Evening star., 1950-08-25
Many Papers Attempt
To Prejudice Public,
Pepper Tells ITU

VHkSVs uvehS buV
Senator Pepper, Democrat, o
Florida, declared at the Inter
national Typographical Unio,
convention here today that man,
newspapers threaten economic
social and political freedom il
this country by trying to preju
dice the public against the com.
mon man..
The Florida Senator addressed
the 400 delegates as the 92d an
nual convention entered it's flna
day by adopting unanimously /.
resolution urging House passag,
OF Senate-approved bill fol
District self Government.
Senator Pepper charged his re
cent defeat in the Florida Demo
cratic primary was due largely t.
the antagonism and unfairness O
several newspaper publishers il
that State.
Sees Major Problem.
One of the major problems con
fronting the Nation. he said, i
how to preserve freedom Of tn,
press and at the same time max,
some newspapers realize thei
responsibility for. the public wei
fare.
"A newspaper publisher usual,
has to be a millionaire" he con.
tinued. He has power to pref.
udice the little fellow and some.
times that power is used. I know
OF instances where newspaper.
tried to make labor organizer,
seem to be public enemies"
Organized labor itself was taker
to task by Senator Pepper fol
what he said was tendency *
be swayed occasionally by racia
prejudice or falsehoods or by 'in.
difference" to the job of gettin,
out the vote for candidate,
friendly to labor.
He said that If the ITU anf
other unions had put up a harde,
fight to prevent election of q Re
publican 80th Congress, the TT
would not have. had to spend $1l
million in its legal fight agains
Taft Hartley Act procedures.
Opposes ECA Cut.
Turning to the internationa
situation, Senator Pepper severel,
criticized conferees who yesterda,
voted to cut ECA funds.
He predicted that the trouble.
with Russia would continue in.
definitely because that countr,
has shown it will not cooperate
for world peace.
Hell Is not hot enough fo]
those Red devils who have plungee
the world into another war whfl,
it is trying to recover from /.
previous war;" he declared.
The resolution indorsing 9Th,
restoration Of home rule and suf
frage for residents Of the Distric
was sponsored by Jesse B. Man,
beck Of Washington. It urgee
House members to sign the pend
ing petition to bring the plan K
the House floor.
Accounting Question Debated.
The convention this afternoon
heatedly debated an audit boarc
members refusal to sign an &C.
counting report dealing with
$34l ,843 in strike defense funds
sent to ITU locals.
On a voice vote a majority of
the delegates upheld the Finance
Committees finding that the ex-
pend1tures were adequately ac-
counted for an dthat the dissent
ing auditor, Albert H. Edwards,
offered no evidence to support
his complaint.
Several delegates declared Mr.
Edwards simply sought more de-
tailed financial statements and
did not charge dishonesty or
squandering of union funds.
The Finance Committee also re-
ported that ITU assets now
amount to $18.224,5S9. There has
been a net increase Of $1,655,47s
in the balance Of the general fund
and several special funds Of the
union during the last year, the
committee said.
Strike Provision Approved.
Delegates at a lively session
yesterday afternoon put through
= bylaw change where any loca]
union could call a strike by q
vote Of a mere majority, instead
OF three-fourths Of its member
ship. Such action. however, would
be subject to approval by the
international unions executive
council.
The convention rejected pro-
posals that would have re-
q,lired top officers to file nom
Communist af1idavits under the
Taft-Hartley Act and would have
made members ineligible to run
for union offices unless they swore
they were not Communists.
Resolutions to be voted on~today
include such subjects as criticism
OF Senator Mccarthy, Republi-
can, of Wisconsin; Endorsement of
the Truman administrations han
ding Of the Korean situation, a
plea for price controls, opposition
to the Mundt-Ferguson bill and
payment of the Washington pre-
vailing wage scale to Government
Printing Office employees.
The proposal for a majority
vote on strike calls brought the
first roll call of the convention,
which began last Saturday. The
vote was 229 for the proposal, and
110 against.
Called Backward Step.