PAGE FOUR
Patton Courier, Established Oct. 1893
Union Press, Established May, 19356
THE UNION PRESS
Comomed with PATTON COURIER
Published Every Thursday by Thos,
A. Owens, 723 Fifth Avenue, Pat-
ton, Pa., and Entered as second class
mail maiier May 7, 1936, at the post-
office at Patton, Pa., under the Act
of Marcn 3, 1879.
F. P. CAMMARATA, Business Mgr.
THOS. A. OWENS... EditOF
Subscription, $2 Yearly in Advance.
Advertising Rates on Application.
The endeavor of the Union Press-
Courier is to sincerely and honestly
represent Trade Union Workers mn
eftorts to obtain economic
through organizations as advocated
by the CIO and AFL, and we solicit
the support of trade uniens. Mater-
ial for publication must be author-
ized by the organization it repre-
sents and signed by the President
anda secretary, and beat the seal.
he Union Press-Courier gives its
en the advantage of the
combined circulation of ete
largest circulated weeklies in Bill
pria County and has a reader oo¥
erage that blankets Patton an
Major mining OWNS. _______,
Le
RANDOM THOUGHT
Conditions have pretty well approa
ched normal in the District soft coa
fields, with the completion of the first
week and a half of operations since
reopening the mines. Railroads have
recalled thousands of shopmen and
other workers furloughed during the
shutdown and the signing
of the “captive mine” owners, In this
district principally Bethlehem Steel
Company, leaves just about all of the
mines operating, and rather lively at
that—to meet demands of a nation
eginning to be fuel conscl-
six weeks’
that was b
cus.
°
Although down in Johnstown, ac-
cording to the newspapers, the same
old story of “back to work” move-
ments, were being started, remind-
ing one of the days of the steel
strike, the hopes of “Danny vs the
old Citizens’ group and ail the rest
were nipped in the bud, when Beth-
lehem signed the same agreement
with the miners that other compan-
jes similarly situated have signed.
This is a renewal of the oid agree-
ment with deletion of the strike
penalty clause. For which Johns-
town, of course, can be thankful.
In fact, Johnstown only found out
to what great extent is was depend-
ent upon the coal miners, when the
miners ceased to work. And any
movement again, such as that of the
“pack to work” steel strike days,
would have made lots of innocent
merchats suffer. Johnstown newspa-
pers fail to sense that Johnstown,
too, is dependent upon its drawing
population. For instance, one has had
but to read the editorials aimed in
condemnation against John L. Lew-
is and the CIO generally, during the
recent shut-down, to knew their
own “sincere” attitude.
®
But John Lewis has won a great vic
tory, and in winning that great victory
he has likewise insured the security
of his constituents, the United Mine
Workers of America, for the next two
years at least. TRink not for one min-
ute, dear reader, there are not those
amongst us in the Johnstown area, who
welcomed in their hearts the Progress-
jve Miners of America simply and
solely because they might be instru-
mental in giving embarrassment to the
U. M. W. of A. It might have been in-
teresting to note just what would have
happened in Johnstown had Bethlehem
refused to sign on the dotted line.
o
The fate of Josephine and Black
Lick, once Indiana county bustling
mining communities, now seems
likely to engulf the nearby town of
Coral, which bids fair, too to be-
come a “ghost town” because mining
has ceased. No work has been the
rule in Coral since last July, and
it is now said the coal plant will be
dismantled. The residents of the
town, since that time, have relied
nearly solely on WPA. Bat strictly
coal mining towns soemer or later
land in that predicament. The town
that also creates for itself other in-
dustries is the community that, in
the long run, endures.
°
Notice on the first page of the Pat-
ton Chamber of Commerce calls to
your attention the opportunity local
property owners, through arrange-
ments made by borough council,, have
to secure WPA labor in the improve-
ment of their properties, by the con-
struction of highways and streets, at
the cost of materials alone. This is in-
deed, an opportunity, and folks who
are at all financially able, should not
pass up the offer. It may not be open
for long. Read the story.
°
A letter from the Rev. Father Mo-
destus Wirtner, O. S. B,, informs us
that the “Marker” at Hart's Sleeping
Place will be dedicated on Memorial
Day, May 30th, at 1:30 P. M. The
speaker for the occision will be Col.
Lewis F. Acker, of Cheswick, Pa.
the President of the Pemnsylvania
Historical Society, and the Rev. Fa-
ther Modesus. The Marker was
erected by the Cambria County His-
torical Society, and is situated along
the Bakers’ Cross Roads amd Has-
tings Highway, a scamt mile from
the Cross Roads. Its dedication is
a significant overture te a pioneer
who was perhaps the firs¢ white
man to pay periodic visits through
the area that is now norfkern Cam-
bria county. The title “Hart's Sleep-
ing Place” comes from fhe legend
that this Indiana Trader had a sleep-..
ing place in the large limbs of a
gigantic tree that is said to have
stood on approximately the same
spot as the marker.
eo
And this reminds us, too, that while
we are constantly bickering and both-
ering about our present day troubles,
and petty peevishnesses, the Cambria
County Historical Society, of which
Attorney Peter J. Little, of Ebensburg,
is president, of which the Rev. Father
Modestus has energetically contributed
aid, has been quietly going ahead in
preserving for posterity those things
most important in our own local his-
tory. And the historically inclined will
do well to give assistance to the socie-
ty, who do their work for no more re-
muneration than the satisfaction they
get in doing it.
*
We'll admit the Democrats ap-
pear to be having continued troubles
within their ranks in Cambria coun-
ty, but patronge troubles are even a
bigger menace to the County Re-
publicans te create bitter Septem-
ber primary contests in Cambria,
wich may easily ‘operate against any
party success in the November elec-
tion Prior to the rise of the Demo-
crats during the Roosevelt era, the
Republicans had little cause for wor-
ry among members of their party
disgruntled over a primary. There
was no place for the disgruntled ones
to go in those days, but the story is
different now. In this rather evenly
politically county of ours any bolt-
ing of a considerable number of Re-
publicans, would fill the court house
with Democrats.
°
Little state patronage has been dis-
tributed thus far by the James state
administration, but knowledge of the
general policy in handing out the jobs
is causing distemper threatening to
produce some bitter primary struggles.
In fact there are Republicans, displeas-
ed over the situation, who are talking
of fighting in the primary, any candi-
date backed by the leaders in the pat-
ronage distribution. The administra-
tion and its political leaders in the
state hold that a big majority of the
state jobs should go to men and wom-
en—and we qoute the Pittsburgh Press
in this—who supported Arthur BR.
James for Governor in the state pri-
mary contest with former Governor
Gifford Pinchot. They claim the Pin-
chot supporters will eventually be giv-
en a share of the plums, but that the
original James Republicans constitute
a preferred list, which must be given
first consideration. This is not going
to down so well with the original Pin-
chot “boys” here or elsewhere.
.
And since we are talking politics,
and since there is going to be a pri-
mary and general election in a few
short months, and since the candi-
dates are both in fact and rumor be-
ginning to be seen and heard about.,
we can’t pass up the persistent ru-
mor we've heard relative to George
C. Hoppel, of Patton, being a Demo-
cratic candidate for the nomination
for County Commissioner. Mr. Hop-
pel is a personal friend of the writ-
er, and he has been a friend, tested
and true through years when we
hadn't the easiest life in the world,
and, as it was our pleasure four
years ago, we will again assure Mr.
Hoppel of our support, should he
decide to be a candidate. When one
fools around with politics and poli-
ticians over twenty years of time,
one learns a lot, mostly to his re-
gret. But when one also over the
same twenty years, also has business
and social contacts with a man who
owes you nothing, and you find him
different than the general run of
politicians, you can give that man
support without quivering. That's
the way we feel about George C.
Hoppel, and that's why we'll sup-
port him in his candidacy.
°
Four years ago, George C. Hoppel
made a spirited campaign to gain a
nomination for the commissionership,
and in defeat, he supported the ticket
as nominated without reserveations.
In that campaign, and since he has
gained a large acquaintanceship. He
is a contractor, and is peculiarly fitted
for the duties of a county commission-
er. He fair, just and honest, and is a
loyal party man. Yes, if George C.
Hoppel decides to formally announce
himself for county commissioner ,we’ll
support him—and we have the best of
reasons for doing it—twenty years of
personal knowledge of the man and his
qualifications.
°
Really writing this column just once
a week sometimes is a problem. We
can well imagine what a problem it is
to write a big eight column page every
day, such as is the eternal task of the
editorial director of the Johnstown
Democrat. Hence, it is with quite a bit
of understanding that we, too, grant
him the necessity of writing a great
deal about not much of anything, as is
evidenced quite a bit on Mr. Andrews’
page at times. But to say that we were
surprised, amazed and astounded to see
the big “send-off” given “Editor Ow-
ens” over a few sweet lines we pub-
lished last week about the Van Alls-
burg bill headed for a pickling in the
state senate, and the allegation on our
part that bill was political anyway—
is putting it lightly. Naturally we won-
der what Editor Andrews is driving at
under cover—what's thé big idea, and
why all the drivel? The fact that Mr.
Andrews was the ONLY Democrat in
the Assembly that voted for the bill,
don’t by any means give him authority
tc insinuate that he is giving strictly
Democratic viewpoints in defending it,
through his Republican owned news-
paper. We still maintain the bill was
political in the form it was passed in
the House. Since the job-firing fea-
——_—pm..
“Not having been in the party very
long,” says Editor Andrews, “Editor
Owens cannot be expected to recog-
mize Democratic principles when he
sees them.” Which means, of course,
that because Assemblyman Andrews
alone among all the Democrats in
the House voted for the Van All-
| burg bill, it is strictly a Democratic
principle. He may be correct in his
allegation that the relief executive
personnel has but few deserving
Democrats. Granting he is, that in
itself is sufficient evidence that the
set-up can't be very political at the
present. Editor Andrews insists that
we frequently guide labor down spur
tracks. Can he point out an instance
where the CIO, for instance, has been
favoroable to the Van Allsburg bill?
If he can, we're willing to stand cor-
rected. Usually, Mr. Andrews will
have to admit, we're in the aliey that
is labor’s alley, whether that means
organization of Johnstown steel
plants or not. Has the record of the
Johnstown Democrat been as good?
°
Aside from whether our thought on
the VanAllsburg bill's bad aspects
is or is not correct," Editor” Andrews
in his whole story appears to be in-
clined to attack us from an adjective-
denouncing, and more-or-less personal
standpoint. Yet if some of the Dem-
ocrats in this county had practiced
in the past, just some of the “princi-
ples” of the writer, as files of the old
Patton Courier will prove, and as a
lot of Democrats who have fed at the
“public trough” well know, there
would today be less back-biting and
factional jealousies within the party.
Reared a Democrat, and working ana
voting as a Democrat, the writer came
out of a Democratic newspaper office
in this county, where he learned his
trade, and was a part of the World War
army. Out of the uniform, he came
into possession of a Republican news-
paper, and in those days it did'nt pay
to have a Democratic newspaper in
that particular ‘town. Yet, despite that
fact, and in the early years of his edi-
torial guidance the Patton Courier did
energetically espouse the candidacy of
Warren Worth Bailey for Congress—
and we have our newspaper files to
prove it. . Over the intervening years,
time and time again, the Patton Cour-
ier did do its humble bit in assisting
deserving Democrats and some of
them were elected. True, we likewise
also supported Republicans who ap-
peared best to us. But it is also fact
that in most cases where Democrats
were elected, the Patton Courier was
found to either have supported them,
or to have at least took no part in the
campaign. There were instances, too,
one in particular, where we did take
an active and bitter part in’ defeating
a Democratic nominee, for which we
had good and sufficient reason. True,
for a number of years our registration
may have been Republican, but ours
was just as independent a newspaper
as they make em. Regardless of what
the registration of the editor may have
been, the files of the Patton Courier
too, will prove that in the latter portion
of the term of on2 Herbert Hoover, of
sad memory, we were completely dis-
gusted, and that from that time on, we
were in sympathy with the New Deal.
What other course was there for us to
follow? Our own business caused us
to seek a change. So did the conditions
and the interests of hundreds upon
hundreds of thousands of others in this
nation. The result was the Democratic
party came into power under the
Roosevelt banner, and we were among
some of those “new” Democrats who
today aren't “deserving” but without
whom the Democratic party would
still be in the same oblivion that was
its lot for years.
The Patton Courier in those days
made no pretense at being any mou-
thpiece for organized labor, but it
happened to be the ONLY weekly
newspaper in this county of . ours
that openly voiced and condemned
the then Sheriff Carl Steur, for the
enforcement of his two-man “mob-
dispersing” practice. The only other
newspaper in this county doing
more in this manner was the Johns-
town Democrat—and it had an en-
tirely different ownership then—an
ownership by Democrats, both in
principle and practice.
®
Since it is not our desire to bore our
readers with any matter that pertains
to us personally, nevertheless, we are
today being put on the “spot” in this
county, not only by Editor Andrews,
but by others, on “being only a new
Democrat.” Since Editor Andrews gave
us so much of his valuable space, we
surely can do likewise, in defense—
and still do it without using a lot of
blatant, old-fashioned derogatory ad-
jectives that we wouldn't hurl at our
sometimes “insurgent” house dog, let
alone Editor Andrews. And, whether
Editor Andrews likes it or not, the
incident with us, is closed.
GRAVE DIGGERS.
(From the UMW Journal.)
In previous issues we have told
through the Journal about the Frater-
nal hook-up between the American
Federation of Labor and Wall Street.
It is an astounding relationship. It is
disheartening to the rank and file of
organized labor in America when they
see the high command of the Federa-
tion hobnobing with Wall Street and
working in hand with Wall Street's
notoriously anti-union employers to
destroy the gains that organized labor
has made in the last few years. The
rank and file mempership of the Am-
erican Federation of Labor does not
like it, but the high command has such
a stranglehold on the federation that
it is difficult for the rank and file to
do anything about it at present. Deep
resentment over this alliance between
the Federation and Wall Street rank-
ture has been éliminated in the sen-
les in the breast of many a member,
ate, perhaps it is'nt so much a partisan but the high command completely ig-
bill anymore. :
nores all protests and continues to
THE UNIQN PRESS-COURIER.
play ball with Wall Street's enemies
, of labor.
Everyone khows that the big Wall
street interests operate against labor
! through the National Manufacturer's
Association and the United States
{ Chamber of Commerce, two notoriously
anti-union organizations. Because of
Wall Street's financial control, those
two organizations must do whatever
Wall Street tells them to do. There-
fore they fight organized labor with
all the viciousness at their command.
And yet, fully aware of these facts,
the high command of the American
Federation of Labor joins in with them
in carrying out Wall Street's desires
and policies with reference to indus-
trial and labor relations.
Wall Street hates the Wagner La-
bor Relations Law because that law is
intended to break the bonds that have
fettered labor and to establish the
rights of labor by legal process. The
Wagner Labor Relations law is to la-
bor what the Declaration of Independ-
ence is to the American nation. What
|
|
|
the constitution of the United States
does for the nation the Wagner law
does for labor. The Wagner law pro-
hibits the exploitation of labor. There-
fore, Wall Street hates the Wagner
law, and it makes this hate known
through the National Manufacturer’s
Association and the United States
Chamber of Commerce. When the
high command of the American Fed-
eration of Labor joins hands with these |
two organizations in their attempt to
hamstring labor, the whole perform- |
ance becomes a stench in the nostrils |
of the rank and file of the labor move- |
ment.
Right now the high command of
the American Federation of Labor, the |
National Manufactuivr’s Association,
and the United States Chamber of |
Commerce are engaged in a campaign
to destroy the effectiveness of he
Thursday, May 25, 1 939.
introduced a bill in congress to amend
the Wagner law and President Lewis
has correctly charged that in the prep-
aration of tnese amenaments the high
command of the American Feaeration
of Labor consulted and conferred with
representatives of the Wail street or-
ganizations The amenaments propos-
ed by the American reaeration of La-
bor are entirely satisiactory to Wall
Street. But they are not satisfactory
to the rank ana file of labor. Several
unions affiliated with the American
Federation or Labor have denounced
the amendments and acc working ag-
ainst their aaupiion.
Last week the United States Cham-
ber of Commerce held its annual mee-
ting in Washington. Leading members,
big anti<union employers, made bitter
speeches denouncing the Wagner La-
bor Relations law. They declared ag-
Wagner National Labor Relations law. | ainst the union closed shop, which al-
|
They are trying to dig a grave for la-
bor. They are jointly asking Congress
| ways means the non-union shop. They
loudly demanded that employers have
to amend the Wagner law and to take | the right to dictate to their employees
the very life out of it. The federation what union they should join or whe-
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