Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-09
Movie Local
viii Elect
Same Crowd
PeeIer Predicts Newark
Group Will Return
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
A N ELECTION of certain Of
"A ficers will be held next Tues
day by Local 244 of the Browne
Bioff movie projectors union. in
which a group of more honest
members will try to break the
power of Louis Kaufman, the
business agent.
Local 244 is the Newark, N. j.,
branch and this election will be
held under court supervision,
but 1t is almost certain that the
Kaufman crowd will win, includ-
ing Harry Oppenheimer. the
secretary, who was denounced
by Jersey court in a previous
case as one of the union officials
who lived a parasitic life by TIE
toll OF rank and file members
who had to turn over their sal
aries. whole, to certain of the
union bosses.
Kaufman is not up for re-elec-
ton. having extended his own
term as business agent, but the
nominees OF the group in power
are known as the Kaufman
crowd. The administration prob
ably will walk off with the cleo
ton, because those who have
strung along have enjoyed the
best jobs and other advantages.
II AUFMAN has a criminal rec
IA ord dating back to 1918,
when he was Fl years old and
was sentenced to reformatory
for a petty burglary. He was
given an indeterminate sentence
and was paroled, but a few
months later. in January. 1914,
he was caught again. this time
for a stickup. For that he got
another indeterminate sentence
and served until June, 1916.
when he was released 10 win
his way upward as a bargain
ing agent for working saps
under the AFL.
BY coincidence. Kaufman Is
now awaiting trial in the federal
court in New York on an in
dictment similar TO those on
which Browne and Bioff recently
were sent away.
Back in 1885, Vice Chancel-
lor Maja Leon Berry of the
Jersey court of chancery. in
a decision and opinion reviewing
the condition of utter slavery
to which this racketeer had re.
duced helpless American work
men, remarked that of the very
few men who had been admitted
10 the valuable status of fur
membership in the union. two
were closely related TO high Of
ficials of the Newark police
department.
ONE OF these was John Brex,
" now a member of the locals
executive board. the son of the
police executive who recon-
mended a full pardon for Kauf-
man. To be positive that he
meant Brex' son. and not TO
guess at il, 1 asked Chancellor
Berry if he meant Brex in the
blind reference. and / have be-
fore me his letter saying:
"Brex was the police officer 20
whom ! referred In my opinion"
IN THAT same opinion. from
L which / may one day soon
select some quotes for your en-
lightenment on the true nature of
labors gains under the unions,
Chancellor Berry discussed and
enjoyed the practice known as
working on the arm" whereby
B-class. or slave. member OF
the union had TO work two Jobs 4
one for himself the other fol
one of the union bosses and said
that for years Kaufman had
been drawing salary from one
of the best projecting jobs in
the locals jurisdiction in which
a slave did all the work.
1.-THE defendant Kaufman has
not worked at all since 1929"
said this opinion delivered in
1885.
Nevertheless. his group is al
most certain 10 be reelected
while he is under indictment as
a betrayer of labor because some
of the workers apparently are
cynical and more interested in
their own preferred jobs and ad-
vantages.
by limited Feafurea Evnd Inc