September, 1937, 1937

The UCAPAWA District Convention was held at Memphis on September 24 to 26; the papers include the call (1) and two mimeographed reports to all STFU locals on the results of the convention and the new procedures adopted (29,30). Gordon McIntire, Louisiana organizer for the National Farmers Union, wrote to urge Mitchell to begin organizing Louisiana sugar workers (7,14,24) and the New Orleans Industrial Union Council seconded the proposal (23): see also Mitchell's lengthy reply, detailing his plans for organizing all southern workers under UCAPAWA (8). Anti-union violence continued with a mob attack on J.R. Butler and the disruption of union meetings in Missouri. A letter sent to the WDL provides a listing of all legal cases currently pending (7). There is an interesting letter from Arthur G. McDowell, the new Labor Secretary of the Socialist Party, setting forth his plans (23), and a copy of a set of correspondence from the ACLU on the beating of UAW organizer Norman Smith in Memphis (25)