, 1935-10-21

M~MM 8@M&A
Tactics = Rumblings over COM
munism. a new labor party and
craft unionism at the recent A. F.
Of l.. convention sound more
threatening than the inside story
Iustifies- These clashes simply
mark skilful skirmishing for po-
sition between William Green,
! president Of the Federation. and
John l. Lewis, head OF the power
full United Mine Workers.
Mr.. Lewis holds the KEY TO the
situation behind the scenes. He
| opposed formal denunciation Of
Communists. sympathized quietly
with radicals demand for an inde-
pendent political party and holler-
ed his JOvian head off for induStri-
al versus craft organization. Mr..
Green lined up against him on all
three issues. But the real contro-
versy Is more deep-rooted.
Mr.. Lewis recently suffered some
losses from the activities OF the
craft unionists. John Frey or the
Metal Trades Union invaded coal
mines in Colorado and organized
some OF Lewis cohorts into craft
unions. any spread OF this move
ment would deprive the mine
chieftaIn OF power. 80 he sought
to strengthen himself BY an alli-
ance with radicals in the needle.
clothing and garment workers
groups, who want a separate party
and q tieup with communists. I'm
derneath he IA almost a. conserva-
tive as Mr.. Green. He simply wants
70 save his organization from
inroads by the crafters.
Battle Although defeated on
the floor. Mr.. Lewis demonstrated
q strength which worries the
Greenwood faction. It may not
be long before he viii win out In
the historic struggle TO organize
American labor on broad lines. The
vote against hts proposal for indus
trial unions was only 8 to 2 In COM
mittee.
What Mr. Lewis faces Is the SER
ried and satisfied ranks Of organ
lied labor's iobh0lders. The print
ing trade. for instance, has eleven
different types Of workers each or
ganized into a different union.
That means eleven sets Of offices,
officials. organizers. etc. Under the
Lewis system there would be only
one headquarters and one group OF
paid officials. Naturally, those
now on the payroll oppose this
stab at industrial bureaucracy.
The march Of events seems 20
favor Lewis. An industry becomes
more and more specialized through
inventions and the New Deals re-
classification, the financial cost Of
maintaining craft unions may be-
come unbearable. But the most
significant feature is that In order
10 win this battle the Lewis faction
may ally themselves even more
closely with the arti-Creen radi-
Gals. Beneath the superficial clash
is a more basic struggle between
two personalities 49, Lewis and
Green and two antagcnistic
factions. It's just like politics.
Audit - Although Ivan Kreuger
committed suicide almost two years
ago New Deal economic detectives
are investigating In Europe the
match kings financial affairs.
Rcnert II. jackson, internal
Revenue counsel. Is investigating
American banks holdings Of Kreu-
ger stock 10 discover how much loss
they suffered 49, and. when IL may
make a great difference In the
amount Of income tax they must
nav to Uncle Sam. II Is understood
that many banks etc, wrote OFF
their losses at a time when It would
be most profitable, although the
facts may not justify their book
keeping.
joseph c. Kennedy, ex-Securities
Exchange commission chairman, Is
looking into the methods by which
millions In Rreuger stock were solo
IN this country. Thousands Of peo-
Die lost money because OF high
nressure methods utilized In dis
fributing dubious issues on this
side OF the water. And William a.
Stanler. erstwhile assistant 20
Attorney General Cummings, Is
burrowing into the legal aspects Of
these involved and costly transac-
tons.
Denied Several hundred cor
nnrations have asked the Securities
exchange commission to keep con-
fidential their reports on the sal
aries which they pay TO manage
nent officials. In most instances
they offer the formal reason that
publication might hurt the feelings
~ stockholders and employees.
But in private conferences with
| SEC officials they furnish another
excuse. They explain that they
anticipate real recovery within the
next year, and therefore fierce
competition between great corpora