The Jewish Carpenters Union Local 504 determined to withdraw from the United Hebrew Trades. This should particularly arrest the entire attention of the Chicago Jewish labor movement, as well as the Jewish labor movement throughout the entire country.

Their reason for withdrawing is that the Independent Painters Union, which is affiliated with the United Hebrew Trades, is not a local of the American Federation of Labor.

And thus civilized people act. Are the Jewish workers, who are proud of being the most enlightened, class-conscious and revolutionary proletarians acting so? No, it is too incredible to be true!

Do you know why the painters do not belong to the Painters Union of the American Federation of Labor? Because they are not accepted. They are perhaps as loyal as the Carpenters of Local 504, and yet they are refused admittance. The workers of the Independent Painters Union must also eat. They have families. What should they have done in order to avoid hunger and want? What would you carpenters have done in their place?

The Jewish carpenters should have been the very last ones to adopt such a resolution. Is there another group of laborers in the country who have suffered, and are still suffering, from oppression, insults and persecution, by the building trades "comrades," as are the Jewish carpenters? How many times was Local 504 threatened with revocation of their charter? How many charters have already been revoked from the Jewish Carpenters Union locals? How many thousands, perhaps tens of thousands 3of carpenters, painters, tinsmiths, plumbers and other tradesmen of the building trades, both Jewish and other immigrants, starve on account of the difficulties - or restrictive laws - to enter the building trade unions of the Federation?

Jewish carpenters, you should be ashamed of yourselves. You, as part of a people who have been afflicted for hundreds of years throughout the entire world want to introduce the same atrocities.

If the carpenters wanted to propose any charges against the painters, they should have done so at the United Hebrew Trades and not act as judges, jurymen and prosecutors themselves. Where is justice?

Local 504's withdrawal has clearly evinced their position to the independent unions of the building and other trades in general, and this can cause a great deal of unpleasantness. It must be checked early.

The United Hebrew Trades had naturally stood on the side of justice and will by all means, defend, protect and help the painters, who risk their lives on walking on the scaffolds and breathing the obnoxious gases of the poisonous paint, and who are being driven from the painters union without any reason at all.

Carpenters of Local 504, you are guilty and now declare yourselves.

The Independent Painters Union Local will celebrate their first annual jubilee, Saturday evening, Sept. 27, with a grand entertainment in Workingmen's Hall, at 12th and Woller Streets.

A year is, perhaps, a trivial period of time in the life of a labor organization. But to the painters, it was a year of heroism and sacrifices, because they daily had to carry on a three-fold struggle for existence. Besides being suspended on high scaffolds, breathing the abominable poison of the paint, they carried on a struggle with the bosses for higher wages and better conditions. They also had to fight with their own "brother" painters who did not concede them a right to earn a livelihood.

The Independent Painters have existed for only one year, but their organization is a revolutionary force among the workers of the building trade. The Independent Painters Union is not an opposition union against the Federation of Labor and trade unionism. It is an opposition union against sluggers, restriction laws, insults and closed doors.

We are in receipt of the following letter which speaks for itself, and which is not in need of any commentaries:

"Worthy Editor of the Courier:

"Kindly publish my experience with anti-Semitism prevailing in the painting line.

"A Chicago (English) newspaper advertised for a paper-hanger, Tuesday, Sept. 2. I, as a painter and union man, applied for the job.

"Upon entering, I was immediately questioned if I were a Jew! My answer was, 'I am a Jew.' 'I do not hire any Jews, because I hate your entire Jewish nation. I am highly pleased that there are no Jewish residents living around here.' was the boss' reply.

"Well, I have had a fine lesson from the ignorant anti-Semite. And let me tell you, my Jewish brethren, that my personality, cleanliness and command of the English language do not prove to be loathsome. And I confirm that this was a sentiment of anti-Semitism. I therefore appeal to our Jewish pride that we must put an end to this. And my friends, if we ignore this, then we are not sure that the same thing might not happen to another one and even a tenth one.

"I appeal to my union brothers for help in order to establish justice in the union. I will submit his name to the union, or others if necessary. Trusting that my voice will not remain silent, I am your reader,

S. B. Glickman

6719 Sangamon Street.

Member of Local 521."