The Wilmington morning star., 1946-04-24


who run unions of the American Federation Of
Labor have turned up many stories of subro
audacity. There was Willie BoH, who gradu-
ated from the ownership of a brothel in Chlca-
go to position OF supremacy in the motion
picture industry ard the social peerage in
Hollywood. George Scalise another master of
harlots, became president of the Building Serv-
ice Employees and Wher he was denounced
in print, received letter of lavish personal
sympathy from Joseph PadWay, then and
still general counsel of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, and for years the friend of
Franklin D. Roosevelt and his counsellor on
labor matters. Mr.. PadWay was friend of
Bioff, too and coached him in union prob
lens in Hollywood and he is today the genius
who directs the actions of Jimmy Petrilo
president of the racket known as the Musicians
Union under a constitution as autocratic as
Joseph Stalin's.
Joe Fay, drunken, brawling mug and thief,
high in the command of the operating en-
gineers, and James BCve, of the common
laborers, were convicted within the last year
of fabulous shakedowns practiced on the toll
ers and contr actors, both on enormous public
Jobs. There was a faithless Cincinnati cop
Jack Dempsey by name who became treasur-
er of the iron workers after his dismissal for
conniving with bootleggers and was not re-
CURED to pay a fine of 81 900 imposed by the
federal court unit. more than a decade later
when these essays called attention to his de-
linquency.
These are only few OF the more conspicu-
GUS crooks in the rogues gallery of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, Early in the game,
William Green, the president of the A. F. of
L. attacked me for exposing the first batch of
his criminal colleagues, insisting, though ne
knew better, that they were exceptional in his
federation I IN
dred of them.
This score wa exceeded long ago. They in
cluded a convicted burglar in the executive
body Of John L. Lewis United Mine Workers
and whining old scoundrel in the national
controlling group of the electricians union who
had been sent to Sins Sing for robbing the
widows and orphans fund, paroled by AL Smith
as an act of pity and restored immediately to
position of financial trust which he had
previously betrayed
These investigations have become a career
IN themselves and l have often marvelled, in
an exasperated and at certain moment, for
lorn way at the gall OF some OF the subjects,
and their security in their positions notwith-
standing nat, unchallenged proof Of their in
lqulty In not one single instance has Green
exerted himself to drive such vermin from
the House of Labor, as Lewis in a poetic
moment once called the A. F. of L. that has
always been left to the public prosecutors,
lew OF whom have hau the character or de-
cency to invite the wrath of the union racke.
teer and the hypocritical cry of 'Iabor-
batter
On the contrary, in several conspicuous
cases, Green threw the prestige of his office
TO the side of notorious traitors to the union
movement and betrayers of voiceless helpless.
oppressed and frightened workers. In a st.
Louis case, ne ruled in favor of a gang of
underworld racketeer- and against a desper-
ate rank and file. He complacently sat at the
same executive board with George Browne
BloH's criminal accomplice, on the executive
council OF the A. F. of L., long after Brownies
character mad been thoroughly exposed In
New York, long after Joe Fay had been pub.
lcly posted as crook, Green publicly enter
palned hlm as distinguished union executive
at party given in honor of naive English
unlonlst And, in Chicago, he paid nowerv tri
oute to Faye's entire gang at Formal debauch
IN honor OF William E. Maloney, the president
OF the operating engineers
AS L say, this has been fascinating work
and the more enjoyable because from the be.
ginning have the field almost entirely to NV
SELF don't know why this has been So In the
oeglnnlng to be sure, it did seem risky and
auoaclous business, because of the possibility
VI error and the almost reverent public re-
Sa AoA ui1oIHsiIl II dlQ not seem possible
that any man high in American u.1ionism uf
DER the patronage of that great Roosevelt
could be common under world eangster
using the Wagner act, known as labor's mag
ma charta, to impose the rule of the old Ca
pone gang on The common man. Yet it was
shown in court that Green's and Padwav's
friends, Browne, Blot ard Scalise were actin.
ally the agents OF the remnants of the old
Chicago Capone mob and that these unions
were mob rackets.
AS time passed and convictions mounted the
A. F. OF L. ceased to insist that the crooks
were exceptional in unionism and sin,plv 10.
nored the disgrac anc with success, too. Now
IL IS fact calmly accepted by the public
that the A. F. of L. has been rotten with
corruption under the most vicious type of
gangster and yet the A, F. of L. never was
more powerful and prosperous
30 Just go my way. Some of the original
zes1 IS gone and | neglect some leads with
reflection that the truth has lost it's power
10 shock ard that the people either don't ca-e
VI lee! that there is no use bothering about
condition that has become standard in 49,
American way. 'iie
but stlll take an occasional tour into the
underworld OF unionism and still discover. now
ana then, charming tia-types for the roeues
gallery OF the A. 1 OF L.
Zen Pross, of Ney York, is such ono
whose story and some aspects of whose family
background Will begin to run here tomorrow.
QUOTATIONS. =.