Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-23
Indictment
Of Unionists
A Mystery (
-Four Held for Extortion,
on Nckbaek System
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

-FOUR unioneers Of the big
l. ALL International Union of
Operating Engineers, have been
indicted by a federal grand jury
in Albany, N. Y, on a charge of
extorting $4,000 from a lot of
poor, faceless workers employed
on a war project known as the
Voorheesville army depot.
The indictments were found
under the anti-kickback law
which provides a maximum pun
ishment of five years in prison
and a $1,000 fine for any one
who shall by force or threat or
otherwise induce any person en-
ployed on any public work
financed in WHOLE or in part by
the government to give up any
part of the compensation to
which he is entitled.
l believe this is the first time
this law has been thus invoked,
although many extortioners
have been openly robbing thou
sands of Americans on most of
the war construction jobs all
over the country.
n BOUT year ago / asked one
IA United States district attor-
ney il this law applied TO such
racketeering and he said il did
not. That, however, was in an
other district.
The same law has been on the
books from the start OF the war
effort.
The present case may be only
demonstration intended TO
signify formal disapproval OF the
racket for political effect in the
coming elections.
Moreover. IL the law applies in
Albany it also applies in every
other district in the country
where the same racket has been
operated.
II Is significant that both Atty.
Gen. Francis Biddle and Tom c.
Clark, described as chief of the
war frauds unit of the depart
ment OF justice. took occasion 10
declare that the present indict-
ments were not aimed at labor.
That was a gratuitous assur-
ance of obvious political purpose
and was out of order.
The indictments and the facts
will speak for themselves and
law officers of the government
serve no legitimate official pur-
pose in making such statements.
OBVIOUSLY labor could not
" suffer by the punishment of
men who victimize labor, so
there is no more legitimate ex-
cuse for the remarks of Clark
and Biddle than there would be
for explaining that no attack on
religion was meant by the indict-
ment of some leader of the mis-
called Christian Front.
The department OF Justice
indicts itself for disgraceful de-
fault of its plain duty by its
sudden use of a law so plainly
applicable TO practices which
have been carried on in so many
localities so long.
The so-called operating en-
gineers' union is one OF the worst
in the whole lineup Of unions Of
the American Federation OF
Labor.
The president is William z.
Maloney Of Chicago, who owned
until recently and still may OWL.
large stable of race horses.
Maloney has a hand in tls
licensing system in Chicago BY
which the city government OK
amines the qualifications of men
seeking credentials as engineers.
ONE of the vice presidents is
" Joe Fay. who has grown
rich in his union career and who
slugged David Dubinsky at an
AFL convention in New ORLEANS
for proposing that crooks be
barred from union leadership cs
control.
More recently Fay was in
dicted in Syracuse, N. y, in
brutal assault on a n OF h @ r
unioneer attacked from behind
in dark hall and injured
severely, but the case was dis
missed; the complaining witness
and victim. by name Orvillc
Warner, disappeared when Fay's
trial came up and the case was
dismissed on the representation
that the services of Fay were
required by the country in the
prosecution of the war.
Promptly thereafter. Warner
reappeared and was reinstated
in his old job as a unioneer in
Rochester at large salary.
TNHE case has not been re-
u opened, although a new in
dictment could be asked and
Warner this time could be placed
under bond.
Governor Lehman's attention
has been called to this scandal
Gus case and the obvious reason
why Warner disappeared, but he
has done nothing about il.
In view Of the record of the
parent union, both Biddle and
Clark put the department of
justice in the role of a gratuitous
character witness.
Neither one can plead ignor-
ance becauSe fha E-pI hoe that