Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-26
Rep. Irving Hurt by Charges
He Rojded Unions Treasury

Publicity on z Cars,
Big Maryland Home
By Mortin S. Hayden
North American Newspaper Alliance
The Congressman from Presi-
dent Truman's home district feels
hurt. Representative Leonard .rv-
ing has always been. by his own
definition, "a working guy VINO
works for working guys
Now his colleagues at the Capt.
toll refer to him as "Two-Cadillac
Irving" Back home in Missouri
group of fellow unionsists in the
International Hold Carriers. Build
ing and Construction Workers
(AFLl, claim he stole the union
treasury. And there are all sorts
of foolish" stories about his sim
pie" little Maryland home NAL
wood Farms, the 1l-room, four
parlor house once owned by Mrs.
Eleanor (Cissyl Patterson, late
Washington newspaper publisher.
These, confded Representative
Irving to a reporter, are things
that shouldn't happen to a man
who has been a friend OF the
gravediggers. the hod carriers and
the people of Missouri's 4th dis
trict.
The President and numerous
ss-informed political observers OF
independence, Mo-. were reported
surprised" last year when Leon
ard Irving stepped into the polit-
ical scene and grabbed the Demo-
cratic nomination in the 4th dis
trict.
Directed Gravediggers' "Strike."
Before his departure for Con-
gress, Mr.. Irving had been chiefly
publicized as director OF the
Nations first gravediggers' strike
The strike occurred in 1886 and
attracted some national attention
when it began, and a lot more
later, when Business Agent Irving
called it off for day in order
that Michael A. Ross. contractor
and political partner of Boss Tom
Pendergast. might be buried in the
style BETTING so important a
.:4;r.~ IS Titv
Shortly thereafter, Mr.. Irving's
thriving little organization of
gravediggers was absorbed by the
bigger Hold Carriers Local and
Agent Irving went back to manual
labor.
II always liked outside work, "
he explained. 80 1 got me job
as a pier-hole digger until 1910
when the Hold Carriers Local in
vited me to be their business
agent. I knew bookkeeping pretty
we'll so I accepted and the mem
bership elected me, two to one
Gets Overtime Pay.
The thing that has hurt the
Congressman lately was the action
of IS of his union brothers who,
10 days ago, went into the Kansas
City court to charge that most of
the union treasury was gone and
to enjoin Mr.. Irving from taking
more of it.
There has been a lot Of talk
about me making lot of monSy,
complained Mr.. Irving. ITS a
lie! Let me tell you about it."
! At the start, Mr.. Irving ex-
plains, the hod carriers business
agent got $50Ja week plus IS ex-
pense money. That was his be-
ginning pay when he took over a
union that was $700 in debt and
had no home of its own.
Now" he said. I'VE have a
SOS, 900 union hall and over
SOS, 900 in the bank. I did all of
that, and for a very moderate
salary.
Il am the union business
agent and for that 1 get only 1928
a week. ! also get $50 a week
expenses. I also get overtime
pay"
How much overtime pay?"
The Congressman thought
about that.
Now Paid Expenses.
WELL" he said, 1T varied. You
see, all the time I was home ]
was really working. so I got
overtime. At night and all day
Sunday men were always coming
out to my house to pay dues or
get work permits. That was union
business. Why, on Sundays it
used to start at 6 in the morning.
My country place outside indie
pendence would look like an ice
cream social. 1t got so bad was
afraid the neighbors would sue
me for running a business in the
house-you see, it was a highly
restricted neighborhood-very ex-
elusive.
Also" Mr.. Irving added. Il
was president of the local. For
that there was no regular pay
Just SIS a meeting. plus $3.50
( for any outside meetings at which
I represented the local"
| When he came to Washington.
says Mr.. Irving. the bod carriers
voted him an indefinite leave OF
absence, with pay.
But I didn't take the pay" he
adds. Il just take expenses and