davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1947-07-31
sr1r.L LIVING

In addition to the bat jumps,
Tommy has made more than l5OO
parachute jumps. Most of these
were Of the delayed opening style.
He has lived through all this and
sill minds to make additional
;nmps When an air-show crowd
sees Tommy take off from a plane
With his metal wings flashing
through the ozone, they will be
seeing the top man OF the trade.
The union times., 1947-09-20
Under The Nutmeg Tree
By Nathan Sherman

Maybe it's because this column is being written on a hot, muggy Satur- day afternoon, when I would much prefer to be doing almost anything else, that I feel pessimistic about things in general. Not too pessimis- tic, of course, because remember too well the times I've been over -optimis- tic.
 It's probably not pessimism at all The other day, during a discussion, l was asked: "Why is it that labor al- ways takes the opposing side? Is al ways objecting? Always wants to go further than the rest?
 knew what the questioner meant only too well. Members of organized labor have a point of view, and they usually express it. Very often it's un- popular, but what choice have we? The pessimism, suppose, is based on the fact that we all want to be liked but labor representatives, by present ing a basically progressive point oi view, expect community groups to go to the roots of the problem, to move speedily, and go further than has been the custom. Also, there are times when they have to attack sacred COWS" and that just isn't done in political circles
The union times., 1947-09-20
ILCWU Sets Up $5OO,OOO Fund Political Action

New York (LPA)-Establishment of new political department within the Int'1 Ladies Garment Workers AFL and creation of a $500,OO0 fund for political action and repeal of the Taft-Hartley law were voted last week by the. unions executive board. ILCWU President David Dublin sky declared that the union would work for the election of sscandi- dates pledged to progressive legis- IatiOn in general and the repeal of the iniquitous Taft-HartIey law.'' The $5OO,OOO fund will be raised by voluntary contributions. The board said it had ''every reason to believe that our membership will respond eagerly to this appeal and call for action.''
 Immediate goal will be to ssmo- bilize our full voting manpower in every state and community, in every local union and subdivision. This means nationwide drive for registration of voters and for full participation in forthcoming cleo lions by our members, their fami- lies and friends" The board also decided to ask the AFL convention to set up similar political depart ment.
 In other actions the board included a resolution asking the government to admit 10000 displaced persons to help fill the manpower shortage in the cloak and suit industry. A new legal department was established with Nor rls P. Glusheim, former NLRB asso- clate general counsel, as its director. Inc board also agreed not to file anti Communist affidavits with the NLRB until they are signed by top AFL off, cials because "our signatures are not any good without theirs"
The union times., 1947-09-20
Shrinking
 As Prices Jump

what has happened to pay envel. Opes.
 In dollars, factory workers are drawing $3.3O a week more than in 1914, despite a substantial loss in overtime. But in terms of buy. ing power, workers have from $4 to $5 a week less ''spendabIe'' money now than in that year.
 The fact is that ever since the war ended, ssthe wage earners of America have not been able to keep abreast of the cost of iving,' Sec retary of Labor Lewis B. SchwelIen- bach declared.
 As shocking proof of this, he pointed ont that ''savings by wage earners decreased 45 per cent be- tween l945 and 1946.''
 Furthermore, our ''Iower in. come families, who are most in need of nest-egg for the future, have been the hardest hit,'' he ex- plained.
 And yet, some people are critical of workers for seeking higher wages, Schwellenbach said. At a time when corporations are making huge profits and building up big reserves, it is unfair, he contended. to expect that workers ''should dip into their savings and let the future take care of itseIf.''
The union times., 1947-09-20
Anti-Labor Ads Again Smelling Up Newspapers

New York (LPA)-The labor hat ing Committee For Constitutional Government, backed by reactionary publisher Frank Gannett, last week started new series of full page anti labor newspaper ads attacking unions for resisting the Taft Hartley law.
 Headlined ''Unions Defy Your Government. How Long Will You Stand For This?'', the ads appealed to union-baiting employers in such language as the following |: ''Though they collect dues from only about 22% of the nations workers, mOnopolistic unions now constitute super-gOvernment. They will be even stronger than the American people themselves-un- less you, the people, stop them and keep them within the bounds of law"
 The Committee frequently branded as near-fascist outfit by labor lead CTS, maintained that "A few hundred top union bosses control larger irl- come than all our churches combined |-$425 millions annually in regular union dues =. plus a previously esti- mated $200 million in special assess ments (now being greatly increased tor strike funds') and the services of l0O,OOO shop stewards whose wages of $2OO million are paid by industry.
 "lhe army of this invisible 1aw-de- tying super government has declared war of extermination against the re- presentatives you elected"
The union times., 1947-09-20
Family Allowances Urged For America

Subsidies to families to strengthen the bonds of home life" were made at a Family Life Conference at Cincin. natl by Rev. Edgar Schmiede1er ot Washington, director of the Family Life Bureau of the National Catholic Welfare Conference.
 Father Schmiede1er made the sur. prising disclosure that forty-one other countries, including neighboring Can ada, have established systems o1 family allowance. Canada has founc her system is quite successful, he as- serted.
 q think it would be great socia step if we inaugurated some system of family allowance-a regular month ly grant to parents in the home, de pending on the number of children said Father Schmiedeler.
 "The family allowance should be z supplement to the wage. It is mo meant to tamber zVith 90ageS."
The union times., 1947-09-20

Everyone, for instance, is for more housing, but labor has had to do the unpopular thing and expose the real estate lobby, the greatest single obsta- cle to the construction of 1ow-rent and moderate priced multiple dwell- ing units. Recently the government filed an antitrust suit against the Ma tional Association of Real Estate Boards in Washington, D. C., and this week a leading Federal housing off, cial spoke critically of this organiza- ton. (See Page 1.) All this makes criticism of the realty lobby respec- table as of now, but when labor start ed blasting away months ago, the gen. eral attitude was, There they go again"
 The fact that 1abor's blast helped the government make up its mind to do something about the realty lobby is forgotten, of course.
 It's too bad that the housing short age is so great that all of us can't have a more relaxed attitude about the realty lobby. I know, as do all of Us, that there are good real estate men, and some not so good. But when labor exposes the harmful activities (Continued on Page Two)
The union times., 1947-09-20
Look For The Upion Label!
Building Trades Wages Lag; PaberS DiSt0rt True Picture

Newspaper issued by the Bureau of La building good example of reporting only half the thereby dis tortng the overall pcture The BIS showed that building workers had increased
  largest yearly increase since 1920
  while detail and compared workers with advances during the same periods The lag behind the of living and building materials
  ignored completely discussing the BIS increase t "ages) over the 6ear period between July 1859 and July l947 amounted 49 the peid price (whOeae) materials by approximately 96 per cent" The shown by the BIS improved their position regard akehom slipped behind their
  as much for building materials. editors who their playing while be the goa responsible for the building
The union times., 1947-09-20
U.S.H Housing Chief Assails Realty Grou
Coop Urged To Open A Store In West Haven

A crowd which packed the court room of the West Haven Town Hall last week passed motion urging Co., operative Consumers of New Haven, Inc, to open a Coop supermarket in West Haven. The action followed an hour and ha1f's discussion of a site offered the Cooperative, on Campbell Avenue, and of the outlay involved.
 To take the lead in marshalling local support for the project, "a special committee was set up con- sisting of William Allen, Frederick Campkin, Ray and Alice Dingwell, Patrick A. Flynn, Mrs. Harold Gambler, Mrs. Larson, Theodore RocheIeau, and William H. Staple ton. Also suggested for the commit tee were Irma Mei and Francis Cohen, who were not present. Har- vey P. Conoway, chairman of the New Haven Co-op's expansion conn mittee, presided.
 The importance of launching the West Haven unit on scale large enough to be as efficient and as attrac- tive as its large chain competitors was stressed by Rose V. Go1dstein, Gen. eral Manager of the New Haven Co., op. It had been the experience of Con- sumer Cooperatives in the East, she said, that small stores have great diff fculty in surviving the competitive struggle characteristic of modern grocery retailing.
The union times., 1947-09-20
More Oratory
 Than Housing By COP Group

Washington (LPA) - There was more talk than action from the special Joint Congressional Committee or Housing last week. Major activity was press conference called by Vice chairman Joe Mccarthy (R., Wis. ) who has taken command of the com mittee.
 Mccarthy, fresh from session with the American Legion's Housing Com mittee in New York, alternated be tween statements of optimism about his committees future work, and repe- tition of the propaganda originating ir the Natl Association of Real Estate Boards. The NAREB only two weeks ago was indicted for monopoly prac- tices by federal grand jury here.
 "We should resign our jobs and gc home," Mccarthy told reporters, il the joint committee can't solve the housing crisis. He added, "I'm sure we can lick it."
 Mccarthy denied that he and Chairman Ralph Gamble (R. ND, his hand-picked head of the committee, were either for Ol against public housing. Mccarthy however, worked closely with the American Legion Housing Commit tee, which blocked any action at the Legion's national convention on the Taft Ellender-Wagner general housing bill. This measure provides for federal funds to aid local low rent housing developments run by public authorities. The T-E-W bill is expected to be virtually scrapped by the joint committee if it follows McCarthy's lead.
 With $1OO,OOO to spend. and dead line of March IS, 1948 for its report to Congress, the committee last week still had not agreed on staff. It had mailed letters to all members of Con gress asking for suggestions on how to proceed.
The union times., 1947-09-20

A VERAGE weekly earnings of 4 Anation's m nuf a ctur rim g workers have mounted to a ssnew high," but the 'sgain'' is only on paper, the Department of Labor reported this week.
 Its latest roundup-for June showed weekly pay had hit an all. time ''record''-an average of $49.S7, rise of 93 cents over May, but advancing prices entirely wiped out that increase, the Department declared.
 In fact, the ssreal'' wages of manufacturing employees are still lower than during any year of the war, the report showed.
 The Department estimated that the ssnet spendable'' earnings in June, measured in terms of the l939 buying power of the dollar were only $26.5O for a single per. son and $29.97 for a family with two children. That figure was ar. rived at by deducting social secur. ity and income taxes, and taking into account the zoom in living costs.
 A comparison with 1944, the war year in which workers s'take. home" wages reached peak, illus. trates with particular emphasis
The union times., 1947-09-20
Tobi1l Signs T-HAmdavit

INDIANAPOLIS Daniel J. To- bin, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, announced this week that he has signed the non- Communist affidavit required by the Taft-Hartley Law and planned court action if necessary for the right to use services of the National Labor Rela- lions Board
 The recent action by John L. Lewis, head of the United Mine Workers, in blocking signing of the affidavit by the American Federation of Labor General Executive Council. would bar all AFL unions from appealing to the NLRB under ruling by Robert Denham, attorney for the board.
 Tobin said Joseph A. Padway, teamsters union counsel, who confer red with Tobin, would appear before the NLRB in Washington to contend that the union was entitled to use the NLRB despite Denham's ruling.
 The union persident said that if the board refused Pathways plea the union would enter mandamus or injunction proceedings in Federal Court
The union times., 1947-09-20
Building Apprenticeship
 At Record High In July

Washington, D. C.-Apprentices in the building trades reached an all- time high of 1O3,64O during July, ac- cording to a report released by the Apprentice Training Service of the Department of Labor. These are the latest official figures available.
 Establishment of the record in July is the continuation of steady 26 per- cent increase in apprenticeship pro grams for building workers since the first of the year.
 In commenting upon the joint spon- Sorship of these training programs by labor and contractors, MT. William F. Patterson, Director, Apprentice Training Service, said, Tt reflects the get-together spirit of contractors and labor in this all-important task"
The union times., 1947-09-20
As We See 1t
 by THE STAFF
SIGNS OF THE TIMES

SIGNS OF THE TIMES
 Chicago marriage licenses have risen to $5, an increase of 4O3o over last year.
 Standard Oil of New Jersey has reported that its anticipated in- come for the first half of l947 will jump almost 60% over last years $88 million to total about $40 million. Q
 Industrial and business profits are continuing upward in dizzy spirals with no ceiling yet in sight, a Commerce Dept report indicated.
 Publicly reported dividends, ac- counting for about 6O% of all divi- dends paid, amounted to $444, ,OOO,- 900 in July, compared with $394,- 5OO,OOO for the same month in 1946. Totals for the three months ended July 39 were $1,2l3,5OO, ,OOO compared with a $l,O5O, 400, ,OOO last year, a 163o jump.
 Many industrial profits, how ever, were closer to the l29% in- crease showed by Keystone Steel & Wire, which raised its net profit for 12 months from $2,19,591 to $4,- 837,955. Atlas Plywood Corp. did even better, hiking its net take for l2 months from $1,476,9O4 to $3,O93, All.
 The Securities X Exchange Com mission further emphasized the rosy position of business in a re- port showing that net sales of lO41 listed corporations for the second quarter of 1947 totalled $2O,563,. O89 ,OOO-an increase of nearly 4O@o over the same quarter of last year. Of these, 753 were manufac. turing corporations whose sales showed jump of nearly 46%.
 FIVE YEARS AGO IN THE UN. ION TIMES: GOVERNOR HUR. LEY highly praised by Conn. Fed. eration of Labor for outstanding prO-labor record. ORGANIZED LABOR in Connecticut sets up most progressive program since its exist. ence. MAYOR MURPHY in confer. ence with authorities at Yale in re. gard to awarding contracts to union firms COST OF LIVING scars higher yet as foods exempt from price control take sharp price jump. BRONZE PLAQUE unveiled in solemn tribute to SOLOMON ALPEROVITZ by Division 281. New Haven Trolley and Bus Drivers Union, at GEL. Convention.
 Apartment-for-rent in HGvanO (Cuba) Post: Furnished apart. ment for one person, preferably young romantic girl, sun-deck, sea view, phone, small bar, apply from 2 to 4 p.m.''
The union times., 1947-09-20


 GENERAL PROGRAM
 l-To conduct a vigorous regis tration drive SO that all workers and those friendly to labor's cause will be qualified to vote in the 194S elections.
 2-To create special committees operating in every election ward and precinct to see to it that quali- fled voters in the ranks of labor go to the polls and cast their ballots on election day.
 3-To set aside election day as a non-working holiday, either by leg islatiOn or by agreements with em- ployers. so that all wage earners will have the opportunity to vote.
 MT. Green declined to estimate how large fund will be required to carry on these activities. He said that would be up to the convention to decide. He indicated that the convention also will be asked to determine whether sep arate political organization shall be created or whether the campaign ma chinery shall be operated through city central bodies and state federations of labor.
 In reply to question, MT. Green said the extent to which the federation will enter primary campaigns will de- pend on the circumstances in each case.
 Make no mistake about il" he said, the Taft-Hartley Act will be the big issue in 1o48 and we are certain that the voters in each congressional dis trict will have an opportunity to regis ter their mandate on that particular issue"
 Told that Senator Robert A. Taft, of Ohio, had declared that the Taft Hartley Act, of which he was co-au- thor, would not be political issue in 1o48, MT. Green tart1y responded: If Senator Taft made that statement, he is the only man in the country who sees 1t that way. So far as labor is concerned, the Taft-Hartley Act is the big issue. We will do everything in our power to defeat those members of Congress who voted for it and to elect a new Congress which will repeal that obnoxious 1aw.'
 Other decisive actions of the Execu- tive Council as its midsummer session here neared conclusion were:
 1-An insistent demand for prompt action to halt imitation and reverse the alarming and continu- ing price boosts which are lifting the cost of living to record heights.
 2Sharp warning that the world is headed toward another war which the United Nations appears power less to avert and an appeal for a new four-power conference to reach a showdown with Soviet Russia and preserve world peace.
 3-Reaffirmation of the AFL' $ policy toward the CIO, with the fiat declaration that organic unity and an actual merger of the two organi- cations must take place before there can be any collaboration on political, legislative and economic issues.
The union times., 1947-09-20
Tiny Minority Blocks Plans To Help Homeless
Meyer Says That American People Are Sitting On Sidelines; Unaware
 Of Battle

Dillon s. Myer, Commission CT of Federal Public Housing, assailed a tightly organized" group of private building inter ests this week for attempting to destroy the governments plan to help housing -starved'' Ameri- cans.
 ''WELL FINANCED''
 This Swell financed and highly purpOseful" minority, MT. Myer said, consited of the national officers of the National Association of Real Estate Boards, the National Association of Home Builders. the Building Products Institute, the United States Savings and Loan League and ca few other similar organizations with direct interest in housing activities.''
 MT. Myer told the Middle Atlantic Regional Council of the National As sociation of Housing Officials that "one of the most disturbing features of this campaign is that it is being carried forward with so much appar- ent effectiveness by such relatively tiny group"
 END OF GAINS IS GOAL
 "These men know precisely what they are doing" MT. Myer said at the councils annual conference in New York Their ultimate objective is to turn back the clock, cancel out the public gains of the past decade and fence off the field of housing as purely private domain, from which any considerations of the public interest could be effectively excluded"
 Mir. Myer assured 200 housing officials that the government had no intention of trespassing upon private industry's responsibility for the major portion of the nations housing. He confined the Federal interst to ''decent, safe and sani-, tary housing" for lOwer-income families.
 MT. Myers criticism was the most vigorous he has made since his recent assumption of the top Federal hous- ing position. He expressed concern that the great majority of the Ameri- can people were sitting on the side lines" unaware of the housing battle between, relatively small and we'll informed groups" The final outcome of the struggle, he contended, would yitally affect the welfare of all citi- zens. r
 CITES BASIC ISSUE
 "Basica1ly," he said, ''the issue is whether the future pattern of hous- ing activity in this country is to be controlled by the strictly personal de- sires of small group of power-hun- gry men, or whether 1t is to be con scious1y shaped in the larger interests of the people as whole"
 He complained that the private agencies-''th vultures, those who would destrOy''-pounced on every minor mistake of the public au- thOrities.
 q wish those folks trying to kill the public-housing program" he said, would be forced to live in goldfish bowl the same as we have to-" During the councils morning session, Charles B. Lawrence, Jr., director of Region II of the Public Housing Administration, revealed the results of Congressional ecOno- mics on the P. H. A. staff. There had been a personnel reduction of more than 50 per cent, he said, and not more than 20 per cent of the staff can now receive more than $4,5OO year.
 After MT. Myers speech. the coun- Gil adopted a resolution pledging each to rededicate himself to an enthusiastic support of public hous- ing's proper objective"
The union times., 1947-09-20
Taft-Hartley Won't Like This

\ Fort Edward, N. Y. (LPA) = Two AFL unions in the plant of the Groveton Paper Co.,. Groveton, N. H., have won 543 to 6 vote in favor of the union shop. in an cleo tion conducted under requirements of a new state law. "That is the way we shall have to get our union shop agreements under the Taft Hartley law" President John P. Burke wrote last week to all locals of the Pulp, Sulphite & Paper Mill Workers-AFL.
 This election Shows how our members will vote," he predicted.
The union times., 1947-09-20
Crew Loses Suit

SAN FRANCISCO-(FP)-Afte After 2-year suit, 172 crew members of the President Harrison-who were captured by the Japanese and held prisoner from ,1o41 to 1945-were denied maintenance and war bonuses amounting to $6O0,000 by Federal Judge Louis E. Goodman. The judge said the bonus clause in the ships articles did not cover the period the men were on land. His verdict will be appealed.
The union times., 1947-09-20
Help For Children Asked By A.F.L.

Lake Success, N. Y. (LPA)-AFL representative Toni Sender last week urged a more vigorous campaign for contributions to the Int'l Chi1dren's Emergency Fund of the United Ma tions. The. US. has agreed to donate up to $40,000O0O provided that this does not exceed 579o of the total con- tributed. So far, only $30,OO0,OOO out of a goal of $25000000O has been raised
The union times., 1947-09-20
Typos In Capital Win Wage Raise

WASHINGTON+(FP)- Taking advantage of a wage opening clause in its contract with commercial print CTS in the Graphic Arts Assn. here, the Columbia Typographical Union, Local l01 of the Intl. Typographical Union, won day scale of $2.11 per hour. Second shift printers will get SPA and third shift men will draw $2.33, based on a 3715-hour week.
The union times., 1947-09-20
AFL Council Maps P olitical Drive
Convention To Vote Funds For Campaign Of Separate Political Organization Still Open-Asks
 4-Power Conference To Keep Peace

The AF Executive Council meeting n Chicago voted to launch intensive political campaign in 1948 defeat abors enemies and bring about repeal of the Taf-Hartley Act.
 President William Green predicted press conference that the forthcoming San Convention will overwhelmingly dorse councils recommendations and substantial fund to carry them out. .
 While the councils specific plans will be made public until it's report to the released Mr. Green outlined the
The union times., 1947-09-20

First national labor body was the Natl. Trades Union. Organized in 1884, it set up a national fund and a committee to organize local un- ions.