons
truction work or several OF the BIG
new federal buildings here "a tied
I'D by strikes. Ilr.Scictlonal and
otherwise. al the moment.
McGracy, In responding 10 the
t0astS OF his old colleagues. warn
ed them bluntiv that trouble lay
ahead II they persisted In tying up
government work This labor vet
eran may have been speaking SOLE
IN on a basis OF his long expert
ence. but he was then an import
ant member OF the New Deal fam
ily. He had been sitting In on off,
cial councils. II WEs 10 the cards
ne should become Assistant Secre-
tary OF Labor.
Pr0fiieers-If Senator Gcrale r..
Nye gets a neW lease on life from
the incoming congress for ms var
profits investigation he Is prepar-
ed 10 StaTtie the nation, according
10 word from inside the Senate
Committee. Newspaper reading
about the Vaccinations and huge
profits OF the munitions manufac-
turers has been interesting and en-
tightening. but committee inyesti-
gators have evidence I'm other fields
on file that will make disclosures To
date very tame By comparison.
The Ehipbuildlng industry IN par
ticular IA due for a stFallnB In the
inquiry continues.
Committee Sleuths have brought
In sensational evidence concerning
member OF the Roosevelt cabinet
For reasons which seen fairly
sound 70 those who have been let
In OF this development the CON-
mittee tentatively has decided 70
bury and forget about 4.
On the other hanc investigators
have uncovered what looks to them
like a trail directly connecting GER
tain Shipbuilding Interests and one