The Wilmington morning star., 1947-05-12
As Pegler Sees 1t
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, BY King Features syndicate

D1
Copyright, BY King Features syn6icate' lnc')
Commenting on some of the pearls of wis
dom in his own official publication last De-
cember, Dave Beck, of Seattle, the sixth wee
president of the teamsfers' union, sad, tine
man VINO wrestles with a pig Will get olrty'
even if he is not thrown
learned the truth of this robust little
metaphor long ago in my controversies Win
Mr.. Beck and his honored colleagues IN
unionee-ing, Joe Fay, George Scallse, Willie
Bioft ana George Browne. All the latter four
were sentenced to prison, however, and
like to think my efforts contributed to these
desirable results. so 1 didn't much mind a
little personal discomfort along with this init
macy with swine.
l seem to have touched a sensitive nerve.
l had written that Mr.. Beck was an aspirant
for president of the teamsters' union in sue
cession to Dan Tobin, who is u years old and
not. very well and has held the job for 40
years. That would hardly seem to be an ac-
c~usation of foul design. because surely the
most obscure Jockey riding the horse of a
20-wheel freighter across the continent has a
right 10 run for the presidency. Mr.. Beck
took it amiss, however, and the article which
quickly ensued in The Washington Teams
ter the official organ of Beck's joint council
Of transfers in Seattle and the state of Wash
ington, seemed to me to protest much too
much.
That disclaimer of ambition emphasized the
strong tie of loyalty" between Beck and To-
bin and said that Beck would never. for
an instant, consider becoming a candidate
for president unless Daniel J. Tobin would
nominate him"
Well. now, up to the time of the Oakland
General strike last December. there was a
possibility that Mr.. Tobin could be persuad-
ed, for the sake of his precious health, to
step down, on a large pension, and nominate
brother Beck, who had been his fair-headed
boy for many years. Brother Beck had been
very attentive and solicitious. He had brought
Mr. Tobin pink salmon and red apples from
the great northwest. They were very close
friends in the relationship of benign patron
and precocious protege.
But the teamster' union has about 900, 600
members" including unwilling or captive
subjects in occupations not even remotely
connected with motorized and horSe-draWn
friegh transportation, and in any organlza-
ton that large and spread over the 48 states
you are bound to find politics and patronage
The patronage is something that few of our
citizens even suspect the existence OF. Never
theless. there are councils and conferences
ana official publications or propaganda out
lets, and. as in public government, the poll
tics of enormous unions involves jobs and
bosses build up internal patronage machines.
AAA'iy ~ oAiSiA SSt NV ~ '4tt WV
higher jurisdictions and are administered
under trusteesiips which are roughly ana
Joyous to the protectorates that Adolph Hitler
established in territories which he rescued"
for the fatherland. Like the fat receivership
in our federal courts union, these trusteeships
are patronage jobs. too; lawyers luxuriate
in them.
Nj. Tobin has proposed that the teamsters'
union release and disown some categories of
membership such as little girls doing
clerical work, embalmers who were claimed
originally because the product upon which
they work is presently conveyed over the
road, and the mixers on some west coast
dairy farms, oddly called Transfers"
Mr.. Tobin would lop off perhaps 200, 900 of
these ard concentrate the union S interests in
v~eritable Transfers, but some of the other
politicians have demurred because so many
members of whatever character mean so
many delegates in the national convention.
There is to be a national convention this year,
the first since 1910.
The international headquarters of the team
ste-s IS in indianapolis. Beck has several
strong rivals and some bitter enemies in the
main office to Seattle and make them move
past by old man Tobin's favoritism to Dave.
They aprrehended that Beck might move the
main office toSeattle and make them move
their families or find new homes. Or clean
them on entirely. and appoint men loyal to
him.
Perhaps you remember the general strike
IN Oakland, which lasted So hours. 1t was a
terrible thing, and the teamsters were in the
thick of it. Women were mauled and one was
dragged by the hair and one young girl, a
clerk, was chased from the place where she
worked and heard a COON yell, I wonder how
she looks with her clothes off, She said
one of the mob did take and pull at her coat
and tore it. Most restaurants and grocers
were closed, elevator operators and street.
car and bus workers quit, and factory, ship
yard and construction work stopped. An
archy broke loose.
1t finally ended abruptly on an order from
Dave Beck, in Seattle. to the Oakland teams
ters to go back to work.
He was Photographed at his phone, look
ing very commanding and severe, and was
acclaimed for his fine Labor statesmanship.'
But. in Indianapolis, Mr.. Tobip himself had
earlier sent a telegram to the Oakland teams
tiers, ordering them back and had sent copies
to Bee. and others.
"The international brotherhood is bitterly
opposed to any general strike for any cause
he said, Il am ordering you to bring this
general strike to an end Immediately and to
return to work"
On representations, by telephone, from a
union politician of the Beck faction on the
Pacific coast that the immediate release of
his telegram would jeopardize important
union interests, Tobin was induced to with
hold it from the press. And that evening Mr..
Tobln switched on his radio in INDIANAPOLIS
and heard a news broadcaster announce that
Dave Beck, of Seattle. with fine courage and
vision had called off the Oakland general
strike.
Boy, was the old man burned up!