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One of the largest labor pre-election gatherings ever held in northern West Virginia will take place on Saturday night, May 7, at the Moose auditorium, Clarksburg, beginning at 9:30 p. m. in the form of a pre-election dance.

The pre-election dance is being sponsored by the Committee on Political Education of the Harrison County Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.

"This rally-dance is being held in order to give the interested rank-and-file members and leaders of area local labor unions an opportunity to meet and talk with the candidates for political offices in both major political parties. Realizing that both political parties are represented "within organized labor the dance and program will be on a non-partisan basis," stated John Biafore, chairman of the COPE Committee and president of the county Labor Federation.

"Senator John Kennedy and Senator Hubert Humphrey have both been extended cordial invitations to attend the dance and program to meet and talk informally with the working men and women of north-central West Virginia. Senator Humphrey has accepted the invitation and it is hoped that Senator Kennedy will also accept," stated James T. Nelson, Clarksburg Area COPE Director.

Plans are progressing to give comfortable accom[m]odations for a crowd of over 500 men and women.

Mike Audia's Combo will provide the dancing from 9:30 p. m. to 12:30 p. m.

Forman [sic] invitations have been extended to the County and State chairmen of both political parties.

Thirty candidates for delegates to the national Democrat and Republican conventions as well as countless other candidates for political offices have indicated that they will attend this labor-political get-together.

Grafton - J. Frank Wiseman, a former city manager of Clarksburg who is helping with the campaign of U. S. Senator John F. Kennedy in the presidential race in West Virginia, spoke in behalf of Senator Kennedy at a Democratic rally Wednesday night at the Andrews Methodist Church.

In reference to a remark by Lt. Gov. Karl Rolvaag of Minnesota that all Democrats should unite to defeat the Republicans, Wiseman stated that he agreed with Rolvaag that there should be a unanimity of effort by the Democrats but "I believe that of equal or greater importance to the great masses of people in the State of West Virginia is the 15 per cent of the employable work force in West Virginia that is unemployed. Also, that economic development through long-range planning as espoused by Senator Kennedy is of prime importance to the State of West Virginia.

"This is particularly important," Wiseman continued, "by reason of the fact that the U. S. Census Bureau figures projected to 1980 indicate that there will be but a growth of three per cent in the population of our state whereas the national population growth will be 50 per cent. Also indicated by the U. S. Census Bureau, unless economic development is carried out, in 1975 coal production in the State of West Virginia will be no better than the deplorable condition existing in the State today."

Wiseman further stated that such a long-range planning program is the problem of the community, the State, and the Federal Government, jointly.

He pointed out that Senator Kennedy had similar problems in the State of Massachusetts when the textile industry virtually closed down and left many areas of his state in economic chaos. The new plants there are now working, due to the efforts of Senator Kennedy in correcting this condition, Wiseman told his listeners. "There is substantially full employment now is the State of Massachusetts," he said.

"I pray God that the citizens of West Virginia will not let religious prejudices prevent them from voting for Senator Kennedy, whom I believe is most sincerely inclined to aid the people of our State to correct this economic depression which exists in numerous areas of West Virginia," Wiseman concluded.