The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-09-20
Nv wEsTBRooK PEGLER

BY WESTBKOOK PEGLER
Copyright by King Features Syndicate..)
NEW YORK,-When Mr.. Byrnes, our secre-
tary of State, recently evinced some skepti-
cism regarding the elections to be held in
some Balkan countries and the kind of govern
ment that would follow, he was promptly
+u;++ed nv orr communists and other heirs to
the Roosevelt hypocrisy who wondered why ne
hadn't been as much concerned over the same
considerations in his native South carolina .
This was reference to Soutn Caroiiha pon
tax.
These critics Of Mr.. Byrnes are pretty good
at repartee, but am peter.
Choosing at random from hundred con-
stit,,tution of the Roosevelt Union, take for
NV tevt the constitution of the International
brotherhood of Electrictrical Workers of the
A F. off, This was one OF Mr. RooseVeit
favorite unions having been honoreo WIN
several distinct gestures of his approval.
AS these dispatches recently pointed out, the
electricians union makes an aosolute oAstinc
ton between skilled electricians ana factory
workers. The factory workers are SO INFERIOR
that one skilled electrician, or "a class mem
Der, has voting power equal 10 an entire
"B'' class local which may contain 'nousano
factory workers. And each "a class local mas
one DELEGATE at the conventions for its first
ion members and one for each additional lOO
or major fraction thereof whereas no -
local NAV have more than one, however large
its membership.
II goes without saying that this union, IN
common with all the others of the Roosevelt
following, is poll-tax union. No worker may
vote unless he is up to date in his cues ana
assessments and not only that but, as IN all
xuch Roosevelt subsidiaries, he If delinquent,
I: ~;oto< 70 work In South CdTOu0d,
the poll tax law does not affect the citizen S
right to earn living.
These "B' members have to pay 10 cents
month for the support of the unions official
publication which need not however express
their views and may flout them. In 1act not
even the "A'' men have an editorial voice
for the constitution provides that the inter-
national president shall have full supervision
over the policy Of the official journal. IN
some unions the ruling bosses levy on the rank
and file for money to glorify themselves in
print and promote their political aspirations
and. in some cases. communism
In the electricians union, the president the
10 vice presidents and the executive council
of nine serve four years "or until their sue
cessors are elected and qualified" That is not
a limited term at all and it is pertinent to
add that in some unions OF the Roosevelt Ia
bor'' movement, by constitutional and parna-
mentary trlcKS, presidents "eAe sASeeSN -
life.
One old man did not feel that even this
provision gave him complete social security
so he put through an irrevocable law providing
that if he should be deposed he should become
president emeritus, with good salary, car
and secretary, for the rest of his days, Such
selfless servants of the common man are de-
voted altruists but they do not carry sacrltlce
to foolish extremes.
Officials and employees Of the electricians
union, retired on pension, must give up thelr
freedom of opinion, speech and petition. Sucn
pensioners shall do nothing directly or in
directly to injure the l. B. E. w. or its men,
bers,' and, of course, the union remains the
Judge whether honest criticism, intended to
redress wrong, is injurious Endorsement OF a
republican candidate could be treason to the
union here.
The president may suspend the membership
and the right to work of anyone who IN MS
judgment is working against the unions well
fare. Creating dissension'' is one such ot1ense.
These, too, are standard verbotens and pun
ishments found in most constitutions OF the
Roosevelt unions which, nevertheless, clamor
for freedom in South Carolina where such
restrictions made little progress, even during
10 years Of the new deal.
Returning to the powers Of the president,
we find that he may take over any local union
and suspend any local officer or member who
interferes whenever Tin his judgment it is nee
sesary to protect or advance the interests OF
it's members and the I. B. E. w."
In a parallel case, the President OF the
United States might suspend at will the sover-
eighty of any state and the citizenship OF all
republicans.
The union president also may levy assess
ments, without limit Ito carry out education
al plans and for other purposes, which each
member must pay on pain of suspension.
In a special> case, young electrician in
New Jersey wanted an "A' class membership
in a local which restricted new membership
to the sons of men at present holding "a
cards. His wife was the daughter OF an "A
card man and he applied to the court 1or
adoption by his father-in-law. The judge turned
him down on the ground that it wouldn't seem
quite nice.
These are only few peculiarites OF tne
super-government which Roosevelt imposed on
more than 10000, 900 Americans while ne ana
his unioneers were chanting the four freedoms
for persons unknown over the seas lhese
things were freedom to Roosevelt.
Steel Squeeze
There appear to be further labor troubles IN
store for the steel industry. Note thls Item
from a New York Times financial columns