Nicholas
Marinella

NICHOLAS MARINELLA was born in Pennsylvania around 1899. A veteran of World War I, he was working for the Public Service Gas & Electric Company in Camden NJ at the time of the 1930 Census, He then lived, with his wife Anna and daughters Anita and Florence at 310 Spruce Street.

Attracted to the labor movement, by 1936 Nicholas Marinella was president of the Camden Workers Alliance, and was well known locally. By 1947 he was no longer listed in Camden City Directory. His daughters, however, were both living at 150 Linden Street.

Camden Courier-Post - June 21, 1933

Halls' Progress Made By Roosevelt

To the Editor:

Sir-With the special session of Congress adjourned for the year, it is significant to note that the new administration, with teamwork precision and an occasional clash here and there, has accomplished wonderful results in the way of new moves.

During the last weeks of the session it amused me to read of Congress' stubborn resistance, particularly pertaining to excessive cuts in veterans' compensation and the industrial control bill.

It is my firm belief that to have left the whole matter of veterans' compensation with the president, he certainly could be trusted to act with favor in any deserving claim. The Baltimore Evening Sun hits the nail smack on the head when it says "that the thing which impresses many voters is the fact that much of the money paid out through the veterans' bureau has been going, not to men who were disabled in defense of the country, but to grafters and panhandlers who were using their military service as an excuse to raid the treasury." 

For instance: "The president's rules have stopped such things as paying a man $9000 in cash and a pension for life because he fell over a garbage can, although he did very well for fourteen years after fall; and such things as paying a lawyer a pension for life because an operation which saved his life and for which he was not charged a cent left him unable to bowl; and paying veterans who did not get hurt more than is paid to those who did get hurt." I agree with them, furthermore, it is high time the undeserving "pension grabbers" were eliminated from the list. More attention should be paid to the ones really deserving of assistance.

Regarding the industrial control bill will say in view of recent as well as past investigation, that we do need a controlling body to a certain extent. The most important, of course, concerns the payment of wages. Right here in Camden we
have several low-wage shops, and one in particular where my brother in-law's boy of 19 was engaged to work for $3 per week. The hours were as follows: Weekdays from 7.30 a.m. till 8.30 p.m., with half-hour off for lunch; no time off for supper. On Sunday they were very lenient, so he was allowed to stop work at about 2 in the afternoon.

He is now with the government reforestation corps, Boston Corners, N. Y., and writes that he is satisfied and perfectly content with conditions and surroundings. His parents do not have to worry about clothing or feeding him, as was the case heretofore, and in addition they receive a check every other week for $12.50.

A lot of criticism has been directed at this reforestation bill, but if one will stop to consider the facts in the case it will be safe to assume that the jobs in camp are actually worth from $15 to $20 a week to the boys, which is considerably in excess of the amount being paid out by the so-called sweat shops as mentioned above, with plenty of fresh air and recreation in the bargain.

Conditions would have been much better today if during the past three or four years such shop owners had not taken advantage of the situation and placing the blame for low wages on the depression. Unfair wages in industry must be curbed. It is an injustice to the manufacturer who is willing to pay decent wages and co-operate to the fullest extent. The immediate need for the control of the unscrupulous shop owner is necessary; therefore, let us grant the president all the power he wishes regardless of the fact that it may not seem logical to a few who would stand to gain if such authority were not granted.

Camden Courier-Post - February 8, 1936

JOBLESS PROTEST FOOD ORDER EDICT
Legislators 'Playing Politics With Human Misery,' Governor Is Advised

C harges that members of the Legislature are "playing politics with human misery" was made last night in a letter forwarded to Governor Harold G. Hoffman by Nicholas Marinella, chairman of the Camden County Workers Alliance.

Copies of the letter protesting the State Emergency Relief Council's action in substituting food orders for cash relief after March 1, also were sent to Alfred Heddon, state N.R.A. director; Reeve Schley, chairman of the council, and W. Gentry Hodgson, county E.R.A. director.

The letter states in part:

"We predict starting March 1, if the food order system goes into effect, that the administrative payroll of the N.R.A. throughout the state will rise at an alarming rate. We further predict, and know, that the cost of administering food orders to relief clients will be several millions more than what it is now cost­ing the state to distribute cash checks. This again is convincing proof that scheming politicians do not want economy and that they are only interested in creating more jobs for their "door bell ringers and mouth pieces."

The protest cites Schley's statement that the change was necessi­tated due to "inability of the Legislature to agree on a relief refinanc­ing program and the difficulty in obtaining appropriations."

The governor is requested to arrange a meeting of the State Relief Council and a committee representing the Workers' Alliance of New Jersey, "when we will show cause why the state E.R.A. must not re­turn to the food order system."

Camden Courier-Post * October 20, 1936