The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-04
Metal Union
Asks MESA
For Unity
Smith Talks Radical !;
But Fails to Take
Concrete Steps
BY SANDOR VOROS
DAILY Worker Ohio Bureau

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Jan. s.
Twenty eight delegates represents
ing sixteen locals Of the Mechanics
Educational Society of America
listened to Mathew Smith, general
secretary, aSsail capitalism in his
opening speech at the third annual
convention of the Mechanics Edu-
cational Society of America in the
Sachsenheim Hall Astounding in
very radical phrases, Smiths speech
followed closely the official welcoms
address of Mr.. Elmer ]. McNutty,
assistant law director of the city Of
Cleveland, who, representing Mayor
Davis, brought the greetings of this
enemy Of labor to the convention.
The end of the first day Of the
convention showed a representation
of sixteen locals with twenty-eight
delegates.
Capitalism" has failed-we have
a choice between fascism and coll
lective society; there can be no per-
manent harmonious relations with
the employers" stated Smith. These
left phrases, however, we're not ac-
companied by concrete proposals for
organization and plans for militant
struggle in the auto industry.
Chapman, president of the M. E.
S. A, spoke in similar vein. predict
ing the 30-hour week and calling
for annual wage of $500 for skilled
mechanics and $4,000 for production
men. THE M. z. S. A. must take its
place as revolutionary industrial
organization or it will decay as con-
sentative organizations usually de-
cay"
Fight on Officers Terms
After establishing the order OF the
convention a brisk fight developed
on the question of extending the
term Of the present national officers
until the next election to be held
within go days. Delegates of Local
7, Detroit, backed by Mathew Smith,
wanted to have Field Organizer ]. j.
Griffin excluded from this extension
going so far as to threaten the
withholding of dues payments UNI
less Griffin is dropped. Vague f.
nancial reasons were advanced for
the dropping of Griffin, but the con-
vention voted TO retain him along
with the other national officers
Part Of the afternoon session was
spent in debating whether the ma
tional officers be insured against &C
cidents or not. Those favoring the
insurance won out without the ma
jority of the delegates being clear
whether the organizers, their cars,
or the Society is the one to be in
sured against possible accidents.
OF the twenty points on the order
Of business the question of chang
ing the Constitution on industrial
unionism was moved to first place.
Elimination of Sections l and
from the bylaws, which separate
tool and die workers from produc-
ton workers, is proposed, making
all locals industrial in set-up. This
is proposed at time when most of
the production workers have already
left the M. E. S. A.
Other important points on the
agenda are points 7 and IS, the for
mer dealing with the position Of
the Mechanics Educational Society
in politics, the latter with the pos
sibilities of working agreements with
other unions. Concerning the for
mer, Jesse Chapman, in the course
of conversation, stated that there
is a possibility of the M. e. S. A. go
ing on record for new workers
political party.
The convention took on real
business aspect for the first time
when a letter from the Steel and
Metal Workers Industrial Union
was announced. Amidst attentive
silence Mathew Smith read the pro-
posals Of the S.M.WI.U. for a Joint
council in the metal trades, with
representatives of all bona -hde
metal unions to unity and lead the
machinists and metal workers in
the successful struggle for their
common aim and interests.