Recognized and Endors-
ed by More Than Fifty
Local Unions and Cen-
tral Bodies Over Cam-
bria County and Ad-
jacent Mining Areas.
Union Press, Established May, 1935.
A GENERAL NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS
OF ORGANIZED LABOR IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.
UNION
AN ATTAINMENT OF THE LARGEST GENERAL WEEKLY
NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION IN: CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.
URIER
Patton Courier, Established Oct., 1893,
Our Shop Is Equipped
to Po Job Printing of
All Kinds. Nothing Too
Large or Too Small
We Cater Especially to
Local Union, Printing.
VOL. 45. NO. 24.
LABORRIVALS IN WAGES & HOURS
GRAPPLE IN THE | REAL ISSUES OF
UNITY PROBLEM MINE CONFABS
Fundamentals of Original Dis- | Conferences Go Steadily Ahead
pute Before AFL and CIO, in NewYork City With Hope
Committees. for Settlement.
The seven men appointed to explore] New York.—A spokesman for the
the possibility of ending organized la-| Soft coal operators said Tuesday fol-
bor’s three year intercine war took [lowing another session with the Uni-
four lonk peeks into the Pandora’s|ted Mine Workers that he hoped a
box of their controversy last week and | new wages and hours contract would
then adjourned to meet again in the | be signed before March 31st, expira-
national capitol on Friday of this|tion date of the old agreement. :
week. { Charles O'Neill of New York said
Definite, affirmative progress in a|the committee of 32 discussed wages
settlement of the conflict between the | and the mechanization of mines and
American Federation of Labor and the | the problems arising from displace-
Congress of Industrial Organizations | ment of hand labor.
had not been expected in the opening| O'Neill said wages and hours were
peace conference sessions. A kind of the real issues and expressed belief
negative progress however was appar-| that discussion of the six hour day
ant. Industrial unionism was the cause | should not take more than a day. He
of the main gripping. There was a] did not indicate when he expected the
man to man discussion of views and | subject of wages—on which the two
the discussion involved the fundamen- | groups are far apart—would be con-
tals of the dispute, though lack of | cluded. :
time prevented any real progress. Philip Murray, vice president of the
The meeting brought together men | union, agreed to O'Neill's outline but
whose chief occupation for many years made no comment on the outlook for
had been bargaining—though with early settlement of the differences.
employers. John L. Lewis, president] No vote has been taken on any of
of the CIO, who even now is helping the proposals, spokesmen said.
his united Mine Workers to negotiate| Lhe negotiators of a new contract
with the coal operators of the Appalo- | for the Appalaschian gree in which
chian area for a new contract, was| 232,000 miners are employed are wei-
spokesman for the CIO committee, | gang 1200's demands fora wage in-
which also included Philip Murray, | Sh = drier nk Seon ond
chief of the CIO’s steel labor forces, | ko : S proposal for &
and Sidney Hillman, veteran negotia- | pay cut, Lo a .
tor of many collective bargaining con-| Meanwhile, preliminary to negotia-
tracts. | ting a new wage and hour scale for
On the AFL's side as chairman was | !N€ anthracite industry, the dis-
Harry C. Bates, a Texan, bricklayer by | trict convention of the UMWA bagins
| ¥
occupation and chief of the Bricklay- | teday.
ers’ Union, a key organization in the |
ion; Daniel J. Tobin, chief of the strat- |
egic teamsters’ organization, and Thos. | IN COUNTY A N D
A. Rickert of the United Garment |
walking encyclopedias of labor history
and union practice, together with Mr. |
confidantes of the famous labor <hiet- But Apparantly Only the Com-
tain, Same! Gompare. | mercialized Game Is Threaten-
on the two committees’ were fairly ev- |
enly matched in ability, experience |
Building Trades. With him were Mat- |
thew Woll of the Photo-Engravers’ un- |
Workers. Messrs. Woll and Tobin, ;
DRIVE IS NOW ON|
Rickert, were among the aides and
i as apparant that the men : . |
Thus is whs sppatam Ms ed by District Attorney.
and resourcefulness.
What appears to be the begi
of a general campaign against various
expected, by making its maximum de- | boards paying cash “off the counter.”
ands and teantatively offering its | bria County has been launched by
minimum concessions. The CIO sug-| county authorities.
gested formation of a kind of super- |
federation of labor comprising both "=> =! aed PE
the AFL and CIO together with the bojzds ond he eos). ole: ;
railway brotherhoods. This was repect-| SPS were taken over the week-enc |
’ ich | to curb bingo that had developed into
ed by the Bates’ committee, which | : bY / Ne
proposed that the committees take up| 2 majo! Pasties — Sambye County.
the discussion where it stood in De-| Lis was followed by orders to mer-
| a SE re so all yanch |!
cember, 1937, when peace conferences; chants and others to get a punch
| boards paying cash “of the counter
ended without result. |
Immediately two questions arose: It was reported that county author-
(1) Where did the 1937 conference! ities have notified merchants and oth- |
break off? j ers to get rid of punch boards which |
2) What changes have
a 1937 that may have affected the| I! was understood that of erators of
relationship of the two labor groups? | bingo establishments had received t}
On the first question the AFL main- | “suggestion that they eliminate all
tained that its side had made import- | cash prizes, including “jackpots” and
ant concessions toward the industrial | “sPecials,” in the future. .
union idea. It was argued that the fed- | Further commercializing of bingo
eration’s peace committee had express- | by banning those establishments op-
ed willingness to reserve certain ba-, €rated by private groups or individ-
Each side began, as might have been!
In swift succession, county detec-!
tives struck at bingo, cash punch
- Tuesday by County Controller Henry
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AREA.
ENGINEERING 1S
PLANNED TO BE
“Restore Coal AS King” Is Slo-
Be Started.
from gas and oil industries.
austries,
One of the principal laboratories in a
previous three-year study was the Bat-
telle Memorial Institute in Columbia,
Ohio.
E. R. Kaiser of Columbus, O., assis-
tant to the president of the group,
year, would “increase production in
said the program, costing $235 000 a
the 6,000 commercial coal mines in 28
states from 340,000,000 tons in 1938 to
well over 500,000,000-ton peak of the
1929 boom period.”
“Coal is the lowest-cost fuel in many
markets,” Kaiser said. “The lack of
proper technical development of auto-
matic firing devices and improvea
methods of handling coal gave gas and
oil, with their automatic devices, and
| advantage.”
The program, Kaiser said, also seeks
to provide suitable equipment. for fi-
ring of bituminous coal in pulverized
form in steel heating and in heat tre-
atment in ceramics and in industrial
melting and for automatic gasifica-
tion of coal. Construction of an inter-
nal combustion engine, “unlike pres-
ent coal dust engines used in Europe,”
1s also contemplated, he said.
“Our opportunities have hardly been
tapped,” Kaiser said declaring that
coal research had failed to keep pace
with that of other industries.
“Whereas coal executives are how
busy with matters of settling wage
contracts with miners’ unions and at-
tempting to establish prices on bitum-
OF HELP TO COAL
gan of Gigantic Research to
Pittsburgh — Fifteen engineers rep-| Factory payrolls in the Johnstown |
resenting the Nation's bituminous coal | industrial area took a sharp jump | Cambria County will be given an op- |
producers charted a $700,000 three year | during the month of February, it was| portunity to compete in another state-
research program designed to restore! disclosed this week in a report issued | wide contest this year, according to
coal production to the 500,000,000-ton | by the Philadelphia Federal Reserve | word received this week by state mine |
boom-time peak by wresting markets Bank.
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1939
FACTORIES OF
723 South Fifth Ave.
PATTON. PA.
FIRST AID MEET
DISTRICT SHOW | PLANNED FOR
PAYROLL GAINS STATE MINERS
Conditions Appear Again to te Secretary of Mines Names Men |
on Upswing With Optimism! to Make Arrangements for A
| : : i
More Prevalent. | Big Field Gathering.
|
{
Mine rescue and first-aid teams of
SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 PER YEAR
EXPECT TO LABEL
CARELESS AUTO
DRIVER IN MOVE
ties on the Chap in State Who
Is Reckless.
A proposal to further reduce Penn-
i
| | inspectors in this teritory.
Factory employment in the district,| John Ira Thomas, secretary of mines]
Constituting the reseach committee| which comprises Cambria, Somerset, | announced that the State Department
of the Bituminous Coal Research Inc. Indiana Counties also showed an in- | of Mines, cooperating with the U. S. |
which is sponsored by the bituminous | crease for the month, but it was not| Bureau of Mines, would conduct al
industry and coal hauling railroads, | nearly as pronounced as the upswing | state-wide contest similar to the one]
the engineers met to draw up a pro-|in payrolls. Employe hours showed a held last year. Richard Maize, Union-
gram for developement of automatic sharp gain for the month, however, | town, a state mine inspector, has been |
coal heating and other devices for|and this was beleived to account for | designated by Thomas to head the]
homes and the steel and ceramic in-
the sharp payroll gain. | committee on arrangements.
The index of factory payrolls for | Preliminary arrangements for the
The bituminous research supervises | the area climbed above the 100 mark | contest, including a series of regional |
and underwrites research projects at| in February for the first time since
various coal laboratories and schools. November, 1937.
eliminations, will be worked out at al
meeting called for 2 p. m., March 31, |
The February payroll index for the| in the auditorium of the U. S. Bureau |
area was 101.2 as compared with 92.2| of Mines headquarters, 4800 Forbes St, |
for January. The increase was 9 full| Pittsburgh, Pa. R. D. Joseph, state mine |
| points, or approximately 9.6 per cent. | inspector of the Sixth Bituminous Dis- |
The February index of payrolls also | trict, will represent the Cambria]
showed a gain of a full 19 points over County region at the meeting. |
the rating of 82.2 for February, 1938. |
| It was 10.2 points above the best ra- | |
| ting for any one month in 1938— = PREPARE TO PUT |
| 3L
points in October.
The district's index of factory pay-
|
| rolls started to drop sharply in Sept- | NEW I E FT H IN |
| ember, 1937, as the recession began to |
£
| make itself felt. It slid to a low of 76 LIQUOR CONTROL
in march of last year before starting | |
la slow climb. The depression low in
| the payroll index was 22.9 in Decem- . ES 3
| ber, 1932, and the post-depression high | Bill Would Put Ban on Number |
|» as 217.3 in May, 1937. | of Road Houses and Provide |
The district's inde actory em-| ‘qu: : i
e district's index of factory em ! Stricter Regulations.
|
{ ployment climbed from 88.3 in Jan- |
|uary to 89.6 last month for a gain of
| 13 points, or a little over one percent, | . arrisburg TN Leaders of 2 House,
It was still 5.6 points under the rating | Corgmiitoe Jas, ¥ Fiday broposed to put)
for February 1937, when the index | €W teeth into state liquor laws, giving |
stood at 95.2." ? | the liquor control board new powers |
- | to limit the number of licenses throu-|
|
{
| ghout the state. {
PLA N A PROGRAM | “We're going: to do it if we can get |
| | it through the House,” said Represen-|
| -
|
| tative Thomas Lyons, Republican, Mer- |
Music Tournament to Be Held | cer, chairman of the House Liquor |
: | Committee. [
: 7 |
Last of the W eek. The proposed program of liquor leg- |
| islation also would grant the board the
Plans for a musical festival of Cam- | right to press a vigorous campaign, |
[ bria County students were outlined last | with more latitude in the number of
; ; . | Saturday evening at a dinner-meeting nses ‘hi i i wok .
inous coal as set by the Bituminous] 2 ay 8 & & | offenses for which it might revoke or
| Coal Act of 1937, the engineers on the
other hand have organized a program |
of research that appears to be more
significant to the industry.” {
Is In Operation in the County |
Treasurer’s Office.
Completion of a new accounting
occurred | Pay cash prizes | system in the office of County Treas- |
> red | Pa) S.
urer John Lloyd Jones, including a
| tax records new method of keeping de-
linguent tax records was announced on,
L. Cannon under whose
the system was installed.
The new system took four months
to install, and President Judge John
H. McCann stated that he believed it |
supervision
| ensburg-Cambria High School. The |
of the Cambria County Music Super- suspend a license.
visors Association in the Metropoli- | Lyons estimated that by gradual el-
tan Hotel in Ebensburg. The event will | imination of objectional beer or liquor
be held Saturday, May 20, in the Eb-| licensees, the number of drinking
places might be cut one-third. |
The proposed legislation originated
festival will be staged in the afternoon
NEW SYSTEM NOW | exe a concert will be given in the|in a special all-Republican committee,
| | evening by an all-county high school
which was to have been abandoned at]
band. | the end of the February recess, but
Edmund D. Horner, supervisor of! the Republican members have contin- |
| rausie in Wesmont-Upper Yoder High ued to hold meetings.
School, and president of the associa- It also was learned that the com-
tion, presided at the meeting, which mittee members suggested means of |
was attended by 15 supervisors of| obtaining approximately $25,000,000
nuusic in the county. Application forms | extra every: two years in liquor rev-
will be mailed to all schools this week, enues, in return for a reduction or
with the request they state the num- | elimination of the present personal
ber of students who will participate property iax, estimated to yield $20,-!
in the festival.
While no time limit has been set
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 000,000 in the two year period. i
They estimated the state might ob- |
presented at the festival, it is believed | nium through elimination of the pre-|
sylvania’s highway death toll through
labeling careless drivers and automatie
license revocation after the fourth
motor law violation was before the
1836 legislature this week.
Conceding the difficulty of match-
ing the near 30 per cent reducion in
automobile deaths achieved in 1938,
state safety experts were studying the
bill carefully in the hopes it might
carry on unabated the success of the
50-mile speed law enforcement.
The measure was introduced by Sen-
ator Charles A. P. Bartlett, Republi-
can, Northampton. It was drafted by
the Legislative Reference Bureau along
plans suggested by Fred C. Kline,
Bethlehem director of Public Safety.
A complete revision of the opera-
tor’s licensing system, the bill would
establish drastic standards for all dri-
vers and increasingly sharp penalties
for successive violations of safety laws.
The system would be put into full
operation next year and the regular
licensing period thereafter would ex-
pire February 28 instead of January
Licenses designated “Class A” would
be issued at the start to all licensed
operators. The number years the dri-
ver had operated a motor vehicle with-
out conviction of a violation of the
motor code would be marked on the
| reverse side and perfect records in-
dicated with a star. If more than one
violation were recorded against a
driver the number of years since the
last would be indicated.
After the first violation bearing a
fine from $10 to $25 the “Class A”
license would be lost for at least a
year and must be surrended to a local
magistrate who returns it to the Re-
venue Department. On payment of $2
fee the license would be returned with
the Class A corner removed, making
the license type “B.”
The next violation would repeat the
sume procedure and the license retur-
ned as a “Class B probationary” type.
The third of this class of violation or
the first violation bearing a fine of
more than $25 is penalized by the
“Class C” license. This license is is-
suea only on written request of the
operator and on payment of a com-
bined fee of $15, $5 for the license and
$10 for “Class C plates” which must
be displayed on the front and rear
of all vehicles operated by a Class C
driver. It is estimated 10 per cent of
arivers will receive Class B cards and
less than five per cent Class B pro-
bationary.
Any fturther violation brings revo-
cation of all operating priveleges for
a year.
Any driver who is demoted to Class
C for drunken driving or failure to
stop and render assistance may oper-
a motor vehicle only from sunrise to
sunset. Any class C driver who has
{ his license priveleges revoked for or-
dinary cause must wait an additional
[for the length of each number to be! {ain an additional $17,000,000 a bien- |Y¢a! before they may be restored.
Violations of the act would be pen-
sic and other industries for the indus-
trial unions.
The federation spokesmen also urg-
ed that in those fields where dispute
existed as to jurisdiction between aff-
ijiates of the rival groups joint meet-
ings be held by those groups in order
to straigten out jurisdictional tangles.
The Lewis forces admited there had
been considerable discussion in 1937
respecting the various industries which
were to have been “spotted” for in-
dustrial union organization efforts, but
maintained that the boundaries and the
limitations of these industries had not
been fixed. Indeed, Mr. Lewis sought
to obtain from the AFL committee a
precise formulation of these boundar-
ies. as fixed at the 1937 conference.
The AFL group made no definite re-
ply but sought in turn to ascertain
from Mr. Lewis what boundaries he
proposed to fix for some of the indus-
tries in which the CIO was interested.
It then developed that the boundary
question in 1937 and the same question
today were not one and the same
thing.
uals solely as an enterprise for per-
sonal profit have been ruled out, it
also was learned.
However, it was learned that var-
ious civie, religious and fraternal
groups have and are continuing to
operate bingo games, minus the cash
“Jackpots” and “specials.” Under the
“suggestion” offered by county offi-
cials awards are being limited to gro-
ceries or merchandise.
The Patton Fire Company however,
will conduct their regular weekly
bingo party in the Municipal Building
on Friday of this week in the usual
manner, and will, after this week con-
tinue the games also, under plans to
be announced later, and in confor-
mity with the regulations of the au-
thorities.
BOY SHOT THROUGH
FOOT IN ACCIDENT
Paul Venesky, 13-year-old son of Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph Venesky of Bakerton,
suffered a gunshot wound of the right
the most simple system of ascertaining |
delinquent taxes on any parieniar|
preperty that he ever noted.
BARNESBORO MAN IS
INJURED AT WORK
Edwin Binder, senior member of the
Binder Bros. hardware store in Bar-
nesboro and prominent north county
Legionairre, was admitted to Miners’
Hospital, Spangler, at 7:15 o'clock last
Thursday evening suffering of a frac-
ture of the right ankle. He was assist-
ing workmen to install a stove in the
home of Larry Pestanin in Colver when
the stove slipped and fell upon his
ankle. Binder is deputy county com-
mander of the American Legion and
is service officer of the Barnesboro
Post.
LEWIS DAY EVENT
PLANNED APRIL 1
The Northern Cambria Industrial
that about 10 minutes will be allotted | sent 16 and one-half percent discount | alized by $150 fines.
each group.
Rehearsals for the all-county band
will be held in the Ebensburg-Cam-
bria High School on April 22 and May
6. Music will be furnished members
of the band by the association.
Efforts will be made throughout the
county to have Parent-Teacher Asso-
ciation members furnish transporta-
tion for students participating in the
programs.
Two committees were named at
Saturday’s meeting. The committee on
band membership and music selections
is composed of William Smathers, Eb-
ensburg-Cambria Township; John Lod-
zsun, Franklin, Richard O’Connor,
Cresson; George Wilson, Portage; Ho-
mer Baker, Ferndale; Claude Amps,
Adams Township, and Robert N. Go-
brecht, Barnesboro.
The committee on the festival is
composed of Mrs. Jane Allison Thomp-
son, Cambria Township; James Bruno,
East Conemaugh, and Chester A. Rus-
her, South Fork.
'on liquor sold by the state stores to| While the bill is more severe than
retailers for resale, and $8,000,000 from | the great majority of Stale : Hoensing
another source of the liquor revenue |laWs, the system of penalizing habi-
reveal.
ANNOUNCE PROGRAM
FOR COAL MEETING
AT CINCINATTI
With modernization of methods and
equipment claiming the interest of coal
mine operators and executives as the
primary factor in reducing production
costs and regaining markets lost to
competitive fuels, the industry will
meet in Cincinatti, April 24-28 at the
16th Annual Coal Convention and Ex-
position of the American Mining Con-
gress for discussion of common prob-
lems. Prominent among these problems
are preparation of coal for the mar-
ket, mine haulage, methods of con-
veyor mining, mechanical loading,
mine supervision, and modern safety
programs.
which committee members declined to | tual violators has been widely advo-
cated. The James administration hag
indicated no position on the measure,
but has pledged its full support to
other strong safety measures such as
license suspension for speeding, which
is given a great part of the credit of
the credit for the 1938 reduction in
fatalities.
The State Motor Police have fixed
their goal for 1939 at 20 per-cent re-
duction, which weuld cut the 1937 toll
of 2,564 in half.
Col. €Ceeil M. Wilhelm, acting head
of the Motor Police, said late list
week that excessive speed on the
state’s highways was the “exception
to the rule.”
A meeting of the Cambria County
Sportsmen’s Association will be held
in the Courthouse at Ebensburg, this
Thursday evening, March 23, at 7:30
P. ML.
foot last Monday afternoon while en-
gaged in shooting mark with a com-
panion, William Murphy.
Venesky told authorities he was
using a .22-caliber rifle in shooting |
mark and that the gun discharged ac-
cidentally while he was resting it on
his foot. The bullet passed through the
foot. Venesky was removed to the
Spangler Hospital. His condition was
reported as good.
Since that year Mr. Lewis had ex-|
tended his jurisdiction, so far as the]
miners’ union is concerned, by taking
in the coke industry and the chemical
and explosives industry. Today also
the Amalgamated Clothing Workers |
has a considerable block of laundry |
workers and employes in other and re-|
lated fields.
If the AFL was willing in 1937 to|
accept without discussion the return a a
of the original founding unions of the | time if their return were agreed to,
CIO, such as the miners and clothing Both of these questions went wun-
workers, would the federation be ag-| answered. They were left hanging in
reeable to taking them in now, with |the air and the AFL group went to
their present jurisdictions? When this | President Green to report in Wash-
question was asked by the CIO, thelington. Friday brings the two groups
AFL asked in turn, what boundaries together once again. What may be
the CIO unions wished to fix at this ironed out is a matter of conjecture,
Union Council, at a meeting last Wed- PEDESTRIAN HURT
nesday evening in Moose Hall at Bar-
nesboro, voted to sponsor a John L.
Lewis Day for the north of the County
on April 1. The celebration, the place |
for which has not yet been selected, | Bakerton, was painfully injured at, benefits of mechanization to the coal and composed of progressive mining
will feature a parade. A special meet-| 10:40 Wednesday night when he was | industry. Two prominent coal leaders | leaders representing each of the coal
ing was called last night to complete | struck by an automobile as he was | are scheduled to discuss these subjects. | producing districts. In addition to na-
R. G.| walking along the highway near Ba-| George B. Harrington, President, Chi-, tional economic problems, this Com-
Davis of Spangler is president of the | kerton. The car which struck Nastasi| cago, Wilmington and Franklin Coal' mittee has scheduled a list of topics
was operated by Frank Shortencarrier | Corporation, Chicago, will present the which embraces every important phase
of Bakerton, who told police the pe+| pros and cons of federal regulation,
A fortune in old violins, including a | destrian stepped from the side of the | and Dr. L. E. Young, Vice President,
$10,000 Stradivarius, was destroyed by | highway into the path of the car.
arrangements for the event.
Council.
fire last Friday when the auto in
which they were being
transported | to Spangler Hospital, where an exam-| industry through mine mechanization. | Corp'n., Indiana, Pa, and C. P. Briton,
from Pittsburgh to New York City | ination showed he was suffering from
plunged down a forty foot embank- | brush burns of the scalp and bruises | been drafted by a National Committee | Coal Corp’n, Barnesboro. Pa Their
ment and burned on the Lincoln high- | of the left leg. His condition was re- | dirceted by W. J. Jenkins, President, | subject will be “Engine~ring Studies
way. Occupants of car escaped injury. ' ported as good,
National economic problems will also Mr. Bloom representing the Fair
a be highspotted at the meetingwhere | :round ownership, will be present, to
WHEN HIT BY CAR | particular attention will be paid by discuss the location for the proposed
Sl delegates to the merits and demerits | fio]q day of the sportsmen.
Bakerton — Peter Nastasi, 60, of| of the Guffey Coal Act and to the
of the industry at the present time.
Representing this district in the dis-
Pittsburgh Coal Company, Pittsburgh, | cussions will be T, F. McCarthy, Gen.
Nastacl | will outline the benefits derived by the] Supt.,, Clearfield Bituminous Coal
Shortencarrier removed
The program for the meeting has | Mining Engineer, Barnes & Tucker
Consolidated Coal Co, St. Louis, Mo., ' and Conveyor Cost Analyses.”