The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-23
nv wEsTBROOK PEGLER


| downright, 1914, by King Features Syndicate
NEW YORK, Although the funny business &C.
curred last April in Chicago, it still may be
new to you that the mob who run the inter-
national union OF operating engineers OF the
| A. r. of L. did very well for themselves and
neatly waltzed around if they did not crash
right through the Governments verooten on
wa.. and salary increases which limits the
earnings of that pathetic object in more or less
human form whom the bleeding hearts fondly
refer to as the common man.
| This is the outfit of which Joe Fay, is a vice
president, he being also hoodlum and racketeer
of the Frank Hague satrapy of the New Deal
and at present under indictment in New York
charged with shakedown of $7O3 600 on the
Delaware aqueduct job He has been indicted
before, to be sure, but this time he may wind
up in Sing Sing after all these years.
The mob got together at the big Stevens
hotel in Chicago which, by interesting coinci-
dence, was knocked down by the Government
to a big Chicago construction contractor and
politician who had piece Of the aqueduct job
and happens to be very friendly with the
unions president. William E. Maloney.
Maloney is very frugal fellow, indeed, for
on salary of 50, 900 year from the union, or
racket, he has managed to save enough to buy
great farm in Illinois and a winter home in
Miami Beach, Fla, for which he paid $22,5OO
and maintain q stable of racing studs and
ship them around the country for the horse
meets.
Fay, too for that matter, has done very
well on even less salary for he has two homes
| in the North and one in Sarasota, Fla, and is
quit, club-man in both New York and New
ark. However, he is also contractor, leasing
heavy equipment to construction contractors on
| jobs on which his union subjects are employed
and moreover, he is Hague politician of the
hoOd of
| is no amateur activity.
| Well, they had big time in Chicago. Ed
| Kelly, the mayor, addressed the gang one day
| and William Green, the president OF the A. F.
of L. also showed up and sounded Oft with that
| set-pece OF his to the effect that American
workers will stand together, come what may,
| through thick and thin unflinchingly, until vic
tory is over the foul forces Of oppression. -
There were two propositions before the con-
vention which made an interesting contrast.
One provided that the general executive
board, meaning Maloney, Fay and the rest OF
the tight little corporation of bosses, could vote
themselves perpetual pensions in case they
should slip politically and be heaved out. The
pensions are to be irrevocable and there is no
limit on the amount
One fellow named Stoner, who seems to have
been working stiff, had the nerve to say
that the high-rollers Of the ruling mob ought
to struggle along like the rank and file on the
regular Federal Social Security after the age
Of e5
I'VE are giving the general executive board
great deal of leeway when say that they
may establish pensions for those that they
deem worthy" he said, but Brother Thomas
IF. McGraw, Of Albany. N Y, and a leading
member of the OConnell branch of the party
of humanity, got up and said he believed in
pensions for the big shots in addition to their
Social Security. Brother McGraw was fined
$40, 900 in the Federal court couple of years
back for shaking down working stiffs for job
fees on big war construction project at Voor-
heesville SO he knows something about the oc
cupatonal hazards and enbarrassments which
beset the defenders of labors gains as in
the present charges against Brother Fay.
Brother Fay also spoke piece but he might
have been plastered at the time because his
remarks, as stated in the record don't make
much sense He said he hoped the thing would
go through because Il feel that the integrity
and honesty and sincerity has been well per-
every delegate here
Maybe you can figure that out. Anyway, the
pension thing went sailing through and now the
boys can get together any time and vote them
selves say $40, 900 year or whatever the treas
ury will stand in sincere appreciation OF their
own services to the working man.
Well, then they came to proposition which
would nave raised the MAXIMUM Oeau ulsuI.
ance to the widow Of stiff in good standing
for ten years from $3.50 as at present. to $500
and hked the benefits for members OF interior
classes to SIS and 5000 respectively.
At that, however the opposition went to work
The resolution frankly said the money In the
death benefit fund had increased enormous
ly'' but nevertheless. the general secretary
and others spoke in great alarm about quick
depletion Of the kitty if this increase went
through and the tragedy Of widows who then
would get no insurance at all. So this one was
licked and the maximum remains at $3.50, even
for a ten year man.
But you amt heard it all, yet.
Finally, the boys put through resolution
which blew not only the ceiling but the roof
off the pay of worthy President William Ma
loney. with his farm and winter estate and
racing stable and ALL and Of worthy Secretary
Treasurer F. A. Fitzgerald Of Washington
This one authorized the mob to raise these
two salaries without any limit whatever up to
the total of the entire treasury and PROVIDED
only that Maloney's pay should not De less
than SIS COO and Fitzgerald's not less than $lo'-
0O0
But don't let it run up your blood PRESSURE
These boys are good, Solid doWnLne-hne
Roosevelt unioneers. like old Dan Tobn ana
YOU certainly aren't naive enough to tnlnk
thew are subject to the same laws that RUE
the lives of the common man are you!