The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-07-24
Wings
OVER
washingtn

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To determine the character of a
society, a prominent political phil
osopher many years ago indicated,
look at the relationship between
those who produce and those who
own the means of production.
How true that guide is, may be
judged by the reaction of the great
American newspapers to the pre-
sent campaign to unionize the
workers in the steel industry.
With the unionization of these
workers and their consequently in
creased sense of their own power
a threat, not serious, is posed to
the owner-worker relationship in
that industry. Small as that threat
is, however, the forces of capital
have taken alarm and through the
pages of their newspapers have
given voice.
When John L. Lewis, now var
iosuly described as "beetle browed"
VI UOO1u NO4COU VI GuuuQ6I11lS
labor leader" or massive mine
leader" resigned from his vice
presidency of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, papers took little
interest. 1t was matter concern
ing labor and labor was of no
concern to newspapers. When the
Committee for Industrial Organ
izatiOn, composed of eight unions
In the American Federation of
Labor, was born its birth was at
tended by scant half columns and
sketchy paragraphs. Jaded re-
porters hoped from the foot of
industrial" unionism to vertical
unionism hoping that readers
would understand the meaning of
the terms even if they did not.
Now a shift in the property rela-
tons in the steel industry, Ameri-
cas- greatest basic industry, is
threatened. And now newspaper
columns bulge with "news" about
the "streamlined drive" in the gil
gantic five billion dollar industry &c
One of the large press associations
only few weeks ago assigned a
first string reporter to cover labor
news. Until then it depended upon
picking up the bits of information
strayig into the office or the in
dividual energy of a newcomer,
with time on his hands, out to
make a name for himself.
That particular association is
now demanding three or four stor-
les a day from the harried report
er. 1t is continually asking for
new leads, term meaning a re-
hash of the old stuff with the end
OF the story stuck at the top and
vice versa.
In the Offices of the American
Federation of Labor, the United
Mine Workers, and the Committee
for Industrial Organization. Off
Gals are being honored with a host
OF newspapermen. An official has
but to step out of his office and
ask the telephone girl if there are
any reporters around and PROMPT
ly five or six will arise from
cnalrs and surround him. Past IL
terature put out by the various
organizations are in demand and
the Washington press corps. al
ways pointed out by themselves
and professors of journalism as the
cream of the country" are burn
ing midnight oil trying to dig
deeper into industrial VS.. crafts
unlonlsm than merely changing It
20 critical VS.. horizontal. /" Roolrs
and articles about the 1910 And
1892 steel strikes are in demand
and participators in those strikes
are the subject of a barrage IF
background" and 'for nv own
Information" questions.
All this activity would not be
worth mentioning if it were not III
Tor the phenomenal lack of inter IT'
est shown in precisely the sam same
Subject few scant weeks 400
OnIy one person, a scholarly re- re-
porter who has devoted HE c,,I,1