The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 28, 1924, Page 2

Fage awe” RHE DAiL’ WORK KS x NEXT DECISIVE BATTLE SET FOR NORTH MEXICO Workers in Capital Face High Living Costs By BERTRAM D. WOLFE (Stat Correspondent of the Federated Press MEXICO CITY.—The next decis- ive battle in the rebellion will be fought in the north of the republic where the counter-revolutionists have | vention to the statement of President] the working class in general. sent powerful detachments to assume the offensive in a desperate effort to take possession of the railroads con- necting the capital with El Paso and Laredo, in order to capture the am- munition coming down from the United States to the federals. The government has suspended traffic to El Paso in order to move troop trains but the Laredo line is running on regular schedule. At the same time, ing the offensive on the eastern or Vera Cruz front, Mexico City Peaceful. Aside from price fixing commis- sions and daily published price lists, life in the capital shows no signs of the fact that a large portion of the country is torn by civil war. Thea- ters, movies, stores, business, every- thing is running as usual. Occa- sionally the excited whispering of a little knot of foreign or domestic “fifis” (dudes) stops as a band of grim looking, newly armed but un- uniformed . workers or peasants passes down the fashionable boule- vard of the Paseo de la Reforma,| but for the most part the ill-wishers talk as freely as the well-wishers of the present government. The price fixing commissions re- sulted from the skyrocketing of prices by the Gachupins (Spaniards) who own the entire grocery and meat and provision trades here, and the consequent threat of “direct ac- tion” on the part of the workers. Face Economic Misery. Economic misery is slowly settling down upon the country as the re- sult of the civil war. To the tex- tile factories, already closed for many months, have been added sec- tions of the railroads, mines, the petroleum fields, and factories of every description as the tearing up of rails, burning and dynamiting of bridges, disintegration of train serw jee and embargo of counter-revolu- tionary areas, slowly destroys the transportation fabric of the nation. The textile factories may provoke an acute class conflict. The Confed- eracion General (anarcno-syndicalist) which is dominant in the textile in- dustry, has decreed factory seizure as a means of compelling the re- tion. of work in this industry. The shutdown herd large ‘part artificial and much} .der than the new military rebellio} The textile men closed their fac- tories to compel the government to lower its tariffs on raw cotton and to compel the workers to accept lower wages. The “red” unions, as the anarchist unions are called, have de- cided to exhaust all other means be- fore resorting to factory seizure. The “yellow” unions oppose this the federals are resum-| Complete Statement of Nova Scotia Miners To the Delegates of the Interna- tional Convention. The undersigned delegates, repre- |senting the Locals in District 26, hav- ing been denied the privilege of mak- ling a reply on the floors of the Con- Lewis pertaining to matters in Dis-| trict 26, are forced to. take this |means of stating our side of this iquestion before our Brother Dele- gates, and strongly appeal to their sense of fairness; we ask each other | |to give this statement his careful con- | sideration. At January Ist, 1922, when the Operators put into effect a wage re- duction of 87%, the officers of Dis- | trict 26, were President Robert, Bax- ter; Vice-President W. P. Delaney; {Secretary-Treasurer J, B, McLach- lan; International Board Member, Dan Livingston. This Executive |Board of District 26, made applica- tion for an injunction restraining the |operators under the Industrial Dis- | putes Act from putting any reduction of wage into effect. Challenge Lewis This application was granted and the operators were restrained from putting this reduction into effect. ¢ Supreme Court, however, set ide this injunction and the. re- duction of wages went into effect. We challenge the International President to produce any evidence that he advised the Distriet 26 officers to come on strike at that time or made any offer of support to the Miners of District 26, Miners Rejected Reduction Notwithstanding President Lewis’ sneering remarks in his speech that his only regret was that he had not ordered a strike in January 1922, we wish to point out that the Canadian law absolutely prohibits under severe penalties any labor organization from calling a strike without first having the dispute submitted to a concilia- .tion board. The Executive Board, therefore, immediately applied for a Board of Conciliation, which was granted. This Board, known as the Gillen Board, investigated the matter of wages, and handed down an award providing for a minimum rate of $2.85 instead of $2.44 as posted up by the operators, and Providing a contract wage with 82% reduction instead of 37% as posted up by the company. The miners in Nova Scotia, indignantly rejected this award and this brought on a special district convention at Truro, Nova Scotia in February 1922, and at this special convention, John P. White Was present as the International Rep- resentative. Extract From Minutes We now quote from the minutes of this special district convention: “President Baxter stated that we ‘were confronted with the big ques- tion of wages. I desire to deal with the wage situation as we are face to Statement of Nova Sco (Special Cotrespondence to The Daily Worker) INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Jan. 27.—The Nova Scotia miners, who were refused the privilege of defending themselves and their deposed District Executive Committee when the Lewis steam- roller crushed out every attempt at discussion after his long speech attacking the Nova Scotia miners and Jim McLachlan particularly, have issued a statement with a view of bringing the facts to the attention of the delegates to the convention and Since the expulsion of Alexander Howat and the Kansas miners from the United Mine Workers of America, for fighting the Kansas Industrial Slave Law no more flagrant act of injustice has been committed in the opinion of hundreds of delegates than the deal given the miners of District 26. Howat was at least} given the floor to defend himself, tho his enemies were able to count the votes, but the officials of District 26 were condemned without a chance to tell their side of the story. Reaction Feared Exposure It is safe to say that the reason for the steamroller methods, in, shutting off discussion and calling for the previous question after Mr. Lewis finished his speech against McLachlan, was the official conviction that had they given the floor to those who! | wished to defend the Nova Scotia miners that the report of the committee on resolutions would be overruled and the expelled men restored to office and to their former standing in the United Mine Workers of America. The statement issued by the delegates from Nova Scotia and signed by many other delegates takes issue with President Lewis: on his charge that the officials of District 26, consented to a} wage.reduction while he was valiantly battling in the United States putting $44,000,000 into the pockets of the anthracite coal miners. Fights Man Behind Prison Bars Here let it be said that while Mr. Lewis in his attack: on the revolutionary leaders of District 26, brought out with effect the} devotion of those men to the ideal of working class emancipation: from capitalism, apparently a crime in Mr. Lewis’ eyes, based| his main argument on the fact that the miners in the United States were better paid than their fellow workers across the border. This was his most telling argument, and he used it effectively and for all it was worth. Mr. Lewis is courageous; particularly when fighting Jim McLachlan, who is now behind prison bars serving a two years sentence for running foul of} the British Empire Steel Company, tho Lewis was “too proud to fight” against the injunction in 1919. In view of the statements made in the document which is printed herewith, it is not at all surprising that Mr. Lewis feared the effects of this story being told on the floor of the convention. It is not surprising that in view of the evident authenticity ofthese documents, he instructed his lieutenant, Mr. Philip Murray, to gavel for the previous question just as he had finished sneering at a brave miner who was in a Canadian prison for his loyalty to the Nova Scotia miners and the working class in general. : Statement Published In Full The statement is published in full in THE DAILY WORKER in order to assist in bringing the facts congerning this matter to the attention of the miners and the workers thruout this country and Canada. After you read this you will be able to decide for yourself who favored the struggle against wage cuts for the Nova Scotia miners—Jim McLachlan and his associates, or his present enemies, Lewis and Green and the report given by brothers Livingston and Baxter was correct. The Interna- tional Union had been spending huge Secretary read the telegram drafted by the committee appointed for that purpose at the close of the afternoon session yesterday and which read as tia Miners, Issued to Convention, Containing Damning Facts of Their Betrayal, Raises Storm and Puts the Lewis Machine on the Defensive Ask Their Autonomy Be Restored to Them be arrived at, After three days negotiations and after the com- panies refusing to accede to pro-, positions put forth by us, the attached proposition was agreed to by a_majority of the district execu~ tive board, to be recommended as a basis of settlement. “We are prompted in making this recommendation because of statement put forth by delegates to international convention and also by international representa- tives of the resources of the Inter- national Union : hae af rec and the impending 0 Pp Ist, in all districts of the United States. These statements were conveyed to you by the delegates at the Truro convention and we feel that in the best interests of all concerned, the offer of the com- panies should be accepted. Signed by Robert Baxter, W. P. Delaney, Angus McFee, Lewis Me- Cormick and W. J. McKay. Montreal Proposal The members of District Execu- tive Board of District 26, having been authorized by a district con- vention held in Truro, February 28rd, to the 25th, to interview the manage- ment of the corporation and ascertain | the best terms, the management could offer as a basis for settlement of the wage question, the following was mutually agreed to: The management has already | accepted and put into effect the rates! recommended under the Gillen award and in addition thereto has made an adjustment of the datal rates be- tween the minimum rate of $2.85 per | day and certain other higher rates and agrees to increase the minimum datal rate to $3.00 per day. 2. The companies will not object to inclusion in this wage agreement | of employees in the general machine | shops and shop firers employed at the | collieries. A committee equally composed of representatives of the companies and the men to decide on what others of the employees ex- cluded on January Ist, should be in- eluded in the scope of the agree- ment. 3, The conditions of the Montreal agreement to remain in force in all! particulars except as regards the ey of wages and as herein modi- fied. The terms above written to become effective between the first of Jan- uary 1922 and 30th of November 1922, when ratified by members of District 26, both sides to agree to meet 20 days before the expiration of the agreement for the purpose of arranging a new understanding. On behalf of District No. 26, . M. W. of A. (Signed) Robert Baxter Dominion Coal Co., Ltd. (Signed) R. M. Wolvin, Pres. Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Co., Ltd. (Signed) D. H. McDougall, Pres. International Officers Responsible measure but join the reds in advo-|face with it at present. The whole cating a joint conference of the| question resolves itself into one of workers, the government and the fac-|force. Force is the thing we have tory owners, to rely upon at this time. I have just returned from the International POLO OOSO IES OTODOOOHOS | Convention and from an interview . with President Lewis and I desire to Comradely Greetings place before this convention the to amount of force at our disposal, “The President continuing, stated THE that when Presitens Lewis was asked ¢ amount available for District 26 DAILY JWORKER if we had strike, stated that we 'y get our share, equal to th from the amount given to other districts, NEW HAVEN RUSSIAN Secretary fixed the amount at $10,- BRANCH 000 per week, and after April ist, Secretary Green had stated there of the mtr oy aa = all. International w Pasty. 0a) ember Livingston stated that he desired to concur with the state- QOSOHOOMOSSSSOOSSSSSSOG|Ment of President Baxter but the amount of $10,000 was a lump sum Phone Spaulding 4670 that would be given us and may have ASHER B. pha kllg co. to be spread over a week or a month. | Barrett Also Present “Delegate Barrett stated that he was present at the interview with ‘Estima’ New and olay Work ites on New s 14 ct K &» CHICAGO LL THE MICHIGAN DEFENSE NEEDS $15,000 BY MARCH 1ST! Send all contributions to the LABOR DEFENSE | COUNCIL, 166 W. Washington Street, Chicago, Ill. mum rate of $8.00 per day. vention to order at 10 A, M. sums weekly on strikes in different districts which had strained the fin- ancial resources of the International Union. Besides this the revenue of tha International Union had to be cut into on account of large bodies of men being idle. President Baxter then called upon John P. White, to address the convention. In his ad- dress, he outlined the terrible condi- tions of unemployment prevailing for nearly a year past in very large sections of the: United States and stated that large reduction of ‘wage rates had been made. “President Baxter stated that John P. White had a telegram while at the International Convention from D. H. McDougal, asking for a meeting. The meeting was arranged to take place in Montreal. John P. White then outlined the proceedings between him and representatives of the company, and read a proposition submitted by the company which did not materially differ from that already in effect at the mines excepting by agreeing to the inclusion of shot firers in the Union. Brother White read a tele- from President Lewis, instruct- ng him to come here and stating the International Union's position in regard to strike or otherwise. Telegram Read “The following is a copy of the memo read by John P. White, at the es convention, February 24th, “‘Memo of Position Taken by the y. In the event of the men being will- ing fe ages the ae award as a basis, the company would be prepared to have its representative folns with a representative of the men to make an adjustment in the rate of the low id men by which the $2.85 named the award would be increased to $3.00 per day, and the application of the reduction for 20% to the datal men go rei arranged as not to bri; any able bodied man below the mini- For ex- ample, the underground labor class formerly getting $3.90 and reduced re application of the 20% under the illen award to $2.68, would not be lower than $3.00, Moved and sec- onded that five of the committee be appointed to draft a suitable reply ‘to the statement submitted from the company by John P. White this morn- ing with the view of getting into negotiations. Motion carried. The following were appointed a commit- tee to draft a reply: Baxter, M Lachlan, Roberts, laney ead’ John P, White. The meeting then ad- journed.” Telegram Rejects Reduction sident Baxter called the con- “ fellows ‘Truro, N. S., Feb, 24, 1922 D. H. McDougal, Vice-Pres., British Empire Steel Corp., Montreal. Statement submitted by you to John P. White, as your ultimatum upon which you are willing to en- ter negotiations unsatisfactory. We suggest a meeting with your representatives Monday, taking in- to consideration our phases of the present situation with a view to immediate settlement, Signed by Robert Baxter, W. P. Delaney, J. B.. McLachlan “In the afternoon session Presi- dent Baxter read the following tele- gram: ‘Montreal, February 25, 1922 Robert Baxter, : U. M. W., District 26, Truro, N, 8. Replying your wire twenty fourth | Biisiness engagements already fixed Prevent either Mr. Wolvin or my- self being in Nova Scotia, at this time but we expect to be in Mont- real all week and would be pre- pared to see you there. A num- ber of our officials from Nova Scotia are now in Montreal. Signed by D. H. McDougal,’ “The convention then adjourned | est bargain possible, always bearing and the executive accompanied by|in mind that circumstances might |% We wish to point out right here that the above proposal agreed to by the above executive members and/ John P, White, was not signed or agreed to by J. B. McLachlan or Board Members Hall or Ress, and was unanimously rejected by the miners in Nova Scotia, At this time the annual district |% agreed to have the wage dispute |¥ again investigated, and a new board, known as the Scott Board, was ap-|¥% pointed, and in a short time made an | % award, giving practically the same scale of wages. At this time the annual district | convention was called at Truro, Nova Scotia, and again we quote from its minutes: President Baxter's Policy For Nova Scotia “Just previous to the last special convention held in Indianapolis, In- diana, February, 1922, the Policy Committee in discussing the situation of District 26, concluded that owing to the possibility of our having con- cluded an agreement before March 81st, and that because we would not be much of a factor in the struggle about to take place, they were agreed to give us sufficient scope to make the John P. White, went to Montreal to|change, allowing if necessary the meet the operators. The result of | forces of the organization to be con-|% this meeting was that the following | °*" cireular was issued to the Novia|ture date. Scotia miners: CIRCULAR Brothers: In our endeavor to | United States. securue a reasonable contract with the British Empire Steel Corpora- tion, we, the Executive Board, Dis- trict 26, were successful in secur- ing an extension of the old con- tract for one month. Again meet- ing in Montreal, December 15th, 1921, a deadlock wag reached mak- ing it necessary to ask the Min- ister of Labor for a Conciliation Board. The same being appointed trated upon this field at some fu- It being the concensus of opinion that altho we might ac- cept a reduction, it would in no way undermine _ their ition in the Such rule has worked to our advantage in the have no hesitation in believing that it tat ® good method for the pres- en Secretary-Treasurer, J. B. Me- Lachlan strenuously opposed this policy and the following resolution was adopted: ‘9 Resolution No, 9 “At a special meéting of Local uery 11th 1928, A majority | convention to goon record to the | decision favored approximately | effect that the Fondling of the Scott | 5% increase over wage rates put | Board recommendation was due to prodigy or the he peaks the conduct of the majority of the 's ‘ating. 3 si- , i res, open nS. sibneel te the Executive officials, who took the members of our Union, was re- jected by a vote of 10,003 to 486, A convention was then called in order to formulate what should now be the policy of the district. The convention finally decided that the district executive board, in company with John P. White, should Cater So eeaserel to i “1 representatives the best stand from the very first, that the miners could get no more pa: $3.00 Cy? day, and who pleaded the case of the miners in a deliberately inefficient mifiner in order that the. miners would not get a better re- commendation from Board. ies Censure id we hereby request the Truro convention to censure all those ecutive officers who by real than and I|% conduct, their public statements and their actions, gave cause to the Scott Board members to award the deci- sion as to wages that was given out,” Reduction Officials Defeated Following the adoption of this resolution, those executive officers, | Baxter, Barrett, McCormick, Delaney, who with John P. White, had been as- sociated in the above wage proposals, | resigned. In the ensuing district elections, those said officers were overwhelmingly defeated. Win Despite Troops The miners in Nova Scotia at the time most favorable to them in August 1922, declared a strike, and immediately troops, provincial police, gun-men were poured into the district. The district had no and no assia' the Interna- on’s report forthcoming from tional, Seretary shows that out of ly four mil- weeks and the com- & mediator, offered the increase of 18% and the ma vote accepted this. Lewis Shown As Crude Liar Bear in mind this 18% was ex- actly 18% more than John P. White had assisted to arrange at Montreal as shown by above document and had advised for acceptance to the Nova Scotia miners; and we I. lenge President Lewis to prod any evidence to show that he any effort to assist us in kee up our wage rates or spent dollar on our behalf. Another Lie, Nailed To proceed, the so-called “Sacred Agreement” entered into by the men in 1922, in which we secured 18% Jaauaty 26, 152. Save Fellow Workers Arm ALTON, IllL—Oscar Weis, em- ploye of a local box factory, will retain his arm as a result of the kindness of his fellow workers. His arm was crushed between pa- per rollers and most of the skin stripped off, leaving the flesh bare. Fellow employes surren- dered small parts of their cyticle which was grafted on the arm. The injured man ig recovering. tion of 20%, the miners of Nova Scotia refused to work under such reduction when they knew they had the backing of the United Mine Workers. McLachlan’s Fine Record In conclusion we do not expect any unanimity of opinion as to the politi- cal views held by MeLachlan or the Nova Scotia miners. We do say ‘emphatically, however, that when President Lewis attempts to associate McLachlan with any wage reduction in Nova Scotia, he is not speaking in accordance with the facts. In all his long career, for over twenty years, McLachlan has always set his face like flint against any and all wage reductions, His record as a labor leader is available to any who re- quire it and speaks for itself. The very fact that McLachlan is now in jail thru his activities on behalf of the miners and not in any cushy Job, is proof of his devotion. This mean attempt of President Lewis to distort the facts and to lay on McLachlan the odious charge that McLachlan was ever in favor of a wage cut is bitterly and hotly resented. Lewis’ Contemptible Tactics In all the history of conventions no meaner or blacker episode has increase in spite of John P. White | occurred than that in which President and Baxter, Barrett, Delaney and | McCormick, was simply a scale of Lewis after distorting the facts in the ‘wage disputes in Nova Scotia, pre- rates, and had no stoppage'of work|judiced the minds of the delegates clause, and was to remain in effect till January 15th, 1924, While this strike of 1928, was primarily a protest against armed in- tervention in the effort of our broth- ers in the steel works, victims alike of Besco brutality to get a living wage, yet to all intents and purposes, it was an attempt on our part to re- open the wage question and get the | 1921 rates, Lewis Protects Corporation We wish to point out that President Lewis has failed to mention the viola- tion of contract on the part of the company. This violation consisted of a reduction of the coal cutting rate from 28.4 to 18¢ -per ton, and we quote Neal Ferry, who expressed his opinion while in Nova Scotia, that = ate had violated the con- ac Lewis Upholds Traitors The strike of 1923, came under the disapproval of President Lewis, who ordered the men back to work, re- voked the district charter, deposed the officers and set up as’ provisional officers Baxter, Barrett,. McCormick and Delaney, who as our documents show consistently since January 1st, 1922, advocated and advised the ac- ceptance of a wage rate of $3.00 per day. In spite of the protests of the Nova Scotian miners, those same men who as we, have conclusively shown stood for the acceptance of low wages, are still in office under the ig and approval of President We wish also to point out that on the 15th day of this present month, when the operators posted a reduc- st the record of the miners of ‘ova Scotia, and then proceeded to ass a snap verdict without giving any lelegate an opportunity to give the real facts. The Damning Facts The chargé of President Lewis, that we took wage reducticons lying down, is a lie, and is an outrage against the record of the Nova Scotia miners, who, as our official records show, fought to the limit of their re- sources against the onslaughts of the operators, aided and abetted bea some of our officers and John P. White, the International representative, Lewis Fought for Operators We make the counter-charge that President Lewis deserted the Nova Scotia miners, delegated his part to John P. White, whose actions are set out in this statement, failed to send us any financial aid in our desperate straits, and only jumped into our struggle in 1928, at the request of the operators, and set up in office his own flunkeys who all thru the piece have stood for wage reductions, and who have been sively voted out of office by the rank and file. \We appeal to our brother delegates ‘to see that our district is given a fair measure of justice. We ask only that we be given back our autonomy; that we be given an opportunity to elect our district of- ficers; that we be accorded the same measure of justice, the same rights, the same moral and financial as- sistance in our struggle against our operators that is given to other dis- tricts of the United Mine Workers. 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