Show 0 WALL STREET VIEWS By J James ms McMullin CU Financial i iI Observer 3 NEW YORK YORK YORK-As As the zero hour approaches for the New York state political political- conventions Governor Governor Governor Gov Gov- Herbert H. H Lehman becomes becomes becomes be be- comes more and more the backstage backstage backstage back back- stage director of Democratic des des- James A. A Farley in his capacity as state chairman will insist on ona ona ona a rousing indorsement of the new deal as a matter of preserving party harmony But the selection selection selection tion of candidates is something else again Mr Farley is more interested in winning the election than in catering to White House susceptibilities He has found that Mr Lehmans Lehman's position is immeasurably im iiii- iiii measurably stronger in the state organization than it was two years ago and ago and that he needs the governors governor's active cooperation to assure a successful campaign So Lehman will wili have h a a lot to say about who runs for what Political insiders say his influence enhances Attorney General John J. J Bennetts Bennett's prospects of landing the gubernatorial nomination despite despite despite de de- de- de spite the fact that Farley has not been too keen about him Bennett is decidedly not a new dealer New York leaders are keeping a watchful eye eye on San Sari Franciscan Roger Lapham who is president of the Hawaiian American-Hawaiian Steamship Steamship Steam Steam- Steamship ship company and head of the Waterfront nt Employers' Employers association association association tion in his city He is also chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man of the Industrial association of San Francisco and his activities in this capacity are attracting considerable backstage attention in high quarters Mr Lapham is trying to form a federation of employers to correspond correspond correspond cor cor- cor- cor respond to the Central Labor fed fed- His idea is that employers employ employ- ers should be organized to bargain collectively as a unit with organized organized organized organ organ- labor He has no desire to force a showdown with the unions as some of his associates have tried to do Instead of weakening labor he w wants to strengthen the voice of management management management manage manage- ment in labor relations by unified d action thus action thus placing the bargaining bargain bargain- ing parties on an even footing A similar system has worked satisfactorily in England If Lapham's Laphams Laphams Lapham's Laphams Lapham's Lap- Lap hams ham's experiment turns out well wellin wellin wellin in San Francisco it will soon be copied copie 1 in other industrial centers A Dies committee witness testified fied in New York last week that Michael J. J Quill head of the CIO Cl 0 Transport Yorkers Workers union and a member of the New York City council is a member of the Communist party Mr Quill in indignantly indignantly indignantly in- in denies it Employers who have contracts with the Transport Workers' Workers union have long that Quill associates with a radical crowd whether or not he is actually a communist But they all agree that his union certainly has not followed the usual c communist tactics tactics tactics tac tac- tics of raising as much Cain as possible The transport workers have scrupulously respected their contracts contracts so so scrupulously that radical agitators have tried to undermine Quill by charging him with playing the bosses' bosses game Quill came to the United States as a poor Irish immigrant about ten years ago His rise to power in labor circles has been amazingly amazingly amazingly rapid He will be a very important important im im- figure in the life of the metropolis at the end of this year All of New York City's public transportation systems except the city's own Independent subway are under contract to the transport transport transport trans trans- port workers and arid all the contracts expire January 1 This situation m f-m has staggering possibilities m has given no clue as to his demands demands demands de- de mands or intentions but big timers timers' timers tuners tim tim- ers ers' are nervous about him John and George Hartford the brothers who own the A p chain stores performed the most dramatic act of their quiet but butin in influential careers when they re recently recently recently re- re published the first of a a series of newspaper advertisements advertisements advertise advertise- advertisements ments expressing open opposition to the new Patman bill to tax chain stores out of existence Despite the fact that they are sole rulers of an immense bus business business busi- busi iness i- i ness the have always shunned publicity of any kind New Englanders by birth and background they are elderly me men of extremely simple tastes Their entire lives have been devoted to to hard work vork Their headquarters headquarters- offices are characteristically devoid devoid devoid de de- de- de void of swank as simply and austerely furnished as those of a anew a anew anew new firm struggling to save every nickel to get by The have long tong commanded commanded com corn the sincere respect of fi financial financial fi- fi New York They hold hoId outside important directorships i their own company They are are known as frank and rather dour straight-shooters straight without an ounce of bluff or evasiveness It must have cost them something to shed their cloak of anonymity to make make a frontal attack on the Patman bill but now that they are in the fight they will stay in to the finish Chairman Frank of the federal communications commission com corn mission used to be one of the most fluently vocal supporters of f the new deal This was true also in his former job as chairman of the federal power commission But in the past month or so so Mr seems to have gone into the silences He h hardly ever breaks into print nowadays Insiders Insiders Insiders In In- siders recall that he was originally originally named to the the F P C by President Hoover on the recommendation recommendation recommendation of Senator James E. E Watson of In In- diana He was reappointed by President Roosevelt with the blessing of the senates senate's outstanding outstanding outstanding ing liberal George W. W Norris of Nebraska Considering the unparalleled record of political adaptability New York cynics amusedly wonder wonder won won- der des whether he has sensed another another an an- another other shift in the political wind and is preparing to get in right with the next administration Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |