Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawaii - West Oahu: Honolulu Record Digitization Project

Honolulu Record, Volume 10 No. 7, Thursday, September 12, 1957 p. 1

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Bridges-Wallace Broadcast Brought Here; Newspapers Left Plenty Out

You read accounts in local newspapers about what Harry Bridges said on TV Reporter Mike Wallace's program ''Interview," a couple of weeks ago, but there's a lot you didn't read that was said over the air. If present plans materialize, you'll have a chance shortly to hear and see the program over a local station because the ILWU has brought the tape from the Mainland and is now dickering for a spot to show it.

But don't expect to get quite the same picture you did from the news stories.

Remember the bit about how Bridges said he thought it would be the right thing to strike American ports and hold up shipments of arms and troops to some war front if the union believed it was right? Well, it didn't come out quite that way in the broadcast.

In the first place, Bridges emphasized in his answer to the loaded question that he wouldn't be making any decision like that. The union would. But he mentioned a few times in history when the union had protested military action abroad. One was the effort. to discourage the shipping of scrap iron to Imperial Japan, long before World War II, shipments the U. S. was to regret deeply later. Another was an effort to discourage shipments to Fascist Italy.

One that Wallace brought up was the protest of longshoremen against shipments to help the Dutch keep the people of Indonesia under their rule—though Wallace didn't put it in those terms of course. His phrasing made It sound like a subversive attitude. And when Wallace asked whether or not he believes Communists should hold office in the union, Bridges replied first that the union constitution (which forbids discrimination against any member because of political belief) takes care of that. Pressed further, he said he believed it would be all right for Communists to hold office "if the membership returns them elected."

Won’t Smear Labor Leaders

Bridges steadfastly refused to enter into any smear of any other union leader on a basis of findings by any congressional hearing, or by Time Magazine. But he gave some thumbnail opinions of various union leaders on a basis of what he knows of them otherwise.

Of George Meany, head of the AFL-CIO, he said "He lacks in wanting democracy for union members."

Of Johnny Dio: "No opinion. I never met the man, never heard of him until recently."
Of Victor Riesel: "A man who poses as a labor expert who knows nothing of labor."
Of Walter Reuther: "Ambitious ... a good leader of a good tough union."

Of Dave Beck because of many fights with the ILWU, "we don't think much of him."
Of James Hoffa: "If he wins the presidency of the Teamsters, it will be good for labor."

Of John L. Lewis. "A great man," who suffered more smear "than Hoffa and myself put together" in the days when he was organizing the CIO.

On his own, discussing Meany further, Bridges quoted Meany had told a convention of the National Assn. of Manufacturers to the effect that he (Meany) had never called a strike, never led or suggested a strike, or had anything to do with a picketline.

Not for ILWU

"If I said something like that, Bridges commented, "my union members would turn me out of office overnight, and believe me, they have the machinery to do it"

Urged to define the class war which Bridges said still exists, the union leader mentioned negotiations with employers and said.

"Every cent or half cent we get in wages is less in profits. That's class war."

Asked his opinion of Russian Communism, Bridges said he's no expert on Russian Communism. Pressed further, he said he doesn't approve everything he's heard of Russian practice, but he 'believes the system they have now is better than what they had before.

As to Hungary, he said he believes the workers struck there "for cause" and he believes workers anywhere should have the right to strike for cause.

p /> I do not say that at odd hours a patient must be given the regular hot dinner or supper. Few people would expect this.
 
But what is so complicated about opening and heating a can of soup, making some toast, or preparing instant coffee or tea? Why cannot a night nurse do these simple things after the kitchen to closed? Is it just too much trouble?

It is only common humanity to feed the hungry. If our hospitals are too big, too complex, too impersonal to do these small kindnesses for the sick, something is very wrong.