Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-05-10
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
Peqler

COME years ago, ]. told Will
~ Green, president Of the
American Federation of Labor,
that the proportion of crooks 10
honest men in the official roster
Of his outfit was outrageously
large and an indictment of his
own stewardship.
He said II was nothing OF the
kind and promised 10 turn up
for him a rogue's gallery of at
least 100 men holding official
jobs in his unions who had
criminal records.
/ lost track of the score way
back there but / am sure il has
passed 100. not counting such
notorious rogues as you will
find in the hodcarriers and OPP
Grating engineers who are awful
brigands but haven't yet been
convicted.
Anyway, here is is another
pin-up boy for Mr.. Green's col
lection.
IN NEWARK, N. j., the fed
sral grand jury indicted II
individuals and three liquor
companies on charges OF run
ming a black market racket.
Among them was Benjamin F.
Pross of New York, the execu-
tive business manager OF the
Wine, Liquor and Distillery
Workers Union OF the AFL.
We first meet brother Pross
IN 1927. charged with grand lar
ceny in Manhattan. They gave
him a bargain, reducing the
charge TO petty larceny. and he
got so days.
Another charge Of grand lar
ceny occurs in January. 1928,
which was dismissed in March.
The next time we encounter
brother Pross is in July OF 1929
when he got three years and
four months in Atlanta upon
his conviction under the federal
bankruptcy laws.
1t could hardly be said that
this was just youthful prank,
because brother ProsS was 20
years old and his swindle dis
closed shrewd planning.
LIE AND partner opened a
II furniture store in Brooklyn
which was dummy in the
operation and ordered loads Of
furniture on credit from man.
i!t;aett4tiifefs sffti-wfrofrSdfUTy-
They showed the merchandise
out the back way in the dark Of
the moon. shipped It 10 an auc-
ton room which they were
operating. sold IT and then
started through the wringer as
bankrupts, for about $4,000
Judge Fred II. Bryant, who
sentenced Brother Pross. said
the scheme was dishonest from
It's inception and frowned upon
1t severely.
Brother Green's colleague did
his time, minus the usual dis
counts, and emerged from A.
lanta well qualified under the
current code of fitness 10 be-
come defender OF the toiler
and of labors gains.
IN 1889 our friend is in again.
l. charged with violating the
s herma an antitrust law in
picketing New York liquor
stores 10 prevent the sale Of
California wines bottled in Cali
fornia.
Thurman Arnold. then chief
OF the antitrust division of the
department Of justice, gave the
party.
Judge John c. Knox fined
Brother Pross 500 on a plea of
guilty and. lnaSmuch as the old
Judge is pretty severe on union
crooks when he can draw beads
on them. IL would seem that
they might not have given him
the brothers pedigree 10 con-
slider.
Last week, Thorn Lord. the
acting district attorney in
Newark knew that the brother
had paid the fine in the anti
trust thing but didn't know
anything about the bankruptcy
conviction or the petty larceny
job, marked down from grand
larceny.
In the Sherman Act case.
Brother Pross could plead that
he did what he did 10 make il
necessary TO bottle the Cali
fornia wine in New York and
thus make work for his sub
tects.
But closer investigation could
have shown that he was very
close to some operators in the
bottling business in the New
York area who also wanted
piece Of this work for them
selves.
Copyright 1924. by United Features. svnd