The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-25

racketeering, graft and corruption
among labor leaders so prevalent
as in the United States, declares
Labor Fact Book III by Labor Re-
search Association, Just issued bv
International Publishers. The SEQ
ton on racketeering brings together
the outstanding examples of such
cases since 1892 when William 2
Foster wrote his book on MfsIeaders
of Labor.
Labor Fact Book IL lists seven
outstanding facts which disclosures
OF A. F. of L. racketeering activities
have revealed. It then goes on to
cite numerous cases illustrating
these points. The activities of Sam
Kaplan of the Movie Operators
Union, who on June 18 began to
serve from six months to three years
in the penitentiary, are first re-
viewed. 1t then continues:
THE suit brought against officers
OF Local 3 of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
for an accounting of the $500 600
that had passed through their hands
in the six years ending 1882, forced
admissions by Jacob Solomon. sec
Rotary of the organizing committee
arbitrarily appointed by the inter
national president, that he had de-
stroyed vouchers covering expendi-
ture Of $1,500,0 900 between 1926 and
1880. Frank Wilson, the Locals
president, confessed that consider
ably more than 100000 had been
spent without the authorization of
union members in the 1862 pc
Rod. Annual dues were increased
from $3.50 to $108 and initiation
fees from $3.50 to $500 during the re-
gime of these officials. The $3.50, 600
collected in 1929 by assessing each
member $50 allegedly for the pur-
pose of fighting lockout by en-
ployers, remained unaccounted for
when the lockout did not take place.
Between 1926 and 1880, the union Of
f1cers spent $672,000 in legal fees.
Some $4,000 was expended on de-
Tending William Hogan, accused of
stealing $4,000 of union money.
Hogan was convicted and after his
release from prison was elevated to
the post of financial secretary. -
1884 he held the post of business
manager of Local 3. Militant union
lists in opposition to these policies
were heavily fined or beaten up by
thugs in the employ Of union Off
GERS. Fourteen members were fined
$500 each when they called a meet
ing to win restoration of their union
rights.
Operating Engineers; Patrick J.
Commerford was appointed super
visor of the International Union of
Operating Engineers, Local 125, New
York City. In 1892, Commerford
was tried for evasion of income tax
payments. The trial brought out
that he had accepted sums ranging
from $500 to $500 from four con-
tractors for the purpose of breaking.
preventing and settling strikes of
members of his own union. Other
employers paid him $50 a weak In
1929 and SIS q week in 1881 for the
assurance that their workers would
not be unionized. Patrick Nc
Govern, one of the largest New
York contractors, served 60 days for
contempt of court when he refused
to divulged how much of a $380,000
fund had gone to Commerford.
The Commerford Trial
when 600 members rebelled
against Commerford and he stood
trial, it was stated that all but
$4,000 of a $26,14 item charged to
legal expenses and another $21, 600
charged to the good of the local
had actually gone to him. With the
connivance of John PossehI, inter
national president, Commerford es-
tablished new local, 1870, after his
expulsion from Local 1875, advising
employers that his was the only
legitimate body and that they would
have to negotiate agreements
through him. Commerford, now
serving a Jail sentence, is a Tam
many leader, and iSsVice- president
of the New York State Federation
of Labor and the Building Trades
Council of Greater New York.
Joseph Fay, head of Local 1875 of
the same union in Newark, N. j.,
was himself an employer actively