The Washington times., 1936-08-18
2A.F.G.E. UNITS
HIT BACK AT
ACCUSERS
Liberal Lodges Reply
to Civil Service
Agency Group

industrial uQlOnlSmS o q
against craft unioniSm today
spread to the American Fedora.
ton of Government Employees as
members of two liberal lodges
charged with having espouSed the
cause Of John L. Lewis, further
widened the breach between their
supporters and conservative units
Of the organization.
Repeating an action taken last
night by the Resettlement Ad-
miniStration Lodge, No. 206, the
Department of Labor Lodge, No.
II, and Works Progress Admins
tration Lodge, No. 1879, today
dashed at the old-line Civil Service
Commission group for having
charged liberal elements with
'New Deal radicaliSm."
Meantime, high federation Of
ficials hurled a counter charge
that the liberal minority faction
was sponsoring revolt against the
craft-union principles Of tn e
American Federation of Labor,
which the A. F. G. E. has sworn
to uphold.
"POIitics" Charged
The Civil Service Commission
Lodges letter was released Satur-
day night and contained a definite
refusal to support recall procedure
against four Washington members
of the A. F. G. E. executive council
whom liberals wish to Supplant.
It was termed vague" and con-
trolled by partisan politics" to-
day by the WPA Lodge, which
said:
I'VE are somewhat surprised
to find partisan political attacks
on our alleged New Deal radical
ism coming from lodge con-
trOlled by Civil Service officials
who are supposedly most meticu-
lOus in their zeal for excluding
all political considerations from
A. F. G. E. deliberations"
A statement issued today by the
Labor Lorge No& IL, which re-
Gently lost approximately 100 con-
sevative members who diSapproved
certain liberal policies and OBJ
tanned a separate charter, con-
Guided:
eve feel that it is significant
that the reply to the recall
charges came, not from the Off
GERS charged, but from the Civil
Service Commission Lodge
which includes within it's active
membership several high Off
Gals in the commission who are
also leading officials nationally
and locally in the A. F. G. E.
DOMINATION FEARED
eve contend that this is a
typical indication of the present
domination of the A. F. G. E.
by Government officials whose
positions as officers dealing with
personnel requires them to pass
upon the fitness and quaIfica-
tions of employees for their jobs.
Regardless of the unquestiOn-
ably high standards of profess
siOnal conduct maintained by
these important Federal Off
GERS, their active participation
in the affairs of the A. F. G. E.
may well serve to influence in
dividuaI employees who, incOr-
rectly to be sure, may feel their
careers in the Government Serv-
ice threatened by their OppOsi-
ton in the union to such Off
cialS. Labor Lodge No. IL hopes
to see this questionable trade
union situation remedied at our
coming national convention"
Among officers referred to are
Cecil E. Custer of the Civil Serv
ice Commission, who is budget
officer of the commission, and
Ira Y. Balm, chief of personnel
at the Bureau of Internal Reve
nue.. Mr.. Custer is treasurer Of
the A. F. G.. E. and Mr.. Balm a
vice president. Other Washing
ton executive council members
under fire are G. Carroll DimonC
of the Adjutant Generals Office
and Michael D. Schaffer, of the
Navy Yard, both vice presidents
The WPA lodge charged the
Washington members of the
executive council with injuring
the A. F. G. E. by withholding
charters from newly organized
lodges, denying dues paying
lodges voting representation
through the device of temporary
membership certificates, and by
suspending lodges in the midst OF