Fraternity-Testvériség, 1952 (30. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1952-04-01 / 4. szám
TESTVÉRISÉG 5 one, the spacious church could not have held the crowd. Having an Easter-sized audience on a Dlain Sunday is certainly some achievement for any church. THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT in the life our Federation every year is the annual meeting of our Sunreme Council. This meeting, usually held in March, takes about five days. The directors, who are old hands in examining all the affairs of the Federation went on with their duties in a businesslike manner and at the end were glad to announce that they have found evervthing in order. By “everything” we mean the financial and promotional status of the Federation, the management of the Home Office, the cooperation of our field workers, the satisfying increase in assets, membership and insurance “in force”, the perfect order of all our books, cards, plates and other records and the Kossuth House itself, in short: the final verdict must have been that the Federation is strong and healthv. To us who are close to the hub of our activities this is no news, and we sincerely hope this is exactly what our many thousands of members also knew and expected to hear. THE CONVENTION which is the biggest and most important event in the life of every fraternal organization and by the order of law must he held once in every four years, will be held from June 16, Monday at the Fort Ligonier Hotel, Ligonier, Pa. The delegates will hear the reports about the years 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1951 and make resolutions concerning the guiding principles of the next four year’s activities, and elect the directors and officers for the next four year term. All told, about 120 people will constitute the membership of this important gathering. OUR GOOD FRIEND, or we might sav evervbodv’s good friend, the “grand old man” of Toledo, Ohio, Dr. Géza Farkas iust celebrated his 75th birthdav, in the best of health, — as we are informed. Through manv years of self- effacing service. Géza Farkas became one of the best known and best loved leaders, in fact a real “one-man institution” in that large and important American-Hungarian communitv. and in the life of the city itself. His weeklv permeated with the noble fraternal spirit alwavs has been the most effective means of friendlv and understanding cooperation between the different groups of his colonv. It is the good luck of all us that he is still at the helm: writing, exhorting, helping, teaching. Mav God Almighty add many years to his useful life! THE OUTCOME OF THE STEEL STRIKE is still in doubt at the time of writing these lines. The Government took over the plants and ordered the workers and companies to resume negotiations and in the meanwhile continue the operation of the plants. In a dramatic radio and television announcement the President emphasized the enormous profits the steel companies are making, pointing out that they could absorb the increase without raising the price of steel. The companies are fighting the presidential order, claiming that the profits pointed out are BEFORE taxes — and hardly a third of the amounts mentioned remains as a profit. JOHN IS IN SPRING TRAINING. When some time ago the fiery leader of the union miners, John L. Lewis appeared before a congressional committee, one representative of the coal companies remarked sourly: “John is in spring training for the bargaining season coming up in April.” The miner’s contract can expire after April 1, 1952 after a 60 day notice, affecting the fortunes of some 400,000 soft and 75,000 hard coal miners, — and the country’s as well. The fact is that the union is unusually quiet about its plans, although it is not at all satisfied with the present contract. The miners (that is John L.) are watching with keen interest what gains the steel strike will bring to the workers. The bargaining aims of Lewis can be described as the steel raise — with something added to it. The belief is that if the steel workers get a 15 cent an-hour raise, the miners’ union will demand 20 cents. In addition Lewis will fight for a 10 cent increase in the tonnage royalty paid into the union’s welfare fund, thus doubling the present contribution. And whether or not the steel workers win the guaranteed — annual — wage plan, Lewis wants 200 days of guaranteed work a year for every regularly employed miner. THE AUTO WORKER’S UNION is going after Communists seriously. The union took over its largest local, No. 600 at the Ford plants, on the grounds that it violated the union’s constitution which forbids the holding of union office by communists or those friendly to the communist party. In 60 days after the removal of a local’s officers there must be a new election. In this case the deposed local-president and his associates will run again. So during two months the leaders of the union must destroy the majority support of the local which the allegedly Communist officers enjoyed . .. so far, ........
