The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 27, 1924, Page 3

Thursday, March 27, 1924 @HE DAILY WORKER SILENT ABOUT SHADY DEAL “Attitude Hints Something Wrong In School Lease Transfer The Union Trust Company does not want to get the Chi- cago Tribune into trouble by telling the truth about the transfer of the Tribune school land lease to the big Dearborn Street bank. This confession was made to the DAILY WORKER by Vice- President R. F. Chapin. It is a flat admission from one of: the highest officials that there is something shady about the Tribune’s handling of its school land lease. The President Is Out. The Union Trust Compeny is at present housed in the Tribune Building at Dearborn and W. Mad- ison streets, Last December the Tribune transferred its school lease on this site to the Union Trust Company, since it was moving to its own north side building. The DAILY WORKER reporter asked to see the bank’s president in an effort to learn what te Union Trust Company had paid the Trib- une for the valuable school lease. The money consideration involved in the deal has been kept a secret. Since the bank’s president was out of town for a week, The DAILY WORKER reporter was referred to Vice President Chapin. “Have you heard of the charges made agaifst The Tribune and the Union Trust Company in keeping secret the transfer of The Tribune’s — school lease?” Mr. Chapin was asked. es “Yes, I heard all about it,” said the bank’s vice president, very good natured, “The DAILY WORKER wants to get the facts about this deal,” he was told. Trouble Looms. On Horizon. “Yes, I shave heard something about that, too,” he said, indicating that* he had read The DAILY WORKER, The question was then put direct “to Vice President Chapin “How much did the Ustén Trust Company pay The Tribune for this school land lease?” Vice President Chapin immedi- ately countered with “So you want to use me to get The Tribune into trouble?” “Would your truthful statement about this deal get the Tribune into trouble?” was asked. It was here that Vice President Chapin immediately got interested in other subjects. He did not want to talk school leases any more cept to charge that’ Miss Margaret Haley, of the Chicago hier had been talking about the plundering of school land leases for a long time, especially about the scandal surrounding the Tribune’s 99-year lease, but that all this was ancient history. Passes Buck to Tribune. “If the Tribune wanted to reply to these charges it would no doubt have done so a long time ago,” said Vice President Chapin. “But why doesn't The Tribune reply to these charges, if it is inno- cent of any w ing, least it be get to clear sans and eee the ious question was hurled at Mr. Chapin, “How much did the Union Trust Company pay the Tribune for this lease?” he is firs you this information, it is en¢ rely up to him.” Patterson Still “Thinking.” In the ‘meantime Joseph Medill Patterson, editor of the Tribune, is thinking evidently matter over, as he told The DAILY WORKER he would do, egroes and at the mass ct an * ing real estate ine conditions \their occupation during the year.” |dured, by most women of that Race. | Another woman who was found dust- Negro Working Women’s Homes Being. Destroyed By Congested Conditions; Tenants Must Act The housing situation is. peculiarly a woman’s problem. The women of Chicago, in the face of increasing rents this spring, have been forced by the thousands to divide their inter- ests between their family life and their efforts in factories as bread winners. A woman needs a home more than a man, for life is a dreary prospect to a woman, who has no comfortable home. ‘ It is especially true of Negro women that their families have all but been destroyed in the past few years by the diffi- culty of meeting the recent housing crisis. The presence of the colored woman in indus- NEGROES LIVING try is a recent phenomena. Ten Dollars a Week. Vile Housing Conditions Forced\ on Race In order to meet the growing problem of woman in industry, repre- sentatives. of séven women’s organi- zations in New York City, where con- ditions are said to be ,better than in Chicago, carried on a thoro study of the Negro women in industry. Employers of 2,185 Negro women, in all the trades which she has en- tered, were interviewed. It was found that over half this number were receiving $10 per week or less. The wages of many were as low as five dollars per week. “Negro women in the needle trades,” we read in the investigators report. “Were found in nearly tevery case, to be receiving from two to five dollars less than their white sisters in the same trade. At Work Before Sixteen, “Over half the Negro women were at work before they were 16 years old, and a large number began be- tween the ages of 16 and 21. All but one-fourth of them had changed If the wind had been blowing from the South a few days ago, Chicago, due to its long continued neglect of the condition of its houses, would have witnessed last week, one of the worst tragedies in the history of the city. A large four-story furniture factory, on the corner of Newberry avenue and Maxwell street, 1300 south, was completely gutted by a dangerous fire. The sparks spread to a few frame shacks, in the back of the plant, across the alley, occupied by Negroes, and only heroic work on the part of the firemen stamped them out. Rubbish and Rats, The alley back of the plant was, and still is, filled with rubbish of all sorts. Huge heaps of ashes, rotten boards, big bundles ox newspapers, are mingled together with the copious mud and sprinkled with dead and living rats. The DAILY WORKER saw one big, live rat, who looked so scabby and forlorn, that he moved all beholders with genuine pity. Even rats suffer in such mean surround- ings. This narrow alley, from Maxwell street to Roosevelt road, is amost im- passible. Much of the rubbish in it “The reason for change in occupa- tion given by Negro teachers are in- teresting, for they afford a hint of the spiritual strain and drain en- One woman when asked if she pre- ferred sewing to teaching, said she left the South to escape the unbear- able treatment accorded her there. ing furniture in a department store, for eight dollars a week, had been principal of a school of 300 pupils for eight years.” Unsanitary Factories. “In most of the factories visited,” to erally a few lodgers around the | MEETING “OF ANTS LEAGUE OF CHICAGO MONDAY, MARCH 31, AT 8 P. M. ODD FELLOWS’ HALL, 3335 South State Street . Speakers: Lovett Fort.Whiteman, Bob Minor, J. Louis Engdahl, Gordon Owens, Otto Huiswood, and Others. The League has just been organized by is intended to curb sharks who have been is inflammable.. The houses on both sides are wooden frame houses of two and three stories. Almost with- out exception, they are surrounded by remains of wooden fences, board- walks, and porches, which are heaped over the premisés in such a way as to invite disaster to the neighbor- hood, which almost overtook it a few days ago, A Hopeless Firetrap. The furniture factory had two rickety fireplaces, both facing the back alley, which one fireman said, “Were not enough on so large a building. If employes were trapped in the part of the building facing Newberry avenue, they would have burned to death. There was no way of escape in this portion of the building.” “If the wind had been blowing from the south,” according to this fireman, “at least the whole, long block of old, wooden houses as far north as Roosevelt road would have been swept away by the flames, and many would have been killed.” An examination of the neighbor- hood shows that rubbish, ashes, newspapers, and garbage are not of; the oe the report states, “Provisions for the comfort of Negro employes consisted in the minimum number of toilets and smallest. dressing room facilities allowed by the labor laws. Toilets were generally in an unhealthy and unclean condition, Several factories had been reported to the State Labor Department as violating sanitary provisions of the labor laws.” The report concludes, “They (Ne- gro women) did the most uninter- esting work, the most menial work, and by far the most underpaid work, The American people will have to go very far in its treatment of the Ne- gro woman to square itself with that democratic ideal of which it made so much during the war.” Out of 100 poor Negro families in- Westigated, the Juvenile Protective Association of Chicago found that 86 Negro mothers out of the 100 go out to work. ‘The Negro women of Chicago constitute 42.5 per cent of the bread winners of their Race,” we learn. “This is more than double the proportion of white women em- ployed, and only 0,04 of the work- ing white women are married.” Colored Girls Insulted, “Colored young women who are manicurists and hair dressers find it inually assumed that they will be willing to go to hotels under com- promising conditions, and when a decent girl refuses to go, she is told that it is all that she can expect. There is no doubt that colored girls are much more open to insult than white girls in sinfilar circumstances., It is extremely difficult for Negro girls to maintain their standards of self respect.” Add to these miserable conditions in the factories where most Negro mothers work, the fact that they come home at night to overcrowded homes which they have no time to clean, with a large percengs of their children also working, and gen- properly disposed are in a state of decay and d tion; streets are dirty and uncleane: and boards which were formerly part of the porches or boardwalks lie around between the houses; all these: conditions greatly increase danger of loss of life and homes by fire, $750,000 Bank Thief Enjoys Liberty as Attorneys Argue » (Special to The Daily Worker) ST, LOUIS, Mar. 26.—A. 0. Mein- inger, cashier of the looted Night and Day Bank, charged with embezzling $750,000 of the bank’s funds, con- victed on one indictment and sentenced to five years in prison, cannot be tried on any of the remaining 47 indict- ments against him until the state supreme court has pagsed upon his appeal from the sentence, accord- ing to a decision just handed down by the supreme court. This may premises, and it is easily seen what an unhappy life the Negro women re forced to lead. Let us hope that the Negro Ten- ants’ League, which is holding poy in copeapr ls wg ae State ‘treet, nm ont night takes a determined stand for the abolition of segregation and for a re-| take years. duction of rents, if for no other rea-| The looted bank closed Jan, 6, son, than to restore to the Negro| 1922, family some of the home life to|number of which it is entitled, ; depositors a Br ms bs Socialist party, bg several low man: shop-mates read r bodies were amon; losers THE DAILY WORKER. Get one of r when the bank closed its doors, them to subscribe r ig the indicted officials have yet locked up. H.-H. Hoehn- schild, president of the bank, had on lega} Legal minds see many loopholes in the- la: hich M might PB pen in the event the supreme court re- the lower THE NEGRO ser pom it South Side presen’ jegroes is practical, ca) both white on Union Trust Fears to Get The Tribune Into Tro ble BIG BANK IS Workers Party in Milwaukee Enters Election Campaign WAUKEE, March 26.—The | Workers Party organization in this \city, while criticizing Mayor Daniel |W. Hoan, candidate for re-election, | because of the inadequacy of his | program, nevertheless supports him and the entire socialist ticket in the election aga’ David S. Rose who jhas the endorsement of big business jand the open shop elements of By JOHN GIFFORD | Milwaukee, ‘ (Special to The Daily Worker) | Under the slogans, “More Power DRUMKELLER, Alberta, Mar. 26.|/to the Workers” and “Down with —As a result of a deadlock in nego-| the Bosses’ Candidates,” the Work- jations with the operators, ten thou-:ers Party is arranging! a series of nd miners of district 18, @, M. W.|mass meetings during the campaign A., comprising Alberta and British|to bring its program to the atten- Columbia, will come out on strike on| tion of the workers. April 1. Negotiations have been go- In a campaign statement the ing on since the beginning of March,| Workers Party points out that tho between the miners and operators,|the socialist party of Milwaukee (and both sides standing firm for their |boasts of the increase in value of demands), has resulted in the joint |property during its regime, rents conference of miners and operators |have also gone up, hitting the work- being adjourned sine die. Jacksonville Terms. The miners: ask an agreement on the same basis as the Jacksonville agreement, that is a three years agreement on the old scale of wages, and the adjustment of a few inequali- ties in working conditions. The operators have absolutely refused to accept the demands of the miners, and claim they will not sign an agree- ment without a reduction in wages, and only then a one year agreement. There is an agitation on in Western Canada by the operators in the daily capitalist press for the Ontario mar- ket, the press saying that if the min- ers take a reduction in wages the operators will capture the Ontario market, thereby giving the. miners steady work. Coolie Wages—Company Standard. Their chief argument is that they can’t. compete with the non-union fields who are operating at a lower cost of production. This argument of the operators, has been exploded time and again by the miners, and the dominion and provincial government statistics which show that the non- union fields have worked even less days than the union fields. The whole trend of the operators argument shows that they are out to bust the union, and initiate the open shop, altho the press would make it appear that the sole interest of the operators is to protect the dear public from the high price of coal, and if the miners would only take a reasonable reduc- tion the dear public would get cheap- er coal, the miners more steady work at the rate of a Chinese coolie, and the operators more profits. The miners are wise to this talk of the operators, and know that if they concede anything to the boss, that is the day when they spell ruin and more misery for themselves and their families. The bosses are determined to initiate a reduction and the con- sequent open shop, and the press is playing its part in advocating a re- duction and the misrepresentation of the miners’ side of the issue. As a result of the solid front of the miners, the bosses thru the press, have inti- mated that if the miners do not ac- cept a cut in wages, they will ship in scabs to the mines. Who Is This “Public?” The daily press is very indignant at the unreasonableness of the miners in standing out for higher wages than any other trade, and not helping the country and the operators especially, to get back to normalcy The miners, however, know that it is not the public, the visionary public anyway, that the press is uneasy about, but the profits of their masters, and therefore they e not biting. If the miners enter- tain a reduction, and even obtain the Ontario market, it will mean that they are the means of undercutting of ‘the wages of their fellow workers in the United States, and rather than do so ALBERTA COAL DIGGERS WILL STRIKE APRIL 1 Bosses Refuse Pact on Jacksonville Basis ers in Milwaukee are the lowest paid in the United States and that practi- cally all the large establishments in the city are operating on the open shop basis. trying to please all classes, which is impossible, While supporting the socialist party ticket the Workers Party de- mands that the socialist party join actively in the movement for a na- ‘tion-wide class farmer-labor party. Rock Dusting of Explosions of coal dust such as lives in American mines within the past few months can be greatly missioned George S. Rica, chief min- ing engineer of the bureau of mines, to make a study of the use of these methods to prevent the propagation of coal dust expl6sions in European mines. ‘The rock dust is spread upon the floor, roof and sides of passageways or placed upon specially constructed barriers, and when stirred up by the concussion of a local explosion, forms a screen which prevents the flame of the explosion from propagating be- yond the immediate area of origi ing coal dust explosions is made com- pulsory, by governmental regulation, in Great Britain except in anthracite are naturally wet thruout. killed 1,100 men, the. practice of rock dusting prevails in certain districts, and French officials are urging a wider use of rock dusting in the more dangerous mines, Teachers’ Union In Bulgaria Has (By The Federated Press) SOFIA, Bulgaria, March 26.—Over Teachers, which is affiliated with the General Federation of Trade Unions, The railwaymen’s union has increased won 1,400 new members. The Co-op- year. Etiquette And Reaction, SACRAMENTO, Cal., March 26.— the miners of district’ 18, will stay on strike until the last loave is.eaten ism, is more concerned with etiquette than justice, State Librarian quette exceed all other non-fiction works in popularity in the state libra- ty, and are also bookstores. of a strike, but apart from that, if the support is not forthcoming, the slogan of the miners is forward to emancipation, and no step backward. Henry Ford Dubbed Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Reader Olympia, Wash,, March 17, 1924, To the DAILY ‘WORKER: With reference to your file of Feb, 28th; your article by Upton Sin en- titled era ictate to Teach- ers Thru N, eto.,” and your editorial comm in conjunction. I beg to,call your attention to the Dearborn {independent (Ford publi- cation) of March 15th. Please note the accusation made against Presi- dent Charl Williams, et al; in the ar- ticle entitled “Are Women’s Clubs ‘Used’ by Bolshevists?” Just does the Ford retinue stand in the matter of influence in educational politics? It would a) per that if the worthy wolf i hi el ig has any real political power in. that direction it might be used to in freeing the N. E. A. of one of its undesirables, Cer- Po SAY that the May Day Special number of THE DAILY WORKER will be the greatest edition ever issued by the best daily in America is to make a great claim. Yet surprises are already in store thru which that claim is already justified. Readers of THE DAILY WORKER may already have heard some whispers of the great May Day Parade in which every militant worker in America will participate. The secret has been shared in full how- ever, only with DAILY WORKER subscribers, who no doubt have passed it on to their closest friends and comrades, A NATIONAL MAY DAY PA. RADE THIS MAY DAY! A May Day Parade from coast to coast!!! tainly President Charl Williams of || A solid column flung across the pe N, 8. A, he . holds no high place in| country of militant workers show- esteem of the man who wrote| ing their colors and their power! that article, You are doubtful? Such a thing shen al Morin A bake has never Bafege bees om or a) er interest: it 0! even tried, ony jut ie year So-reletive tnformation of notess fuse fe will be tied ead will be dene! call attention jo it.| A NATIONAL MAY DAY RALLIED AROUND THE DAILY WORKER! Ask my DAILY WORKER subscriber; knows, Just what has this to do with ers very hard. Building trades work- The socialist party is Mines Would Prevent Many Explosions have ‘caused a toll of hundreds of minimized by proper rock dusting methods, states the Department of the Interior, which recently com- Stone dusting as a means of limit-| opinion prevailed amongst the mem- In France, the scene in 1906 of the greatest of all coal mine explo- ions, the Courrieres disaster, which 8,000 Members 8,000 of the 12,000 teachers of Bul- garia are organized in the Union of erative Federation includes 69 affil- - s ; iated societies, with membership of |denied every opportunity to partici- 42,968, an increase of 1,700 over last | Pate in the activities or control of California, home of criminal syndical-| complete demoralization. ilton |- i Ferguson announces that books on eti-|most important features in the pro- JOBLESS RELIEF LIN A.C, W. DEALT WITHBYT.U. E.L. National Needle Trades| Section Statement The National Committee of the Needle Trades Section of the Trade Union Educational League has issued | the following statement setting forth the position of that organization on the unemployment relief program in the Amalgamated Clothing Workers. The Needle Trades section of the League brands as false certain ru- mors circulated by its enemies con- cerning its activities in connection with the plan for the relief of unem- ployed members of the Amalgamated and gives a detailed exposition of its attitude towards this and similar pro- jects, The League Statement. Rumors are current in the New York organization of the Amalgamat- Page Three . | Send in Your News The Daily Worker urges all members of the party to send in the news of their various sec. tions. Every Party Branch should appoint its own correspondent 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 te the Editor, The Daily Worker, St., Chicago, Ill, 1640 N. Halsted uation, We contend that in every in- dustry unemployment funds should not be established out of the meagre earnings of the workers, but rather out of the profits of the employers. The Needle Trades Section of the T. U. E, L. comes to the workers of our industry with the following pro- gram of unemployment relief which, if put into effect, will greatly solve unemployment in our industry, The League’s Program. 1. We propose that the unions in the needle trades should carry on a fight to have all the workers ed that the T. U. E. L, is responsible for the fact that the contemplated plan for unemployment relief in the Amalgamated did not materialize. These rumors are to the effect that the decision for a five per cent as- sessment on the workers’ wages for an unemployment fund was not car- ried thru because of the opposition of the League. The Needle Trades Sec- tion of the T. U. E. L. deems it neces- sary to, clarify its position on the question and to characterize as false all such rumors. Unfounded Accusation. How unfagunded the accusation against the League is can be defi- nitely proved by the fact, well-known among the workers in the industry, that the plan for such an assessment was originally proposed and accepted at a well-attended meeting of the Amalgamated League before a simi- Jar plan was adopted by the Joint Board of the union. When Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalga- mated later came to the Joint Board with a similar proposition, it was heartily supported by all League members aj that meeting. Real Reason, The real reason why the plan has not as yet been put into effect must be sought elsewhere. In the New York section of the Amalgamated there has recently developed a deep distrust on the part of the member- ship towards the leaders of the Joint Board. This alone was the cause for the strong sentiment which developed against contributing to the fund. The bers that the fund will be used not alone to aid the unemployed but also for other purposes. This, in our mines and in bituminous mines that] opinion, is the only reason why the decision has net yet been carried ont. Examine Facts. If we are to establish responsibility for the failure of this plan, we must examine the facts which caused the growth of mistrust among the mem- bership. The League surely cannot be accused for the existing condi- tions, as the basis for this mistrust was not laid by the League but came as a result of the tactics pursued by the leaders of the organization. Tn all the recent activities of the Amalgamated it has been quite evi- dent that they have not reckoned with the membership. Certain individuals who consider themselves the Lord’s anointed maintain that they alone are fit to lead and contro! the organ- ization, The false basis of their tac- tics lies in this—that in their activi- ties they place all their confidence not Fy + in the collective strength of the en- 8,000, and the Union of Postal Tete: | tire membership but in that of a few graph and Telephone Employes has| Chosen individuals. The workers in the shops are seriously concerned with the conditions in the union are the union. Such an attitude cannot create a healthy basis for union ac- tivity, but can only result in sowing the seeds of distrust which lead to League Favors Jobless Relief. Unemployment relief is one of the gram advocated by the’ League. It is quite true that from our point of st sellers in the|View the five per cent assessment does not solve the unemployment sit- Red Legions to March On May Day “May Day Daily Worker” To Create Great Surprise The May Day Special? The sub- scribers know that too and are will- ing to inform the curious. But take it from us that no worker can afford to miss THE DAILY WORK.- ER May Day Special and no mili- ford to be without a big a them. Take another tip from us. assured of the necessities of life at the expense of the wealth which they create in the industry. 2. Unemployment relief at the expense of the employers and con- trolled by the union. 3. Guatrantee off forty-two weeks employment for every worker in the industry. 4, Shorter work-day so as to dis- tribute the work among the great- er number of workers. 5. Equal division of work in ey- ery shop, instead of reorganiza- tions, which create a great army of jobless workers. 6. An intensive organization campaign on the part of the union to wipe out the sweat-shop system which to a very large extent is re- sponsible for the unemployment of union workers. 7. We propose that the unions in the Needle Trades use their organ- ized power on the political field to compel the government to sub- sidize the unemployed. Until this program is put into effect we propose the following measures as a means of securing immediate relief for the unem- ployed workers in our industry. 1. A five per cent assessment on the wages of those employed to assist the unemployed. 2. This fund to be collected by the Joint Board and administered jointly, with a special unemploy- ment relief committee consisting of representatives from every local, union elected by the membership for that purpose. National Committee, NEEDLES TRADES SECTION, ma TUE Women’s Peace Body Urge Solons to Put Bell on Martial Cat The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (Chicago Branch) at a recent meet- ing adopted a resolution declaring that the’ consummation and mainte- nance of world peace is the most important problem of the present time, that it is contrary to the spirit of America to sanction anything evil (see how we treat liquor, im- morality, et al.) that most means hitherto proposed for the mainte- nance of world peace have fallen short of these American principles of treating evil things roughly, therefore, our worthy pacifists re~ solve that war must be outlawed and that no presidential party re- fusing to do this should be support- ed by peace loving citizens. Citizens in sympathy with this resolution are requested by the W. I. L, to send letters to Calvin Coo- lidge and other White House white hopes urging them to make war on war. We fear.the silent man is now too busy trying to get rid of Harry Daugherty to bother about such a trifling thing as war. The local headquarters of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is Room 1010, Fine Arts Building. _ OUT WITH DAUGHERTY! in your order for your bundle now. The Teapot Special is all gone and we have additional orders for sev- eral thousand copies that cannot be filled, Those who waited too long have had to do without. Send in your for your May Day bundle now and make sure of hav- ing your supply. Here Comes “The May Day Special’ Chicago, Illinois. ip chie cele copies THE DAILY WORKER, 1640 N, Halsted St., of “The May Day Special” Edition of the DAILY WORKER, to be dated Saturday, April 26, 1924, at the rate of five cents per copy; $1.75 for 50; $3.50 per 100. I want to help the workers and farmers learn the real meaning of the world struggle of Labor on its International Holiday. ADDRESS: