◆ SpookStack

: mational convention ia San Francisca : and spent two months in California , telling peonle abour Highlander workers at Sherwoud, Tennessee, dander alumnus, is president of the ALF. cf L local dheve. / to the United Christian Conference :on Democracy, at Cleveland, Ohio, the community and of activities at PAGE TWO * a Labor Organizes Political A further step toward state- wide political organization for labor was taken in December, when the Tennessee League for Progressive Democracy was set up at a Chattanooga convention of workers and union leaders. The organization was formed as a unit of Labor's Non-Partisan League, whose Executive Vice-President, F. L. Oliver, came to the city 10 address the delepates, OMficers elected are Wil Ham Turnblazer, president, Edward F. Callaghan, vice-president, Paul 1. Ragon, secretary. The Monteagle loca! of American Fideration of Teachers sent delegates who were active in the convention, William Buttrick serving as tempo- tary secretary and Myles Horton as chairman of the nominations com- Miltec. SOME EVENTS (Continued from page 1} Myles Horton attended the CIO Zilphia Hortan his spept the wine} ter organizing tor the Amalgamated Clothing Workers in Nashville ‘The school has been helping Jime plans fur a union medical co- eperauve. J. D. Bradford, a High- James Dombrowski was a delegate THE HIGHLANDER FLING POLL TAX FIGHT GAINS ATTENTION; Initiated in Grundy County, with the help of Highlander staf mem- bers, the court battle over poll tax re- quirements for voting is moving into the spotlight of national interest. Henry Pirtle of Tracy City, county seat four miles north of Highlander Folk School, did net pay his poll tax tas year. For this reason he is denied the night to vote by Tennessee laws. Bot for a special election to choose a representative ta Congress last fall Pirtle asked the Federal court at Nashville to intervene against elec- tion officials who withheld the hallat. Legal Arguments The case is now before the US. Circuit Court of Appeals and is ex- pected to continue on through the Supreme Court before the bartle ends. The legal argumem of Pirtle’s appeal is based on the contention that a state does not have power to tax a federal function and by doing so the state infringes upon the sovereignty of the United States, Pirtle is backed by the Civil Rights Committee of the Southern Confer. ence for Human Welfare, which has MARCH, | ¢ NATIONAL CASE AROSE IN GRUNDY retained Crampton Harris of Birm- ingham as legal counsel. Double Attack The Committee, whose Chairman ts Maver Maury Maverick of San Aatonia, is making a dauble-bar- relled anack on the poll tax evil. A bill designed by the Commitee has bern introduced in Coneress ly Rep resentative Lee Geyer (Qem., Cali). If passed into law, it would prevent any state from making payment of poll taxes a requirement for voting for federal officials. Millions of workers in the South will find themselves able to exercise their own free choice in elections if this campaign succeeds—millions formerly denied the ballot or “voted” by political bosses who paid for their iax receipts. Joseph Gelders of Birmingham, secretary of the Civil Rights Com- mittee, has been raising funds to help support this Aight by the sale at one cent each of stamps for use on the backs of lewers. Each stamp bears the slogan: “Abolish Poll Tax- es! Free Amertca First?” Last summer Highlander’s Plymouth coach was limping so badly we decided it had to have a thorough overhauling. After being hanled off the Tennessee RaW OF he 2 eamessee River ferry by a tractor because the worn out clutch wouldn't pull, Bill Buttrick arrived with the car at a Chattanooga garage —to be informed that the total repair bill would amount to Jomeary ag ag, Mary Lawrance has been holding educational classes for teamsters and Wo Winall Werkers in Louisville, | 4 vas Daily, We are fortunate ta have on hand new a bouuulul collecuion of colored Slides {to be projected on a screen), taken or the children at the Aursery school, There are also a few slides of Highlander. Groups interested in fouvtng cbest pictures shawn at their | dashes shivuid warie to Jim Boa browski. It might be possible for aj Maff ruember to shew the films, i | the distance to be traveled is not too $140. And that was the end of the car’s service to Highlander. It was left with the dealer in ex- change for a credit of $275. Now unless we buy a new car before May first we shall lose the cred- MATTERS FINANCIAL the country. It has been preserved for posterity by the deposit of a copy in the United States Archives at Washington. But we have no means of showing it te anyone ourselves. A used 16 mm. sound projector would be welcome. A new one costs $500. Yes, things do wear out. There is the rmimeograph machine. After years of hard service it still grinds out copy—but for sure we think it ts on its last legs. A new, modern du. phcating machine is one of our im- portant needs. People wear out too, An auto wreck and several illnesses have taken a heavy toll of time and energy it. Who will supply §500 to pay the auro dealer ? Highlander has a motion picture film—PEOPLE OF THE CUM- BERLAND—known as one of the outstanding documentary films in g y Claudia Lewis spoke on her work at Highlander at the conference of the National Association for Nursery Education in New York jast fall. She also gave two lectures at the Bank St. from the staff this winter. Hospital and doctor bills still remain to be settled. Then there is the plumbing. What the frigid weather did to our plant -.. but we won't go into the horrible details. Highlander muse have funds im- mediately to meet the costs of the Spring Term. We car continue our work only if evcryone who is intet- ested in what we do will contribute every dollar possible to the support WITH THE ALUMNI Christine Eversole Benson se news that.is real news. The An bamated in Paducah is givin; series of six broadcasts over local radio statton. These free pPearances are in the form of sl on the meaning of the Union. Maxton Champion has been appoi ed regiona) super.isor in no Georgia for the WPA Workc Service Program. Cecil Hoimes reports a great victs for the rubber workers in Ga den, The NLRB handed dowr favorable decision in the case t. had been pending for 2 years. Alda Hulbert wees that she is p ducing a “practical union so book which will contain “fc proof accompaniments.” fohnay Sullenger and Dora M Brooks report that they recent put on “Lolly Pop Poppa,” a mu cal comedy skit by Zilphia Horto for the A-C.W.A, in Paduca Dora Mae's Giee Club is still goir strong. Bernie Schmidt, of the Steel Worke Organizing Committee, is hel pir with a newly organized Worker Educational Club in Covingto Kemuchy. Telesforo Ovredo, afr leading strike of the Pecan Workers : which he was assaulted and ii jured, writes that he is now on of work and expects to go bac to Mexico. Biiye Bailey, ILGWU organize finds ume to write a play eve though she has to take Gime ot to get her car rewired “as a resu of stooges whacking into it leavin me without lights, and gas line ur connected.” Adeline Harris writes that she ha thought of the “good old Publi Speaking course” a number o umes lately. She has been partici pating in panel discussions ar ranged by the Teachers Union. song sok sur our for the: The song book pur out for the: ACWA local by Katherine anc EfteaéerA Crim, who learned mim eographing here in the summer o 1939, is an achievement. It woulc be hard to find a <nimeographes booklet that could surpass this onc in the attractiveness of its set-up and the neatness and skill of exe. cution, Odean Enestvedt, member of the State Committee of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party, brought hi: bride ta Highlander for the re- union fast November, and the newlyweds have heen cnendino