The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1941-02-13

k8CgS Ne@0G0
One of the accomplishments OF the Town
Meeting of the Air program. conducted
Sunday evenings by Station WTBO is 10
show the listening public how inept and oei
cal are many of the pillar" OF the com
munity.
Last Sundays program on the industrial
future of Cumberland was fine example
Two of the speakers attempted to leave
impressions that the industrial progress Of the
city has been held back by the labor stua-
ton True. it in very vague terms that
the speakers expressed themselves. 1t must
necessarily be So because when you ask them
to put aside generates and come to specific
cases they find that there is no merit left in
their assertions.
One Of the speakers went 50 far as to say
that the loss of the tannery to Cumberland
was caused by strike. An official of the con
Germ has very definitely stated that such is not
the
Another speaker believed that the radical
labor element Of the community is in part to
blame for the industrial situation. The "radi-
cal labor element no doubt those who
think that labor union is properly intended
to win gains for its membership.
The celanese situation came in for men,
ton, with hint that the building of the
company plant at Pearisburg may have been
influenced by the "local labor situation
Naturally, the speakers did not mentan that
Al Il II
union has brought some millions of dollars
more purchasing power to the workers and
the business men who benefit from it. Nor
was il brought forth that the Celanese Cor
poration has prospered by higher and higher
profits each year since first they signed
contract with the Union.
Reference was made to the drop in employ
ment figures at the Kelly plant. but with
accompanying explanation of the fact that
improved machinery and increased speedup
OF workers is largely responsible.
No explanation came of the huge drop
recent years of those who once worked the
B. & o.
1t was admitted. though. that labor was not
responsible for the failure of the Footers Dye
Works. That sa;d one Of the speakers.
due to the opening of cleaning plants al
most every street corner in the city
None OF the speakers seemed to be aware
that strikes in Cumberland nothing
Had they been reading the ten. twenty. thirty
years ago history in the local evening paper
they would have known better. B. & O. work.
ers struck for eighteen months. tnml work
ers (helped by the present Mayor frequently
had either strikes or found the plant closed
down. glass workers and silk workers and
miners were striking long before the c. l. O.
was dreamed of if the local papers files are
correct
An unhappy experience befell the leader OF
the local chamber of commerce who was
speaker on the program. He had been
counting that every week sometimes every
day. the chamber received inquiries from
Germs seeking industrial location.
One of the questioners asked How many
industries has the chamber succeeded in
bringing herep" The answer was that none
have come here since the Kelly plant and
Celanese plant located Which to US. seems
pretty poor in terms of accomplishment
To blame these failures on the labor sit
uaton' is much too vague and just doesn't
stand up in the light of factual examination
Until there facts to prove the sug
gest that the speakers stop making exhibitions
of themselves.