Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-08

FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook.
Peeler

II
4 pletely crooked and immoral
CLIO union boss by Congressman
Edward Hebert of New Orleans
in an investigation OF the
sabotage of plane production
for the navy in the Brewster
plants. will be the more shock
ing if it is thoroughly UNDER
stood that this monstrous ut
terly selfish opportunlst and
draft dodger, Harry Posner,
who calls himself Thomas Vim
cent de Lorenzo and other
names, received his powers d.
rectly from Congress and from
the so-called labor policy of the
Roosevelt government which
has blocked every effort OF
Congress to limit those powers.
This man, who fatty said re-
Gently that he would rather let
American soldiers die at the
front for lack of planes than
sacrifice our rights" was
legally the chosen representa- !,
tive of the 10000 workers, and
the management and the navy
had to deal with him as such.
The War Labor Board gave
him a contract which deprived
management of every shred OF
authority in the operation OF
the plants and allowed him abb
solute right 10 say which men
should be certified as essential
war workers for deferment in
the draft.
THE management has been
L derated for inefficiency. but
that charge cannot even be
heard much less proven, be-
cause the management was
helpless under the contract.
BY the terms of the agree
ment this man could not only
certify himself for deferment at
the age Of 35 but could shake.
down other draft-dodgers for
deferment and blackmail men
who were actually essential
with threat not 10 recommend
deferment.
The navy was helpless and
finally was compelled 10 make a
clandestine appeal not 10 the
FBI or the WLB, but 10 indi.
vidual newspaper reporters 10
expose Posner in the hope that
the publication OF the crooks
record and character and the
facts of the Brewster situation
would cause an explosion that
would blast him out
Mrs. Agnes Meyer. the wife
of Eugene Meyer, publisher OF
the Washington Post. did the
job in a report, which did not
fail TO present the failures OF
the management and quickly
resulted in a call for Henry
Kaiser TO take over as president.
of Brewster and placate Posner.
both of which Kaiser did. He
also got a new contract, how
ever.
IF MRS. MEYERS fine work
L on the story could be criticized
at all the criticism would be that
she failed TO run her man down.
but that could be excused in a
reporter who refuses 10 believe
that unionism is infested with
crooks
Kaiser knew PoSner's record
but he is man who accepts
the Wagner Act as the law and
deals the best he can with
crooks who are certified TO him
as bargaining agents. throwing
the responsibility back 10 Con-
gress and the loss from union
footing or time wasting back 10
the treasury. He doesn't Try 10
fight them as the old Brewster
management u1u.
DOSNER's record consists OF
L one charge OF automobile
homicide and one indictment OF
turning out 1000 rioters at an
aviation plant in 194l, both
dismissed. and IS traffic
charges. Much worse, however.
was his declaration, on file with
the navy:
"Our policy Is not 10 win the
war at any cost. The policy Of
our local union IL to win tho
war. without sacrificing too
many OF the rights which we
have at the present time"
He is only one of many up
start unioneers elevated to
power by the New Deal, who
have abandoned their original
names and taken others for rea-
sons best known TO themselves.
Another is Lewis Merrill. presi-
dent of the Go Office Workers'
Union. which follows the Com
munist Party line.
Copyright. 1913. by United Features. synd.
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