Evening star., 1947-10-17
AFL Leaders Pickinq
PAC' After Election
Boycott bylewis
By james Y. Newton
Stor Stoff Correspondenf

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. IT.
Leaders of the American Fedora
ton of Labor met here today to
select heads for their political
alignment in the 1948 campaign
after ending a convention fea-
tured by John L. Lewis boy
cotting of election of officers.
The AFL officers meeting today
was to establish its Political Ac-
ton Committee" for the l948 elec-
tionS.
The convention ended yesterday
after Mr.. Lewis conspicously alb
sented himself from the annual
elections which saw William Green
unanimously chosen to head the
AFL for his Oath term. The huge
mine workers delegation was no.
ticeably absent from the convention
hall despite the fact that Mr.. Green
was one Of the delegates from the
United Mine Workers. His snub of
the final session was a further DEM
onstration of Mr.. Lewis break with
the AFL leadership.
Expected to Quit AFL Soon.
officials considered the separation
OF Mr.. Lewis and the UNIV from
the AFFL only question of time
and not too much time.
Mr.. Lewis was invited to nominate
Mr.. Green for president, but he de-
faulted.
The AFL was to decide today the
administration of it's educational
and political fund established by
increases in general and special as
sessments confirmed by the conven-
ton. The fund of approximately
So, 900, 900 will be raised by increas-
ing the per capita tax and the
of special assessments on
the 100000 membership. On the
point of the statement of Senator
Taft, Republican, of Ohio that the
assessment was contrary to law
Daniel J. Tobin, head of the team
sters, said:
I'VE are levying this assessment
as strictly an educational and or
ganizational fund. But in educat-
ing the membership. of course, we
will have to explain the political
situation to them"
Makes Good on Threat.
Mr.. Lewis made good on the
threat that he would quit as an
Executive Council member because
the convention, in a move to bypass
his refusal to sign the noncommun-
ist affidavit, eliminated the 13 ma
tional vice presidents of the AFL
and set them up merely as non-
officer members of the council. Mr..
Lewis has referred to such .coun-
Gil as "dehydrated and debased"
and has indicated that he will not
abide by any decision it makes.
Selected to the post formerly oc-
cupied by Mr.. Lewis was Daniel w.
Tracy, president of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers and a former Assistant
Secretary of Labor. Mr.. Tracy's
home is in Washington.
Mr., Green was unanimously
named president and George Meany
of the plumbers was reelected sec
retary-treasurer.
The other incumbent members of
the Executive Council were rnan-
imously returned to Office. They
are:
William L. Hutcheson of the car
penters, Matthew Woll, photo en-
gravers; Joseph N. Weber. @-usi-
clans; George M. Harrison, railway
clerks; Daniel j. Tool
Harry c. Bates, bricklayers; w. D.
Mohon, street railway employees;
w. c. Birthright, BARRIERS; w. C.
Doeherty, letter carriers; David Du-
binsky, ladies' garment workers;
Charles j. MacGowan, boilermakers,
and Herman Winter, bakery work.
ers.
One of the last resolutions ap-
proved by the convention demanded
the liberation of political and war
prisoners in Europe and Asia.
1t was learned that Mr.. Green, in