Montana labor news., 1950-08-10
Labor in Forefront Of Fight for Free
Speech in U. S., Says Labor Leader

~ ~ " -
battle Tor free speech, John b. Hag.
ecr,y. president OF the board Of gov.
crnorS OF the Allied Printing Trade.
council. told an audience in vii.
liamsburg. Va. this week at the
opening of the reconstructed eigh.
tcenth century print shop in Coloni-
al Williamsburg.
MIR. Haggerty, who is also presi.
dent OF the International Brother
hood Of Bookbinders (AFL). and
Edward Friendly, president Of the
american Newspaper Publishers as
ISOLATION. were the principal speak
crs at the colorful Colonial Viii
liamsburg ceremonies. Both speak
crs paid tribute to the early strug-
elcs Tor freedom of the press and
the right TO print in early America.
The eighteenth century printing
Office is ar exact reproduction, in
Guiding the press, Of the one opened
by William Parks go years age
Immediately after the royal prohi-
hition against the use Of printing in
the Virginia Colony had been lifted
The Williamsburg program was
held OH July Is, the anniversary OF
the exact day OH which the Decla-
ration Of independence was pro-
claimed in l776, and at which time
copies were struck off the William
Parks press in the early newspaper
the Virginia Gazette
August klapper, the present
eighteenth century printer posted
the Virginia Gazette on the out
side OF the reconstructed print shop
during the ceremonies after it had
been proclaimed by Thomas JEFF
ierson,' one Of the cores OF coloni-
al-costumed actors from Paul
Greens epic play The Common
Glory" present. Several hundred Vi
si,ors from all parts OF the United
States witnessed the ceremonies
which were presided over by Ken
Meth Chorley. head of Colonial Will
liamsburg.
Mr.. flaggerty, representing the
union crafts in the printing industry
traced the historic rise of printing
and the progress OF craftsmanship
through two centuries. He said that
under our tradition OF freedom we
have the highest standard OF living
III the world for our workers
an achievement won through unre-
hitting effort
In return for this high standard
oi living the productivity of the
American worker has risen con
stantly,' he said. .. we have
seen collective bargaining recog-
nizcd as a national policy. Labor
has not lost its vigilance, however,
having won this status. Labor be-
%lieves. as do we all. that freedom to
associate, to organize and to speak
are basic American tenets. Freedom
al speech has no more ardent expo
ncnt than can be found in organized
labor
Labor realizes. as docs most Of
management, that if a law today
iorbids labor to speak its mind, to-
morrow another law will forbid
management to have its say-and
then none OF Us will have our free
dom
Declaring that labor supports the
common effort to fight subversive
activities which would threaten the
freedom won nearly two centuries
ago Mr.. Haggerty concluded by
saving that truth and unity must
be the answer 10 despots for
today, as it was in the beginning
Of our national lie, truth and unity
made us free and only truth and
unity can keep us free"
Records OF the National Safety
Council show that about 200 per
sons drown in each Of the months
VI June. July and August. When you
get in the vacation swim, he careful
Summer time is play time fol-
children. The National Safety Coun-
ell requests all drivers to slow down
and be ready for an emergency.