Evening star., 1937-10-10
la GUARD|A GIVES
LABOR PARTY TEST
New York Election Is First
Crisis in Dark Horse Body
of 1888 and 40.

SbioiS ui Aoi N stOi " DNAJ
of 1888 and 40.
NEW YORK, October 9.-The
American Labor party, major impon-
derable OF the 1888 and 1910 national
elections, today is facing its first big
political crisis in its flght to re-elect
Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, No.
vember 2. La Guardia is Republican,
Labor party, city Fusion and Progress
sive nominee, and carries Socialist and
Communist Endorsement
=. Since organizers of the American
Labor party predict that it can hold
the balance Of power nationally il
demonstrably successful here, its
handling OF the impending crisis is
being watched closely by political OBJ
servers throughout the country. The
party represents labor's first organized
efforts to gain political control in the
United States in the twentieth century.
The crisis is essentially an outgrowth
OF the Nationwide C. I. GA. F. of L.
controversy.
The party, predominantly C. I. o.
,tat least locally but supported by
strong A. F. of L. elements, has named
La Guardia its official candidate.
But powerful chunks of its A. F. of
l.. support in the past few days have
switched to the cause of La Guardia's
opponent, jeremiah T. Mahoney, Tam
many district leader and official wear
er Of the New Deal label as Demo-
cratic machine nominee.
100000 Votes Pledged.
John L. Lewis. c. I. o. head. and
American Labor party officials, Joined
IN enort by an A. F. of L. committee.
have pledged 100000 labor votes for
La Guardia.
This week Joseph P. Ryan, Inter-
national Longshoremen's head, and
dominant figure on the city's power
9ul "a. F. of L. Central Trades and
Labor Council, switched to the SUD-
port OF Mahoney. Mahoney leaders
now claim 100000 labor votes assured
for Mahoney.
Both sides believe the balance of
power in the local labor-vote situa-
tlon to lie in the hands of George
Meany, head of the State Federation
OF LABOR, who, at the Denver Con-
Vention OF the A. F. of L. said:
The New York State Federation
"a. r. OF L. unanimously indorsed La
Suardla. am chairman of the A.
r OF l.. committee working for La
Guardla. You guess who I'm for"
Both candidates are proud of their
labor records"
Platforms Alike.
Mahoney claims to have helped
father much of his partys State and
city social legislation of the last two
oecaoes. Is proud Of his early cham
plonshlp OF United States Senator
Robert F. Wagner, and. in private
practice. has been counsel for numer
Gus labor unions and officials in all
sorts of cases.
There are singularly few points Of
difference In the platforms of the two
candidates apparent to the casual OBJ
server.
both are enthusiastic supporters of
the New Deal, especially in its social
ana labor policies; both proclaim be-
per In efficient municipal admins
Fatlon and adherence to official dis
! 4onesty' both favor slum clearance
Soequate health. sanitation and edu-
cation r-ograms.
Ihey are apart in only few points.
Ia Guardla maintains that honest
eHclent administration and Tammanv
control are incompatible. Mahonev
claims that an honest Tammanv and
an honest party organization can. nv
virtue OF party discipline and respon-
elolilty, provide superior administra-
i've technlc. Mahoney has been at
tempting to reform Tammany from
x"lthln, claims for his organization
proud record Of social legislation.
ana claims past errcrs can be pre-
vented in the futu&
Differ on LABOR Troubles.
Their attitude on labor troubles
states major point of difference.
La Guardia for the most part has
aimed to allow union organizers and
~NN' WIZ NiNNSG ldllluuS COHlDdLlOle
with good order.
Mahoney complains that the Mayor
mas sometimes transgressed that lati-
tude. that he has intimidated police
30 that they are unwilling to enforce
law and order in industrial disputes.
He calls the Mayors support red"
Then came the Denver convention
and A. F. of L. President William
Green's call for war to finish against
the c. I. O. Almost overnight there
eprang into being Trades Union"
party to support Mahoney Some of
the original labor leaders named as
Mahoney leaders were not generally
considered of great Importance in
labor circles; some others had been
1dentined in the past with Tammany
politics.
But when Ryan and many of his
powerful allies in the central council
began to align themselves with Ma
honey, the American Labor party con-
ceded that It had tanpihle onnosition