Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-01
Lewis Seeks to Recapture
Political Power Lost in 1910
CLIO and AFL Leaders Fear Mine Worker Chiefs
Skill in Grasping at Opportunity for
Acknowledgement
Bv Charles G.. Ross.

This action was important to Mr.. Lewis,
but 1t was not so revolutionary as it
sounds. Actually, Mr.. Lewis for long
time has been using district so, ths
secretary treasurer of which is his
daughter Kathryn, as he pleased. Formed
originally to take in the workers in
chemicals and coal by-products, district
SO already had gone into other fields,
notably that of dairy farming on the
ingenious theory that milk and coal by
products are often competitive and hence
form an economic link between the two
industries. The convention simply vail
dated all that Mr.. Lewis had done and
gave him the constitutional authority to
60 as far as he likes in organizing the
unorganized."
Intensified Efforts Indicated.
Mr.. Lewis did not elaborate his state
ment at Cincinnati that great seq
ments of agricultural workers are knock
ing at the door of the UNIV for assist
ance in becoming free and independent
citizens" but he indicated to associates
that he would intensity his efforts among
the 100000 dairy farmers and go after
farmers in other lines. The convenient
district so will continue to be the organ.
izing agency.
Along with the formal OK on Mr..
Lewis past and prospective use Of dis
trict so went q substantial increase IN
the funds at his disposal. The monty
membership dues were raised from 81
to s1.50. Forty cents Of the increase goes
to the international office, which will
thus receive for it's war chest" an addi-
ton of about 81, 400 900 a year. The
office now has a reported balance Of
$6,346, 900.
Another resolution adopted by the con-
vention gives Mr.. Lewis and his executive
board the authority to advance, post
pone or change the date of future con-
ventions, which the constitution had re-
quired should be held every two years.
Under the amendment, Mr.. Lewis may
defer the holding of another convention
as long as he likes. He indicated at the
opening Of the Cincinnati session that
the miners might not meet again till
after the war.
The question recurs: What is Mr..
Lewis up to? He said at Cincinnati that
he was not going out for workers in
established unions, but the officers Of
| the CLIO, at least, take that statement
with large grain of salt. They are
quite evidently afraid of Mr.. Lewis as
| possible raider, and apart from that
they fear him vaguely as the potential
organizer of social forces for his own
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. They know his per.
sonal charm, his skill in manipulation.
the power Of the argument used by his
henchmen-that John L. may be wrong
on this or that political issue, but. by
heaven, he has got the workers more
money and better conditions!
| Fear Shared by AFL.
The fear of Mr.. Lewis is shared by the
general run of AFL leaders, though In
their case 1t is perhaps less tinged with
| personal bitterness It is the AFL on
which Mr.. Lewis impinges through the
organizing activities OF his brother Den
ny's> United Construction Workers. The
fact that Mr.. Lewis is friend of the
conservative big Bill Hutcheson peren-
NAL head of the AFL Carpenters Union,
Is often cited as a straw pointing to q
reunion between Mr.. Lewis and the AFL.
There is no dependable sign, though, that
any such reunion is in prospect. Mr..