Evening Star Newspaper, April 9, 1937, Page 4

A—4 *x 00D PROMISED INRAYON STRIKE Textile Workers” Union Rushes to Support Walk- out at Covington. BY the Assoctated Press. COVINGTON, Va., April 9.—Strik- ing employes of the Industrial Rayon C here held pledges of support from the United Textile Workers' Or- | ganizing Committee today in their | “fight to the finish” for acceptance of union demar In a telegram read at a public mass meeting last night, Sidney Hill- man, president of the U. T. W. O. C., told the workers they were “‘authorized to remain on strike until the company 2 to e into contractual rela- tions with you and to provide decent | wages and working conditions for its | employes.” | C. W. Irving of Washington, a rep- | resentative of the Amalgamated Cloth- | ing Workers of America, said he had | talked with Hillman by telephone last | night and was informed the commit- | tee was forwarding “a check” for the strikers’ commissary | Workers to Be Fed. | George O. Baldanzi, vice president of the U. T. W. O. C, assured the | idle workers they would be fed, “no matter how long the strike lasts.” The spokesmen's statement of de- termination to remain from work un- til an agreement satisfactory to them | could be negotiated were tempered, | however, with cautions against vio- | lence. “We want no violenct is any human way Robert Gaffney nizer Efforts would be here, if there to stop it,” said United Textile worker to end the as made its eleventh day, he said the company “forced ch, he said, had the of the U. T. W. O. C. as well the workers themselves. He charged the plant used the “stretch-out s tem, some women employes out work and adding to the work load of others “Coercion™ Brought Deadlock. union memt ence of clause in rece 101 and plant ne- X pro- adlock and although n work- te cause, ers e | (Continued From First Page.) ! of Wisconsin, Benson and Quinn of Rhode sentative McCormick o will represent Gov. Ht chusett. who cannot be Gov. Horner, w E original conference with dent, will not be present represented | Relief Cut “Possible.” | 1 ing a relief cut such an idea “is pos- of Minnesota Island. Repre- | chusetts ley of Massa- ent tended the the Presi- but will be | but 1 an idea “hasn't is possible.” for a big- ministration I's appropria- to be reduced ters in and ou elief fund erted next ye 2 likely e Like President Roosevelt, he ex- pressed hope of avoiding new taxes this gession A juncture, T don't see any | Robinson said. “The Pres- n't want them, but there are »sals for new expenditures | req ditional funds.” a few days ago Mr. Roosevelt eiterated that he hoped there would t session. n of the Senate Comnmittee, repeatedly has a similar vein. He favored expenditures, rather than | tax levies, if necessary to the budget. | Not Clear as to Cut. | Robinson did not make clear what relief figure he thought might be cut, whether it would be the $1,500,000,000 ch the President mentioned tenta- for relief in his budget, a r figure which some members of ess have predicted the Chief tive would recommend next ek, or the present relief spending tate of about 000,000,000 a year. The poinv of the suggestion, how- r, was that instead of adding to the expenditures for such things housing and other pending, the cost of these things might be cut out of the relief money Robinson took cognizance of current s to increase, rather than cut, relief fund. But, he said, “if that is done it would intensify the budget problem.” iscu Finance Epoken in curtailed increased balance ssion of the budget has in- fied since the March 15 income s failed to come up to in- formal Treasury estimates, and indi- cations increased that Congress would exceed the budget estimates in ex- penditures. In this connection, Rob- nson sa | revenue is not quite up to ex- pectations. But that might be Te- | couped. Some big taxpayers are not paying as much as it was estimated | they would, and that may be recouped | in due course.” | Sees Demand for Spending. He acknowledged there is a feel- Ing in Congress that “several sub- jects will require additional ex- | penditures,” possibly including farm tenancy and educational aid to the States Robinson said when he asked sup- porters of these various measures, “Where are you going to get the money?” they replied, “Why spend so much for relief?” In contrast to such suggestions, the United States Conference of | Mayors has recommended an appro- priation of $2,200,000,000, and a Steer- ing Committee in the House, which says it represents 100 members, is seek- | Ing an appropriation of $2.400,000,000. | On the basis of expenditures for the first seven months this year, W. P. A.’s annual outlay for the present fiscal period will be about $2,000,000,000. The Treasury disclosed a new angle of the fiscal problem today, reporting that employers and employes paid $63,268,000 of social security taxes on | January and February wages. The January budget estimated that $324,600,000 would be collected from these taxes by the end of the fiscal year, June 30. Internal Revenue Bu- reau official said, however, that many employers of eight or less persons had failed to pay old-age levies, appar- ently under the erroneous impression they were exempt. They are exempt from the unemploymegt insurance tax. - | that the employes of General Motors Text of Strike Statement THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1937. — e Ontario Premier Says Government Regrets Workers Have Scen Fit to Heed C. I. O. Paid Propagandists. TORONTO, April 9 (Canadian| Press) —The text of the statement by | Premier Mitchell Hepburn of Ontario on the General Motors of Canada | strike at Oshawa follows: The government regrets very much“ have seen fit to follow the suggestions | of the C. 1. O. paid propagandists from the United States and to desert their posts at a time when both the em- ployes and the industry itself were in a position to enjoy a prosperity nol! known since 1929. | Some time ago, when the govern- ment became aware of the activities of these agitators from the United States, a complete survey was made | of working conditions and wages in| the automobile plants of Ontario. The | information we have gathered indi- cates that with the concessions now | agreed upon between the company | and the employes there should be no| cause for disagreement and the up-| setting of peaceful industrial rela- tions, particularly at this time, when we are emerging from such a serious | depression. Near State of Anarchy. It seems rather an anomaly that in the centers to be affected, we have paid out millions of dollars of public funds keeping on relief those who today are enjoying an average wage | of over $165 per month. The com- pany and Mr. Fine, representing the Government in the negotiations, have | exerted every reasonable effort to | bring about a peaceful settlement of the disputes, and had succeeded up to the point where the company itself had to refuse a demand that the ne- gotiations in future should be con- fined to itself and the Lewis agitators, this administration has no desire to escape. This morning the company's xecu- tives were refused admission to the| plant. This in itself constitutes the| first overt illegal act and I hope it will | be the last. However, the government is taking | every precaution and has already en- | listed the support of the Ottawa gov- ernment, and there will be available sufficient police to maintain law and order. I counsel and request those | Canadian employes, who are ill-ad-' vised by outside propagandists, that they should stop, look and listen be- fore any serious trouble develops. There will be no illegal sit-down strike or illegal picketing, and all per- sons desiring to resume their duties | will be given adequate protection. Not Threat to Employes. This statement is not issued in any | way as a threat against employes of the plant, but is simply a statement | of policy on the part of this adminis- tration. I repeat in conclusion, that the entire resources of this province | will be utilized, if the occasion war- | rants, to prevent anything in this| country resembling that which is tak- | ing place at the present time across the line, due to failure on the part of constituted authority to take adequate action. | Should this strike continue for an | indefinite period the Cabinet, at a | special meeting decided that no relief | wili be granted in any form whatso-, ever. This policy will be in effect | throughout the whole of Ontario, ex- | cept under exceptional circumstances, | such for example, as in the case at the Walkerville plant, which has had to be closed as the result of the strike called at Oshawa, on instructions from | the corporation, said the plant was who have at present brought the | | United States almost into the state | of anarchy. Mr. Hugh Thompson of Detroit | This government has been exceed- | ingly friendly in its attitude toward This is the first open attempt on | labor and labor problems and will con- the part of Lewis and his C. I O.|tinue such a policy. Under the indus- | to assume the position of dominating | trial standards act employers and em- | and dictating to Canadian industry. | Ploves have enjoyed together the The government completely concurs in | benefits of this advanced legislation the attitude of the company that it is | More recently still we placed on the R0INg to remein clear of the domina- | Statutes the minimum wage for men tion of professional labor profiteers of | 81d in the courts of the next few | the C. I O. who are making an effort | Weeks We hope to have machinery | to exact their monthly toll from the | 8Vailable so that we may mediate be pay envelopes of the Oshawa workers, | tWeen the employers and the employes We believe the time for a show-down | Where grievances exist is at the start, and in this regard we | Furthermore, we have been more ask the sympathetic co-operation and | tPAN generous in placing at the dis- support of all law-abiding citizens of Ontario. | Chaos Created in U. S. After reviewing the activities of these foreign agitators, and the chaos created by them in the United States, | I am satisfied that the policy as dic- | tated by them will be one of ever- | increasing and impossible demands. culminating in the course of time in the entire loss of the tremendous and ever-increasing export trade ncw be- Ing enjoyed by the automobile indus- try in Ontario. There is no reason why Ontario companies should be placed in the position of having to submit to foreign jurisdiction. While, on one hand, we cannot take issue with any labor organization which takes part in a peaceful strike, at the same time the government’s obliga- tion with respect to the maintenance of law and order is one from which WHY NOT FOLLOW THE Signs of Spring? SIGNS OF SPRING cannot be overlooked, even by the most sel many, too varied and insistent. turn, hedges that pop into leaf, and a restle posal of companies and employes in all negotiations the services of Mr Louis Fine, our conciliation officer, and great good has been accomplished as a consequence. The government has fought against special privileges or | anything that smacked of exploitation, and this year was able to announce & budget surplus of $7.350.000 and passed the entire benefit on to the people of Ontario, in the way of re- duced taxation. Under the circum- stances we feel we are entitled to sym- | pathetic consideration of labor, lest | they be led into a position where they will create & much worse situation than anything that exists at this mo- ment. Given sufficient time, we are sure we can do a great deal to improve the social and economic lot of those who are employes of the industrial life of our province. consistently f-centered individual. stirring in human hearts. But there are other Signs of Spring that point the way to increased happiness along all the trails of Summer—the advertisements in this news- paper. If you overlook these signs, you will spend with- out adequate information about new things, better products, more beautiful and satisfying merchandise. the official reports to you by the best manufac- turers of the Nation, who season by season com- bine science and art with vast resources to place Think of them as guideposts to value. better things at your disposal. And every time, the advertisements speak with authority. They are signed by firms of standing and repute. You can trust them . . . and profit well by them. They are too Birds that re- These advertisements, truly, are HERSHEY STRIKE PARLEY RESUMED Union Agents Meet With Federal, State and Com- pany Officials. By the Assoctated Press. HERSHEY, Pa, April 9—Rain- drenched pickets kept quiet vigil at the gates of the Hershey chocolate factory today while “loyal” employes went to work, then they dispersed for # conference between routed sit- downers and executives of the cor- | poration. Agents for the strikers, executives | of the Hershey company and Federal and State officials assembled for a resumption of the negotiations broken off by the fighting on Wednesday in which sit-downers were routed by non-strikers and farmers. William F. R. Murrie, president of operating today with a force 90 to 95 per cent of normal and that farmers | again had the usual market for their milk. It was loss of this market which | allied the farmers with non-strikers. | The plant normally employes nearly 3,000 men and women. Mounted State police and deputies guarded the incoming employes. Observers looked to nearby Palmyra today, where a mass meeting was called by the Committee for Indus- trial Organization, for the union’s an- swer to the ejection of sit-down strik- ers from the plant. Non-strikers, who joined farmers Wednesday in a battle in which strikers were driven from the plant, returned to work. They signed pledges | that they would work in “harmony and peace with my fellow employes | and my employer.” The pled sald that “in violation of this promise, I | hereby agree to relinquish my position and leave the corporation property at once.” | Charles Hallman, president of the | Loyal Workers' Club, told a meeting of | non-strikers “we can't afford to have | the plant shut down every time some | one gets angry at the boss.” OILW AGES BOOSTED Texas Co. Announces General In- crease of 10 Per HOUSTON. Tex., April 9—The Texas Co. announced today a general wage raise, averaging 10 per cent, to pipe line, production and refinery workers. The company has 28,000 workers ! The company said it would make | “‘certain equalizations” in the salaries of its office workers The Humble Oil & Refining Co announced raises last night amount- ing to $1.454,880 annually and affect- ing 13.000 workers Both increases were effective as of March 16, Cent. Truck Line Hearing Set. BALTIMORE, April 9 (#)—The Public Service Commission set for April 13 a hearing on the application of the Tidewater Express Lines, Inc., to operate a freight motor line from Laytonsville to Damascus, passing , and returning by way Senate Agriculture Chairman Hails Hershey Farmers’® Action Showed Spirit That May Save Nation Trouble, Smith Says. The storm in the chocolate bowl blew over industry’s fence today and landed in agriculture’s back yard. And when the embattled farmers took up the cudgels which the law has laid down and helped oust the strikers from the model factory at Hershey, Pa., they showed the spirit that may save the Nation from some of its pres- ent troubles. At least that is the opinion of the highest ranking spokesman for agri- culture in Congress, Ellison Smith, Senator from South Carolina and chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee. ‘That opinion was not confirmed by Representative Jones, however, who heads the Agriculture Committee at the other end of the Capitol. Repre- sentative Jones, much happier in New Deal society than his senatorial col- league, had nothing to say. And as for Secretary Wallace, he was very silent. But it is safe to say that chocolate by any other name than Hershey tasted sweeter to both. For the administra- tion watched the affair with interest and it could not conceal the twinge it suffered as it does whenever another sitter sits, whether it’s “down” or “in” or just around the corner. But they won't talk. They won't. Senator Smith will—and did. Late | vesterday, when he returned to his apartment weary with the affairs of state, he was not too weary to spring verbally at the sit-downers like a ter- rier at a rat. P4 SENATOR SMITH. ing (at Hershey it was dairy farm- ers) and the other is factory pay rolls. Their interests run pamllel, but not, records show, their ideas. It is ad- mitted farmers are not sympathetic with labor. 1933? Didn't they spill their milk and dump their hay and some of them “sit down” on their land? Secretary Wallace answered that question—very cautiously. “They didn'tssit down in 1933, but they did show deep feeling about losing their land,” he said. Low Prices Cited. He added, still cautiously and for what it was worth: “And I think it | presented their plight in a striking | light to the Nation. Of course, they had very great difficulties. Prices were less than one-half normal—very grave difficulties.” Sees “Gravest Crisis.” “The Nation faces the gravest crisis in its history, and, if anything can save it, it will be the farmer,” he said That expression might have been echoed in the Agriculture Department, with a different definition of salva- | S8id, for any reports on the effect of tlon. The difference between the old- | the present-day sit-downs on ®the time religion of politics and the new, | farmers. Neither had representative Down there you can ook at a chart | Jones, although he personally was on which two lines run up and down, | known to oppose them. but keep very nearly side by side all| When the matter was pursued with the time. One represents certain | Senator Smith, however, he was found types of farm income, including dairy- | much more loquacious on the subject But didn't the farmers strike in | The Secretary had not asked, he ' He thinks the sit-down a direct blow | &t the constitutional rights of all citi- | zens and, while he thinks agriculture | can resist the tendency and has no | sympathy with such measures, he re- | marked: | “T see some such symptoms in agri- | cultural labor, temporarily made res- tive.” He sald that the Senate had missed & great opportunity to check this | growth of lawlessness when it failed to pass his colleague’s (Senator Byrnes) amendment to the Guffey coal bill, which declared the sit-down | | strike illegal without referring, as the later resolution did, to illegal methods on the part of employers. “I was disappointed that the Senate backed and filled,” he said, as he paced his apartment. “The moral effect was lost.” “The precedent of this form of trespass affects every one—the farmer who employs two hands to milk a cow, the largest employer and the smallest property owner.” Then he stopped and his face cleared. “Do you know,” he asked, “what I }thouxht when I read of the Hershey | affair? “I though of Lord Bacon. It was Lord Bacon who said ‘revenge is a wild kind of justice’ Those farmers couldn’t sell their milk. Their channel of commerce had been blocked, their channel of commerce guaranteed to | them under the Constitution. It was their market place. Milk spoils.” He chuckled. “The farmers settied |it.” Then, he added quickly | “Any false principle works itself out |in disaster. That lawlessness on the side of the union brought out lawless- | ness on the other side. | “Farmers are not sympathetic with such measures as these. I hire a man | to hoe my crop. I give him a hoe, I | pay him 75 cents a day. Would he | !demand a dollar and then say that no one else had a right to come on my land? Denies Right of Trespass. ! “Labor has a right to collective bar- gaining. A right to walk out. But not to trespass “The farmer is a natural individual- ist. He believes in self-government, in personal possessions. If the present form of Government in America is to | be saved, it will be saved by agriculture | and the rural element of the country.” | Whether the Senator’s New Deal | colleagues agree with that last senti- ment or not, their silent records and their paradoxical charts seem to sup- port his belief that agriculture and labor will not sit down together. (Copyright, 1937, by the North Americaa Newspaper Alliance. inc.) STATE WAGE LAWS PLAN GIVEN STUDY House Judiciary Committee Con- siders Regulation Through Interstate Trade. BY the Associated Press The House Judiciary Committee de- cided today to explore the possibilities of regulating wages and hours through State laws enforced in interstate com- merce by the Federal Government. Representative Smith, Democrat, of Virginia placed before the committee a bill that would prohibit interstate transportation of goods and merchan- dise produced under conditions that would have made their production une lawful in the State into which they were consigned Representative Miller, Democrat, of Arkansas, chairman of a subcommit- tee designated to hold hearings on the Smith bill, said he believed the measure offered a solution to labor problems He said national labor leaders, rep- resentatives of the Interstate Com- merce Commission and representatives of industry would be invited to pre- sent testimony. To Plant Ritchie Tree. CUMBERLAND, Md., April 9 () — A memorial tree for the late Gov. Ale bert C. Ritchie will be planted in the Oldtown School yard by Mayor Thomas W. Koon. A tree presented by the Oldtown Parent-Teacher Asso= ciation also will be planted. IMMEDIATE DELIVERY WE NEED USED CARS | Flood Motor Co. 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