Evening star., 1949-10-05
Press Union Group
Files Court Claim
For Berry's Estate
By jones Y. Newton

A group within the ALL Inter-
national Printing Pressmen's Un-
ion today filed claim to virtually
the entire estate of the late George
l.. Berry, longtime president OF
the union, whose tangled flnan-
cial affairs were the cause OF a
bitter inter- union fight.
The claim was filed in court at
Rogersville, Tenn, near Press
mems Home. the home Of Mr..
Berry and headquarters OF the
union. by attorneys for the Ma
tional Policy Committee. which Is
composed of members of Wash
ington Local No. l and other sub
salaries of the international.
AS a climax to the long battle
over the manipulation OF union
funds by Mr.. Berry. which led to
a congressional investigation. the
Policy Committee asked the
Tennessee court to rule that prop
erty in the Berry estate rightfully
belongs to the international on
the grounds that it was acquired
with union funds.
Printing Concern Included.
The Berry property includes a
number of farms. bank ana q
newspaper in Rogersville. and q
large share of the international
Playing Card and Label Co.. mil
lion-doller printing concern also
looted in Rogersville. Right after
his death last December. the es-
tate of Mr.. Berry, former Senator
from Tennessee, was valued at
$500, 900. but Federal tax claims
are said to nearly equal that
figure. However. attorneys be-
|lieve the union claims would take
precedence over the Government.
Meanwhile, the Policy Commit
tee got word that the Interna-
tional's board of directors itself
had filed additional claims against
/ the Berry estate In the eRogersville
court. The suit, 1T was under
stood, asked an accquntlng q the
use of union funds -by~MrssBerry
who served as president for 40
years.
Soon after Local / demanded
investigation of charges that Mr..
Berry had misuSed union funds
and left properties acquired with
union funds to private individuals.
the international filed claim, on the
estate for 500, 900, described as the
amount of union money Mr.. Berry
had used in coupling and stock
ing a farm. Later, another claim
was filed for $4,000 in tax claims
the union paid for Mr.. Berry.
However, the internationals Board
of Directors had taken no action
against the estate until Local No.
/ stepped into the picture follow
ing news accounts that the f1nan-
cial affairs of Mr.. Berry and the
international were tangled.
Committee Reversed Itself.
Attorneys for the Policy Com
mittee here said it appeared that
the new claims of the interna-
tional, understood to include
nearly all of the estate. appeared
broad enough to satisfy them. If
examination of the court papers
proves the international has taken
action designed to protect all in
terests of the union. then the
Policy Committees suit may be
dropped later, the lawyers said.
Spokesman for the Policy Com
mittee, headed by Archie France
of the Government Printing Office,
pointed out that the Interna-
tional officers, by taking further
court action, had completely re-
versed themselves from the posi-
ton they took last summer during
House Labor Committee in
vestigation.
The officers defended Mr..
Berry before the committee .and
argued that the union was not
entitled to the International Play
ing Card and Label Co.. although
they admitted the, prosperous
enterprise was financed by the
use of more than 100000 from
the Pressmen's treasury. Testi-
mony showed that the company
still owed the union about $780,