Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-01-27
Guess Puts
Unions Take
At Billion
Congress Inquiry TreadA
in Never-Never Land
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

THE naval affairs committee
of the House of Representa-
tlves presents some figures on
the riches OF unions engaged in
the war industries and recon-
mendS egislation requiring
unions 10 register with the gov
eminent and file pertinent in
formation about their officers,
membership and financial condi-
ton.
The figures themselves arc
meaningless and. moreover. can
probably be discarded as false,
because most unions refuse 10
tell even their members how
much money they have. how
much they collect and how
much they spend and what for.
GENERAL months ago I eSti-
~ mated that the annual IN
come Of the unions was about
one billion dollars a year. and an
oldtlme professional labor skate,
as the unIoncoTS are called IN
their own set. told me afterward
that IN a discussion with several
other professionals the con-
cluSlon was reached that ! was
N least half-billiOn short.
They figured In the money
taken from all those thousands
who clattcred up and down the
land from Port Arthur 10 Cape
Cod and b &C X 10 ohio and
round about carrying good
union cards of their home town
locals but nevertheless, were
forced 10 buy work permits 4
from the locals having juriSdic.
ton W h ere the projects hap
pcned 10 fall.
one little carpenters local in
Massachusetts cleaned up this
way, and another N Virginia had
similar luck
When the jobs arc done and
the foreigners, or -eHt-ef-toWn
men, have vanished down tho
road these little exclusive Clubs
can cu' wonderful melon
among tf1rTr regular, resident
members.
TIlE committees iiglIcs sccm
Il dcmure 10 ne ! won't 60
into them except 10 present a
sample ana make q fac"
The sample says the net assets
Of III national and international
unions with 6.OA3S51 mcmhcIs
on q certain date We're ST.
9l5 Sos which seems gust plumb
ridiculous
Why 5000 600 head would
pay an average of 500 a year.
which would give Us 5000 100000
year right there. exclusive OF
accumulated wealth
And these Unions don't put ont
much for rent. stamps and Office
help Add some unemployment
and burial benefits. and there
You are
But maybe the COMMITTEES
doesn't realize that inc greatest
amount goes 10 the locals which
keep most OF the initiation
money and due, and pay a per
capita 10 Their parent unions
which. IN turn dUhhlc tow
pennies month ucr head INTO
The AFL and ihc Go
But SIX million head paving 2
per capita of - cents INTO those
nationals and n'egu1ronal>
Tins being ih" standard rate a.
though " docs Na\ would do
nate s. 100000 a month. or So,
100000 year.
! am not very good ~ arifh-
mctlc. but get out your own
pencil and do u up for yourself.
These nationals and Intcrna-
tiOnalS would have an income
of So 100000 a year exclusive
of special foes and their parental
share ot The initiation money.
and yet one Of oui most mpOr-
tdnt congressional committees IS
willing 10 report without COM
mont that their assets are only.
roughly, ST. 600 600
Those total assets after all
the years of existence OF those
unions are less than three years
income.
WELL, anyway II is COM
w fort that the committee
recommends legislation 20 cSlab-
li>h a. least some authority ~
government over these unions
II ISN'T a minute too soon ~
do tins. because If the AtL and
co get together and combine
Their legal power they VIII coll