Evening star., 1936-09-20
NEW PARTY ARISES
TO AID REELECTION
Conservative to Communist
Factions Represented in
Membership.
BY THOMAS COMPERE,

special Correspondent OF Inc otar.
NEW YORK, September 19.-The
nearest thing to o united labor front
In the history of this State has been
achieved by the formation Of the
American Labor Party, which is con-
ducting q militant campaign for Pres
adent Roosevelt and the reelection OF
Gov. Herbert H. Lehman.
The membership Of this party is
composed of every shade of labor,
from conservative to Communist,
much of it being drawn from Socialist
ranks. Leaders of the movement be-
lieve their well-organized campaign
will throw at least 100000 votes to
President Roosevelt, which he other
wise would not get.
The President won New York's Al
electoral votes by plurality of $685.
987 in 1892, but it is no secret that
this additional help from labor is
more than welcome to the Democratic
leaders this year. Should the election
be close in New York, as most OBJ
servers now believe it will, the labor
party will be a highly important fac
tor in the outcome. 1t certainly will
be a great aid to the Democrats in
of1setting defections of conservative
Democrats and disgruntled Tammany
followers.
Practical Leaders at Head.
Since the new party is not in the
control of visionaries. but experienced
and practical labor leaders of the ilk
of David Dubinsky, George Meany,
Joseph P. Ryan and Sidney Hillman,
astute politicians are taking the move
ment seriously. Directing the cam
paign here is Gilmore M. Herrick, for
merly regional director of the National
Labor Relations Board.
Dubinsky is president of the Inter.
national Ladies' Garment Workers
Union, which has a total member
ship of 225,000, whom approximate!
10000 are in New York. Hillman
president of the Amalgamated Cloth
ing Workers of America, has approx
mately 100000 in his organization
of whom nearly $4,000 are in New
York. Ryan, president of the Cen
trail Trades and Labor Council o
Greater New York, is one Of tn,
most powerful figures in organized
labor here, and Meany is presiden
OF the State Federation of Labor. Th'
vote-getting ability Of these men, ant
scores of others Of their type work
ing for the same cause, cannot b.
laughed off.
The Labor Party has ticket of it
own for q number of offices unde
that Of President and Governor, ant
Its leaders hope to poll q vote o
from ATS, 1000 to 350,000. OF this mum
her, they say, approximately 200,00t
would vote for the President anc
Gov. Lehman, anyway. They esti
mate, however, that approximate!
100000 votes, which would be diff
FUSED among the left-wing candidate!
or not cast at all will go this yea
TO President Roosevelt and the Gov
ernor because of the new party's &C
tivities.
Sponsored by Social Workers.
The Labor Party is being sponsored
by numerous outstanding social work
ers, writer's and educators. Anon.
them are Lillian D. Wald, noted so
cial worker; Mary van Kleeck, di
rector of industrial studies for TIN
Russell Sage Foundation; DR.. Alvi1
johnson, director of the New Schoo
for Social Research; Willem var
Loon, author: Prof. Walter Gellhor1
of the Columbia University Law
School and DR.. Elizabeth F. Baker
economist and sociologist of Barnard
College.
., The organization is affiliated will
Iabor's on-Partisan League, and 1t!
leaders hope that it will prove Il
be the foundation for a strong ma.
tic i labor party capable of ex.
erting a Nationwide influence In
the 1910 elections.