The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-05

The industrialists said these de- mands were ridiculous.
 Some Sidelights
 Fall River. Mass, Sept 5.-(UP) The key man in this key city of James (Jim) Tansey, a mild-tem- pered, taciturn labor chieftain, who formerly worked in the mills himself, both here and in his na- tive England.
 If the backbone of the strike is broken in this section of the coun- try, gray-haired Jim Tansey, as leader and co-founder of the 41- year old American Federation of Textile Operatives, doubtless will have been an important factor.
 This union, like the man who heads it, is independent and con- servative. Once affiliated with the United Textile Workers of Amer ica, it divorced itself from that here in 1904. Though depleted still totals nearly 5000, including hundreds of key craftsmen, and this membership presents a solid front against the current walkout.
 Such is the power exercised by Tansey both inside and outside his organization that only 1000 of the city's 18,000 operatives needed the strike call yesterday.
 Tansey las steadfastly refused to voice his views publicly on the strike, but his attitude was reflect ed in the unanimous action of all five of his locals in opposition to the walkout.
 Tansey, a widower, is past 70 but looks litle more than 50. He has 10 children, all living, one of whom Is priest and another a mill supervisor.
 Son Against Father
 Salisbury, N. C.. Sept 5.-CUP)- Robert L. McCanless, 21, and very earnest, was one of the workers who failed to report for work at the local cotton mill to-day. His father owns the mill.
 T am in full sympathy with the strikers and their aims,'' young McCanless said. "They deserve shorter hours and higher wages and better deal than they are getting."
 The senior McCanless is not in sympathy with the strikers. His comment on his sons feeling was this;
 Robert is 21 years old. There fore. he may do as he pleases."
 The youths views first became apparent at a strikers rally in Charlotte Sunday. He mounted the platform and delivered an extem- porary address.
 The elder McCanless, like many fathers, dreams of young Robert succeeding some day to his busi- ness. With that in view, the son has been working in humble jobs of the mill, learning the business from the bottom up." He made 1t clear that if and when he succeeds his father, he will manage things differently. His present job is at the looms. Eventually he will enter the offices. The com- pany is the Klumac Mills and manufacturers bed spreads. Robert lives at home. Neither he nor his father would discuss the nature of their breakfast table conversations.
 Where German Works
 Washington, Sept 5.-(UP)-At an old yellow desk, plentifully scared with cigarette burns, Fran cis J. German directs the textile strike.
 British born, fortyish and the father of five, he Is chairman of the special strike committee of the United Textile Workers. For 20 years he's been a cotton workers and union organizer at the Paw tucket, R. l.. mills. He is a vct- eran of many a strike and he says that his head has shed many d brick.
 He is short. curt and nervous; tired, rcd-eyed and in need of sleep. His two telephones ring constantly. He barks orders into them. He always has a pile of telegrams in front of him-and a