"By the time you are old enough to receive old age pensions there will be no middle class left," said Edwin A. Lahey, Nieman Fellow, to a meeting of the American Civilization group in the Union last night.

Defining the middle class as "self sustaining and self employing," Lahey warned the gathering to get over the idea of making any money and suggested that for those who had a little idealism, propaganda or legal aid for the cause of labor would be a "big career but you would never get rich."

When questioned as to his attitude toward picketing, Lahey, who was the labor writer for the Chicago Daily News said, "In this stage of labor relations violence and the sit-down strike are the only weapons against repression." He brought out the fact that 95 per cent of all sit-down strikes took place in a period when employers were deliberately disobeying the Wagner Act on advice of counsel.

"It's up to the corporations to solve the problems which they create such as old age pensions, permanent unemployment and opportunity for young people," Lahey continued. He cited Australia as one of the many countries which was far ahead of the United States with an administrative labor board.