Evening star., 1938-03-28
.[ABORITES DEBATE
A.F.L.-C.L. 0. ISSUE
Howard and Morrison Meet
Before Members of
Printers Union.

Charles P. Howard, president OF the
International typographical Union
and secretary of the c. I. o. while his
union remains affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor, de-
bated the A. F. L.-C. I. O. contro-
yersy yesterday with Frank Morri-
son. veteran secretary treasurer of the
Federation. before members of CO.
lumbia Typographical Union.
Mr.. Howard charged the executive
council of the Federation with en-
croachments upon the autonomy of
national and international unions
under it's banner and with interfer-
ence in jurisdictional disputes, while
Mr.. Morrison contended the Fedora
ton remained a democratic and
autonomous organization.
The leader of the printers union
declared he had 'never attempted to
take the I. T. u into the c. l. O." and
would not until such time as I be-
lieve majority Of members want to
take that step" He based his af1ilia-
| tion with the C. I. O. upon desire
Ito extend the benefits of collective
bargaining to millions OF workers."
and said he wanted to save the Fed
Grafton from itself and from its own
selfish interests"
No Dictatorship in A. F. Of l..
Mr.. Morrison, secretary of the Fed
Grafton for more than 40 years,
charged the c. l. o. and its de-
structive activities have created
| ment." accused it of diSregarding
jurisdictionsl rights of existing unions
and averred there was no possibility
Of a labor dictatorship" in the A. F. l.,
The C. I. o. will eventually Law
beside other dead organizat tions." ne
predicted 1T has become the ideal
of few men who tried to establish
dictatorship OF the minority over
the many
Taking his stand for the c. l. O., Mr.
Howard said the Federation had or
eanized only 3.50000O workers out of
1000, 900 or more organizable work
ers in the United States. Il ask you---
is that success" he exclaimed Some
of us in the Fedora ton didn't think
so. We tried to find the obstacle
We learned the lines of demarca ton
between crafts had been completely
wiped out. Some men were doing
work under the jurisdiction of three
or four different unions.
We encountered jurisdictional
problems the Federation had never
been able to settle. Workers were
asked to join and pay due in two or
three unions. Some of us felt the
Federation should relax it's organiza-
ton plan. We proposed to give the
workers the kind of organization they
wanted-not to pour them into the
mold of so or 60 years ago.
jurisdiction" he declared emphat-
ically, is the right to collect per
capita tax from workers" His union.
the /. T. u. is in good standing with
the Federation. but has refused to
contribute to its war chest against
c. l. O.
Question Of Democracy.
The question in the division OF
American labor is control against
democracy" Mr.. Howard continued.
Mr.. Green. president of the Fedora
ton, SAYS the issue is democracy. I
agree. The only difference is who is
the democrat. Mr.. Green is one of
the Ohio Democrats. They agree to
only certain kind of democracy
Time alone will prove whether the
c. I. o. is capable of organizing in
duStral workers or whether the A. F..
l.. will pass out, as have the other or
carnations that have sprung up to
oppose it during the previous history
OF the labor movement"
The meeting was held in the Ma
sonic Temple Auditorium at Thir-
teenth and H streets NV, at the call
OF the Printers Progressive Club. Al
bert L. Ramsay, club president. pre-
sided. Claude M. Baker, San Fran
cisco, first vice president of the l. T.
u. also was scheduled to speak. but
telegraphed that he was detained at
Columbia, Mo-, trying to organize the
typographical department of the Uni
versity Of Missouri daily newspaper.