The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-08-28

that's the way ] came to the trade
union movement"
Hedges, research director for the
Intl Brotherhood Of Electrical
Workers for the past 20 years and
one of the most respected men on
the AFL's legislative front in
Washington, smiled broadly as he
recalled the year 1919 when he was
a young professor Of English lit
erature at Beloit College and wrote
novel.
The, novel, Iron City, told the
story of young sociology in
structor who was puzzled by the
self-imposed isolation of academic
life from the real world. When the
workers in a huge mill in the town
go out on strike the instructor
finds himself on the strikers side.
As a result he is fired from the
faculty.
Hedges could almost have been
drawing the blueprint of his own
future, because as soon as the
novel was published he was fired
from the faculty of Beloit. Not
only fired, he recalled, but black
listed in all the colleges and uni
versities in the country.
Hedges made his choice then.
There were many other careers
that he might have selected: he
had been journalist in Mime
apolis; he had an ALB. degree from
DePauw, an MA. from Harvard.
Fifty-eight now, he has spent 28
years in the labor movement, % of
them in Washington. He took his
present position with the IBEW
the month that Samuel Gompers
died.
In the past % years Hedges has
crammed enough activity into his
life for a haf-dozen labor leaders.
One Of the most prolific writers in
the AFL, his contributions have
appeared in dozens of learned
journals seen only infrequently by
the rank-and-file or leaders of la
Dor, and in more popular publica-
tions as well. For % years he has
been supervising editor Of the
IBEW Journal. In addition to two
novels, he has written, Education
for Industry, book on apprentice
ship, and A Strikeless Industry.
the posts he holds or has |
held are: labor consultant to the |
Social Security Board; special con-
sultant on labor to Tennessee Val
ley Authority and technical advis-
er to the Tennessee Trades & La
Dor Council; technical adviser to
the US. delegation to the first
[nt1 Labor Conference and to four
subsequent LILO meetings.; a found
er of the Natl Planning Associa-
ton, and a member of the planning
Of the War Production
Board.
Hedges capacity for work aston
shes his friends. When he tes-
.ifies before Congressional COM
as he has on such subjects
rs housing, economic. planning and
public power, his knowledge of the |
particular field elicits the envy of
lis colleagues and the wholesome |
aspect of members of Congress.
The latter, in fact, learned quickly,
hat they could not bait and heckle
hedges as they could other wit
esses. II
During Congressional hearing
n public power not long ago, one f
stuck his neck out
nd demanded of Hedges, did you /;
ave referendum among members [!
t the IBEW before you came here
0 present this opinion 2" "No," re-
lied Hedges. "We follow some
that the pattern set by Congress
I these matters. Did you take a
eferendum among your cOnstitu-
nts on this issue before you adopt
d your position? Reporters re-
lember. there wasn't a peep out
t the Congressman for the rest I
{ the hearing.
Today Hedges is most interested I
social security Legislation and !
orkers' education. He is treasur- =
r of the Committee for Labor Ex-
.nsion, a group of AFL, CIO and
beral leaders who are pushing
gislation for federally financed
orkers' education program. 1t
ould provide $l0,000,OOO the first
ear, $20,0O0,O00 the second, and
30, 100000 the third. Any bonafide
Dor group could ask for federal
lnds to set up classes and schools
nd grants would be made to col
ges and universities to establish
Dor education programs.
"We stress in this country ma
rial progress above everything
Sc, but unless we go back and
art stressing educational values
e may be heading for crackup,"
i'd Hedges. "Our goal is to see
orkers' education become an inte-
.al part of our educational sys-
M" Sixty-fve colleges and uni
'rsities now have some kind of
Dor classes, he pointed out, but
e have been so far behind in this
I'D that the majority of these
I'VE been set up only in the last
K years.
Opposition to this bill will come