Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-03-24
Eve Opener

If the workers of Toledo could have
seen their elected public officials per-
form at last Mondays city council meet
ing, they would have had their eyes
opened.
In defeating the black market ordi-
nance. CITY council proved that it is more
concerned with pressure groups than 1t
is with the 10000 workers of Toledo VINO
constitute an important majority. 1t
showed that it is not a nOn-partisan legIs-
lative body, but a group of politically
minded individuals who are willing to
ignore the wishes of a vast majority of
the people of this city, to come to the aid
of their own party and the defense OF
large financial interests.
II is more than coincidental that the
final vote on the black market ordinance
should see such definite lineup along
partisan political lines. The fact that six
Republican members of city council voted
against the legislation and the two Demo-
Gratis in favor of it, cannot be viewed in
any other light.
Labor now knows where il stands
with its elected city officials 1t knows
that the love which many politically
minded office seekers proclaim for labor
is Just lot of pious drivel. When the real
test arrived those whom labor elected to
office stuck to the interests which con-
stitute the real pressure group"
Men are Judged by their deeds and not
their words and while it is possible that
one or two of the members of city coun-
Gil may have been moved by honest OBJ
iections to the black market ordinance, it
seems hardly possible that they would
have voted against it, particularly after
Councilman Michael V. Disable, by "a
mendment, inserted the points which
most of them said were their reasons for
not favoring the legislation.
BY a strange coincidence, Councl
hastened TO reverse its vote OF few
weeks ago setting all its meetings for
days, and at the request OF one OF To-
ledos labor organizations changed back
to night meetings. That was easy. No
thing was involved except Editor Harold
HartIey's desire to get the news for his
paper first. Ii was a great victory, not
for labor, but for the morning newspaper
Council is willing to meet any time
L. L., liGta
considerable tolerance to labor spOkeS-
men who want to raise the wages of city
employees. 1t will pass legislation OF no
serious economic Importance To the work
ers; but it has proven that when the eco
nomic interests of the workers are in
direct conflict with those of the large in
terests, il is on the side of the interests.
CounciImen Michael V. Disable and
Tom Burke are TO be cOmplimented for
the way they stuck to their guns and
sought TO aid labor in obtaining a piece
of legislation which would have benefit
ted every person in this city. What con
trast these two men present when com
pared with Councilman Arthur M. Jur-
rus man who has grown so big that he
defied his own organization, the AmerI-
can Federation of Labor, and showed his
contempt for the people who put him
where he is today.
While it is to be regretted that the
black market ordinance did not pass, its
handling by council should go long way
to clarity the atmosphere. No longer need
the workers of Toledo wonder who con-
trolls this city.