PAGE TWQ
For Sale: Company Town,
Welfare Of 754 Families
r. By M1LLY ^ALWEN
Roebling, N. J. (FP)—This com
pany town of 8,560, wholly owned
by John A. Roebling’s Sons, is up
for sale and by Feb. 1, 754 steel
workers and their families must
decide whether to buy their anti
quated homes at prices they can’t
afford or risk being out in the cold.
Decision to abondon the com
munity, which it bought 40 years
ago as a “model village” for its
employees, was made by the giant
steel wire firm Jan. 1, leaving the
workers a scant 30 days in which
to rearrange their lives. Many of
the townspeople regard the sale as
a sham, a neat trick by the com
pany to make up for that rent in
crease bid which OPA turned down
four years ago. Come the depres
sion, and the houses will be back
in Roebling’s hands, the workers
say bitterly.
Some of the houses, built in 1906
when the firm expanded from
nearby Trenton, still have no heat,
closets or wash tubs, but their ask
ing price is $5,200. Prices range
from $3,200 for row houses up to
$16,000 for a few luxurious homes
for plant doctors and superinten
dents.
Since many Of the workers
STEPHEN JOHANNES
Stephen Johannes. 78, honorary
member of the National Brother
hood of Operative Potters, died
Jan. 19 at his home, 422 West
Ninth street, following a long ill
ness.
'. Born in Germany, Mr. Johannes
resided in East Liverpool for the
past 55 years. He was a turner and
was employed by the Homer
Laughlin China Co. for 36 years
before his retirement in 1936.
Mr. Johannes was a member of
East Liverpool Lodge 258, Elks,
and of the Turners Lodge at Mon
aca, Pa.
He leaves his widow, Mrs. Kate
Schroeder Johannes three sons,
Harry Johannes, Theodore Johan
nes and Paul Johannes, all of East
Liverpool, and two grandchildren
and one great-grandchild.
Rites were held from St. Aloy
sius Catholic Church. Burial was
in Riverview Cemetery.
i HOWARD C. HUFFMAN
Howard Carey Huffman, 69, died
Jan. 26 in his home, 899 West
Eighth street, following a two
week’s illness.
Mr. Huffman lived in East Liv
erpool for the past 50 years and
was bom in Elkrun township. He
was a kiln placer by trade and was
employed last by the Homer
Laughlin China Co., Plant 4. He
•was affiliated with Local Union 9,
National Brotherhood of Operative
Potters.
He leaves his widow, Mrs. Ethel
M. Baker Huffman, and three
brothers, Frank Huffman of East
Liverpool, Sprague Huffman of
Lisbon, and Wade Huffman of
Elkton.
Rites were held from the Mar-
tin Funeral Home by Rev. A. Paul
Tidball, superintednent of the
Tri-state Gospel Mission. Burial
was in Columbiana County Me
morial Park.
MISS ANNA McGAFFICK'
Miss Anna McGaffick, 611 Sixth
Street, Chester, died Jan. 23 in
City Hospital, following a three
day illness.
Miss McGaffick was employed at
.the Harker Pottery Co., and was
affiliated with Local Union 148,
National Brotherhood of Operative
Potters. She was a member of the
Chester Free Methodist Church.
She leaves a sister, Mrs. Ira
Babb of East Liverpool, and three
brothers, Archie McGaffick of
jNew Cumberland, Charles McGaf
fick of Hookstown, and Fn^d Mc
Gaffick of Lawrenceville.
Rites were held from the Ches
ter Free Methodist Church with
Rev. C. L. Dotson, officiating.
Burial was in Ixcust Hill Ceme-
MRS. OLIVE WHEELER
Mrs. Olive Edith Wheeler, 48, of
No. 1, Riverside Park died Jan. 27
in City Hospital following a few
hours’ illness.
Mrs. Wheeler was taken ill while
at work in the clayshop at the Hall
China Co. She was affiliated with
Local Union No. 4, National
Brotherhood of Operative Potters.
She leaves her husband, Kinsey
Wheeler, a stepson, Kenneth
Wheeler, and two stepdaughters,
Mrs. Thelma Daniels and Mrs. Del­
ms Watson, all of East Liverpool.
4 WIN REDUCED HOURS
Ran Diego (FP) Butchers in
independent markets here won a
reduction in workweek from 48 to
40 hours with no cut in take-home
pay, under a contract negotiated
by Local 239, Amalgamated Meat
Cutters 4k Butcher Workmen. The
Agreement, effective May 1, averts
londay closings by rotating days
off.
The quickest fortunes these days
seem to be made by those who
study ths tax laws closest.
were born in these houses and the
rents have been low (averaging $10
a month), they have spent their
spare time and money in improv
ing the places. Now the company
is basing its price demands partly
on the improvements for which the
workers themselves paid.
Those who can scrape together
the down payments of as much as
$2,300 face substantial pay cuts
because of the burden of deposits,
taxes and monthly payments they
will now have to assume. Many
will be forced into debt.
One steelworker’s wife, Mrs.
Mary Magyar, who has lived in
Roebling for 36 years and who has
married children also living here,
said: “I guess we buy.” With no
modern conveniences, her house
is not worth $5,200, she said, “but
old people can’t leave a house
where they have lived so long.”
For others, the “preference”
given company employees to by
means nothing less than an evic
tion notice. One old-timer, pension
ed off by the company, was so en
raged by the maneuver that he
threatened: “I’d move into a sum
mer cottage before I’d pay for this
place.” Still others, unable to find
new homes, will be uprooted from
their jobs as well as their homes.
The Roebling firm has already
turned over the town’s utilities,
fire and police protection and gar
bage collection to surrounding
Florence towpship.
But Roebling is a company town
and the sprawling cable firm in
tends to keep it that way. Fifteen
restrictive covenants, which the
buyer must sign before he owns
his house, insure that nothing—
not the height of the fences, num
ber of stores or multi-family dwell
ings—shall be changed without the
company’s permission.
One restriction, however, was
short-lived. The company included
an anti-Negro clause, limiting
houses north of the railroad to
“the Causcasian race only.” Com
pany officials explained this away
by claiming that it was included
on the insistence of the Federal
Housing Authority.
Prompt protests revealed that
FHA authorities actually opposed
the measure. The clause was. drop
ped.
But the others remain and with
them the problem of how to meet
the company’s callous disregard
for the welfare of its employees.
Wage Increase
(Continued From Page One)%
girls.
The two committees opened
negotiations Jan. 16 and closed
the parley on Jan. 22, only six days
of deliberations being required to
reach a final agreement. In its
general aspects the conference was
free from bitterness or anything
that savored of belligerency, being
marked by the utmost friendliness
and harmony throughout. In no
previous conference has the spirit
of good-will and amity been more
manifest in its presence. This was
freely acknowledged and comment
ed upon by both sides at the close
of deliberations. The new agree-
ment carries the customary reser
vation, which permits either side to
re-open the agreement by giving
sixty days’ notice.
Contending that food prices as
well as other major groups of
living essentials have reached their
peak and are on the downward
trend, together with the threat of
foreign competition by further
lowering import tariffs on dinner
ware, were stre.’sed as the chief
reason why no wage increase above
the 8'/j-cent hourly figure could
be granted by manufacturers at
this time. Their spokesmen, Mr.
Wells said: “If wages were ad
vanced beyond that limit, the
money could not be found to meet
the payrolls, without a substan
tial increase in selling prices, and
in the present mood of the pur
chasing public and the menace of
foreign competition this would be
a disastrous policy to the indus
try.”
The rebuttal statements and the
case of the Brotherhood in general
was orally presented by President
James M. Duffy, and was very
efficiently done, the Brotherhood’s
conferees aver. As occasions seem-
ed to warrant opportunity was
given to various conferees to sup
plement President Duffy’s state
ment.
The secretaries for the respec
tive committees were Chas. F.
Jordan and W. A. Betz, who in
addition to making a detailed re
port of every motion and action
of the conference, were called upon
from time to time to offer infor­
mation or answer questions on cer
tain articles on which further en
lightment was desired.
The Brotherhood’s conferees
traveled to and from Washington
in a special coach, arriving in the
capital city on Tuesday evening,
Jan. 14. A preliminary session was
held the following day to complete
their plans before the opening ses
sion with the manufacturers at the
Statler Hotel on Jan. 16.
A printed supplement embodying
provisions adopted in the new
agreement is now being compiled
at headquarters and will be issued
to the trade shortly.
y-'
&
Profits To Direct
Nation’s 1947
Housing Program
Washington (FP) The extent
to which profit for builders rather
than government planning is de
termining our national housing
policy is laid bare in a Jan. 26
statement on the national housing
program for 1947 issued by the ad
ministration’s top men in the field
—Housing Expediter Frank IL
Creadon and National Housing Ad
ministrator Raymond M. Foley.
One year ago, President Truman
approved a report by Wilson
Wyatt, later named housing expe
diter, calling for a 2-year veterans
emergency housing program of
2,700,000 houses, to be succeeded
by a long-range plan embodied in
the Wagner-Ellender-Taft general
housing bill. Wyatt outlined steps
for getting the emergency pro
gram started and carrying it
through,
In the seven weeks since Wyatt
was forced to resign because the
administration would no lunger
back him up, the goals have been
lowered and the means of reaching
them thoroughly changed.
Former Sebring
Pottery Official
Gains Wide Fame
Sebring, Ohio—James M. Lytle
of Salem, one-time sales manager
of the Saxon China Company here
and later in charge of commercial
art and advertising, when the
firm merged with the American
China Corporation, is now gaining
wide renown as an artist and wood
carver.
He maintains a studio and well
equipped workshop at his home.
His oil paintings include scenes of
beauty from the Salem district.
Mill Creek Park, Youngstown and
elsewhere in the United States. He
also does some portrait painting.
Another of his hobbies is or
iginal creations in hand-carved
wood. He has produced designs
in book-ends, vanity cases, cock
tail trays and other items which
have found exclusive markets in
Cleveland and New York City.
Lytle attended the Cleveland
School of Art.
Ask for Union Labeled mprthan
Ise.
IN THRILLING DRAMA OF JEALOUSY
'A ‘dF#*
The shadowy presence of Another man disrupts the marriage bliss of Katharine Hepburn and
Taylor in the thrill-packed M-G-M psychological, drama, “Undercurrent,” comingto the Ceramic
Robe Taylor in the thrill-packed M-G-M psychological drama, "Undercurrent," coming to the Ceramic
screen, Friday, Jan. 31. So unexpected and exciting is the climax of this picture that audiences are asked
not to reveal the story’s shock ending.
A parade of witnesses spoke for
the bill, led by General Counsel J.
Carter Fort, of the Association of
American Railroads, the powerful
carriers’ organization. Opposition
came from Board Chairman Robert
R. Young of the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railroad, who wired the com
mittee that the bill “makes pos
sible the elimination of competi
tion in the railroad industry.”
Assistant Attorney General
Wendell Berge, in charge of anti
trust work, warned:
1.—That the transportation mo-
A LONESOME SCAB—Escorted by Florida cops, this scab lead
a horse to the paddock at Eialeah Park race track. Despite such strike
breaking tactics, the grooms and exercise boys remained on strike for
5 days. Now, back at work, the men plan to affiliate with the Interna
tional Brotherhood of Teamsters, and then negotiate for wage in
creases. (Federated Pictures).
S
S'
Hearings Open On Bill To Exempt
Transport From Anti-Trust Action
Washington (FP) Debate on
the Reed bill, formerly known as
the Bulwinkle bill, opened in the
Senate interstate commerce com
mittee as spokesmen for American
railroads and truckers argued for
passage of the measure which
would exempt interstate transport
from prosecution under the anti
trust laws.
Opposition to the bill was ex
pressed by the U. S. Department
of Justice and a lone railroad lead
er.
The bill would legalize the con
ference system of rate-fixing, un
der which carriers decide together
how much they will charge shop
pers and passengers for their joint
services in a haul using more than
one carrier.
In effect, the railroads have been
doing just this for 40 years or
more, but they go through the
formality of proposing the rates
to the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, which has 30 days to con
sider any veto action. The fact that
the ICC is staffed by railroad
minded men, plus their inability to
attend every rate request, means
rates proposed are seldom dis
puted.
"»r
‘-S
-3-
n
nopol y, headed at the top by the
AAR, has already combined with
monopolies in such basic industries
as cement and oil to fix transport
rates and maintain the industrial
status quo, preventing new enter
nses from competing with the in
dustrial monopolies.
—The illicit transport monop
oly has fixed rates to prevent
southern and western regions from
developing competitive industries.
3.—Passage of the Reed bill
“would legalize the present unlaw
ful domination and control over
the nation’s competitive economy
possessed by the AAR and its in
duj^rial allies/’
Decorators Hear
^(Continued From Page One)
to jthe decorating kilnmen. Their
however, were not con
fined. to their particular trade as
all three gave a general survey of
proceedings from day to day.
Third Vice President James
§layen rounded out the report by
giving a very interesting talk on
the high spots of the conference,
including the early morning fire
drill in the big city. “Jim”, pulled
no punches in his remarks and
stressed the necessity of members
living up to the agreement to pro
mote peace and harmony within
the trade.
Numerous question^ were asked
the conferees and all seemed to be
satisfied with the answers. A ris
ing vote of thanks was extended
the conferees for their fine work.
Two visitors from Local Union
42, Salem, were present, Bros.
John Erhart and William Starks.
Both were called upon for remarks
and very ably responded. We ap
preciate the visit of these two
gentlemen and wish at this time to
inform members of other Locals
that the doors of L. U. 124 are
always open.
The Justice Department offered
testimony opposing the measure on
the ground that the bill threatens
the public interest in giving too
much power to the transportation
giants.
“The transportation industry
constitutes America’s biggest busi
ness,” Attorney General Tom
Clark told the committee. “It
would not be fair to immunize this ....
big business from the anti-trust I niem°rY’ .9 .singly candidate
laws and thereby make this indus- lwa® initiated.
try the first of a number of big I President Clair Armstrong kept
businesses seeking similar con- things rolling along in fine style
gressional immunity with an ulti- l^nd the meeting was not a long
mate result which leaves large in- |(ir^wn out affair. 0. C. 124.
dustry immunized and the small
industry subject to prosecution.”
For the first time in your O. C.’s
A
woman seldom gives the than
he. benefit of any doubt.
\Scribe Ordered
To Make Monthly
Report To Trade
Hollydale, Calif.—It is not often
that you hear from Local Union
196, which is stuck out here in the
south-east corner of nowhere, but
we want the trade to know that we
are still going strong and holding
together like a zipper on a fat
woman’s skirt.
Since we want to mean more to
the trade than a mere name classi
fied in the Local Dinctory, an O.
C. has been appointed with instruc
tions to have at least one letter a
month in our official journal.
We started the new year off in
a new hall with a complete slate of
new officers as follows: President,
Wesley Ridenour vice president,
John Bratcher recording secre
tary, Clare Natzik financial sec
retary-treasurer, Carmen Morales
statistician, Raymond Bye inspec
tor, Virginia Morales trustees,
John Bratcher, Guy Dunn, Clyde
Dennis.
Three names were added to the
roll, Herbert G. Dickinson and
Marvin Smidt by initiation, and
Milton (Buddy) Brown, reinstated.
At our last meeting in Decem
ber, Organizer George Pace was
present and gave us a very en
lightening talk. We are looking
forward to a visit from Second
Vice President Frank Hull in the
near future.
The shop is back on a full time
schedule after a month’s loaf
while the kilns were being repair
ed.
We had our usual Christmas
party as the guests of our congen
ial employers, Jessie and Otto
Hupp. Meat loaf replaced the well
known bird at the banquet, and
what a meat loaf it was, a combin
ation of Antelope, Moose and Deer
meats which were bagged by “Ike
Walton” Hupp and washed down
with soda pop and beer.
Employees of the plant present
ed the Hupp brothers with a bar
beque cart as a token of apprecia
tion.—O. C. 196.
Attendance Lags
(Continued From Page One)
ly met the issue at hand.
The health program is still a
big problem here in Clarksburg,
and mostly due to our own people
who do not seem to realize that
the efforts being put forth to
maintain a clean shop, are being
done solely for their benefit. The
willful waste of paper towels in the
women’s rest rooms is disgraceful,
to say the least. There is absolute
ly no sense or reason for such con
dition, and company officials have
informed the committee that un
less such practice is stopped, they
will stop furnishing towels, free
of cost.
The Local urges our members to
cooperate in keeping the rest
rooms clean, and to report anyone
guilty of destruction to the offi
cials and they will be dealt with
accordingly.
We are glad to hear of the wage
increase granted and wish to take
this opportunity to thank the na
tional officials and the conference
committee for their good work.
Our deepest sympathies to Bro.
Wilbur Jones in the death of his
mother, Bro. James Lightner in
the death of his father, and Bros.
Averill and Pearl Majesky in the
death of their mother.
Bro. Pat Scott has been selling
tickets for the industrial basket
ball games each week. The pottery
team has been playing some very
good basketball in this league, and
we wish more of our members
would turn out and give them a
little encouragement.
We would still like to arange a
series with some of the teams in
the East Liverpool district, especi
ally the Harker Pottery Co. team.
We hear Margie and Polly are
having heartaches wonder over
whom ?—O. C. 99.
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The Georgia spectacle is a case
in point.
The case of the Negro boy who
wpnt to the electric chair, to ex
perience the full horror of every
thing except the final blinding
shock, only to be sent back for an
other try by a 5 to 4 decision of
the Supreme Court, is another case
in point.
The case of a '17-ySaf-old Miami
boy is a third. This youngster,
possessor of a ticket to the Orange
Bowl football game, went to the
ticket-taker—so the papers say—
only to be told there he didn’t need
a ticket to get in, since he was a
student. He was advised to sell his
ticket, whereupon a man behind
him offered $15, which the boy
took, only to find out that the buy
er was a plain clothes dick.
The boy was sloughed into jail,
where he spent an over-crowded
night with bums and finally was
given a $200 fine, in contrast to
professional scalpers, not one of
whom was even arrested.
The cause of justice moves ^for
ward by reason of excesses of in
justice, so perhaps there is, in
these cases, some hope for added
progress on the part of justice.
A lot of Georgians are aroused
over the Talmadge episode and it
may be that their anger may re
sult in preventing any future af
fair of like character.
It is true that Georgians don’t
like comments from “outsiders”,
but when any state, community, or
family, so conducts itself as to
outrage a general sense of decency,
there will be comment from the
“outside”, just as there is when a
man starts to beat his wife in his
own home.
Just so there will be comment
from the “outside” against the
Supreme Court decision which, 5
to 4, said the poor colored kid must
go back for a second session in the
electric chair, which is a portable
affair and, conceivably, may fail
again in its lethal job.
A lot of people will think a lit
tle less of a court that does such
things.
Just so, a lot of people, all over
the country, will think less of the
Miami court that assessed a $200
fine on a boy for accepting on in
vitation to sell his football ticket
at an over-price, while profession
als worked the lot and while plenty
of big-time gambling goes on
through the county.
There are times and plenty of
them when judges and others have
to say, “this course is right and it
must be adhered to at all costs”,
but there are times also when cir
cumstance modifies routine stern
ness.
A lot of people, for example,
think that twice in an electric chair
is plenty of double jeopardy, which
our constitution forbids.
The Georgia spectacle, at this
writing, hasn’t reached the courts,
but undoubtedly it will. Let us hope
the Georgia courts have more of a
sense of justice than Georgia leg
islature.
But above all, let us hope that
the PEOPLE, in Georgia and
Thursday, January 30, 1917
I.......
THE CHERRY TREE
---------------------------—,
jHow often injustice rises up to
smite the public conscience!
But, if the public conscience were
awake more of the time—in ad
vgpee—injustice wouldn’t get such
a toe hold.
everywhere, jolt themselves awake
to a sense of their own responsibil
ity.
Finally, the people make the
laws and they elect the office hold
ers. Too often they forget their
responsibilities until damage has
been done.
These are by no means the only
examples of the absent-mindedness
of the citizenship. There are plenty
in every state legislature and in
Congress, to say nothing of local
elective bodies.
Government will never be very
far ahead of the intelligence and
concern of the average of the
citizenship.
In the complex affairs of today
we need to think a lot about our
public duties. We need to care a
lot about whom gets elected to
what and what he or she stands
for.
One crooked or ignorant or
stupid or prejudiced official can
do a terrific lot of damage to that
vague Itbing we call public wel
fare.
It is perhaps more important
than you think. Anyway, THINK!
Steps Taken
(Continued From Page One)
We understand Bro. Stull broke
all speed records in the Pittsburgh
Terminal and was accused of
knocking over several ‘Red Caps’
in his haste to make connections
for the Ohio city. How about that,
Tom?
Nomination of national officers
was held and the last opportunity
afforded to register your choice
on the referendum now before the
trade.
Olive Sheeley and Pauline Bickle
were granted withdrawal cahrs.
Our new president has promised
action during his reign in office,
namely the elimination of long
drawn out meetings. We think this
is a fine idea and will certainly
aid in bolstering the attendance
at our semi-monthly sessions.
An added attraction is on the
agenda for our next meeting. The
social committee has promised re
freshments and when they say re
freshments, it covers everything
from soup to nuts. Remember the
date, Thursday, Fpd. 13.—0. C.
75.
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entire building*
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SAVINGS A LOAN ASSOCIATION
IN THE EAST END
OFFICITRQ T* Fisher, Pres.: W. E. Dunlap,
vrrr&VEJID V|ee preta. u White. 8ec’y-Treae.
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John, Greta, Betty, Jack
11
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NAIN 204