Evening star., 1935-11-26
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

apparent. Labor experts may debate
at length on the respective merits Of
each. Industrial unions are composed
of all the workers in given industry,
whether they are skilled or not and
regardless of their crafts. This has
been called a vertical set-up.
The so-called crafts unions are
horizontal and cut across different
industries and companies, SO that all
are members of the same craft.
Craft Unions Have Sway.
Today the A F. of L. is dominated
by the craft unions, but substantial
minority is determined to change the
nature and makeup Of the Executive
Council of the A. F. of l., using the
industrial union as the unit Of mem
bership in that council.
Naturally, the officers of the crafts
unions, both in the top groups and
in the various locals scattered through
out the country, see themselves wiped
out of the picture and do not like it.
The employers are divided in their
views as to the wisdom or unwisdom
of industrial unions. They would lean
toward that system which insured re-
| sponsibility Of leadership and sanctity
of contract and minimum Of disturb
ance through strikes.
Employers, therefore, viii be in
terested onlookers as well as victims
Of the fighting. 1t will take the form
Of aggressive membership campaigns
Already, John Lewis has gathered to
his side a number Of union officials
and they have set aside a fund from
their own treasures to carry on the
battle. Aligned with Mr.. Lewis are
the heads of the clothing workers,
ladies garments workers, textile work
ers, oil field, gas and refinery workers.
mine, mill and smelter workers, mill
Jinery workers and typographical
unions.
Auto Industry First Front.
The first skirmish Is going on In
the automobile industry, where Mr..
Lewis and his cohorts have started to
develop an industrial union, arguing
that MFR. Green's tactics and craft
union policies have failed to bulge
the aloofness Of the employe organi-
cations that exist in the various in
dividual companies. Since the strike
weapon Is an inevitable counterpart
Of the strategy of membership get
ting, the prospects of trouble in the
auto field at time when the in
dustry Is moving ahead so splendid
ly cannot but force opinion among
the workers to resist efforts on the
part of the industrial union agitators
to bring them into new union quar-
rels
If the effect of the schism is to
open wide the eyes of the people tt
the dangers of labor bureaucracy, IL
may result in legislation imposing
greater and greater responsibilities or
labor unions, perhaps even Federal OF
State Incorporation. This would moi
be to the liking Of Mr.. Green and his
group any more than to MIR. Lewis
But it is the price that may have to
be paid If union labor's quarrel be-
comes an impediment to recovery ano
Unemployment.
So far as politics Is concerned, MI
Roosevelt will suffer from the division
IN the ranks Of labor. John Lewis
has been IN high favor with the Presi.
dent, who regards him as strong
minded leader. Mr.. Lewis has al
ready begun to pay back the debt hi
owes Mr.. Roosevelt for his espousaI
of the Guffey coal law. In Ken
lucky, for instance, John Lewis took
the stump recently, and, it is under
stood, claims his full share Of credit
for the 95 900 Democratic majority ir
that State at a moment when the
other States were voting Republican
Guffey Act Aids Lewis.
The labor war has been coming OF
for several weeks. It cropped out, O
course, at the convention of the A. F
of L. last month in Atlantic City
The Green supporters say John Levi
has never made a success as labo
organizer and would not today be IL
q position of strength were it not fol
the fact that. through the Guffey act
Mr.. Roosevelt handed John Levi
100000 new members on q platter
The income from dues paid by such {
large membership is enabling MIR
Lewis to carry his fight aggressively
for domination Of the A. F. Of L.
What is meant by saying that the
Roosevelt administration handed
Mr.. Lewis 100000 members Is simply
this: The Guffey act provides, ir
effect, for the recognition of thu
United Mine Workers, over which Mr.
Lewis presides, and 1t arranges fol
the "check-off" system, whereby EN-.
ployers pay the dues directly to thu
unions each week and the miners art
not thus permitted to take the money
they earn and decide for themselves
what to do with it each week.
This check-off system has long beer
in vogue In union mine fields, but tn.
Guffey act now extends the Lewis in.
f1uence to the non-union mine field
Of West Virginia, where employer,
must comply with the coal code OF
pay prohibitive tax. The addition
of these West Virginia fields gives Mr.
Lewis an increased membership which
he never would have had but fol
President Roosevelt's insistence on thu
Guffey act and this administration.
surrender to the Lewis doctrines.
Roosevelt Fears Division.
Naturally, II Mr.. Roosevelt side
with John Lewis. the other element!
In the rank and file Of labor will moi
feel too kindly about the administra.
ton. The President has been count.
ing on organized labor as q virtuaI
auxiliary 70 the Democratic National
Campaign Committee In the next cam
paign. But II matters come to 9
crisis, as they inevitably must, ths
Roosevelt administration win have x
make serious decasions that eanno|