Evening star., 1937-10-05
LABOR IN ELECTION.
BATTLE IN DETROIT.
Heavy Primary Vote Is Be.
ing Cast Today in C. 10.
and A. F. l. Fight.
~ the Associated Press,

9y the Associated Press.
DETROIT, October 5.-Despite in
termittent rain, an unusually heavy
vote was being cast today in a city
primary election at which labor con-
troll and the city government was
major issue.
The Committee for Industrial Or
eanization backed mayoralty candi-
date and five candidates for city coun-
cilmen The American Federation Of
Labor supported another slate. Two
nominees were chosen for Mayor and
18 for the nine council seats. The
election will be next month.
At IL am. the City Election Com
mission estimated $4,000 votes had
been cast, compared with $4,000 bal
lots at the same hour in the 1885 city
primary. The early voting, however,
fell $4,000 votes short of that In the
State primary of 1886. Predictions OF
the total vote today ranged from 200,-
600 to 250,O0O.
Voting was heavy today in all dis
tricts except those with large Negro
populations, and election officials said
those districts customarily were late
in voting.
Mayoralty Battle.
The main battle centers around the
mayoralty, position Of great power
In Detroit Although the city operates
under non-partisan form of govern
ment with small Council and some
what resembles the city manaRer-com-
mission type, the Mayor combines both
the managerial and honorary duties
and is full-time, $l5,000-a-year
executive.
The Mayor of Detroit is so firmly
established in the whip seat that his
appointing power, covering more than
10 department heads, is not subject
to Council approval.
The councilmen are elected at large,
the aldermanic-ward system having
been discarded many years ago.
The c. I. O., mainly working through
the United Automobile Workers of
America, has Endorsed Patrick H.
O'Brien, former Michigan attorney
general, for Mayor. Its Council slate
Is limited to five men, enough to pro-
vide bare control of the nine-seat body.
OF this ticket. John L. Lewis, c. I. o.
night:
Il have an ambition to see the
G. I. o. win in Detroit"
He added that he was reasonably
certain" it would win.
Opposed by Coughlin.
The Rev. Charles E Coughlin COM
mented in Detroit that the c. 1. o.
nominees "openly stand for class
struggle" and urged their defeat.
The American Federation of Labor
In Detroit has Endorsed former Mayor
John w. Smith for the mayorality
nomination. 1t is backing nearly all
Incumbents for the council seats.
Other candidates for Mayor are
Richard Reading, at present city
clerk; Clarence j. Mcleod, former
Republican Representative, and Ralph
A. Philbrook, an attorney.
O'Brien said recently that labor
must seize the reins of government
In Detroit and every other American
city"
Smith, once president Of plumb
ers' union, said: II believe in labor
unions properly and responsibly con-
Quoted. The sitdown strike has no
place in a democracy"
Declared Red Declaration"
Reading, generally viewed as the
strongest conservative candidate, said
"a concerted attempt is being made
to place minority group In power
In Detroit" Replying directly to
O'Brien's statement, Reading de-
scribed it as Red declaration" and
retorted:
i say the people Of Detroit are
going to the polls because they are
definitely set against any radical
changes in the government Of
Detroit"
Prominent on the c. I. o. council
manic slate are Richard T. Franken-
steen, assistant president OF the Auto
Workers Union; Walter Reuther,
head of its huge West Side Detroit
local. and Maurice A. Sugar, union
attorney. These men have been lead
ers in the turbulent campaigns to
organize labor in the motor industry
Mayor Frank Couzens is not q can
didate for reelection.