The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-10-14
legislation Harmful To
Trade Unionism Cited
BY Judge PddwuY
MUST BE ON GUARD
Metcalfe Tells Delegates In
dustries Employing Chill
dren 8 And g Years Old
BY n. Il. O. p. DELEGATES

t1on or Labor, IN an address 10 tne
delegates at the 63rd annual conven-
tion of the \. f. of l.. in Boston,
charges reactionary forces with EN-
ploying "nefarouS Ku KluX klan tao
ties to destroy organized labor in
America and they are meeting with
extraordinary success, he stated
IF they succeed faSciSm has come
to America" he told 600 delegates
representing G,O00,OOO trade unioniSts
in the nation.
Padway drew Il tremendous ovation
when he urged labor to wage IA finish
fight against forces which, he said, al
ready had pushed through legislation
to curb unions in nearly half of the
states. This is in addition to federal
legislation aimed at labor, he added
William Green, president of the
AFL. took the microph0ne after Pad
way and pleaded with the delegates to
take cogniZance of the cOunSelS warn
ing. He urged them to return to their
respective states after the current Ses-
SionS, Ia employ all possible means to
kill proposed legislation against labor
and to repeal laws already enacted
Legislation harmful to the cause Of
trade unionism cited by Padway in
chIded that which would compel all
labor organizations to incorporate: ::
that making licenses mandatory and
that setting II limit on the initiation fee
Il union could charge.
Padway said the law department Of
the AFL was covering the entire ma
ton to combat this legislation and had
many cases pending in courts after
challenging the conStitutiOnality of the
bills.
but | warn YOU to be on guard;
more Legislatures are meeting this
year and more legislation is being
plotted against u.s." he said "How fine
Il job has been done by the reactionary
forces on the organized labor move
ment in this countryn
In Il recital of those states which
have passed anti-lnbor bills, PadWay
remarked that "in IA mild way This Very
state which we are I'm now Is beginning
to strike out at us"
Critical Of Child Labor
Legislation requiring unions to be
licensed, puts their life or death in
the hands of the licensing body" Pad
way warned.
The third day of the convention was
marked by the firing of the AFLS
opening guns against indiScriminate
hiring of child labor, even in the pres
cnt emergency. One of several resOlu
tions 10 be acted upon by the cOnven-
ton would put the burden On labor to
obtain manpower to make hiring Of
minors unnecessary and nt the same
time cooperate with school authorities
10 keep children in school.
l.. Metcalfe Walling, wage and hour
administrators, told the convention that
employment of girls and boys under
Is had increased to 5,OOO,OOO. Can
nericS and packing establishments, he
charged are employing children aged
s and o.
although ii is generally believed
that the greatest source of labor supply
during the war period has been
women he said, the truth Is that TIN"
number of young workers under Is In
excess of normal is about the same as
the number of women - years of age
and over.
The number Of employment and age
certificates issued for boys and girls
of II 10 II has practically doubled an
nually from 1910 To the present time
\ hnnsTh .lt fret tam f., Iru AZ
largely on the lG and l7-yrar oldS we
are now dipping down into the II and
l5-ycar-oldS
There has been IN overall increase
Of 33l per cent of boys and girls to
whom social security numbers have
been issued and there is II 22G per cent
increase for the minors under lG since
last y"nr."
Lalids Steved0rc BattaliOns
Capt. John X. Perry of the Nnvy'S
construction battalion paid high tribute
10 Stevcdorc battali0nS Of former mem
berS of the AFL. He related how they
cleaned up II situation In the South
Pacific where in some instances ships
had waited 60 days to be unloaded
\ plea To the delegates to give full
union status to Negroes and other
minority groups was made by MSgr.
Francis j. Haas, chairman Of PreSi-
dent Rooseyelt'S fair employment prac-
Iices committee and bishop-clect of
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Just as once there existed unhealthy
agreements between anti-labor EN-
ployerS and anti-labor workers, 50
there exists Il danger that some labor
organizations and some employers may
combine to restrict the rights of
minority group members" he warned.
Put yourself I'm the place of such n
member of minority group. BE he
Negro or Mexican, jew or creedist he
wants his full statute as an American
working man, and If he finds organized
management and organized IA b o I
leagued against him he will In some
form revolt"
Msgr. Haas explained that his com