The Wilmington morning star., 1946-10-03
AS Pegler Sees 1t
By wEsTBRooK PEGLER
Downright, By King Features Syndicate Inc

tOOpyI ~ @
NEW YORK, Oct. 2. For the enlighten-
mont of any who insist that Roosevelt's union
movement ever was intended as a boon 10
the American workers., / should like to DIS
c,,ss a union constitution which governs the
members of Local No. ! OF the Wlne' Liquor
and Distiliery Workers, Union, OF New YORK
The boss of this union is Ben Pross, a notorl-
GUS and unregenerate criminal whose peolsre
has been stated here before.
In approaching this subject, please pear IN
mind thai the politicians, Roosevelt, Robert f.
Wa gner. Henry Wallace, William Green, Sid
new Hillman and all the rest of them, con-
stantly and deliberately drugged the ~faceless
man with propaganda to the eject that they
were liberating him from slavery. Bear IN
mind, also, that they did not give him a
chance to refuse to join a union and nave
resolutely thwarted, right down to this hour,
all efforts tc compel unions to revise their
constitutions to conform to the Constitution OF
the United States.
The officers o. Local No. I are the presi-
dent, vice-president, secretarytreasurer, re-
cording-secretary, executive business manager
and two trustees.
Pross is the executive business manager, al
though a through canvass Of his career re-
veals only that he has ben a crook by trade
for many years.
The president appoints all committees and
may appoint such additional personnel "as
shall be necessary at Whatever wages he
deems tit. This is where the racketeers are in
vited to sign the payroll. He also appoints the
election tellers.
The executive business manager, the crook,
Ben Pross, is empowered to tap the treasury
for "au necessary expenditures" and he
may employ his friends as clerical workers at
salaries determined by him, Pross, the bank
ruptcy swindler. He negotiates all contracts
with employers, which means that this crimi-
nal has the power to shake down the employ
ers for personal graft or sell out the members
by reducing their wages or increasing their
hours in return Cor money slipped him by the
bosses, who are, incidentally, no better than
they should be themselves.
The trustees are required to examine the
books and records from time to time Ito see
that they are correct and they must make
formal reports on their findings.
Formal reports to whom?
Why to Pross and the rest of the board. Not
to the members.
THE executive board shall levy assess
ments, and try and suspend or even expel
members" who are then thrown out of work.
II a rank-and : filler should make charges
against Ben Pross the criminal, the executive
board, of which he is the boss, "shall compile
all data and proof Cor and against the ac-
cused,' shall render the decision, as a court.
dAo Shall assure all members a just and fair
verdict. Thus, Pross and his mob would con-
quot both the prosecution and the defense of
tnls dirty underworld sneak and would assure
lhe members a Just and .air verdict lust as
otalln would guarantee a just and fair verdict
against Stain.
o11lcla!s are elected for five years, but no.
BODY may run for office who has not been .
MEMBER in good standing tor two years con.
'ihuously. Ihere are many provisions whereby
any rank-and-file mmber who seems n,,shf,11
enough TO aspire to election may be expelled
I-Oie ne mas been a member for two years
II executives can keep him out of work So
lols uhat ne Will Just quit paying dues, drop
~ ana orl1t away to some other OCCUPATION
VI uey may slug him with a big special as
seSSfneht, Tor the constitution doesn't saw sne
clal assessments shall be levied equally on all
members. No, they may be levied against in
olVlduals for any reason or none at all. They
can keep him out of work because he can't
hustle a job for himself but must be hired
through the union hall. ~
The executives supervise elections. in coon-
Grafton with as many members as the presi-
dent shall select.
After ball@ting, the boxes shall be sealed by
the ELECTION m and turned over to the
president who, theoretically, might be in dan
ger of losing his soft job. He Shall keep
such ballot under lock and key and the exc
%cutives, Of course, keep the key.
All members must picket. on command,
whenever they are ordered to do so, regard
less of whether a strike is on and even though
the boss crook may have decided to picket
some plant shake down the owners for the