The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 7, 1924, Page 4

~ ’ Page Four THE DAILY WORKER Friday, March 7, 1924 $1.50-$1.75 HOUR! What Is the “Sacred” i in BUILDING TRADES RATE IN ST. LOUIS Mechanics’ Wages Go- ing Up This Year By MARTIN DALMON (Staff Correspondent of The Federated Prets) 8ST. LOUIS, March 6—Union ce- ment finishers here have won their demand for a wage increase of 25 cents an hour to $1.50, aifecting more than 400 workmen. Foremen are to/| receive $1.62% instead of $1.87% an/ hour, The increase gives this craft | the minimum daily wage of $12 for) skilled labor, toward which the other St. Louis building trades are stcad- ily moving. The cement finishers are the sec- | ond craft to win the new scale dur-| ing the present year. Lathers won| jto form ac the increase a month ago and signed agroements for a year. | Hoisting Engineers Strike. Hoisting engineers are on strike against employers who have refused the new union scale, intcrease to $1,50 an hour from § A few! building laborers are st ng for an! increase of 20 cents an hour, from 67% cents to 87% cents an hour. Most of the empl however, have settled with t and only about 100 of the two crafts, which together have a membership of over 1,500, are involved. Brick and mortar hodcarriers ac- cepted a scale of $1.15 an hour re- cently; the original demand was for $1.20 an hour, the old rate being $1. Union asbestos workers are on a strike for $1.50 an hour instead of the present scale of $1.15. . Their contract expired the first of the year. The employers are striving to oper- ate with strikebreakers. Painters Ask $1.50 an Hour. Several other local building trades are demandnig $1.50 an hour, effec- tive when present agreements expire in March and April. The painters \and paper-hangers are demanding $1.50 an hour, five-day week with double time for all work done on Saturdays.: The present scale is $1.25 an hour, with the 44-hour week in force. The newspapers and big business are united against the painters’ de- mand. In support of their position the painters point to the heavy death rate among their members from oc. cupational diseases and cite the his- tory of the Typographical union, showing that the average life of printers has increased as working time has been reduced by the union. The. waintepa, feel, too, that the five- day week will “aitenipr 1 Hels velve “Urtentpre ment by a more equal distribution of the work. A number of the paint- ing contractors are favorable to the shorter week, while the more hard- boiled of them are expected to show fight. The painters declare the new conditions must go into effect March 10, the expiration of present agree- ments, or they will strike. Carpenters, bricklaye-3 and plas- terers are receiving $1.75 an hour, secured last year. Plumbers and electricians obtained the $1.50 an hour last summer, signing agree- ments for a year. The building trades request their fellow workers in other cities not to be attracted to St. Louis by these new wage rates. There is insuffi- cient work for the men already here, and any considerable influx of workmen to the city would flood the labor market and aid the employ- ers in robbing the local trades of their hard-won gains. The employ. ers have exhausted nearly every re- source to circumvent the unions, and a flood of propaganda thruout the country advertising an alleged short- age of labor at high wages in St. Louis is anticipated as their next move. ‘Actors Equity May Strike As Managers Threaten Open Shop NEW YORK, March 6.—The Ac- tors’ Equity Association may call a strike on June Ist if a section of the Theatre Managers’ Assocation persist iri their determination to es- teblish the open shop. David Belasco is a leader in the move among the producers to break with Equity. On the other hand it is rumored that the Shuberts, Wil- liam A. Brady and others have sign- ed up. The Actors’ Equity Association is affiliated with the American Federa- tion of Labor and in the event ofa atrike could call on stage handlers and all other theatre employes with A. ¥. of L. membership to strike. Sign up today for German Relief Day work. jthe old capital By JOHN PEPPER HE workers and farmers have before them two political dates; representing two political movements ~—May 30 and July 4. And there is a fight around these two dates. A bitter fight which is unintelligible as a fight on such a simple technical question as that of a date. But this question which is seemingly only technical proves to be the most important question of the Farmer-Labor movement. The ques of May 30 or July 4 is a most vital political question and which can decide for a long time the whole future of an iridependent class party of workers and exploited farmer: Ww Ma. is the. difference between | 0 and July 4? K 30 is the date of a conven-j tion of all forces of the Farmer- Labor movement which are willing | Fermer-Labor Party. 4 ist date of a convention } which is backed by forces which} have not decided whether they will! endorse the prog’ ive candidate of one of the old tical parties or put up a Third Party ticket. May 30 is a date which was se-! ntionally because it is be- if ul ions of parties. July 4 is a date selected intentionally be- cause it comes after the conventions of the old capitalist parties. The convention of May 30 aims to | form a party of workers and ex- | ploited farmers, a class party of the exploited and suppressed laboring | imasses. The convention of July 4 jwants to form a Third Party which {shall embrace various non-capitalist classes, such as lower middle class, well-to-do farmers, industrial work- ers and exploited farmers. Even the convention of May 30 will not be a pure class gathering. True, the bulk of the masses which ; will back it will be industrial work- ers and exploited American “peas- ants,” but it will have a sprinkling of lower middle class\and well-to-do farmer elements. Yet taken all in all the May 30 convention will be under the unquestioned domination of the proletarian elements of the working and farming class. The July 4 convention will have a heavy representation of industrial workers, tho mainly of the labor aristo- cracy; but it will aave an equally heavy representation of lower middle class and well-to-do farmer elements and will be under the domination of the most reactionary labor leaders and so-called progressive politictans of the republican and democratic jto-do farmers. | ple’s Non-Partisan Political League tion only to the international unions, which means a monopoly for the labor bureaucrats, denied completely representation to the local trade unions, and its only attitude towards the Communists “Begone Satan!” Summed up, the essence of the dif- ference between May 30 and July 4 is the ’ difference between a class Farmer-Labor Party and a_ ‘Third Party, The struggle for May 30 is {the struggle for the class party. The acceptance of the date of July 4 is the betrayal of the idea of a class party of workers and exploited farm- jers and the acceptance of a party in which the workers and exploited farmers would be organrzed together with the lower middle class and well- Mr. William Maho- ney, president of the Working Peo. in Minnesota, advocating the post- ponement of the May 30 Convention, stated in his paper, the Minnesota Union Advocate: “There is nothing sacred about May 30.” But there is something sacred about May 30, Mr. Mahoney! May 30 is the date and the symbol of the class. party! The abandonment of May 30 for July 4 means the betrayal of the class party idea and the acceptance of the Third Party idea. There is- something sacred about} May 30th the cause but the sign of the mass movement for the Third Party. La- Follette doe# not drive the masses, but is driven by the masses, The postponement of the May 30 convention ,till after the old capital- ist party conventions; means the de- livering of the May convédhtion to these lower middle class and well- to.do farmer masses and their po- litical leaders, to the LaFollettes, the Magnus Johnsons, and the Wheelers. The breaking away of the millions of workers, farmers and lower mid- dle-class elements from the old cap- italist parties is the most revolu- tionary fact in our present political situation. The breaking down of the two-party system and the formation of a Third Party will mark the be- ginning of a political revolution in the United States. We must do everything to drive all these non- capitalist elements to a split from the republican and democratic par- ties, which means their splitting away from the political leadership of the capitalist class. But at the same time we must realize that these big non-capitalist masses do not be- long all to the same class. We must ralize that the workers’ and exploited farmers’ interests are different from those of the lower middle class and well-to-do farmers. Our duty is May 80! William Mahoney himself dvocated the date May 30 against} | party therefore to build the political class of workers and exploited farmers organizationally and ideo- | Shipstead, Pike and other lower mid-| logically independent of the Party of | \ticlans because, as he stated, the! j the dle class and well-to-do farmer poli-|the lower middle class and well-to- |do farmers, the Third Party. The . x creation of a Third Party is a revo- only guarantee against a fusion of | tutionary fact; but ft is a counter- Farmer-Labor movement with revolutionary act to help such a one of the old capitalist parties is|Third Party to swallow the class a convention which is ahead of the|Farmer-Labor Party.: The replacing conventions of the capitalist parties.;of May 30 by July 4 is therefore The postponement of the May 30ja counter-revolutionary act. It’s a convention till after the conventions | tragic betrayal of the class party of both old capitalist parties is the |idea. It means the elimination of greatest danger for the class move-|the workers and exploited farmers ment because it means the invasion :from the present political situation of the convention and the wholejas an independent factor, and it movement by the lower middle class!means the organizational disruption what the Communists said was Hill- quit’s statement? The answer to this question is not very difficult. The Socialists know that the C. P. P. A, has not changed | its position materially; that it is not committed to independent political action, and that at Cleveland it may follow its old course of non-partisan political action. This possibility puts the Socialist Party in an untenable position. In order to cover up this situation it resorts to the detestable policy of accusing the Communists of misquoting Hillquit and stating that something wa: said which the quotation in the DAILY WORKER shows was not said, in order to lead| the workers who are for independent political action off the track and make them think about supposed Communist misrepresentations rather than the issue at stake: Do the work- ers want a Farmer-Labor Party and shall they realize it thru the May 830th Convention called by the Farmer-Labor Party elements or shall they still place their hopes upon the C. P. P. A, which has met three times and three times betrayed. them? We do not doubt in the least that Morris Hillquit would like to see the Cc. P. P. A. organize a new Party and nominate on an _ independent ticket. Hillguit may hope that they will do that but Hillquit’s hopes will not decide the question. The power in the C. P. P. A. is in the hands of the railroad unions who on a roll call | vote can absolutely contro] that or- | ganization. These railroad organiza- | tions have shown by their attempt to cleanse McAdoo since the St. Louis convention that their minds are run- ning in the opposite direction from independent political action, This fact has swung those workers and farmers who are for independent political action thru a Farmer-Labor Party behind the‘ May 30th Conven- tion. The Leader’s garblings and misrepresentations are an attempt to obscure the clear issue: Whether the farmers and workers shall support the movement for a Farmer-Labor Party, of which the Communists are a part, which is expressed in the call for the May 30th Convention, or and well-to-do farmer elements, | which will break away from the cap-| italist parties after they have be- come disillusioned with the capital- ist party conventions. The sharpen- ing of the class struggle since the world war was causing these ele- ments to break away from the old capitalist parties; and the enormous Teapot Dome scandal gave the last impetus to this development. There is a certainty now that we will have a Third Party in the near future. The withdrawal of his candidacy by La Follette in the Republican pri- maries shows clearly that such a hesitating and wavering “leader” like LaFollette is today forced by parties. The May 30 convention gave full representation to the local trade unions and will embrace also the revolutionary wing of the labor movement, the Communists. The luly_4 convention gave representa-!his joining the Third Party is not the ever-growing discontent and de- mand of the masses to become the leader of the Third Party movement. LaFollette’s withdrawal of his can- didacy in the Republican Party and W its enemies with saying things indeed. Gompers policy of rewarding the friends and punishing the enemies of labor and refused to cbmmit itself to independent political action. It continued this policy at the St. Louis convention. In my article reporting the St. Louis convention I emphasized the committed to nominating on a new party ticket at the Cleve- fact. In an article rs iprehin'y * New York Leader the new Communist press into | dent party ticket. appeared in the committed either way. fending itself a the New York Leader s: “Morris Hillquit, Socialist Party representative on the National Committee of the Conference for Progressive Political Action, nailed a peculiarly offensive lie that has been circulated by Communist pub- lications about a speech he made at the recent St. Louis conference, when he gave The New Leader the correct text of a speech he de- livered there urging the holding of a national convention July 4, ys UNCLE WIGGILY’S TRICKS— fact that the C. P. P. A. was not candidates land convention called for July 4th and quoted. Morris Hillquit to that in the ocialist weekly, of February 23rd, the editor of that publicaion tries to twist the statements which appeared in the statements that I had charged that Hillquit had urged that the July 4th convention should not nominate on an indepen- No statement of this character has Communist press. What I said and what Hillquit said was that the C. P. P. A., by the reso- lution adopted at St. Louis, was not In order to make a showing of de- this statement, Hillquit Didn’t and He Did By C. E. RUTHENBERG Executive Secretary, Workers Party. HEN an organization gets into a position where it is obliged to charge about it which its enemies have not said in order to make a case to defend itself, it is in a peculiar position That is the situation in which the Socialist Party finds itself in relation to the movement for a mass farmer-labor party. The Socialist Party has committed itself to the Conference for Progres- sive Political Action but that Conference thus far has continued the old Publications representing the Com- munist organizations stated that Hillquit urgéd that the convention, when held, should not organize a new independent party of labor and nominate independent candidates, and a manifesto issued several days later by that body embodies the lie.” : The only quotation of what Hill- quit said at St. Louis is ¢ontained in the DAILY WORKER of February 18th and reads as follows: “Morris Hillquit followed’ with a speech in which he said: ‘This call does not commit us to any course of action, You may say at the, Cleveland conference: We will not have anything to do with the old party candidates; or you may say: Endorse the candidates of one of the old parties.’” Following its charge that the Com- munist press falsely reported Hill- quit’s speech, the New ‘York Leader publishes what purports to be Hill- quit’s speech at St. Louis. Accord- ing to the New York Leader, Hillquit said: “On the face of it, the resolution does not commit us to a definite policy, but leaves the’ entire issue to a convention representative of a great convention representative of a great body of organized labor, progressive farmers and other pro- gressive element: The sentiment which will express itself at that convention will determine our course of action, - “If there are any among us-who believe that the proper policy for this conference is to keep out of of the Farmer-Labor movement, at least for the near future. Our duty is to fight to the last ditch against the betrayal of such great. possibilities as history has never before presented to the work- ers and farmers of the United States. The abandonment of May 30 for July 4 serves the interests of the labor aristocracy and the politi- |, cians of the lower middle class and well.to-do farmers, and betrays the interests of the proletarian workers and exploited farmers. - Mr. Maho- ney, pleading for postponement, asks what is the sacred about May 30. Our answer is: May 30 is today the banner of the class struggle; and deserting May 30 for July 4 means deserting the flag of class struggle, and the going over into the camp of the enemy. the Presidential campaign alto- gether, they -will have an oppor- tunity to convince the majority of the delegates of the wisdom of such course. “If any ‘of us believe that either of the old parties will present @ platform and candidates which or- ganized labor and progressives cam adopt, as their own, they will have a similar opportunity. “I, and those for whom I speak, will vote for the resolution because we feel certain that when a repre- sentative gathering of organized workers, working farmers and other progressive elements meets on July 4 and surveys the political situation, they will see no alter- native but to name independent candidates for President and Vice- President, and to lay the founda- tions for a party ot workers and farmers.” What says he stated in St. Louis? quit, speech, makes four paragraphs ou‘ tién. at_Cleveland may endorse an old Par. ty candidate if the majority so de- cides, and Paragraph four states Hill. nominate on an independent ticket. meaning of the statement made b: Hillquit in the Leader and the quo’ tion in the DAILY WORKER, Hill. quit tries in his Li which was NOT his Louis, to cover up the bald state- ment of the fact as he made it on the floor of the St. Louis convention by adding numerous words which migh' confuse the uncritical reader, One may well ask: Why is it that A LAUGH FOR THE CHILDREN The only difference 1s that Hill- 1s De Leader version oe rare negro, to sixty days on the State of what he said in three sentences’ on thé floor of the St. Louis conven- Paragraph one clearly states that the convention is not committed to any definite policy. Paragraph two and three state that the Convention quit’s hope that the convention will While there is no difference ia the the Leader endeavored to make a case against the Communists of having incorrectly reported Hillquit and then| Harris Cohen, 2645 Potomac Ave. printed a statement which confirms| S. M. Horvitz, 1253 N. Hoyne Ave, whether they shall support the C. P. P. A. and the Socialists in the vacil- lating, hesitating betrayals which has been the record of that organization thus far, Anna Pavlowa’s Poetic Legs Delight Chicago This Week full Anna Pavlowa and _ her company, Russian dancers, Audi- torium theatre, nightly at 8:15. The week’s musical program is as follows: Friday—Chicago Symphony or- chestra, regular concert, Orchestra Hall, 2.15. Orchestra concert, au- spices of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, Ashland Boulevard Audi- torium, 8.15. Saturday—Chicago Symphony or- chestra, repetition of Friday concert. owe WD phony orchestra, popular Chicago Theatre, 11:45. Art In- stitute Ensemble, orchestra concert, Art Institute, 3:00 and 4:15. At 3:30, Bronislaw Huberman, violinist, recital at Studebaker Theatre. Wil- helm Bachaus, pianist, recital at the Playhouse. Stinnes in Checko-Slovakia. PRAGUE, March 6.—Reports are current of important new ventures in Checko-Slovakia, contemplated by the German capitalist, Stinnes. Stin- nes’ recent attempts to gain control of the immense glass and porcelain industries in this country and to se- cure a share in ownership of the rich coal mines, were thwarted. The German industrialist is now stated to be negotiating for the purchase of a large hotel in Marienbad, which he proposes to employ as a printing plant for the publication of a daily newspaper. The contemplated jour- is the difference between| nal would serve as the organ of Ger- what I said in the DAILY WORKER| man nationalism in Checko-Slovakia. that Hillquit stated in his speech at St. Louis and what Hillquit: himself INDIANAPOLIS, March 6,—The act of destroying liquor is evidence of the intent to sell, Judge Collins ruled today in sentencing Prank Wiliamson, Farm. IMPEACH COOLIDGE! Res. Phone Crawford 0331 _Violin Office Phone Rockwell 0112 Teacher HENRY MOSS ORIENTAL JAZZ BAND Music Furnished for All Occasi | Members American Fed. of Musicians 1215 S, LAWNDALE AVENUE Chicago, Ill. concert, Graft Quizses Clog Congressional Mill; Big Bills Held Up (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, March 6.—Some administration leaders have aban- \doned hopes of adjourning Congress before Sept. 15. Two reasons were ascribed for the +) oi of original plans to quit’ June st. 1.—Slow progress made with legis- lation in the House under the revised rules forced by the Progressive-Demo- cratic coalition at the opening of the session. Use of the Senate as a “broad- easting station” for campaign speech- es, with recent “scandals” as the key- note. A recess during June to enable congressmen to attend the national political conventions at Cleveland and New York with resumption of the grind on July 7, is included in the revised plans of the Republican chief- tains. With tly three months of work be- hind it, Congress has not passed a single major bill. All the appropiia- tion bills, the tax reduction bill, im- migration, Muscle Shoals legislation, the bonus and a long list of import wt farm relief maasures are still on the legislative program. World’s Largest Power Plant May Rise on Lake Michigan’s Shore The Indiana side of Lake Michi- gan is being considered as a site for the world’s largest electric power plant, a $1,000,000 project. The State Line Land company, a subsidiary of the Commonwealth Edi- son company, contemplates the pro- ject if the war department will per- mit the filling of 72-acres on the Indiana . sige of the lake front near the Indianv-Illinois line. Applica- tion for the permit has been filed. The plant will generate power for a_super-electric line from Lansing, lil, to Gary and Hammond, Ind. Gompers’ Sheet Fails. NEW YORK, March 6.—The New York Labor Press, a weekly “dedi- cated to the principles of the Amer- ican Federation of Labor,” suspends with its fifth issue, dated. March 1. Its editors, Philip Hockstein and Ed- ward Levinson, announce that the suspension is temporary and that publication will be resumed when a number of unions’ have acted favor- ably on a plan for increasing its cir- culation, Plan $100,000 Labor Temple. SEATTLE, Wash., March 6.—Lo- eal streetcar men are planning the erection of a $100,000 temple. Well Known Insurance Salesmen Office: 737 W. Roosevelt Road Phone Roosevelt 2500 it P judged by the beoks ¢! poe A the best books, old a new, can be obtained from Morris Bernstein's Book Shop, 3733 West Roosevelt Road. Fasns rage 1468. Rendering Bapert Dental Borviee for 20 Your 6 GMITHFIELD 8T., Near ith Ave. 1621 CENTER AVE, Cor. Arthur 54 COHEN & HORVITZ lished by us in Germany. Help establish more kitchens, Today It Is Germany. can do so by remit; ig thru us. $2000 monthly for FREE PHILIPPINES WEEKS OPPOSES Our Rule Is. Altruism, Says War Secretary (By The Federated Press) WASHINGTON, March 6.—Inde- pendence for the Philippines within three or five years is likely to be recommended by the senate commit- tee on territories and insular posses- sions, as. the outcome of hearings begun with the testimony of Secre- tary of War Weeks, a stubborn oppo- nent of liberation of the Filipinas. “What they want is more Amer- ican capital, not independence,” the stockbroker-secretary declared, when challenged by Minority Leader Ro- binson and Senators Reed of Penn- sylvania, King of Utah, Harris of Georgia, and—by implication—by Hiram Johnson, chairman 6f the com- mittee. Ruling Islands Costly. Reed, a hard-boiled business advo- cate and ex-soldier, said that he had been in the islands and knew that the people, despite all that had been done for them by the United States, were hostile to further American control. Inasmuch as the military occupation costs $12,000,000 a year and disturbs the whole policy of na- tional defense, he thought the time had come to get out. Weeks had stated that the profit from invest- ments should not be the reason for staying there. Hiram Johnson asked Weeks whether, in view of his denial of a profit motive, he opposed inde- pendence on the ground solely of alt- ruism. Weeks replied that that was it—pure altruism for the people of the islands. A smile went round the room, where were gathered a_score of the brainiest men in the Filipino nation. “25 Years More”—Weceks. Weeks said American occupation should not terminate for another 25 years; he thought it a great mistake, an immature judgment, that congress ver pledged independence to the islands. But a date should be set, and meanwhile bonds would be sold for further development, these bonds te be held oxobasly in America. King asked whether it would not be better for the Filipinos if they progressed more slowly, saved up their capital, and refused ‘to exploit themselves for absentee bondHdlders and landowners. Weeks could not see that, at all, They were still unfit to govern themselves “acceptably” to foreign investors; they needed another generation of tutelage. Not a member of the committee sided American Soup Kitchen—Petersburg Platz No, 3, Berlin The Dictatorship of Hunger compels the German workers to bow in meek submission to the greedy demands of the industrial lords and accept THE DIC- TATORSHIP OF MILITARISM which was forced upon them in exchange for something to eat. Workers and Farmers of America INVEST IN LABOR’S FUTURE Help avoid the complete demoralization of the German workers and the annihilation of their organizations. Help feed the German workers out of their present lethargy into a state which will make them fit to decide their own Help maintain the two American Soup Kitchens already estab- A DEFEATED GERMAN WORKERS MEANS A DEFEATED (WORLD WORKERS Tomorrow It May Be America. TODAY! Any organization wishing to maintain a Soup Kitchen in its own name" # keep. Several organizations can club together in this effort, Friends of Soviet Russia and Workers’ Germany, 32 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill. Enclosed find $..,..... to help support the American Soup Kitchens in Germany opened by you in January. I pledge myself to .++++» meals at 10c each monthly for the maintenance of the | Kitchens. Send me a Meal Coupon Book (YES or NO), Prada von Proteawhons o's 0's 0s'b:0b' sd o'eddig rae brepeubevicee oudee Committee for International Workers’ Aid with the bond broker secretary. pi ai ye 4 It takes $500 initial outlay and lt ae ~