Newshawks v. Hearst

San Francisco is traditionally a good newspaperman's town. Many a crack newshawk got his start there. Many another wishes he might work there. Last week in city rooms all over the land, newsmen kept one eye cocked on San Francisco. A big story was about to break. Not a line had appeared in the news columns of the daily Press, but practically every editor, reporter and desk man knew about it. It was to be the first test of the potency of the American Newspaper Guild. The villain of the story was William Randolph Hearst.

Guild. The Newspaper Guild started last August in Manhattan. With the Newspaper Code about to be formulated, Scripps-Howard Columnist Heywood

Broun decided there was a chance for newsmen to organize for their own benefit. Minimum wages, a five-day week, security of jobs and the means of collective bargaining were chief among the Guild's purposes. A national organization was formed last December in Washington, and chapters sprouted in 70 cities. Broun was made national president. As its founders expected, the Guild had troubles from the start. In rare cases some publisher gave it active support. Most publishers registered passive resistance, shuddered at the prospect of unionism in the news rooms. The American Newspaper Publishers Association, openly distrustful, opposed the appointment of a guild member to the Newspaper Industrial Board under NRA. Still the Guild continued to grow, last week claimed 8,000 members, one-fifth of the estimated total of newspaper editorial workers. But its national structure was incoherent. It needed a national convention, scheduled for June 5 in St. Paul. Still more it needed the welding influence of a big test case. That was what it found last week in San Francisco. Hearst-- Two months ago the Hearst papers published a front-page editorial boasting that they had voluntarily upped wages and shortened hours beyond the requirements of NRA. Almost simultaneously in Washington and Manhattan, local guilds took steps to remind Publisher Hearst and the public of three 10% wage cuts throughout the Hearst chain, which had not been restored; of long hours and reduced staffs. That action enraged Publisher William Randolph Hearst Jr. of the New York American, whose displeasure was so apparent that 25 or 30 American employes promptly quit the Guild. Meanwhile in San Francisco Louis Burgess, an editorial writer on Hearst's Examiner, took a conspicuous part in the Guild organization there, was elected chairman of the strong Examiner chapter. About a fortnight later owlish Edmond D. Coblentz, editor of the New York American, made a flying visit to the Pacific Coast, hot from his encounter with the New York Guild. Clarence Lindner, general manager of the Examiner, was summoned with Editor Coblentz to Mr. Hearst's castle at San Simeon. Thence Mr. Lindner telephoned orders back to his newspaper to discharge Louis Burgess. His reason: "economy." As a gesture of contempt for the Guild it was plain as an eight-column headline. It was made even plainer when Guild notices were torn from the city room bulletin board and a sign posted: "For Examiner Business Only." The Guild found another board in the lobby, labeled it "For Guild Business Only." President Heywood Broun and Executive Secretary Jonathan Eddy wired Publisher Hearst, asking a plain statement on the Burgess case. Both wires were ignored. Fortnight ago, on advice of the Guild, Louis Burgess filed formal complaint against Mr. Hearst with the NRA Regional Labor Board, under Section 7-a of the law. The Board awaited the return from Washington this week of its chairman, Professor Henry F. Grady, Dean of the School of Commerce of the University of California, following which it would hold hearings.

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