The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-03-16
LOOKS LIKE ANARCHY

tai importance TO the continuance VI OF
DERBY government in this country. Some
time ago The Times-News directed atten-
ton to the condition of insurrection and
anarchy in the State Of Michigan, resulting
from the taking over of that common
wealth by John Lewis and his sit-down
strikers. Somewhat belatedly The Observ-
er has concluded that the situation in Mich
igan 'looks like plain anarchy" but what
the Charlotte paper has to say is said I'M
pressively and helps to an understanding
of the case, and here it is:
week ago today the Clio, John L. Lewis union
organization directed by outsiders and augmented
by employees belonging TO this union, seized eight
of the plants of Chryser Corporation in Detroit
and continue to hold them
Executives plant managers and their stats have
been kept out by force.
Gates of the plants were barricaded
Factory and office employees We're forbidden &c
leave or enter the gates of the plants except with
permission of the agents of the union.
Employees could only go and come If and when
they signed union cards.
A military organization virtually set up by
these outsiders and the company's property was
taken under authority.
Mail trucks carrying company mail were even
stopped and delivery of parcels DISTRACTED.
The executive department of the Chrysler Cor
poration has been forced to establish temporary
offices i'm downtown Detroit.
II has no access to its files and office records
which are guarded in the executive departments of
the manufacturing plants by union officials.
What's the trouble?
Wherein is the Chrysler Corporation guilty of
such violations of the common equities that out
siders and unionized insiders should have driven
the executives and officials from the latter's own
premises that they should stand guard at barricad
ed gates and refuse permission to any employee of
the company to come or go unless the demands of
these Iisurpers are met?
There has been no disagreement as TO wages or
hours of employment. Rates of wages are report
ed BY company officials to be more than 90 cents
an hour and among the highest in American in
dustry+
The sole cause of this abrupt and radical inva-
sion Of the properties and possessions of Chrysler
Corporation by outsiders is simply this-the COM
pany has refused to accede to the demands of the
Lewis nnion that its members and its members
alone be recognized as bargaining agent with
the company management.
In other words Lewis and his crowd are asking
for closed shop. DO. . ..S
closed shop IS one in which only employees be-
longing to a given union will be allowed to work.
Unless all employees within such a plant agree
to join such given union, they will be kicked out
no matter how efficient they may be nor how
sorely they may need employment
1t is, the union or no work for the workers.
The Chrysler Corporation could not stomach such
arrogancy.
And when it refused to humor such inordinate
demands, the Lewis union took possession of the
factories shut off the stean barred the gates and
by intimidation and coercion and threatenings drove
the executives of the premises and dared company
employees to come or go unless they joined the
union.
What does this look like to fair-minded and I'M
prejudced people?
What does it look like to the President of the
United, States sworn to uphold the Constitution
which itself swears to the protection of human
rights--the rights of humans inside as well out
side the unions?
What does it look like to the courts of the eoun-
try when the United States mail wagons can be
stopped and the delivery of mail INSTRUCTED?
Try to stop mail man some Of these mornings
and force him to open his sack for your inspection
penitentiary even for such innocent curiosity?
Whatever it may look like to the public gener-
ally, or the President Of the United States or to
United States marshals and United States judges,
TO US it looks like plain anarchy. e.
II is certainly an amazing condition. pic
tured by The Observer as existing in Mich
igan; and that the picture is mildly drawn
is known to every careful reader Of the
newspapers, because the story has been
told again and again in the past few weeks
in both news and editorial columns.
We say it is an amazing thing when the
laws of one of the 48 States can be sci
aside by the will Of a comparatively small
band of agitators and malcontents, regard
less Of whether they call themselves strik
ers or by some other name. The fact re
mains that the Lewisites are minority O
the EMPLOYEES Of every concern with whie