Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1941-1945

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It is significant that the vocir/1 • ferous critics of AFRA in the mat-I ter of Proposition 12 are also con~ vinced opponents of the uniom shop, either as a matter of princil- ple ot of economic advantage. A.s a consequence, they cannot admit the legitimacy of any union actiom, whether it takes the form of a111 assessment or not, to protect th'ls historic institution. This is real'ly the heart of the controversy oven- ___ Proposition 12. In fact, there is reason to su:i- pect that the difficulty goes deejp· er than this-that the current itt- tack on the union shop is a smoke- screen calculated to disguise :ti'! onslaught on unionism itself. Whether or not it is, the union shop is a well established Ame ri- can institution resting on so lid J legal and moral bases, and a, legiti- mate objective of union activity. If attacked, it is, therefore, a legitimate object of union defense. \ AFRA, then, assessed its mem- bers, with their democratic, if tacit, consent, to secure an homest trade-union end-the defeat or: · an anti-union amendment to the State Constitution. Under the i::ir- cumstances, I do not see how 1lhis involved any denial' of "political liberty." "Right t.o Work" A final observation. Thero is obviously abroad in the Jandl a clever campaign designed to W£10.k- en organized labor by setting re- turning veterans against the unions. The spearhead of the drive is an attack on the closed shop behind the smoke-screen of the "Right to Work" and other attractive slogans. A flagrant ex- ample of this reprehensible tech- nique was the bill introduced s_ome weel{s ago by Representative John E. Rankin, of Mississippi, which would exempt veterans from the closed-shop prnvisions of union contracts. Such a bill can produce nothing but industrial strife and bitter discord between soldiers and civilians. It is also an insult to the intelligence of veterans, many of whom know from experience that unions are necessary in mod- ern industry to protect the eco- nomic interests of workers. This is the point too often over- looked in the heated polemic over organized labor. In themselves, labor unions are good and neces- ' sary. Tney have as their main \ objectives the security and well- being of Jor\{ers, including better I wages, collective bargaining, rea- sonable hours, sanitation, occupa- tional safety and protection from exploitation by unscrupulous em- ployers. That is why over 15,000,- l 000 workers in tne United States belong to unions, and pay dues and assessments. They know there is no other way in which they can I exercise and safeguard the rights

THI SOUTHERN CROSS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 1945 -------.,..._------~- Apostolic Labors in Mexican Settlement Provide Interesting Lesson in Statistics Attendance at Religion Classes in San Bernardino Area Doubles in Five Years religious doctrine classes in the parish and mission churches of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This impressive figure would gladden the heart of any zealous Catholic who is familiar with the actual sad plight of Religion in the State of Cali- fornia. Were he, however, statistically inclined, his joyous enthusiasm would be withheld, pending elucidation of the figure given. More than a thousand children, however, enrolled for enlighten- of Christ ever pressing forth, the ment in Faith and Morals does af- work went on from year to year, and with each passing year the ford a pleasure in itself to anyone average daily attendance of the who is desirous of tubbing out the children grew gree.ter, becoming forces of darkness on earth. Never- practically doubled, 65.2 percent at theless, how many of these chi!- the end of 1945. systemic tabulation throughout the story of perseverance and arduous year placed the number at 383 for an average daily attendance of 36.5 percent. application reads as follows: Year Enrollment Average Percent j 1939-40 1047 383 36.5 1940-41 1016 375 37. Offhand these statistics would 1941 _ 42 scarcely engender enthusiastic ap- 1942 _ 43 proval, but an expert in figures 1943 _ 44 would furt!ter inquire into the re- 1944 _ 45 ligious background of the children 906 780 1021 1380 408 412 583 900 45. 51.4 57.1 65.2 Spanish-speaking is to the zealous Sisters of the brethern from Mexico, so much Society of Missionary Catechists, persecuted and denied in the Land so likewise is it an incentive to next to ours and so sadly neglect- th e Rev. Joseph R. Nunez, pastor ed and underprivileged e v e n t0 continue steadfastly his efforts though they are now in our own to raise the climbing percentage Country, then even 36.5 percent to the desired optimum. By ap- woud be greeted with complacent pointment from His Excellency, . I the Most Rev. Bishop of San Diego acquiescence. . . . Father Nunez came to Our Lady However, 1t goes without saymg, of Guadalupe as pastor in 1939. that the doubtful J>light of the Included in his vast vineyard are other 63.5 percent remained a also four mission churches all of sharp sword cutting excruciatingly which together with the ~other through the maternal heart of the church literally portray the truth, Catholic Church. ~haring in full "The field is indeed great, but the this painful :solicitude of Mother laborers are few." Assisting the Church were the Sisters of the pastor normally are two assistants, Society of Missionary Catechists truly an undermanned situation in of Redlands, California, who came view of the apostolic potentialities from their Mother Home in Hunt- in this fertile field. ington, Ind. But with the charity The 1944-45 figures quoted above SAN BERNARDINO-During the school ;year of 1939 i nd ividual to 1940 there was a total of 1047 children enrolled in the co nd ucted follows: dren continued their active parti- cipation in these instructions? A quent language of statistics, this pastor. and, upon learning that they were As encouraging as this record those of our resolve

to which they are in justice en- titled. They agree with the follow- ing considered judgment of Mon- signor John A. Ryan, who has de- voted a lifetime to the question: A careful survey of the history of labor during the last 100 years will show with abundant clearness that no entire grade or class of laborers has secured any impor- tant economic advantage except by its own organized resistance and aggressiveness. And p1·actically every union has at some time pro- tected the working conditions of its members against deterioration. The fact that some labor lead- ers are crooked and tyrannical and that others are loyal to a govern• ment not our own does not change the picture essentially. I do not wish to minimize the danger of these abuses, but they ought not to be exaggerated, either. There are crooks and scoundrels in gov- ernment and business, in law and medicine, in every segment of the population. Organized labor has its share, but no more than its I share. It is just as unreasonable I to attack unionism bec~use of abuses which have crept 111 as it is to attack marriage because of the prevalence of adultery or birth control. In both cases, the abuses I ought to be eradicated without de- stroying the institution. What we need today is less in- flammatory talk on both sides, and an end to the attempt to push through ill digested legislation. What we need today is a new spirit of trust and cooperation be- tween labor and management, a willingness to recognize respective rights and fulfil duties. What we need is fewer Propositions 12, and more round-table discussions like the one which resulted last winter in the Charter for Industrial Peace signed by Philip Murray of the CIO, William Green of the AFL, and Eric Johnson of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.

All perfection 'attended by some imperfection, and all our far-seeing is not with- out a certain obscurity. Do what thou canst, and God will be with thy good will. in this life is

themselves according to Catechetical s c h o o 1 s by Father Nunez as

Pct,

Enr. Av.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

976 229

643 122

66

Christo Rey ........ Teresita ---·---······ 61 Del Rosa ............ 53 East Highlands.. 61

53.2

52 39 44

85 73 72

---- 1380 900

65.2 Not included in the above fig- ures for 1944-45; was a group of Junior High students with an en- rolment of 73 and a daily average attendance of 40 for a percentage of 54.2. This school was conducted

Told chronologically, in the elo- by the two Fathers who assist the

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