The Butler County press. [volume], December 29, 1939, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
i
V
Labor, Eagles Urge Higher
Pensions For Needy Aged
To Study Defects
(By Ohio Labor News Service)
Columbus, Ohio. Increased pen
sions for Ohio's needy aged, and ad
ministration of the old-age pension
law by a council of five members were
advocated by the executive boards of
the Ohio State Federation of Labor
and the Ohio Fraternal Order of
Eagles in a jofnt meeting held in the
Neil House, December 16.
A committee of eight was also ap
pointed to make a study of defects in
the present old-age pension law. It is
composed of M. J. Lyden, Youngs
town Thomas J. Donnelly, Columbus
John E. Breidenbach, Dayton, and
William Finegan, Cleveland, repre
senting the federation, and O. Lee
Thomas, Canton Charles Sachs, Ak
ron William Wetherald, Zanesville,
and E. F. Poss, Toledo, representing
the Eagles.
A resolution was passed by the offi
cers of the two organizations advocat
ing an increase in the maximum
monthly pension payments to needy
aged from $30 to $40, in conformity
HIGHER STANDARDS
FOR LABOR URGED
BY PRES
Joint Meeting of 0. S. F. of L. and Ohio Fraternal Order
of Eagles Held in Columbus, December 16—Appoint
Committeee of Eight to V ew Present Pension Law.
JVM. GREEN
Federation Will Oppose Demand For
Reduction in Federal Tax Rates.
Washington, D. C. (ILNS).—Sup
port of a national drive to raise un
employment compensation benefits and
to standardize state laws was urged
by President William Green of the
American Federation of Labor in a
letter to all State Federations of
Labor.
Green announced that the federa
tion will oppose "a vigorous demand
from employers of many states" for
a reduction in the federal tax rates
until standards are raised. He urged
appointment of a federal advisory
committee to study possible amend
ments of the federal-state unemploy
ment compensation setup.
"We have seen," President Green
wrote the state federations, "the pres
sure for tax reductions through the
expensive and combersome 'merit' and
'experience rating' plans. When Con
gress reassembles in January, there
will be a vigorous demand from em
ployers of many states to have the
federal tax rate cut.
Improvements Still Needed
"The American Federation of La
bor believes that no tax reductions
should be made until we have had ex
perience under materially better bene
fit standards. Some improvements
were made at the last sessions of state
legislatures. Much more remains to
be done.
"The American Federation of La
bor believes that the waiting period
should not exceed one week, that bene
fits should be paid to all eligible un
employed workers for 20 weeks in the
year, that the weekly benefit checks
should be no less than half the work
er's full-time weekly wage within
limits of $5.00 and $20.00, and that
disqualifications should be no moi*e
severe than an increase in the wait-
'CHICAGO MARKET CO.
Both organizations have maintained
an active interest in the old-age pen
sion law, advocating improvements
since it was enacted by a vote of the
people in 1933.
An aged pension system for Ohio
was approved by the Ohio State Fed
eration of Labor convention in 1921,
and an active campaign to provide
pensions for needy aged was launched
in 1922 by the federation and the Fra
ternal Order of Eagles.
ing period of not more than five weeks.
Until these standards are effective,
we will oppose tax reductions."
Further Study Urged
Asking study of unemployment
compensation, Green said:
"At the last session of Congress, the
A. F. of L. supported a bill to estab
lish a representative advisory com
mittee to study unemployment com
pensation. The Advisory Council on
Social Security made a notable con
tribution to the old-age insurance sec
tions of the law. We need a similar
careful study for unemployment com
pensation.
"I urge that each state federation
use its influence with the Senators
and Representatives from its state to
secure their support for a bill for such
an advisory committee and their
votes against any reduction in the
federal tax for unemployment com
pensation until the committee can
have made a thorough study of the
unemployment compensation system
and brought in its recommendations
for amendments to the federal law."
VARIOUS RANGES IN
RELIEF ALLOWANCES
Chicago, 111. (ILNS).—The average
monthly allowance paid by state and
local governments to their general re
lief "cases" ranges from $3.38 in
Oklahoma to $34.28 in New York, the
Council of State Governments reports
The council said the figures were
based on payments of last August as
compiled by the Social Security Board
and did not include costs of adminis
tration, materials and equipment in
cident to administration of general
relief. It said relief "cases," as re
ferred to in the report, might be either
a family or an individual.
Front and High Sts. Phone 5000
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY SPECIALS 1
PORK LOINS K5, Ilk
SMOKED HAMS 22 15k
PORK SAUSAGE 3»».25c
The council said the allowances
paid in cash or commodities or both,
were for state and local general relief
only and were paid with state and
local funds.
Advertise in The Press.
Parts for Tractors-Trucks & Autos
INSIST ON GETTING THE BEST
You Always Get the Best at the
Savage Auto Supply
636 Maple Avenue HAMILTON, OHIO
Phone 116
VOL. XXXIX. No. 39. HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1939.
In
Law
with recent amendments to the Social
Security Act.
In advocating placing the adminis
tration of the old-age pension law
under a council of five members in
stead of a single administrator as at
present, the group expressed the opin
ion that it would bring about needed
improvements.
The joint meeting of officers of the
two organizations was suggested by
the Ohio State Federation of Labor
several weeks ago, and arrangements
for the conference were made through
Secretary Donnelly of the federation.
Co.
0
Predominant in importance was the
successful resistance to all attacks
made on existing labor laws by legis
lation introduced in the Ninety-Third
General Assembly, and defeat of
other legislation which sought to re
strict and regulate organized labor
and its representatives.
Organized labor of other states was
not as successful as that of Ohio in
resisting what was apparently a na
tion-wide campaign for legislation
weakening or wiping out entirely la
bor laws which had been secured over
a long period of years.
In addition to overcoming detri
mental legislation, Ohio labor, through
the Ohio State Federation of Labor,
secured the enactment of amend
ments improving some important laws
affecting workers of the state, al
though a major portion of its legis
lative program was ignored by the
General Assembly.
Court Decisions Favorable
Two decisions of the Ohio Supreme
Court which were favorable to labor
made it possible to have enacted leg
islation constituting progressive im
provements to the 26-year-old work
men's compensation law.
One act included all occupational
diseases in the compensable list and
the other firmly established the Re
gional Claims Boards as necessary
adjuncts to the Industrial Commis
sion to expedite the hearing of claims
for workmen's compensation.
Legislation improving the prevail
ing rate of wages law was also sup
ported successfully. Although unable
to halt passage of a bill reorganiz
ing the Unemployment Compensation
Commission, organized labor was suc
cessful in having deleted a number of
unsatisfactory provisions contained in
the original measure.
Although winning two important
decisions in the Supreme Court, labor
lost another when legislation creat
ing an Institutional Building Au
thority, with power to issue bonds for
construction of needed state institu
tional buildings, was declared uncon
stitutional.
Largest Convention In History
A notable court victory was won by
labor after a long and bitter fight
when Franklin County Common Pleas
Judge Charles Leach Upheld the ar
BUTLER COUNTY PRESS.
1939 Records Show Ohio
|By Ohio Xiabor Wews Service)
Columbus, Ohio.—A resume of rec
ords of the Ohio State Federation of
Labor, state branch of the American
Federation of Labor, for the year 1939
reveals that accomplishments and ac
tivities of the organized labor move
ment in Ohio were outstanding in
many respects in the year now draw
ing to a close.
History
i
Records Reveal Outstanding Accomplishments and Ac
tivities of Organized Labor Movement in Past Year—
State Federation Gains Favorable Amendments.
Active In Every Field Resistance
To Attacks On
Labor Successful
guments of labor in support of the
"full-time" wage concept of the bene
fit section of the Ohio unemployment
compensation law, and enjoined the
Unemployment Compensation Com
mission from applying a rule which
employed actual earnings as a base
for computing unemployment benefits.
This decision was rendered on Jan
uary 16, only two weeks before first
benefit payment checks were sent to
unemployed workers in the state by
the Unemployment Compensation
Commission.
Labor again opposed employers' ar
guments against a rule embodying
the "full-time" weekly wage principle
in computing benefits at public heai'
ings conducted on April 13 and 14 by
the seven-member Advisory Council
of the x*eorganized Bureau of Unem
ployment Compensation.
The largest convention in the 55
year history of the Ohio State Fed
eration of Labor was held in Akron,
July 17 to 21,518 delegates attending
the sessions which were high-lighted
by an address by President William
Green, of the American Federation of
Labor.
Review of Year's Progress
Michael J. Lyden, Youngstown, was
re-elected president for his second
three-year term. Thomas J. Don
nelly, Columbus, who completed 26
years as secretary-treasurer and leg
islative agent of the federation on
March 8, was also re-elected for an
other three-year term.
Vice-Presidents Stanley Ogg, Ham
ilton Albert Dalton, Cleveland John
E. Breidenbach, Dayton, and George
Suder, Cincinnati, were re-elected for
three-year terms.
Elected vice-presidents to succeed
James Malley, Cleveland Ai*nold Bill,
North Olmsted, and Otto Brach, To
ledo, who were not candidates, were
John Rohrich, Cleveland William
Finegan, Cleveland, and Harry Jones,
Akron.
By action of the executive council,
the fifty-ninth annual convention of
the American Federation of Labor
was held in Cincinnati instead of San
Francisco, from October 2 to 13.
It was marked by the retirement
of Frank Morrison as secretary-treas
urer, after 43 years of service, and
the election of George Meany, New
York, as his successor.
President William Green and all
vice-presidents were re-elected, with
the exception of Frank Duffy, who
was not a candidate and who was sue
ceeded by William Hutcheson as first
vice-president.
Efforts to extend application of the
Ohio minimum wage law to addi
tional industries were successfully
Labor
launched when Industrial Relations
Director George A. Strain, on the pe
tition of Beauticians' Local 105-A,
Akron, ordered a state-wide survey
of wages paid in the beauty parlor
industry, the preliminary step in es
tablishing a minimum fair wage for
women and minors employed in beauty
shops.
Consider Relief Situation
Office Workers' Local 21427, Co
lumbus, petitioned Director Strain to
conduct a survey of wages paid women
and minor office workers in the state
on the completion of the beauty par
lor survey.
On October 26, the executive board
of the Ohio State Federation of Labor
and representatives of central labor
bodies in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron,
Cincinnati, and Columbus met to con
sider the relief situation in those cities.
A conference was held with Gov
ernor Bricker, at which the labor of
(Continued on page four)
fr
ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
CHICAGO LABOR
TO AID UNIONS
By JOSEPH A. WISE
Chicago (ILNS).—A letter has gone
forward from Chicago to William
Green, president of the American
Federation of Labor, requesting that
he call a conference in Washington
of the international presidents of the
unions which maintain contractual re
lations with the Hearst newspaper or
ganization in Chicago.
The letter to Mr. Green is signed
by Victor A. Olander, secretary of
the Illinois State Federation of La
bor John Fitzpatrick, president of
the Chicago Federation of Labor, and
by Joseph D. Keenan, secretary of
the Chicago Federation of Labor.
Help for Unions Sought
The proposed conference is designed
to provide ways and means to hold
up the hands of the A. F. of L. in its
fight with the C. I. O. American News
paper Guild.
The long fight will be at an end, it
is believed, when the National Labor
Relations Board has given the edi
torial room and front office employes
on the Chicago American and Exam
iner an opportunity to vote on the
question of whether they want the
A. F. of L. or the C. I. O. as their
bargaining agent. These employes
are in possession of the promises
given to them under A. F. of L. char
ters. The C. I. O. American Newspa
per Guild wants to oust the A. F. of L.
and take possession.
Boycott is Continued
The last and final hearing was held
before the three members of the N. L.
R. B. in Washington on November 14.
The A. F. of L. unions in Chicago are
awaiting action by the N. L. R. B.
Meantime the Guild is carrying on
its boycott of the Hearst daily news
paper on the streets of Chicago and
through other means. It is felt that
the international unions which have
contracts with the Hearst organiza
tion in Chicago can lend great help
toward supporting their local affili
ates in Chicago.
RUINOUS TAXES CERTAIN
While the loss of human life and
liberties would be the greatest price
we would pay in another war, the
risk of inflation and ruinous taxation
would probably mean a lower stand
ard of living for generations to come.
—National Economy League.
ABUSES OF FREEDOM
It was the abuses of freedom in
Germany and Italy, the paralysis of
governmental and social services by
uncompromising conflicts among nu
merous political parties, labor unions,
religious and social organizations,
that led to the limitation of all free
dom.—Edwin G. Conklin, Princeton,
before the National Education Asso
ciation.
Our
Hew Year Ulish for you
IS THAT EACH DAY WILL BE
ONE OF PEACE, PROSPERITY
AND PLENTY
Hifk in Quality -bmim
com