The Butler County press. [volume], April 09, 1937, Image 1

About The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
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Washington, D. C. (ILNS3—The
repercussions from the action of the
supreme court in reversing its policy
of the last 14 years on minimum wage
legislation have come thicker and fas
ter than anyone seemed to foresee.
President Roosevelt has asked At
torney General Cummings for an
opinion as to whether the law enacted
in 1918 on minimum wages for women
in the District of Columbia, and
knocked out by the court in the Ad
kins case in 1923, is revived in full
force by the Easter Monday decision
of the court or whether that law will
have to be repassed. Views on this
point are so far conflicting so the
probable course, unless the attorney
general's opinion settles all doubts,
will be to play safe by re-enacting the
law—with amendments drawn from
experience.
Governors Take Action
Governor Hurley, of Massachusetts,
has already sent to the legislature a
request for a strengthening of the
Massachusetts minimum wage law,
which was amended in 1934 in hope
of making it supreme court proof.
That caution is no longer needed.
Massachusetts had the first of all such
laws passed in 1912.
Governor Lehman, of New York,
has said that he will call a conference
of experts before sending to the legis
lature any recommendations on this
law. It was the New York law that
was slaughtered by the court in the
Tipaldo case.
All told, 17 states now have mini
mum wage laws for women for the
governor of Nevada signed the bill
in that state the day after the court
decision. The other states are Cali
fornia, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Minnesota, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South
Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wis
consin.
RAILROADS BEHIND
In Maintenance of Tracks,
Union Spokesman Says
Washington, D. C. (ILNS)—L. E.
Keller, representing the Brotherhood
of Maintenance of Way employes and
the Association of American Railway
Labor Executives, charged that rail
roads have fallen behind in track
maintenance expenditures to the ex
tent of $2,425,000,000 in the last six
years.
Keller appeared before a senate in
terstate commerce subcommittee to
endorse a bill designed to increase
railway track and bridge maintenance
through inspection by the interstate
commerce commission. He conten
ded that from 1925 to 1935 railroad
accidents due to defective trackage
numbered 18,658, killed 177 persons,
injured 3,678 and caused property
damage amounting to $20,359,000.
In that period, he said, track mil
eage in the nation has increased, while
the number of maintenance employes
has decreased about 50 per cent.
Train speeds have increased to as
high as 108 miles an hour in some
cases, he said.
r?vv
Supreme Court Ruling Spurs
Moves Begun to Strengthen State Legislation and Pass
New Laws Where Needed—Six Million Women De
clared Affected By Highest Court's Decision.
New Laws Planned
The state labor commission of Ar
kansas believes that the law of that
state, passed in 1915 and dropped be
cause of being held unconstitutional
under the Adkins decision, is revived
by the court's reversal in Hotel Co.
vs. Ernest Parrish case.
Miss Louise Stitt, minimum wage
supervisor of the Women's Bureau of
the U. S. Department of Labor, says
that about 6,000,000 women were af
fected, directly or indirectly, by the
new decision and that minimum wage
laws are projected in Maryland, Mich
igan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
and Texas. "As a general rule," said
Miss Stitt, "women's wages are about
50 per cent below men's. Minimum
wage legislation generally has the
effect of raising the minimum 20 to 30
per cent."
COLUMBUS CHARTER
CASE BRIEFS FILED
Columbus, Ohio (OLNS)—Briefs
arguing reasons for continuing an
injunction and briefs setting forth
arguments for dissolving the writ re
straining Francis Dillon, general or
ganizer and personal representative
of President William Green, of the
American Federation of Labor, from
revoking the charter of the Columbus
Federation of Labor, were presented
to Franklin Common Pleas Judge
Cecil J. Randall last week by attor
neys representing the principles in
volved.
Counsel for Columbus Typograph
ical Union No. 5 cited three reasons
for continuing the injunction granted
month ago: The A. F. of L.,
through Francis J. Dillon, acted
without authority of the A. F. of L.
constitution the action violated the
due process" section of the U. S.
constitution and no charges were
made and no hearing was granted be
fore revoking the charter.
A number of reasons for dissolving
the injunction were advanced by Or
ganizer Dillon's attorney, among them
being the endorsement of the General
Motors sit-down strike, which "know
ingly encouraged a violation of the
law."
Other reasons: No cause for action
plaintiff has not exhausted remedies
under the constitution of the A. F. of
L. plaintiff has refused all efforts to
confer and settle their differences
plaintiff has violated several articles
of the A. F. of L. constitution, and be
cause only the federal charter and
no property are involved.
Judge Randall announced that he
would give careful consideration to all
arguments before handing down his
decision.
Harrisburg, Pa. (ILNS)—John A
Phillips, president of the Pennsylvania
Federation of Labor, called upon all
affiliated unions "to prosecute a cam
paign that will be irresistible in de
veloping support necessary for sue
cess" of President Roosevelt's plan
to reorganize the U. S. Supreme Court
He spoke at the opening session of
the State Federation's 36th Annual
Convention which drew 500 delegates
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The meeting was called jointly by
the American Federation of Labor
housing committee, of which Harry C.
Bates, president of the Bricklayers,
Masons and Plasterers I. U. is chair
man, and John Coefild, president of
the U. A. Plumbers and Steamfitters,
and Michael J. Colleran, president of
the Operative Plasterers and Cement
Finishers I. A,, are members and the
building trades department of the A.
F. of L., of which J. W. Williams is
president, and Michael J. McDonough
is secretary.
Among those present, in addition to
the sponsors, were John P. Coyne, In
ternational Union of Operating En
gineers John W. Garvey, Internation
al Hod Carriers, Building and Common
Laborers' Union William J. Galla
gher, Brotherhood of Painters and
Decorators Michael F. Garrett, U. A
Plumbers and Steamfitters Joseph
McDonoagh, International Brother
hood of Electrical Workers James M.
Myles, Operative Plasterers and Ce
ment Finishers I. A. C. W. Sickles,
Asbestos Workers' International As
sociation Fred A. Tobin, International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauf
feurs, Stablemen and Helpers War
ren Jay Vinton and Catherine Bauer,
Labor Housing Conference.
Strong Protest Recorded
"We protest strongly the unneces
sary delay in action on the Wagner
Steagall housing bill," a statement
issued by the conferees began. It
went on to declare that although the
housing bill had been introduced on
February 24 it was still "in commit
tee," that there had been no hearings
and no date set for them, and "no
definite public statement from the ad
ministration, except occasional criti
cism from the secretary of the treas
ury, whose remarks, as interpreted in
the newspapers, have seemed rather
vague, partially misinformed and
even contradictory."
"The fact that there is a contro
versy raging over the supreme court
and other matters is no excuse for de
laying the housing bill," it was de
clared. "Whether we have nine or
fifteen justices will not ita any way
BUTLER COUNTY PRESS.
VOL. XXXVII, No. 1 HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, APRIL 9,1937 ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
COURT CONTROVERSY DECLARED
NO REASON FOR DELAYING BILL
Organized Building Workers Condemn Failure
of Congress to Act as "Unnecessary" and
Warn Worst Housing Crisis
tory is Close at Hand.
Washington, D. C. (ILNS)—The
Wagner-Steagall housing bill should
be passed immediately and the con
troversy over federal judiciary reform
is no excuse for delaying action on
the measure, a meeting of represen
tatives of building trades labor de
clared here in a resolution emphatic
ally protesting against further delay.
Labor Demands Speedy
Action on Housing Measure
Nation's His­
in
affect the situation which necessit
tates this bill. The supreme court
cannot relieve the housing shortage
nor employ building workers. And the
constitutionality of the Wagner
Steagall bill has never been que?
tioned."
After pointing out that the bill wa
endorsed last year by a lai-ge num
ber of organizations, the statement
said that the changes made in the bill
had made it clearer and simpler.
Only Two Alternatives
"Throughout the country, the alte!
ternatives are clear," the statement
added. "Those who really want to ci
something about housing are for thi
Wagner bill. And, vice versa, onh
those who are against housing reform
of any kind, who want a bad housing
shortage in order to bolster up theii
paper values, are against the Unitet
States housing bill of 1937.
"On which side is the administrn
tion? Why does not the president
publicly and wholeheartedly endom
this bill? Ever since 1933 this adminis
tration has been firmly committed
a long term federal program to in
prove workers' housing conditions. It
was part of the demoncratic platform
last fall.
"In no uncertain terms the presi
dent recognized the nationwide
hous­
ing problem and promised to take sys
tematic and immediate measures
relieve it, in his annual message
congress on January 6, and in hi
second inaugural address on January
20.
Big Danger Looms
"The general housing shortag
which labor has predicted as inevit
able, is now upon us. Before long it
will be the worst housing shortag
ever faced by this country. Accordin
to the most reliable estimates, we ne
to build between twelve and sixteen
million new homes before 1950, that
is, in the next thirteen years. Ou
immediate needs are proportionately
larger, since we must make up for the
seven long years of idless and for
century's acemulation of obsolete and
unliveable homes."
Montreal Building Labor
Wins 7 Per Cent Raise
Montreal (ILNS)—A contract rais
ing wages of building workers an av
erage of seven per cent has been con
eluded between the Building Trade:
Council of Montreal and Vicinity and
o
the Montreal Builders' Exchange. It
applies to the island of Montreal and
14 near counties. Thirty-five differ
ent trades are affected. Skilled men
will work 44 hours a week with wages
running up to 80 cents an hour.
PRICES FROM
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LAWS DO NOT
ADEQUATELY
Protect Rights of Strikers,
Judge Asserts
Kansas City (ILNS)—-Existinglaws
do not adequately protect the rights
of striking workers, Circuit Judge
Emory H. Wright said here when he
issued an injunction ordering sit-down
strikers to evacuate the plant of the
Butler Manufacturing Company.
In issuing the court order Judge
Wright said the law clearly favored
the property owner as no one had a
right to seize other person's property.
"However," he said, "workers in
many, instances are left at a disad
vantage because of the lack of legal
machinery to appeal their cause.
"Until the congress or the state
legislature establishes laws for the
workers, existing laws must be en
forced."
The strikers marched from the
plant an hour before the expiration of
a deadline set in Judge Wright's eva
cuation order. The 150 strikers,
members of the Amalgamated Asso
ciation of Iron, Steel and Tin Work
ers, had been in the plant since
March 12.
Safety Congress
Date Announced
Columbus Ohio (QLNS)—The Ohio
industrial commission has announced
that the Eighth Annual All Ohio
Safety Congress and Exhibit will be
held at the Neil House, Columbus,
April 20, 21 and 22, 1937.
The annual gathering of the indus
trial safety forces of the state is a
part of the commission's program, un
der the direction of the division of
safety and hygiene, to encourage in
terest in safety measures.
John E. Bi*eidenbach, Dayton, vice
president of the Ohio State Federa
tion of Labor, is chairman of the con
struction section of the congress.
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