Top Cel Vol 1, #25 - 1/6/45

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

MONDAY, January 8th at the Irish Hall, 7:30

Due to the holidays, and not wanting at the New Rochelle movie house, we have been forced to change the date form our regular Second Tuesday to the day earlier, MONDAY JANUARY 8th. -The place is the Irish Hall, on Lawton St., between Main and Hugenot Sts.

The Executive Board schedule for that Monday at the Commodore Hotel has been canceled.  The Board will meet at the same place on Monday, January 22nd.

OUR UNION

The Executive Board is recommending to the Membership that the Union join the State Painter's Conference.  This is a group that is composed of all the Painter's Unions in the State.  It meets once a year and devotes its time to matters of legislation for the protection of our membership.  Committess are formed to assemble statistical data and to assist the Secretary of the State organization in placing our legislative proposals before the proper authorities.

The affiliation fee is five dollars and the per capita is one-half per cent per month per member.

At Famous we have quite a number of Work Permit Holders that are ready for application into membership, but have not yet signed the application or have not paid any down payments towards the initiation fee.  The Stewards are instructed NOT to accept any dues until the initiation fee is partly paid.  Please cooperate with the Stewards and make their task easier.

Our next General Membership meeting will take place in New Rochelle on January 8th.  We remind the members that the meeting is the second since the fine for non-attendance was in effect.  Especially will the members at New Rochelle have to be present, for if they don't, they will be obliged to come to New York on February.  Their two delegates to the Executive Board will have to be elected, as the present ones resigned.

INCOME TAX RETURNS

Our attorney, Marvin Christenfeld, will deliver a series of three lectures to union members on the preparation on income tax returns.  The first will be given Monday January 8, in New Rochelle, on the problems of filing Estimated returns, due January 15.  The other two will be given February 13, in New York City and March 13, in New Rochelle.  Mr. Christenfeld can be contacted for individual assistance at his office.

EDITORIAL

With a $25 War Bond that came to him unexpectedly during the holidays, Pepe has started the ball rolling for a union welfare fund. And with this first contribution its a good time to explain the welfare fund idea.

A welfare fund is set up to come to the financial aid of members in distress.  It is a confidential service and there is usually no fee.  The only requisite is that the borrower present a bonafide hardship case.  In other words, it is an extension of the basic union idea of mutual assistance.

This contribution of Pepe's does not automatically start our fund.  The idea must still be discussed by the members themselves.  But when the plan is eventually put into effect, it will bring the union and its members even closer.

The death of Lt. Willard Bowsky in action has come as a great shock to his many friends in the cartoon industry.  Willard's good nature and sociability endeared him to many of his associates in the business.  His mother and brother survive him.

FLIPPINGS

Workers at Terry that have volunteered to give their blood on Jan 11th the blood bank: Patricia Stockford, Flora Winston, Eleanor Erickson, Mildred Bishop, Larry Silverman, Tony Creazzo, Pearl Carno, Carol Nodell, Dorothy Palmer, Dolly Keenan, Helen Bromback, Nancy Lee Jones, Joyce Drucher, Phyllis Shagrin, Kay Smith, Virginia Betts and Joan O'Connor... Betty Smith and

Louis Schmitt the parents of a boy;  weight 7 lbs; born Dec. 23rd 1 AM... Marilyn Cole married... "Sparky" had a very good time at Terry's Christmas party on the 13th floor.  He was the only man and husky bunch of mistle-toe was over his head... It certainly was nice to hear from Ted Bonnickson, he send his regards to everyone... From the service men we receive nice home made Xmas cards, including Rojo, Byrne, Starr, Giroux, Carey, Cobean, Guarnier, etc... Jack Mendelshon, formerly at Famous, now with the Navy... Chris Ishii, a new T/Sgt. with the OWI in China. Thanks for the card! ...During the wintery weather, Connie Renza is having trouble getting down from Peekskill where he keeps his dog team... Art Meissner is very ill at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in  Los Angeles.  Letters to him would be greatly appreciated... We extend our sympathies to Vinciguerra who lost his father a few days before Christmas.  ...Capt. Bill McIntyre changed to Hq. of the 10th.  Marines but still in the Pacific... Stan Guanchenbusch in town... Win Hoskins is designing a series of phonograph albums for RCA... Abner Kneitel renting an apartment in Washington as he is bringing his family from Florida... Jennie Selby, a Master-at-Arms, or Police Petty Officer, swears she does not bother any body... New at Famous, Beveryly Gauntlett, Mirian Slote, Frances Smejkal and Elsie de Grasse.

TRADE NEWS

For a number of years the extras in Hollywood were trying to get a better set-up in the Screen Actors Guild that represented them.  Under their constitution, although they were by far the majority, they have no voting powers in running their affairs, or representation in the Executive Board.  Having filed complaints with the NLRB an election was ordered at which times the extras' union, Screen Players Union received 1,451 votes, Screen Actors Guild 456; no union 5; challenged votes 213; void ballots 3; eligible voters 3,300; ballots counted 1,915.  It is hard to learn that the Actors Guild is still fighting every inch of the was as it did all these years.  Top Cel congratulates the new group and Herb Sorell for sticking with the "little guys".

Leon Schlesinger is in New York on business conferences in connection with his cartoon by-products interests, which he retained after retiring from cartoon production.  He expects to remain here at least three weeks.

The Western Union workers, scatter through more than 5000 communities, will vote between Jan 2 to 10 on whether they want the American Communications Assn. (CIO) or a combination of four AFL craft unions to represent them in collective bargaining.

With New York newspapers, notably the World-Telegram, making the most of charges that the ACA is "Communist dominated", CIO President Philip Murray has sent a personal letter to each of the 60,000 Western Union employees urging them to vote for ACA in the forthcoming Labor Board election because "it is an effective, responsible organization, devoted wholeheartedly to the interests of the people."

Hugh Harman returned by plane to Hollywood from Washington where he conferred with executives of the US Department of Agriculture about production of an additional series of farming subjects.

Metro this year is releasing the smallest number of shorts on record.  Schedule for the period ending next August 31 comprises 16 one-reel cartoons and 12 James FitzPatrick Traveltalks.

THEY SAID A MOUTHFUL

Higher wages will and must come as productivity per worker increases whether or not the higher skill of the worker is responsible for his greater output.  When more goods are turned out, more purchasing power must be distributed in wages to avert surpluses which bring industry to a standstill... -Eric Johnston, president, US Chamber of Commerce.

Racism is far too virulent today to permit the slightest refusal in the light of the Constitution that abhors it to expose and condemn it whenever it appears in the course of statutory interpretation... Justice Frank Murphy, US Supreme Court.

Achieving labor unity is something like percolating coffee.  Heat applied from below causes the water to rise to the top.  The boiling water must hit the top before it can percolate down to give you coffee to drink.  Let's hope the rank and file of the AFL, which needs and desires unity of labor action as much as does the CIO, will continue to apply the heat from below until the demand for the joint action reaches the boiling point and makes itself felt "at the top".... CIO News

An Army which can establish the Normandy beachhead, the greatest invasion attempt the world has known, cannot be beaten... Major Charles Kendrick, US Army.

There can be no half measures. If fascism is left to breed anywhere, then, in 10 or 20 years' time, rivers of blood will flow again... Ilya Ehrenburg, Soviet journalist.