Summit County Labor News, 1944-11-17

Digest of Labor Press Is Used Against Unions by Industry On the principle that employers should know what the enemy is saying, a high-powered New York public relations outfit collects a handsome fee from a growing number of businessmen for a digest every two weeks of the American labor press. -':* . The DM Digest, promoted as giving "the gist of labor, left wing and group press, highlighted from hundreds of papers," goes out fiom the swanky Radio City offices of Martin Dodge and Carlton K. Matson and Co. to employers all over the country at $30 for a year's subscription of 2^ issues, with additional subscriptions to the same company selling for $25 each. Exactly how many businessmen subscribe Dodge-Matson re refuses - fuses refuses to disclose, but thdre are enough to make the Digest the favor favorite - ite favorite profit-making baby around that very plush office, Federated Press learned. When the Digest was started last spring it was as assembled - sembled assembled and written by one combination reader-editor. By this Octo October - ber October there were five or six reader-reasearchers as well as Editor Di Diana - ana Diana Lewars, hired for the sole purpose of culling more a thou thousand - sand thousand papers each week for tips worth money to'gfltjjddyfersi'p The Digest itself runs to about eight letter-size mimeographed pages. Each issue features a main dope story about some new trend or pending development, followed by three or four shorter tipoffs on "what's on labor's mind.". Presentation stresses points an em employer - ployer employer might find useful in fighting the union and warns him when workers have caught on to his own propaganda tactics. Stories are heavily documented with quotes from AFL and CIO'and independ independent - ent independent international organs and local union papers throughout the5 country. ;.t ' A businessman reading the DM Digest during August. Septem September - ber September and October, 1944 should have learned that unions intend to "take defensive action oicsoitalize'-mii cutbacks destroy unions" and what kind of action they plan. Well ahead of time he would have learned that the'CIO Politi Political - cal Political Action Committee was going to try to collect one dollar frdnt his workers and that this could be fought by warning workers against "pressure by PAC." A "period of agitation and distubances" might be created in the plant around the political action collection, Jthe Digest suggested. > i Attention drawn bv the Digest to the problems of returning veterans, women and'Nfegroes in industry emphasizes; "Sort spots" which can be capitalized on to divide the labor movement. A 'Jsur 'Jsurvey - vey 'Jsurvey of labor press opinion on job priorities for veterans." with full details on senioritv problems that might be used to turn veterans against the union, highlighted the September.issues. . A discussion of "tht race problem" described "tl& organized (Continued on Page Four) *V

THE LAST WAR By RUTH TAYLOR , * *' Even in the midst of battles, men's minds are tronbled by the thought - "Is this the last war?" Will the next generation have it all to do over again ? What can we do to put an end to the successive wars between the tyranny of autocrats and the self-rule of democ democracy?" - racy?" democracy?" ' We established the American way of life by the War of Inde Independence. - pendence. Independence. We reaffirmed these principles by successive wars. But - if this is to be the last war, we have not only to reaffirm it again, but to put it into practice in our own lives. The other day I heard a speaker say: "No dictator usurps pow power. - er. power. Power always passes by default." War always comes when der mocracy grows weak. Hirst Greece, then Rome. And now twice in the past generation we have had to fight for our lives. We say wehelieve irlthe principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution of the United States. But do we always remember that America is the proving ground of what these principles may benpade to mean - r of the practical ideal of ost of the national, racial and religious our citizens. How we work out the every e groups is the test of how the world can whether or not this will .be the last war ^together, within the confines of our own qual opportunity to utilize their God-given talents, we are not true Americans. Unless we can afford to give all the chance to develop ajsi individuals, inspired and not handicapped by their backgrounds, nation, racial or religious, we are unfaithful to our past heritage antfweare preparing the ground for another war- . ' . fL5 " - # ; ' i The,first place in wmch to demonstrate our beliefs in the ideals of democracy is in our own liv'e£' We must guard bur own thoughts. We must set a seal upon our own lips. We must learn to seek the good - not the evil in our neighbor. We must try to understand him. Above all, we must judge him as a fellow American upon his own merits, not as a member of any group. America is not any.one class or religion or group.. America is all of us - incorporated. ,.If we would realize that we are all share shareholders - holders shareholders in democracy and that it is up to each of us individually, to see that it works, we would give a demonstration of , concerted ac action - tion action that would prove so completely the power of our way of life that subversive movements would fail by comparison. It is up to us to decide whether this is the last war! brotherhood. We have groups represented amoii day living together of tl work out cooperation. Unless we can wor country, giving to all an®

STEELMAN TO QUIT One of organized labor's best friends in the federal service. Dr. John R.'Steelman, chief of the U. S. conciliation service of the labor de department, - partment, department, is quitting Nov. 25. Steelman has headed up the con conciliation - ciliation conciliation department since 1937 an«l had served as a conciliation commis commissioner - sioner commissioner for three years prior to that. Known to thousands' of workers in every state as "John," Steelman observed that probably a million friends call him by his first name al although - though although he has been sitting in the mid-, ] die of white-hot arguments since his . first appointment. The conciliation chief submitted his designation to Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins on July 1 and it wi StT*T'imn OtfirCeiT Jiubli r TffOF: 6. Miss Perkins, in accepting the .res .resignation, - ignation, .resignation, said that the service under Steelman's direction, has settled 90 per cent of its cases each year, some 25,000 annually. Whereas some 57 per cent of the cases reached the strike stage in 1937. the number has dropped progressively until.notv only 11 per cent get to that point. Miss Perkins said. The conciliation service has five administrative regions with 25 field offices. Under. Steelman the service has, been, transformed from aji indus industrial - trial industrial relations "fire department" "cus "customarily - tomarily "customarily called in to settle1 a strike, into an agency devoting, practically '»* V' ' (Continued on-Page-Four)' Who Is Tired? During the presidential campaign which ended a few days ago,-Gov. Dewey continually referred to that "tired old man in the White House." But once the votes were count counted, - ed, counted, President Roosevelt returned immediately, to the White' House to continue his arduous duties of running the war and the nation, "young and vigorous" Mr. Dewey put all of his work aside for, a two Weeks rest. Now we know we can't believe Republican propaganda.

CIO PRAISES FARMERS CIO President Philip Murray this week praised as "magnificent" the job that American working farmers are doing a magnificent job of producing The occasion was a letter to President James G. Patton of the National Farmers Union, which is holding a convention the same week that CIO will hold its annual parley, Nov. 20-25. "The working farmers," Murray wrote Patton, "have done and are doing a magnificant job of producing food for victory. This production job. no less than that 'On the industrial front, has made possible the victories of bur armies and those of our allies in, the war against the Axis tyrants. "Workers and farmers have -. an equal stake in hastening the final vic victory - tory victory over the enemies of all free peo peoples. - ples. peoples. One important key to this vic victory, - tory, victory, and to a sound peace after the war is won, is the unity of all freedom' loving people, workers, farmers, all groups and classes within our country. "We of the CIO," Murray stated, , (Continued on Page Three) Plan yearly xmas SEAL CAMPAIGN F. B. Van Houten, president of ofAkron - Akron ofAkron Industrial Union Council, will represent the Council Monday noon, when the Summit County Tuberculo Tuberculosis - sis Tuberculosis Association holds a luncheon meet meeting - ing meeting in Akron City Club to make plans fbr its annual sale of Christmas seals. The work of the association to pre prevent - vent prevent and control the spread of tuber tuberculosis - culosis tuberculosis is financed entirely from the sale of Christmas seals each year. The general public is urged to buy the seals at one cent each and place them on Christmas greetings and packages during the Yule season. Organized Labor, as in past years, will give its complete support to the sale of the seals. A larger quota of seals will be sold this year because of the spread of tuberculosis in the city and county since the beginning of the war.

ican Legion Magazine. < The statement, the first issued by the recently-elected national, comman commander - der commander of the American Legion, stresses points also brought out in the UE UECIO - CIO UECIO program for veterans approved by the recent UE International con convention. - vention. convention. In this article entitled, "A Look Ahead," Mr. Scheiberling says: "A great deal is being, said and written on the subject of post-war employment. The nation's foremost obligation is, of course, to its fighting sons whose indomitable: courage will have been so largely responsible for victory. WORK IN COMMUNITIES "The GI Bill of Rights which the. Legion initiated,, .fought forand guided through 'Cotigress'-ls' a 'splcn 'splcn.(Continued - .(Continued 'splcn.(Continued on Page Four) Ask Permanent PAC At Convention Encouraged by the tremendous vic victory - tory victory of Labor at the polls on Novem November - ber November 7th, plans will be discussed to per- | petuate the Political Action Commit Committee - tee Committee when the Congress of Industrial Organizations opens its annual na national - tional national convention in Chicago next Monday. Akron Industrial Union Council will be represented at the convention by F. B. Van Houten, president of the Council, who was one of the spark plugs' of the political campaign waged by Organized Labor in Summit Coun County - a - ty - a County - a campaign that resulted in almost a clean sweep for Labor-endorsed candidates. Clarke Foreman, secretary of. the national citizens' P.A.C., said the future of the C.I.O.-P.A.C. offspring would be decided by an executive board meeting in the next 30 days and that meanwhile its offices would be consolidated with those of the par* ent C.I.O.-P.A.C. here. Sidney Hill Hillman - man Hillman is chairman of both groups. C.I.O.-P.A.C. said it had "only (Continued on Page Three)

number*. tjut issues a new.card bearing her . present name . and the number that was originally assigned to -her. She thus w.ill have only one social security number during her. en entire'' - tire'' entire'' lifetime.' * The Board takes every opportunity to impress" upon the. worker's mind that they should'always have only .one .social security number. If he has more than one number' he may stand to lose some of his insurance benefits. * The ' Board, under penalty of the law," keeps all information it received from the worker strictly confidents!. The*worker may obtain further in information - formation information on this subject from H. C. Schuette. manager' of the Akron field office > of the' Social' Security Board.' . ,