Evening star., 1936-10-25
WORK ALLIANCE
LEADERS SEIZED
INNEW DEAL ROW
Demonstration for Higher
Relief Pay Wins
Hearing.
SECRETARY M'INTYRE
MEETS COMMITTEE
David LASER, Head of 0rganiza-
tion; Benjamin and Kelly in =.
Scuffle With Police.

A day OF public demonstrations
against New Deal relief policies, re-
sulting in the arrest of three leaders
of the Workers Alliance of America,
was climaxed yesterday afternoon
when, after the prisoners had been
released on bail, they were permitted
to present their demands for in
creased w. P. A. wages to the White
House and Works Progress Admin
istration.
They claimed moral victory
won only after some had been man
handled by police-for it was their
first successful attempt to obtain a
White House audience, despite re-
peated efforts since early Summer.
They succeeded, also, in forcing the
w p. A. to accede to a few of their
demands, one being the right to get
time of to vote November 3.
At the White House, where the gates
had been closed to them three hours
before, a committee OF seven was re-
ceived by Marvin H. Mcintyre, presi-
Dental secretary, but was not al
lowed to see President Roosevelt. The
committee members protested to Nc
1ntyre that the arrests constituted
''the most disgraceful incident in
Washington since the bonus marchers
were driven out in 1882" They re-
peated the protest even more ve-
hemently, a bit later, to Aubrey Will
liams, deputy w. P. A. administrator.
800 in Demonstration.
The arrests we're made in front OF
w. P. A. headquarters as 800 men,
bers Of the alliance demonstrated
after picketing the White House in
an orderly but vain attempt to gain
admission to the executive Offices.
Those arrested were David LASER,
president Of the Alliance; Herbert
Benjamin, national organizer, and
John Kelly, organizer for Lackawanna
County, Pa. They scufied with police
after protesting their right to walk"
up and down when half dozen po-
lice, under Capt. A. E. Miller, third
precinct, ordered them to move
along" During the scuf11ing, Kelly
claimed he was struck in the mouth
| by Policeman Joseph Comiskey. His
mouth was bleeding.
At the precinct station LASER and
Benjamin were booked for parading
without permit. Kelly was charged
with disorderly conduct.
In about an hour Gardner Jackson,
Washington representative Of the Civil
Liberties Union, bailed them out for
a total Of $50. He said he would have
legal action brought against Kellys
alleged assailant. Kelly later said
| they would all appear in court Tues
day and be represented by an attor-
ney for the Civil Liberties Union.
Williams fatty rejected a request
for 20 per cent increase in w. P. A.
wages, with minimum of $40 month
ly. He also turned down proposal
to pay local trade union hourly rates
on w. p. A projects. contending
w. P. A. wages actually we're above
the prevailing wages paid in most To-
calities.
Order A Protested.
The Alliance also demanded elm
ination of order A, which dock work.
ers for time lost through no fault of
their own. That brought from Will
liams reply that the problem was
under consideration. When that was
met with jeers, he promised definite
ruling by December IS, "at the latest"
That also brought protests that SNOW
would bring suffering before then"
After leaving the White House,
where LASER protested mot even an
office boy was reported to be inside"
the crowd milled through the streets,
two by two, to relief headquarters.
There the arrests occurred.
Meanwhile, delegation waiting on
the seventh floor in the Labor Rela-
tions Board office. threatened to stage
a sitting down" demonstration until
their leaders were released. They re-
fused to see Williams until LASER and
Benjamin were able to 60 in with
them. Outside the building, police
guarded headquarters as about $50
or 200 men and women continued to
march up and down the sidewalk.
Finally. Nels Anderson. Labor Rela-
tions official, gave orders for the police
to leave them alone"
When LASER and his two associates
were released an hour after their ar
rest, they came to w. P. A. headquar-
ters and the Alliance president got
into touch with the White House by
telephone. He talked with Mcintyre.
In response to some query the White
House secretary made. LASER said
things were mot so we'll"
"The abundant life in Washington
does not agree with us very we'll"
LASER added.
The group of seven, headed by Las.
ser. presented themselves few min
utes later at the White House gates,
Possibly through a misunderstanding,
only six Of them were admitted.
Mcintyre denied their request to
see President Roosevelt for five min
utes only" at Camden. N. j., where
he speaks Thursday. He would agree
only to present an open letter to the
President.
Responsibility Denied.
| Responsibility for the arrests was
denied by Williams during the con.
ference that followed at W. p. A.
headquarters.
LASER had charged these were an
example Of the "hard-boiled policy
which this administration intends to
| follow with regard to the unemployed"
He said he had received warnings the
night before that the police we're going
to break up their meeting"
Williams regretted the incident, but
continued neither President Roosevelt,
himself nor any other person connect-
ed with the administration had "any-
thing to do with 1t whatever" He
suggested that the Metropolitan Police
alone were responsible.
The w p. A. oficial took the oppor-
tunity to spike" . persistent rumor
| circulated BY the Workers Alliance