The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-10-15

home IN Alexandra, va II An tN-
ceedinsly hkable chap personally,
but pretty positive in his ideas and
strongly disincllned TO make COM
promises with folk who dissent
from any Of EN-.
His UMIY's original break with
the American Federation Of Labor
was illustrative Of il.
The A. F. Of L., headed by Presi-
dent William Green, and with
which the UNIV was associated. is
organized on craft lines. That is 70
say. a single industry may en-
ploy several different crafts. For
example, mining includes actual
diggers, electricians, blacksmiths
and others. The A. F. OF LIS sys-
TEN has been TO unionlze EN- indie
pendently of one another.
John Lewis thesis Is that It's
best TO combine EN-, per industry,
collectively.
He formed the Committee on In
dustrial Organization to effect the
Encouragement. William Green's A.
F. OF l., however, baked. There
upon. under Johns direction, the
UNIV seeded from the A. F. OF L.,
inviting labor groups generally to
Join, as members Of what, to pre-
serve the original C. l. o. initials.
was christened the Congress Of In
dustrial Organizations.
II was an important develop
ment in the labor field and, as a
newspaperman, l kept a sharp eye
on II, infesting UNW-CIO head
quarters copiouSly
Murray Takes Over
Among those closely identified
with the movement was Philip
Murray, UNIV vice president and
apparently a 100 per cent John l.
Lewis-ite. Just why John didn't as
sumo the Go presidency for him
self don't exactly understand, b4t
probably he considered it a detai!
that he thought he was too busy as
main boss, TO bother with.
The difficulty was that Phil
didn't long continue to be as COM
plant with Johns orders as the lat
ter evidently had expected. John,
angered, so expressed himself. Phil
sassed back. The upshot was that
the UMW's leadership presently
abolished Phil as vice president
OF its own aggregation. In conven-
ton, subsequently,. the whole UNIV
Endorsed this dismissal and. fur
thermore, entirely severed its con-
nection with the CIO.
Speculations rife as to what will
follow.
One theory Is that Lewis policy
will reunite the A. F Of L and the
CIO.
This doesn't seem so certain.
though. There still remains be-
tween EN- the issue Of craft versus
industrial unionisn. Pills as anti
craft and pro-industrial as John
Lewis. Anyway, he's seemed so
thus far. That wasn't the question
that he and. John differed on. Phil
and VIII Green apparently are as
far apart on it as ever.
Johns accused Of aiming at the
creation Of brand-new. third la
Dor outfit that he'll dominate COM
pletely.
And ultimately, It's assumed. his
ambitions to assem- bic the total la
Dor situation under his own person.
al thumb--no Go. no A. F. Of L.
a dictatorship. subject to himself
alone.
A Good Economist
Far be 1t from me TO deny that
he's arbitrary.
Hes middl.ng good economist,
though.
He recognizes that labors got 70
be sensible toward caDital-that
capitals an asset Of labor, too.
There's nothing selfish about the
cuss.
l never heard him charged with
making any money out Of his Job
He doesn't try to take political
advantage Of Il, either.
l once i ard him speak Of Sam
uei Gompers az "a really great
man"
And the emphasis was on the
word really l don't know wheth-
er he meant TO distinguish between
Sam and some others or not.
He dates back 10 Sans day. any
how.