The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-28
Fair Enough
By WEsTBRooK PEGLER
right, 1915, by King Features syndicate)

H.. y,
publication of the liquor industry, carried
story on Page One under the head: 'Pross
Planning Legion Post of Union Workers
The piece, itself. said that Benjamin F.
Pross, executive manager of the, Wine, Liquor
and Distillery Workers union of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, was authority for an
announcement that "the, union is negotiat
ing to obtain charter for a post to be
known as the Wine md Liquor post, just as
soon as George j: Oneto, president of the
union, returns from has duties in France"
Pross is the boss of the union and Oneto
is mere figurehead.
Upon inquiry, Maurice SLENDER, the state
adjutant of the American Legion, said he was
unaware of any negotiations for such char
ter. And, upon being told that Pross was
criminal with bad police record, including
convictions in both the federal. and state
courts Mr. SLENDER said the Legion certainly
would examine very carefully any application
flor a charter that might be received from
this union and probably would turn it down.
Pross, himself has no record of patriotic
service nor any record of sustained service
as worker in any legitimate occupation. He
never was labor leader and the means by
which he obtained sheaf of union charters
from the A. F. of L.. are not quite clear.
However, in the days when the CLIO. was
organizing many unions of miscellaneous
workers in New York many such A. F. of L.
charters were freely issued, most of them
amounting to permits to graft and conduct
rackets, Pross recently boosted that he now
had control of II local unions. The purpose
of the A. F. of L. at the time was to put
its brand on thousands of unorganized workers
before the C. I. o. could round them up. The
workers themselves were not consulted. They
were literally rounded up like African slaves
long ago.
Do,
rested on June 8, 1927, charged with grand
| larceny in overstating his assets and under
stating his liabilities in a business DEAL The
charge was reduced to petty larceny and on
Oct. Is he was sentenced to 60 days in the
work house. On JAM 20, 1928, he was arrest
ed on another charge of grand larceny. He
was discharged on March IA.
In July, 1929, Pross was sentenced by Judge
Fred H. Bryant in the Federal court in New
York to serve three years and four months in
Atlanta for violation of the Federal Bank
ruptcy act In that swindle the crook, by way
of training for his career as a union states.
man and friend of the worker, opened furni-
ture store and obtained merchandise credit
which he then moved out secretly to be sold
in auction rooms, The judge paid him the
compliment of remarking that the scheme
was thoroughly dishonest
Ten years later, in 1882 Pross, now become
court in New York for a violation of the
Sherman antitrust law. The racket in this
case was set forth as an act in behalf of his
subjects with the explanation that he put an
embargo on wines which had been bottled in
California so that his own people would get
the work of bottling. The racket worked to
the benefit of the local bottling companies.
too, however one of which was operated by
a relative of the homing hero of the Second
WAr1I INV Dr. Orof0
sentative of one of the large distillery compa.
MES has stated that Pross, personally, asked
this company to give Oneto's relative a con-
tract to bottle certain wines. Being subject to
the disples sure of Pross in its union relations.
| the company gladly threw the business that
way.
| Last winter frightened little civilian wear.
| ing an army discharge button came limping
| into my office with a tale of woe. Returning
! to his cid trade in bottling and reconditon.
| ing plant he discovered that relative of one
| of the union bosses had taken subcontract
from the owner of the plant and was now
supplying the labor as a contractor. The
workers were not employed by the owners Of
the industry but by this padrone and the
rate of pay was lower than the union scale
He complained and was badly beaten and
kicked. He was now out of job and living
in hiding and his young wife was about to
have a baby asked him what his rights
were under the unions constitution and he
answered that he never had seen the con
sttution and was sure that anyone who did
demand a copy would be beaten up as he
| had been.
Pross recently was indicted in the Federal
court in Newark charge of black market
dealings in liquor but acquitted. 1t was
alleged here that he compelled a distributor
| to allot several thousand cases to a dealer
designated by him and that some OF the liquor
showed up in the black market in southern
states Unperturbed by such troubles and un-
embarrassed by his record as thief or the
fact that he has lost even the rights of citizen
ship, Pross often issues profound statements
in the publication of the union movement
which give him great prominence and dignity
and constantly give him credit for certain,
increases in wages granted the workers. He
may deserve credit for some portion of these
increases for it plainly would be shrewd bust.
ness for him to throw few dollars to his
subjects to make them believe that he lives
but to serve Them.
Pross has large plans for his future and is
now organizing from cellar to roof company
, with a nationwide business dealing in drugs
and cosmetics, as well as liquor Several
members of his family have been associated
with him in unionsm and business ventures
One member pleaded guilty last March 26 te
being common gambler in operating poker
game ~ an apartment as keeper, dealer anc
player and was fined $3.50 with the option Of
30 days in Jail plus a suspended sentence Of
VIZ