Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-19
Mining Strike
Can Be Put to.
Some Good
Legislators Should Now
Amend Work Laws
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

be salvaged out OF the mess IL
Congress will now see, and do
its neglected duty TO protect the
whole people from the crimes OF
unionism by amending existing
labor laws and passing some
new ones.
Everybody who knows any,
thing at all about the United
Mine Workers knows that il is
not a democratic organization
but a boss-ruled autocracy in
which the boss counts the votes
and decides for himself how
much OF the workers money he
wants for his political ambition,
and helps himself TO it,
Some old-line unioneers would
have denied this a few years
ago when Lewis was one OF
them. But now that Lewis is a
loner, and their enemy, his for
mer friends and accomplices
frankly admit the truth OF the
worst allegations ever laid
against him by the most reac-
tionary employers.
This week, in Washington, we
have had the ribald spectacle
Of Jimmy Petrillo, rich and
rowdy unioneer, kidding the
senator's and defying them to
interfere with his make-work
and Woodwork program, even
at a time when Paul McNutt il
proceeding 10 squeeze nonessen-
tial businesses out OF business,
because there is said TO be a
shortage of vital manpower.
Petrillo Is in the right, and he
knows he is in the right. and
the worst of il is that the sena-
tors realize that he is right and
that they, themselves, not Pc
trillo, are 10 blame.
1t was to the Senate and the
House of Representatives OF the
United States Congress that the
Supreme Court delivered two in
sulting challenges within the
last couple of years, in opinions
from which Petrillo derives his
power.
TyHE court said unions could
l. do no wrong. and gave ap-
proval to systematic and OUT
rageous waste Of manpower
under the standby system which
is the whole cause of the contro-
versy with Petrillo's union OF
musicians.
Henry Kaiser's troubles with
the Go in his shipyards prove
that the wicked Wagner Act, far
from assuring workers the right
to bargain collectively through
agents of their own free choice
instead defeats its own stated
purpose.
What right has any employer.
starting a big new industrial
project, to go into a huddle with
a few union bosses in advance OF
the opening of the plant and
agree 10 compel future workers
whose identities are unknown, 10
pay tribute TO them and submit
to their discipline7
Yet. III il were not for the
challenge Of the Go inspired
only by jealousy and greed, this
slave trade would have been
blessed by every department OF
the government having to do
with isaor ard union affairs II
is common practice in many
plants and il has the approval. 4
indeed the savage backing. OF
the Labor Relations Board under \
the Wagner Act.
A reporter or copyreader, COM
ing TO work for a newspaper
which has closed shop contract
with the Communist Party lire
organization called the News
paper Guild, finds himself sold
down the river as condition OF
employment.
No senator would be so fatuous
as 10 argue that this man, or
one of Kaiser's workers. has
selected his bargaining agent.
TIVE hidden, treacherous labor
Il policy OF the government
has been 10 drive workers into
unions and place them at the
mercy of scoundrels.
II has helped itself to much
OF the loot for campaign pur-
poses and has actively thwarted
several attempts by the House
of Representatives to interfere
with this evil scheme.
Some workers have been COM
PEELED to make contributions to
the cause Of communism in
Russia and Spain and on two
occasions which 1 am prepared
to prove, and one of which is
acknowledged by David Dublin
sky, the president, members OF
the Garment Workers Union
have been compelled, under
penalty of a fine, TO turn out
for political rallies for New Deal
candidates.
Let a member stand on his
right neither to appear nor to
pay the fine, and he may be
expelled from the union and
forbidden 10 work at the only
occupation he knows.
The Wagner Act does not pre-
tend TO guarantee honest cleo
tions or any elections at all, in 4
the unions TO which il delivers/
the slaves and there is no pro- =
vision in any law of the country
which requires that a union