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uesnc, o, jr.,mis action was an attempt to prevent orderly re treat of the Chinese,d lari, and crats. court, foplin, t, Jop-were► Mas-Har-ican. —Hoy itnam Harry can.1 Mc-i Ben can. ountyWebbWebb)ixon,llisonIborn,ounty Mur-augh-en C. lemo-i and Lhage,ounty es A.andublic*Clay-right, hn B.Jop-Ivy sy H. i, and City, epub-ar T. id P.A. H.dem-larion35 A.demo-town-t, G•a-R. S. demo-nship, r. Ga-E. E, repub-town-ralenai Ad-ocrat;nship,Carl t; W. demo-town-3, Ga-illiamnship,town-ebeck,J. W. demo-town-r, Ma-C. T. repub-town-Joplin Lridge, S. J. nship; Joplinrerett,Genedemo-town-icrell,J. aocrat; nship, alena Doss, W. D. ocrat; demo-town-Jlliott, J. A. ocrat; nship, ecoxieH a r-lican;town-ohens, Paul •epub-[arion TVork-lican; nship, Jop-Har-lican; iship, Twin Gr, D.General Denial of DiscrimMade by 5 Empire District OfficialsCharges of the Joplin local of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that the Empire District Electric Company interfered with union activities and discriminated against employes who were union men drew denials yesterday from five additional supervisory officials of the company, testifying for the defense at the Empire District labor board hearing.One, Walter R. Pickering, head of the meter department, testified that he once caused two members of the Joplin local to be invited to a social gathering of the employes in his department to discuss and explain the union, and that they accepted and attended.Witness Springs Surprise. Another, George W. Irey, superintendent of the Empire Districtplants at Riverton and Dowell, testified in his cross-examination that he “would be afraid” to even ask an employe if he carried a union card “in view of the Wagner act verdict.”While expressing the personal opinion that “unions have served their purpose, Irey testified that he would not forbid employes in his department from joining any union and sprang a surprise by producing a withdrawal card showing he once had belonged to an A. F. of E, union. He snfd he was aj member of the union In Chicago about six years,Irey is charged by the union with having discriminated against Ned C. Barkley, formerly employed in the meter department, when Barkley sought employment at the Riverton plant. Barkley testified for the labor board that Irey, after indicating that he would employ him, told him he wouldn’t employ a union man after learning that Barkley was a member of the Joplin local.Irey denied the charge, declaring that he not only did not make such a statement but did not ever discuss the union with Barkley. He testified that Barkley volunteered the information that he (Barkley) had been discharged from the meter department and expressed the opinion to Irey that he was dismissed because of his union affiliation. Irey said he made no comment on that situation. He said the reason he did not employ Barkley was because of his policy against the transfer of men from one department into another.Besides Irey, E. J. Drewelow, chief engineer at the Riverton plant, and W. E, Colgrove, chief electrician at the plant, testified concerning Barkley’s claim. Earlier in the day, Walter R. Pickering, who dismissed Barkley, also testified relative to his claim.Pickering said he employed Barkley early last year and dismissed him last fall because of the necessity of a retrenchment. He said five other employes were laid off at about the same time and denied that any of them were discharged for union activity or union membership.In his testimony, Barkley said that before he went to work in Pickering's department he had applied for a job at the Riverton plant and had been told by Irey, Drewelow and Colgrove'that he would be considered if an anticipated vacancy developed. Later, after he had gone to work in Pickering’3 department, he said, he was notified by Drewelow that the job he asked for at the plant was open, but that when he applied for it he was denied a transfer.Following his dismissal, according to his testimony, Barkley again applied at the Riverton plant and was told by Irey that he would never be employed there because he was a member of the union.Irey, Drewelow and Colgrove all denied in their testimony yesterday that the union had been discussed with Barkley. They testified to the effect that the plant rule against transfers precluded him from obtaining the job.• *Aslcfe from filling the joo Barkley had applied for, Irey testified, no employes have been added to the electrical« department at the Riverton plant since Barkley's dis-Gilmore, sr., Marion township, dem-oprat, and Kenneth K. Robison, Joplin township, republican*missal from the meter department.In support of his contention that union men were not discriminated against at the Riverton plant, Irey testified that he had employed union carpenters to work there and that he supposed other union men were working there.It was when Henry Foster, jr., of labor board counsel asked him if he did not know that he had a machinist who was a union man that Ireyreplied that he was “afraid to ask.” Tried to Stop “Squabbling*”The only other defense witness yesterday was Archie D. Provance of Aurora, foreman of a line crew there. He denied he had attempted to thwart unionization of his crew. He said what he did try to stop was “squabbling” among men on the crew, some of whom favored and some of whom were opposed to joining the union.”1 told them to join if they wanted to, but that they’d have to quit the squabbling,” the witness said. He said he finally transferred Claude Biddlecomb, a union man, to tho creasoting crew at Warsaw, Mo., in order to stop the “squabbling,” but riot because he was a union man. He denied that be assigned Biddlecomb and Hugh Or-cutt, another union man, to a tree-trimming crew as “punishment” for their union activities. He declared that it was the duty of a lineman to trim trees and help cut right of way the same as any other work.dis-Fredhe-HewithIfProvance testified that the company financed a “beer party” for his crew last summer on White river in order to “settle their minds” and help to restore harmony. He said the union was not discussed during the outing.In his cross-examination, Provance said he did ask members of his crew if they had joined the union but that he did not tell anyof them to resign from the union.Pickering, who was on the witness stand throughout the forenoon, denied that he had charged either Barkley or Walters, another claimant, cause they were union men. said he had not interfered union activities but had given a general instruction to all of his employes that they were not to talk union” on the job.Pickering said he made an inquiry among the men in a general way as to their views and as towhether they were satisfied, afterE. E. Spracklen, superintendent of distribution, had asked him how his men felt about the union.A. E. Spencer, jr., and John W. Scott, of Empire District counsel, examined the company witnesses yesterday. Spencer told Trial Examiner Charles Persons that it would be impossible to complete the defense evidence this week. He said it probably would be Tuesday before the hearing could be concluded.There was a discussion about night sessions, but the examinersmilingly remarked, off the record, that “the board itself couldn’t afford to engage in any unfair labor practices.”Cake Demonstration Held.Galena, Kan., June 3.—A cake demonstration held this afternoon at the Methodist Episcopal church basement by Miss Mary Alice Howard of Columbus, home demonstration agent of the Farm Bureau Club in Cherokee county, was well attended. Many visitors were present from Riverton.PRATT — Funeral services for James Wilbur Pratt, 68 years old, who died at 4 o’clock yesterday morning at his home, 1627 West Third street, will be held at 3 o’clock this afternoon in the Lan-pher chapel. The Rev. Cliff Titus will officiate. Burial will be in Fair-view cemetery. Miss Nina Peel will sing, accompanied by Mrs. HoytMiles. The body will lie in state at the chapel until the funeral hour. Mr. Pratt was a retired blacksmith and had been a resident of Joplin 40 years. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Maude Pratt; a son, Ralph Pratt, Joplin route 3, and, two daughters, Mrs. Alta Bray and Mrs. Thelma Applegate.nGobirtfcportvicirrepo Eula Pa the : Mi barg ter.Mi Cone Mi we at Mi Bad;MiheadMiTwciMiEastMrShorMi Liowi Mi teenl Mr a soi Tv, whic repo;MiRiveMrGaleTRlTvriflesack men stort the been an e the T1 host shirltaketake Timor oper ble of a lock ing.EijtricaBoulHiNi Seer dowi of IwanandpublBeTemstate“a s abro our : ence port urge Af who: curit he s 1. throi localwithever;andconsrelat2.undeameiwithlutel•effecandmen!3. assui imag parec resur forwi begui tions mon tices4. other meth of in1
Newspaper Details
Joplin Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Sat, Jun 04, 1938
Page 1
Full Page
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Joplin P.
MO, USA 12 Jul 2023
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