The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 5, 1924, Page 5

Set * ~ — J —— ing long terms under the statute, and the curbing of local police power to choke off meetings are aimed at in / ~ the books of this relief committee to Y FORWARD'S LIES [Secret vomacy | |QUAINT SIDE SHOW AGAINST RUSSIAN | 00s 0 Arexicors| BQNVENTION HELD RELIEF NAILED Repetition of Stale Slander Gets Reply (By F, S, R, Press Service) The. Jewish Daily Forward has age opened fire against the Friends of Soviet Russia, singing the same old’ song. ‘On January 28, 1924, they say: “The Friends of Soviet Russia pre- tended they were collecting for Rus- sia, but in reality they used the money for Communist propaganda,” That's nothing new. The British ex-spy said it in a apeech before the Chicago Chamber: of Commerce, The American Legion has said it. The Department of Justice said it. The Jewish Daily Forward said it many times last year, and says it again today. The secretary of the Civie- Federation said it, and finally convinced the -distriet attorney of New York to subpoenae our beoks, and office staff. We were summoned te the office of the district attorney, questioned nd released-—but the books were kept. Charges Found False. A committee of five nationally known men investigates these charges made by this same paper a year ago, -and exonerated us. Their findings were printed in leaflet form both in English and in Jewish. The eommit- tee consisted of Robert Morse Lovett of the New Republic and the Univer- . here. sity of Chicago; Timothy Healy of the Stationery Firemen and Engi- neers’ Union; Norman Thomas of the League for Industrial Democracy and member of the Socialist Party and- Roger N, Baldwin of the Civil Liber- ties Union. Our books were at the office of the district attorney of New York for six months where expert accountants ‘were at work on them, trying to find | some reason for justifying these | charges. They were returned to our: office on November 20, 1928, WITH- OUT ANY CHARGES, We have published regularly fin- ancial statements of our accounts in our official organ. Accounts Were Published, In the issue of September 1, 1922 (end of the first fiseal year), we pub- lished a detailed account of the 17 shiploads of food, medieme, machm- <7 and clothing sent to Russia, which totalled $725,000. In the issue of September, 1923, end of the sec- ond fiseal account of the 16 shiploads totalling $50,000, In addition to this, cash has been remitted as per our printed reports. f ear, we published detailed | By BERTRAM D. WOLFE (Special t@ The Daily Worker) MEXICO: CITY.—Two hundred million ‘pesos ($100,000,000) are to be loaned:to Mexico if the plans of American bankers and the federal government here are carried thru. For more*than two weeks, Frank- lin Helm, banking agent, and for more than a week, J, M. Buckner, a “higher™ up,” have been hanging around the Hotel Regis here, tighter than clams to interviewers, But I have learned that they are negotiating the above loan, that they do not want to pay the first 6,000,- 000 pesos in almighty dollars but in the form of 100, rifles and abundant ammunition for the same (ineidentally, the rifles coming here require American bullets), Then they are planning to deliver 45,000,000 pesos in dollars to make up the first quarter of the total, But what I cannot find out is what strings are to be tied to the spend- ing of that 45,000,000, nor what “effective rantees” are to made for the collecting of the loan what concessions of . Mexican i ha aa the bankers are fishing for, . e state department of the Unit- od Gates has full knowledge of the projected loan, its prospective terms and the state of negotiations. A full. agreement has. not.-yet been reached here.’ > WASHINGTON. — A model work- men’s compensation bill with state insurance fund features is proposed for the District of Columbia by the legislative council of the labor forces It is likely to pass the house with progressive. and Democratic sup- port, and to have at least a chance of passage in the senate before the national election, Watch the “Daily Warker” for the firat installment of “A Week," the great epic of the Russian revolution, by the brilliant young Russian writer, lury Libedinsky. It will start soon. Your Union Meeting Every local listed in the official di- err the CHICAGO FEDERA- T.ON OF LABOR will be published under, this head on day of meeting free of charge for the first month, afterwards our rate will be -as fol- lows; . thly meeting—-$3 a year one ifie tne & ponth, each additional line, 15¢ an issue, Semi-monthly meetings — $5 a year one line published two times a month, each additional line 18¢ an ee ekly meetings—$7.50 a year ‘one line a week, earh additional line _._The Jewish Daily .Forw; on. the} 10¢ an issue: << rae other/hand, bas sponsored and helped |, inst TURSDAY, Feb. Sth, 1924 @ Jewish People's Relief Commit! »| No, . Nameof Local and Flace of ig nie. whieh has never been officially inve 39 Apairamatet a Doug- “aaj : f a Anaiermated hing Workers, 178 pcg Saree 144 Pbk ror) Clothing Workers, 409 8; We chalelnge the Forward to open the same investigating committee. We challenge the Forward to pub- |. lish audited financial reports of their relief commit We uy it This sompeny took money from hundred’ of Jewish workers and promised to send their packages, duty-free, to their relatives in Kus- sie. Instead, the packages were left to rot on the docks and the senders were never reimbursed, We have been informed that the responsible people of this company are being prosecuted. But the Forward has Halsted St, 7:30 p. m. 152 Amalgamted, Clothing Workers, 1564 270 ams mated Clothing Workers, 400 S. sbestos Wkrs,, 180 W. Washington St. Siaaery Workers, 19 W. Adams St, 6320 p, m. kers, Chicago and Western, | Boot ‘and’ Bhoe Whren, 1948 Milwaukee Brick and Clay Werkers, Clark and Devon. 1727 1188 Carpenters Sor jeld_ and 26th, 15 Coopers, i and Crawford, Sy Hitter’ Contractor, 2901. W." Monvoe said nothing about this seandal, tho it was responsible, since it was upon their recommendation that these workers were swindled, We chal! the Jewish Daily Forward to explain why they do ot tell their readers about these Rellet Pte rders. Work Daily for “The Daily!” Fight to Release Communists In _ Pa. State Prisons Repeal of the Flynn Anti-Sedition Law, the release of four men sery- ‘Ara seat in banteeie and 5] "in nsylvania, Aoger N. Baldwin, director of the american Civil Liberties Union, told an audience at the Open Forum of a ee state capitol. The Civil Liberties Union announced, will file petitions this month for the pardon of the four Bin he whom are in Western ry. and Israel Bla Baldwin Joseph Martinowich inkstein, commu and Charles syne ond Steve "ro off, members of the Union of Workers, are the men involved, serv- ing terms up to five years, inary — civil ts, Baldwin stated, are trodden under foot by the industrial interests of Pennsylvania, ‘The situation has bi it the union, fights for the its of free speech and assemblage, “The closed soft coal mining triets dominate y the coal com- panies,” he declared, “together with the steel towns of Western Pennsyl- vania, are places where ordinary civil rights are so difficult of exercise that the issue crops out time and again. We have sent our lawyers and speak- ers into these districts on several oc- ilelp' rights apsingt' peivobalyesene age yeco trolled authorities.” : The Land for the Users! Street. . Engineers, 180 W. Washington St, 1S Pivess, and emen, Lake and Francisco 8 W, Washi "ae Gil tas es toth St. Chicane 814 W, Harrison St. . H Tete Cotman Workers, 328 W. Van Buren Machinists, 3257 Machinists, 7414 Maintenance of : tenance of Way, 3127 W. 38th St. Painters S6th ad Wood. e 20 W. Randolph St. erty Ne By cor,, California’ and Sheffield Ave, Wentworth Av Way, 5445 jand w. wah Se Michi by 5436 Mer Railway Clerks, 609 W. W: 223 426 W. aad icon ‘Blide Whro, Switchmen, 901 E, 75th St. Teamsters, Laundry, 220 8, Ashland o Bt. 1788 Great Northern ” ma ater 17858 Theatre ide, 2 1. ou W. oe. 16171 ght do ‘almer House, (NoteUniess otherwise! stated ll meetings are at 8 p.m.) The Daily Worker for a month free to the first member of any local union Attendants, 912 Capi- sending in change of date or place pp OM of meeting of locals listed here, Please watch for your | not listed let us know, giving and place of this daily announcement complete aa. up to date. dit time Tuesday of every week we ex-| the story to print display announcements of local unions. Rates wil tals'matter op in. your next meeting Your local 4 Nave a weekly dis: Wentworth Ave.) tume dancing fashington. | thru it. Treinmen, 20 W. Randolph} As an encore we ‘and fen Makers, Washtenaw’ and | sickeningly. ve. meeting so we can keep | have & most operatic 1 be $1 an| Music whic BY EX-FORD MEN To Fight Money Devil Without Hen’s Dough (Special to The Dally Worker) By TOM MATTHEWS OMAHA, Neb,—The citigens - of Omaha and adjacent territories were treated to an amusement festival iast week, when the national convention of the combined Independent Pro- gressive Party, American Economi¢ League, Peoples’ Progressive Party, and Ford-for-President Clubs held forth at Hotel Castle. After solemnly deciding that Henry Ford could not be their candidate for the Presideney (Henry having slammed the door in their face) this aggregation of side-show artists came be {£0 the conclusion that they would have to choose from their own ranks Messiahs who would buckle on the armor of Righteousness, and go forth to do battle with the horrid “Money Power.” Roy Harrop to Rescue Roy M, Harrop, of the big words and long promises held the center of the stage as is his usual custom. Af- ter feying. the Shylocks who “strangle the life blood from the nation thru their control of the currency” the valiant Roy proceeded to advise his flock that “all the banks were cer- tain to fail, from the Big Banks in Omaha, to the bank in Podunk Cen- ter.” He did not say that far-sighted progressives should withdraw their money and entrust it to the tender care of Genius Harrop, but whe would dare to question the motives of such a sterling champion of the “people?” Every One Does Stunt After the “delegates” had ex- hibited their particular stunts in turn, the National Convention gravely pro- ceeded to choose Presidential nemi- nees, \veal progressives” they could not a- Ford to wait for the St. Paul meet on |May 30th, that being only a Red Plot ; anyway. Robert R, Pointer of Detroit, a self-confessed friend of Henry Ford, modestly offered himself as @ sacri- fice for the cause, and received the Presidential nomination. Roy Har- rop could not be left out in the cold, cruel world, so he was rewarded for his manly attempts to “do good” by being made the party nominee for | vice-president. ; To Invade Wall Street Meantime, Harrop announces that the headquarters of the “party will be remoyed to New York City, where the fight will be carried directly to the door of the “Money Power,” Just who will be the-goat for the: is not as yet quite clear. faithful can be frightened into with- drawing their shekels from the “banks of the money kings” mere matters of expense should present no obstacles; ‘at least not to the undaunted Hatrop, Vigorous, Virile ‘ Viking Musie at Popular Concer By ALFRED V. FRANKENSTEIN Dazzling brilliance and honeyed “| sentimentality characterized the pop- ular concert of the Chicago Sym- phony orchestra at Orchestra Hall Thursday evening. Mr. Stock's con- Chi- ducting arm has been injured, and so Mr. DeLamarter directed most of the program, The major composition was Men- delssohn’s Italian symphony. It is a cheerful, refined work, but rather spineless in melody and development, and not in the least suggestive Italian music,.or of things Italian, As an encore to this DeLamarter played Godard’s “Adagio Pathet- ae which turns the ninety men singing, cal ice, and . ing up into a climax of powerful tone, Then came some :vigorous, virile Viking music in the Sigurd Jorsal- far suite of Grieg, and the same master’s Solveig's song, in the Peer Gynt_ music. Two movements of the Sigurd were played, the pre- ‘| lude, and the ‘pompous march, Pain’ 02 8, Crtenge Ay Mr. Stock, himself, directed the PAiiind ne w'OAK stn. | second half of the Program, with Pelstere, elahts, ters’! his left, hand, a because his right was were treal to one of the worst things in the repertory, the love scene from G! fines. teks’ ped 9) wa Oe ives a ‘Oo an in toanes to wail nt ach othe "bas. theingold;”” by. "Wagner of “Das e 5 . The music depicts, as only Wagner could make music depict, the grand solemn ‘entry of the es into alhalla, It contains ber Tempentalte i aie a) t js are passing in ion the rainbow cast they are the Rhinemaidens lost gold. Now, | fig = i ered i in the iramatia value of of “Das es version, p) their Rhei o & fe lost =. a x thus cert Po . Work Daily for “The Daily!" ~ They themselves being the | the THE DAILY WORKER Page Five Ashleigh of British Writes About Strike - Railroad Workers By CHARLES ASHLEIGH. (Special to The Daily Worker) LONDON.—I am writing this in London, on the first day of the strike of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, a strike on a national scale, which was called last night, at the stroke of twelve. To-day is the 21st of January. And it is tonight that the vote of “No Confidence” in the Baldwin Government will be carried in the House of Commons, and tomorrow Ramsay MacDon, will be invited by the king to form a Labor government. Events are moving fast in Bri- tain now. The dispute had its origin in 1922, when the railway em- ployers stated that they de- sired certain alterations made in the wage agreement exist- ing between the companies and the unions, This. agreement was made after the great strike of Sep- tember, 1919. It provided certain basic rates of pay for the various les, and also allowed for a slid- ing seale, computed according to’ the cost of living, for additional wages the basic rates, According te this sliding seale, the wages on the railroads are now almost at the basic rate figures, Three Railroad Unions, There are three unions operating in the railway industry: the National Union of Railwaymen, which also ineludes seme firemen and engineers, and is an industrial union; the Rail+ ‘way Clerks' Association, which, as the name implies, is confined tothe elerical workers on the railroads; and the Associated Society of Loco, motive Engineers and Firemen, Tn 1922, the employers’ demands for a reduction of wages were op- y the three unions, and the companies did not, press their de- mands. They bided their time. About six months ago, they resumed their offensive on the standard of living of the railway workers, The matter came up before the Central Wages Board, upon which unions and the employers are equally represented, It resulted in a disagreement. The matter was then referred to the National Wages Board. This beard, which was ere- ated by the Railway Act of 1921, is edmposed of six representatives of the employers, Six representatives of the unions (two representatives from each of the ‘three unions), four renresentatives of the users of the railroads (our old friends, the “publice’), and an “independent” chairman, who is at present Sir William Mackenzie. The chairman is, jhowever, a member of the em- ploying class. Thus, the union rep- ntatives are in a minority of six old to eleven. It is the old, y rd Purely: Consultative. National Wages Board has to enforce its decisions. ts] the A. 8, L. ted avoid a strike. r most| be enforced no Hieg It is a-‘purely consuitative body, formed in the hope that the differ- ences between the employers and workers, on the railways, may be settled there, thru negotiations, and thus strikes may be avoided. Its decisions are, however, by no means binding. It may be compared to the paspaieoent machinery set up in the nited States before the mining strike, except that it has a more official status, ee ‘ The board issued a decision which was adverse to certain grades of the railroad workers. The National Union of Railway men accepted the decisions, thru Yes delegate confer- ence, a body which. hag been criti- ald, leader of the Labor Party, — ee the reactionary leaders of the other railway union, the National Union of Raitwaymen (N. VU. R.) has caused great dissatisfaction and pror test among their own members, as well as among the organized work- ers generally. In the great rail- way strike of 1919, when the N. U. R. came out against the employers, the A, S, L, E, F, had hed its de- mands settled satisfactorily, Never- theless, the A. 8. L. F. also struck, out of sympathy with the N..U, BR. men. But now the'N. U. R. leaders have done their utmost to diseredit the strike, Thomas Plays His Role. J, H. Thomas, of some notoriety as an arrant reactionary, has is« sued statements regarding the strike which are hardly credible, as coming from a leader of labor. In today’s newspapers, he is eredited with hay- ing said that “the strike is a com- plete fiasco.” He, together with Cramp, industrial secretary of the N, U. R,, has issued 2 manifesto to the N. U, R. membership stating that every member of the R, U. KR. is’ expected to remain at work dur- ing the strike. Bromley, the leader of the A, 8, L, BE, ®., has replied with spirit to the statements of Thomas, and has stated that all N, U, R. engineers and firemen who join the strike will receive strike benefits from the A, S. L, EB. F, The Labor Party executive has shown its distaste fer the strike, which will, it evidently considers, embarrass the incoming Labor goy- ernment, The “Daily Herald,” in its editorial article today, adopts a most lukewarm tone, ‘The strike is characterized as “regrettable,” and it. is hinted that the representatives of the A, S, L, E. F, did not suffi- ciently stress the men’s grievance before the Wages Board, It also mentions the difference of opinion on the strike among the leaders of the various railway unions, and also states that these differences exist among the rank and file. The leader is mainly devoted to showing that the findings of the Wages Board are not binding, and that the men on strike, therefore, are not acting constitutionally, So far, so good, But the whole ton@ of the article is that of a prim parent chiding an_ertatie child. ; The article opens with the state- ment: “We regard strikes as re- grettable necessities at certain junc- tures so long as our present system endures, Not all are necessary; not all are prudent.” Such a statement might be perfect’y correct, in prin- ciple, but to print it at the very time that thousands of exploited workers are going into a. desperate struggle to preserve their meager standard of living, is to affect the morale of the strikers most adyerse- ly. The “Daily Herald” is the offi- cial organ of the labor movement, political and industrial. have supported whole-heartedly the efforts of the members of the A. 8. L. E. F. once they had decided to strike, The men are up against the tremendous forees of British capital- ism, and the “Daily Herald” issues no call for their support, no ring- ing appeal for solidarity! cised by some of the N. U, R. mem- bership as being unrepresentative and reactionary, This conference ac- cepted the board's findings by 59 votes to 20, The Railway Clerks’ executive also aecepted the award after a “canvass of feeling” among its members. The Associated Soci- ety of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen took a ballot of its mem- bers, which resulted in a major of 23,919 for the rejection of the awa: haan oe eran majority. It s note at E. F. wag the only one the three unions which took a real ballot of its membershjp,gp the matter. The A. S, L, E. F. claims that the award would mean a loss to firemen on mileage trains of from nine to eighteen shillings a week, and the wages engineers would be reduced by eleven to twen- ty-two shillings weekly. Face Loss In Wages. Other drivers, not on milea rates, would lose about six shill- ings a week. The award would also cause reductions in Sunday and over- time rates. ‘ When the betes against the award | - ie tried, in every possible way, to The mnplorery were again, reopen ‘ "This they waiant o do, and the railroad companies stated definitely that the new rates would AN od ween: dan. be ‘or’ come satllerser on the part of the a stril was 3 the meantime, the conduct of i ii Shipstead Shows Bank Failures and Number of Bankrupt Farmers Grow (By The Federated Press) WASHINGTON.—Senator Shi ‘on the doors, and = policy of tary Mel , is ‘offered : rt i ? oo z are less = ! i effort on the maintain high rates. 4 oe ‘ , declared that the western banks are being forced to close number g sty ag een beii rat pays for money, teflon the interest with Treasury savin, has forced up the rate changed h interest is hei id by th Btn" of tine and oe MPa mg By that Mise Support Their Own Ambitions, Already the reformista and ca- reerists of the Labor Party are showing their colors. They are ren- dering the task of the Communists easy by already exposing themselves as men who would subordinate the industrial movement of the workers, the mass action of the workers, to their parliamentary ambitions, At present, despite Thomas’s base statement to the contrary, the strike is succeeding. Reports, in the ca italist press, already show that the service on the railroads has been ‘crippled, Bromley states that the strike will not reach its peak until Thursday, But atready the country is witnessing the beginning of a great industrial struggle, And, despite the treachery of Thomas, the membership of the N, U. R. ig showing itself sound and wholesome. News is already coming in, from various localities, of engi- neers and firemen, who are members of the N. U. R., joining the strike. Protests against Thomas's action are arriving daily from N, U, R. branehes, The Communist Party of Great Britain, and the British Bureau of the Red International of. Labour Unions, are in the fight to the fin- ish, in support of the striking work- ers. The policy of the Party and the Bureau is as follows: 1, The immediate eatension of the strike to all engineers and firemen ‘who are members of the N. U. R, and to all other grades of railway workers. A general strike of ali workers in the railroad transporta- of Minnesota, in his maiden rapidly increased, rate of 44 Dts eent, by banks to able than before to pay interest on part of the Treasury and the federal tion industry, is the slogan of the Party. ' 2, The further extension of the strike to read transport workers. This is to affect the thousands of workers in the motor road transport service. Already arrangements have| ' been made by the state and the cap- italiets to replace railroad transport| as much as. possible by automobile | transport, This puts the automo-| bile transport workers in an exeel-| lent strategic position to force a betterment of their own conditions, @s well as to show solidarity with the railroad workers, by striking. 3. Trades and Labor Councils in all localities are called upon by the Communist Party and the R. I. L. U, immediately to set up councils of action to co-ordinate all strike ac-| tivities, and to bring together the workers of the various railway unions, as well as workers in other industries, in order to extend and support the strike. This will be the machinery for oxpressing the| will of the masses for solidaric ac-| tion, and for exerting rank-and-file pressure upon various leaders, and also to broaden the present strike out into a great mass movement, Not an Isolated Strike. This railway strike is no isolated | event. Britain is approaching a} period of tremendous working-class | activity, It is the second wave,| after the apathy and discouragement which came after the tragic betrayal | of Black Friday in 1921. | Predicts Dockers’ Strike, A dock workers’ nation-wide strike! may be expected in the beginning of February, The miners have yoted| by a huge majority for the termina-| tion of their agreement with the bosses, A miners’ strike appears inevitable in the near future, Thus. the great masses of the British workers, in the key indus- tries of railroad and marine trans- portation, and of mining, are mov- ing, are preparing for gigantic struggles with the master class. The Laber government will have a diffeult road to travel, It will soon be seen just how loyal to the workers’ interests are the labor jeadere who will form the new cab- inet. Shows the Fight Is On. The second wave, of which Com- rade Zinovieff has written, is be- ginning to touch Britain, The preparing for Titanie struggles, of which the present strike is the first, The Communist Party yd the Red International of Labor Unions are facing tremendous tasks in Brit- ain, to win the workers to the adoption of a militant policy, to tear down the barriers of craft- ‘union isolation, and to mobilize the workers for the impending battles with one of the strongest sections of the capitalist class in the world. The fight is on; on with the fight! Youth Views By HARRY GANNES Lack of School Space Encourages Industrial _Home-Work With the increasing number of child workers, the educational de- partments of state and federal goy- ernment combine in urging a better school attendance of the children. The U. 8, government issues spe- cial leaflets telling the , parents to It shou'd| let their children stay in school de- spite unemployment. The futulity of such appeals, of course, is striking, when it is re- membered that a child cannot go to school barefooted in winter, and that a breakfastless youngster makes a backward pupil, not to ony a sick one, jut what amount of argument can cover up the fact that there are not enough seats for the chil- dren who are sent to school? In New York all sorts of makeshifts are adopted to crowd in a few hours of worthless study.each day for thousands of children for whom no Proper schooling provisions were made. In Chicago the good news is handed out that now only 2.000 out of 312,000 public school children are not cared for properly. This means that more than one quarter of the children do not receive full school time, and many of them get only a half-day’s attendance, The conditions prevailing in the public schools in the large industria} centers of the United States en- courage intensified exloitation of the children. In the poorer workers’ homes, the parents utilize the time the children are home by keeping them = bi at work at the many forms of industrial home-work doled out nearly all of the smaller mani ecturing establishments. + Exploit Mere Babies What excuse has capitalism for existing in this country, when two year old children are forced to work? That mere babies help eke! out a miserable existence war) bremght out in testimony before the New York Welfare Commission, Of 2,000 famities investigated. most of them did not have more than from $300 to $400 a year to maintain life, The degradation of home work | in the tenements, not only in New York, but thruout all the eastern manufacturing states, has been inted out again and again by the ‘oung Workers’ League of j Pra fea, The boss's political machinery does not even make a pretence of looking into such things, We thought that American cap-| italism was at its worst in ev} weg 2 five and six year old kid- | dies for ten and twelve hours + | day, but when we hear that two year old babies help make profits, we are sure that American cap- itlism, tho it has outlived its use- ness from an economie and po- | ber forees of the British proletariat are’ ful litical point of view, can still af- ford abundant surprises in new of brutalities. FEWER JOBS AND. LOWER WAGES IN WISCONSIN 122 Seek Every 100 Jobs Offered By LELAND OLDS (Federated Press Industrial Editor.) Fewer jobs and lower earnings characterize the December report of the Wisconsin industrial commission. The number of employes_on factory payrolls fell 1.8 per cent between November and December and reached a point 7 per cent below the high point of July. At the same time the number of applicants for each 100 jobs offered rose to 122. This means idle men looking for work. Large reductions, says the report, are especially noted in building, highway and railroad construction work, while the whole list of indus- trial classifications is marked by de- clining employment except in the ease of industries that are in sea- son at ‘this time of the year. The total number of workers re- ported on factory payfolls in De- | cember was 79,757 as compared with 85,479 ago, The sharp drop in’ employment in certain industries such as canning and preserving is seasonal. But in other important industries the num- employed ig very considerably below that in December, 1922, Thus manufacturers of brick, tile and ce- ment blocks are employing 29 per cent fewer men than a year ago. Tron_and steel plants report a drop of 23 per cent in the number of employes as compared with Decem- ber, 1922, Decreases of 7 per cent were reported by foundries and ma- chine shops, automobile plants and furniture makers, The tanning in- dustry has 12 per eent and the vt and shoe industry 21 per cent fewer workers. While flour mills and rail- Toad construction work are employ- ing respectively 32 per cent and 35 ner cent fewer men than a year ago. During December, 1928, the ay- erage weekly pay envelope amount- ed to $24.30, a decrease of 2.6 per cent from November and of 3 per cent from the high point .of the year. The amount is still approxi- mately 4 per “cent higher than in December, 1922. The sharpest fall- ing off in average earnings is found among the metal trades with a de- cline from $29.40 to $27.80, or 544 per cent. Workers in the automobile industry suffered a drop of over 27 per cent, their average pay fall- in July and 77,999 a year | ing from $28.75 to $20.86. | Police Caucus on Shoe Strikers’ Brockton Trial (Special to The Daily Worker) BROCKTON, Mass.—The pbdlice department has had a special meet- ing called by City Marshal Chase to consider the 167 cases of members of the Brockton District Shoe Work- ers Union who were arrested during the strike last summer, These cases are to come up at the February term of the superior court. The police otticers discussed ways and means of handling the cases and tes- timony each-officer was to give. One hundred and forty-three of the defendants are charged with mis- demeanors, the other 24 with dis- turbance, Much ill-fecling was aroused among the workers of this vicinity by the mass: arrests, which were the outcome of a drive inst the strikc madc by the authorities in co-operativa with the shoe manufac- turers, John J. Geogan, attorney for the union, has not yet announced what procedure the defense will fo!ow. House Progressives in New Alliance | with Democrats (By The Federéted Press) WASHINGTON.—Progressives in the House have given formal notice that they will join with the demo- erats in defeating the Mellon plan of reduction of taxes on the rich, Longworth, Gillett and their asse- ciates in the Old Guard in the House, are facing the same stone wall they faced in the rules fight——they cannot muster enough votes to carry any measure on which the Progressives ean induce the democrats to take the opposition. Our Advertisers help make this Paper possible. Patron- ize our Advertisers and tell them you saw their Ad in The Daily Worker. Send in Your News The Daily Worker urges all members of the party to send in the news of their various secs Branch should pondent and make him responsible for the news that ought to be sent in to The Daily Worker. The Party Page should be the livest page in The Daily Worker. Help make it so, Address all mail to the Editor, The Daily Worker, 1640 N, Halsted St., Chicago, Ill.