The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 31, 1924, Page 3

Monday, March 31, 1924 THE DAILY WORKER . Page Three Official Neglect, Corruption and WORKERS PARTY Graft Are Blamed For Bad Housing Conditions in Chicago The prediction of twenty-four years ago, that if housing evils were allowed to go unchecked, Chicago would have a great tenement house population crowded together in stifling quarters—with over half the total population living in dirty TAKES STAND ON MILWAUKEE POLL Swabeck Writes About Tuesday’s Elections By ARNE SWABECK (Special to The Daily Worker) MILWAUKEE, Wis., March 30.— With a period of industrial depres- sion and consequent unemployment in prospect, Tuesday’s municipal elections become of added impor- tance to the workers in Milwaukee. The candidates, both those endorsed by the Socialist Party and by the Milwaukee manufacturers, are mum on this question. They have nothing to offer for the relief of such a situa- tion, nor have they anything to of- fer concerning the many vital ques- tions confronting the workers at the present time. Yet these elections become a ques- tion of choosing an alternative. The electiqn of David S. Rose, as mayor, endorsed by the manufacturers, would mean a complete crushing of the last vestige of labor participating in government. It could mean noth- ing else than a renewal of the police terror of the olden days, with all possible support to the attempts to crush labor unions. The election of Daniel W. Hoan would at least mean an expression of opposition to the candidate of the big capitalists. Must Defeat Bosses’ Candidates. The Workers Party, local Milwau- kee, fin a statement issued, clearly points out that in view of these facts, and particularly in view of the fact that the Workers Party has no candi- dates in. this. election, and is there- fore unable to call upon the workers of Milwaukee to support its, candi- dates, they should support the candi- dacy of Mayor Hoan and the others endorsed by the Socialist Party. Of course this does not mean a united front with the Socialist Party upon its program of meaningless phrases. It is purely a question of defeating the candidates of the -capi- talists. The Workers Patty has re- peatedly invited the Socialist Party, both nationally and in many cities, to become part of a united front of the American workers thru the for- mation of a Labor Party, such a united front to be based on an active struggle for the pressing needs of the workers. Point Out Socialist Failures. The statement issued by the Work- ers Party, despite the fact that it calls upon the workers to suppoit this ticket endorsed by the Socialist Party, very definitely points to the record of failures in. the past and the betrayals by the Socialist Party, of ‘the best interests of the workers, Tt tells, the workers that it would be a mistake to vote for the Socialist eandidates without understanding that it will never militantly fight for the needs of the workers. It points out what some of the duties of a real working class party are. It points out that the Socialist Party has made no attempt to par- ticipate in a united front of the American workers thru the forma- tion of a class Farmer-Labor Party. It has made no attempt to be repre- sented at the coming convention to be held in St. Paul, June 17th, called by the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Par- ty, the Federated Farmer-Labor Par- ty_and many other State Farmer- Labor parties and groups, called for the purpose of forming a class Farm- er-Labor Party. It points out that the duty of the Socialist Party is to join in such a movement; that it should fight to secure relief for un- eniployment; that it should assist the unions in organizing the unorgan- ized; and that it should strive to ac- . tually protect the political rights’ of the workers and €onsistently fight fot the abolition of the issuance of in- junctions as a means, in the hands of the capitalists to suppress the workers. Workers’ Economic Needs Many. The economic and political needs of the workers of Milwaukee are as many, and as pressing, as in any other ae The Workers Party in its state- ment issued demands for the workers of Milwaukee: First:—Immediate action by the City Council appropriating funds for the nee of the growing unemploy- ment. Second.—Money for this aed to be raised thru pegetring jicenses for all business organizations, with a for such licenses sufficient to ide the money. ird.—The organization of shop councils in all city and public pervice institutions made up of representa- tives of the workers with power of a these shop councils to ite hours of, labor, conditions and to participate in management. surroundings, with practically come to be a fact. no air and sunlight—has now In 1900 the City Homes Association, assisted by many welfare agencies and college workers, conducted the first scien- tific and, thoro investigation of housing conditions ever made in Chicago. I: was declared hy these inves- tigators that “the purpose of the investigation is to lay a foundation for reform.” The ‘nvestigation is irapotant because of its scope, its scientific procedure, and because al! housing experts say that nothing has been done since that time to better the evils exposed, in fact, that conditions have been allowed to be- come more acute, Corrupt Politicians Blamed, The blame for the evil housing conditions found is laid to “official neglect, corrupt politics, lack of or- ganization to force action, and above all, to success of the slum landlord in combating his individual property interests against the health and san- itary necessities of the working people of Chicago.” Some of the conditions reported are: Union street, condition of rear tenement is awful; Maxwell street, bad lighting, very dirty; Thirteenth street, a typical bad tenement, cheap narrow, dark, dirty stairs; Ashland avente, rubbish thrown under the sidewalk; Holt street, only two yards in block dirty and insanitary; Noble street, yard very dirty, rub- bish all about; Ewing street,! lots strewn with rubbish and garbage.” “Inside the apartments the rule was found to be darkness, lack of air, uncleanliness, and poisonous gases, Musty, fetid rooms, which cannot. be ventilated because of brick walls overshadowing the win- dows, were found, with inevitably accumulated dirt, mold and vermin. Emanations from the body, foul air in dwelling and sleeping rooms com- plicates all difficulties of bad build- ing and construction and doubles the cost to the tenants of dark, unclean, and badly ventilated rooms. The limited amount of cubic air-space for each individual caused by over- crowding has been known to suffo- eate children, Rotten Housing. “The miserable construction &nd ill-repair of many tenement . houses causes damp and unwholesome dwell- ng places which are cbviously unfit for human beings to dwell in. Base- ments and cellars are inhabited, and in some of them all the most serious inside sanitary conditions are found. “The evil effects or overcrowding aré numerous, Children are kept up and out of doors until midnight in summer because rooms are unen- durable; cleanliness of house and street are made difficult; the air is filled with foul odors of every kind; a state of nervous tension, and lack of home privacy are created. “Chicago’s tenement house popu- lation is oppressively dense, Our density of population is most ap- palling. By comparison to the height of our dwellings; the real density of Chicago’s population equals the worst in the world.» In the districts investigated there is a great crowding of population in a small area. The density of some blocks is over four hundred per acre, If this were extended over the whole area of Chicago, it would mean that the entire population of the United States could be housed in Chicago. In one lot of less than one-seventh of an acre, 125 people are housed. Applying this figure to the whole area of the city, it would mean that more than the en- tire population of the western hemi- sphere could be housed in Chicago.. Evils of Rotten Conditions, “Some of the evils resulting from this were PPgeiPomes vn dg pervert A lrunkenness, pauperism, debauchery, high death rates, a pitiful increase in infant mortality, terrible suffering among little children, scrofula and congen- ital diseases, encouragement of in- fectious diseases, inability to work, reduction of physital stamina, con- sumption.” “Chicago may take into account that the neglect which permitted these conditions to arise is at the expense of the health and welfare of thousands of working people who are now living in these tenements. The working classes of Chicago are the worst sufferers. The neglect permitted is at the risk of even greater danger in the future.” ‘When it is taken into account that the conditions described above were in existence twenty-four years and that nething has been done all that time to stem the steadily Home Life Destroyed accumulating evils, it is evident at the present day, what a_ terrible price in life, health and comfort must have been paid by the workers of Chicazo, in order to allow the private real estate concerns to in- crease their profits. Paving Alleys—Some Remedy! Charles Ball, a well known lec- turer and writer upon housing con- ditions in this city, who is a, chief in the Department of Health, said to The DAILY WORKER yesterday: “In the last quarter of a century, all that we have done to eliminate Chicago's housing evils has been to clean up and pave a few alleys.” Mr. Ball is daily in touch with housing conditions in Chicago, Every day he receives reports from his sani- tary inspectors from all over the city, besides making numerous tours of inspection himself. Mr. Ball says: “The conditions reported twenty-four years ago by the City Homes Association are in existence today in a greatly multiplied and more acute form, No great number of unfit -houses have been torn down; the city has built no apart- ments or made no effort to elimin- ate even the worst slums. I be- lieve that the worst obstacle to bet- ter housing facilities is the crim- inal way we have allowed private interests to entirely contro: the city’s building and housing pro- gram.” In a quarter of a century of man- aging the city’s: affairs, all that the municipal authorities have to show in the way of improvement, is the paving of a few alleys, as against the indescribably dangerous and un- healthful way workers of the city are forced to live, Youngstown Workers Organize Council to Aid Foreign Born (Special to The Daily Worker) YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, Mar. 30.— Council For the Protection of For- eign-Born Workers went over with a bang here. The meeting was at- tended by delegates from twenty-five local fraternal and labor unions and turned out to be one of the most ed- ucational meetings ever held in Youngstown. Speakers from the various labor organizations roundly condemned the roposed immigration laws and Max rner of Cleveland dealt more in detail with the meaning of the pro- poseg laws and their effects on labor. William McCabe, Painters’ Union, elected president, and Morris Been as | W. secretary. Joseph Coope, treasurer. An _ executive committee of seven was elected and a committee of three to represent the council at the Labor Congress was also elected, - Resolutions were read and adopt- ed and will be forwarded to Con- gressman John Cooper and Senators Fess and Willis, Arrangements are being made to hold one of the largest mass meet- ings ever held in Mahoning valley with well-known speakers to address the meeting. set #@ @ For Western Ohio Council. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, Mar, 30.— A call to organize the United Front Labor Defense and Free Speech Council of western Ohio has been mailed out by the Farrell Defense Committee. Meeting to be held Sun- day afternoon, 2 p. m., at the Fed- eral Hall, 338% West Federal street, to which all believers in free speech, de and peaceful assemblage are ited to attend. e Civil Liberties Union is sup- porting the call and will assist in or- ganizing the council. Salvationists Guzzle Swell Eats as They Raise $$ for Hungry NEW ORLEANS, March 30th.—|_ Teams of business men organized to raise funds for the down and out fund of the Army meet daily at an expensive restaurant “lunch and talk over affairs.” It is not stated whether the check is paid out of the collections or “put on ice.” However, there is more eat~ ing and talk indulged in by the gentlemen than work for the unfor- tunates, sanitation bureau of the | ¢j YOUNG WORKERS LEAGUE WARRING. ON MILITARISTS. Fighting Boy Scouts, *Y,’ and the Rest By HARRY GANNES. There has been no let up in the slanderous and vicious campaign car- ried on by the capitalist papers against all anti-war elements and particularly the Young Workers League and its Junior Groups. Several members of the Young Workers League and the Junior groups have been called for ques- tioning by teachers and principles who want to aid the capitalist news- papers in their endeavor to snuff out any opposition to their war prepara- ons. United Front, Anti-War Meet. The basis for linking up the Al- Iinson and other pacifist movements | with the revolutionary anti-military work carried on by the American young Communist organization is the joint students and young workers meeting held in June of last year to found a united front of all elements willing to join in a concerted attack on the growing miitarization of the United States. Btent Dow Allinson represented the mildest of pacifist elements, while the Young Workers League of America thru’ Martin Abern and Al. Albright stressed the Communist military and “anti-mili- tary program and refused to co-ordi- nate with any of the milk-and-water pacifists present. No agreement for work was arrived at at the Wauke- gan Students Conference, Y. W. L. Anti-Military Leaflet. “The Young Workers League has since been carrying on a lone cam- paign against militarism particularly in the schools and thru the Young | Worker and the Young Comrade. Re- cently a special anti-military leaflet ‘was printed pointing out the imme- | diate war dangers, Particular emphasis was laid by the league on the use of the boy scouts, the Y. M. C; “A. and other capitalist youth organizations as mili- tary units by the American govern- ment, In the last war the Boy Scouts were organized into'an effective mili- tary unit and were widely used by the militarist forces in carrying on the war. The Y. M. C, A, became the educational unit for the army with the express purpose of making bet- ter soldiers out of the young men who were drafted. Against Y. M. C. A, Hence the Y. W. L. anti-military campaign has been directed with all the force at its command particularly against these organizations and the citizen’s military training camps who disguise themselves as benevolent in- stitutions. ‘There is very little indication that the young workers will be frightened into meek submission to militariza- tion. Pressure is being exerted on the students by pointing out that the Y. . L,, a Communist youth organiza- tion, is most energetic in its demands against the struggle against arming for future capitalist wars. Boy Scouts A Dud. Two military campaigns now being conducted by capitalist forces are are meeting with obvious failure. The attempt to enlist the boys of the working class into the Boy Scouts is falling short of the mark set by the organizers of this movement; and the call for young men to enlist in the Citizen’s Military Training Camps is not meeting with a responsive nod from the young workers in this coun- try. They still remember the rot- ten, stinking food served in 1922, and the brutal officers who made life miserable for the young wage slaves who were unfortunate enough to en- list in these camps. Vets Are Wise To Wars. Disgusted by the wholesale graft in the veterans bureau and the fail- ure of the bonus, the world war vets are proving to be a discouraging ele-| ment to any war attempts on the part of the imperialistically inclined American capitalists. The mass ex- odus from the American Legion and the drop in the number of students who want military training, is the inspiring cause for the anti-red and pgs! Pager en now being put over by Fares reba organiza- tions in the United States. Our War On Militarism, “This is the time to stress our anti-military work,” declared Martin bern, secretary of the Young Al to Workers League; “we had planned a national anti-military campaign for this irrespective of the action of pogo or the Ameri- can Legion the Tribune, and are going to keep up our work among the Pity 3 workers and students. We realize that our organization is not of mass size; but we know that the American youth is disgusted and dis- illusioned about the sacred nature of American m and is not ready to lay down its life for the bloody dollars of the Morgans and Rockefellers. The endeavor should be to arouse working youth to a realization that the anti-military Pea bo must be a Communist one and should steer clear from the dan- gerous shoals of pacifism. “The Citizen’s Military Training Camps and the Boy Scouts will re- ceive our special attention. the working childre eaeiii youth to join us street en- deavor to destroy the war monster now being created e n Ww ith All Capitalies, mbg ht ys to the youth of the M4 the capitalist war % 1 ms toate IMPEACH COOLIDGE! ¥ ib V0 Jf Usenius who died as all militant the job.” ers Parties, worked for Communism, DEFY INJUNCTION, PICKET AND WIN, SWABECK URGES Workers Party Speaker Addresses Strikers “Defy the injunction: Picket and Win the Strike!” This was the message of Arne Swabeck (district organizer of the Workers Party to the regular meet- ing of the garment strikers at 180 W. Washington street. Swabeck hailed the victory of the garment strikers of Boston and told the strikers that the sweatshop bosses of Chicago could be brought to their knees by militant tactics. Double Picketing Monday. Victory will be won, cried the speaker, by keeping the picket lines strong. Picketing must be doubly strong Monday morning. The strike is not just the fight of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. It is the fight of the entire labor movement of Chi- eago. Every sincere union man, of whatever craft, should go out on the picket line and aid in the gallant struggle that the garment. strikers are waging, Swabeck urged. Ap- plause came from the strikers who have been welcoming the support radical union men from other trades have been giving their fight. { Girls who have been keeping the picket lines filled cheered while he poured out his scorn on Judge “Den- nie” Sullivan and his injunction, “Judge Sullivan thinks that the streets belong to the bosses,” said Swabeck. “The strikers know that they belong to the people arid they are going to continue to walk the streets in spite of him” Old Party Politicians, The Workers Party speaker point- ed out the political significance of the strike. The mayor whose po- licemen are beating up pickets is an old party politician. The “labor” alderman who refuses to raise his voice at the city council is also an od party politician. Until the work- ers elect their own representatives on a farmers’ and workers’ party ticket they will continue to be be- trayed. A workers’ government would put all the private sluggers and labor pounding policemen off the strike district and put in strikers who were deputized to preserve order, he said, and these workers would see that the “syuggers” stopped slugging. ON TO THE PICKET ‘LINE! was his appeal at closing. IMPEACH COOLIDGE! HE WORKERS of the world will again celebrate on the coming first of May the victory of their Russian comrades in estab- lishing the ‘first Workers Republic in human history and maintaining it against the combined attacks of world capitalism, Soviet Russia will be hailed on Day by hundreds of of demonstrations as to ae ha grag syste: and a star of hope to the strug- gling ing masses of all lands, The workers in every country will appraise the results of the year’s struggles. They will take lessons from the past and prepare for the future. It will be a day of reckoning and a day of in- spiration. The workers of the United States will point to the growing demoralization of the capitalist parties as evidence that the capi- talist system even in young Amer- been stricken wi mortal which it cannot re- Teapot Dome scandal fi The r iieee is evidence enough of this. Radical organizations, progres-. sive unions will call on the mem- to honor the international locals thruout the country to make in Memoriam Arvo Usenius Born February 15th, 1892, at Helsingfors, Finland Died Monday, March 10th, 1924, at Superior, Wis., U. S. A. TH WORKERS PARTY of America and particularly the Finnish Federation suffered a great loss by. the death of Comrade Arvo workers would hope to die, “on Coming to America from Finland eleven years ago Usenius contracted tuberculosis while working at his trade as a machinist in the big machine shops of the East. tion, Usenius later became a member of the Communist and Work- Joining the Finnish Fédera- Comrades in Ishpeming, Mich., remember his splendid efforts as director of their dramatic \work. three years ago, Comrade Usenius was found in the forefront of every Party activity particularly in Y, W. L. and T. U. E. L. work. In his position as assistant editor of our Finnish Daily “Tyo- mies”, he worked up to the last, leaving his desk at 7:00 P>M. on Monday, March 10th, he died in his home one hour later. Those who knew him will long remémber him hs a loyal and hard-working member of our Party and our hope is that each one of those who knew him will emulate his spirit of devotion and sacrifice which impelled him to give unstintingly of his services to our Party even while the dread of disease was working its ravages upon him. The best ‘memorial we can give him is to work as he Coming to Superior, Wis., National Defense Committee Appeals For Assistance To the DAILY WORKER: A mis- taken impression is being spread that all political prisoners’ have been freed and that consequently there is no further need for defense and re- lief work. That defense jis still a matter of vital interest to all workers can be shown from the fact that the National Defense Commit- tee alone is defending seventy work- ers who are facing deportation. Our most recent case is that of Judah L, Cooper Who was arrested on February 3rd at Bayonne, N. J. at a Soviet Russia Recognition meeting by two professional spies and *was indicted under the Federal Con- spiracy Act. It is all right for bank- ers, business men and congressmen to ask for recognition of Soviet Rus- sia when the recognition means busi- ness, but it is a crime for a worker to voice his sympathyrand ask for support of the Workers’ Govern- ment. This is another example of American justice. a These men have participated ac- tively in the labor movement and it is due to their activities that they are being persecuted. This, there- fore, is your fight and you must help. You are urged to make an out- right donation to the National De- fense Committee, or to contribute some articles for the Third Annual International Bazaar which will take place April 10th thru 13th at Cen- tral Opera House, NewYork City. Nerma Berman, secretary. IMPEACH COOLIDGE! No High Wages for Workers in Next War Militarist States SAN FRANCISCO, March. 30.— Brigadier General H. S. Wolfe of New York, a finance reserve officer addressing the reserve officers of the Ninth Army Corps area declared that in the next war, the big industrial es- tablishments of the United States would co-operate with the govern- ment in seeing that the workers who remained in the factories would not draw high wages while others re- ceived army wages. Of course the general did not state that the industrial magnates would not be allowed any profit on the com- modities produced for war purposes, the sacrifices would be made by the workers. “We desire to organize the indus- tries of the countries so that we will be able to mobolize them as the man power of the country is being mobi- lized,” said General Wolfe. Thus we have our rulers preparing for the next holocaust and cold bloodedly planning the most effective methods of sending the workers to their doom at the least possible cost. No Scuttling of Oil Probe! immediate arrangements for the celebration of May First. That union has fixed the day for the opening of its biennial convention on the second Monday in May so that it would not conflict with the May Day celebration, The “May Day Special” of the DAILY WORKER will carry the news of arrangements for the May Day demonstrations thruout the country. It will carry articles from Chicago, Illinois. Here Comes ‘The May Day Special’ THE DAILY WORKER, dake Halsted St., . Send me...............copies 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 farmers learn the real meaning of the world Labor on its International Holiday. PRE ec ninlaaiendeten oa cdr quae Ma FREEDOM FOR FILIPINOS IS FRISCO DEMAND Big Mass Meeting Will Be Held in New York At the enthusiastic mass meet- ing of workingmen in San Francisco a strong demand was voiced for Wall Street getting out of the Phil- ippines. The meeting, held under the auspices of the local Workers Party, was addressed by Commun- ist and Filipino speakers and strongly denounced the Republican and Democratic parties for their policy towards the.Filipino people. Special commendation of the Work- ers Party activities in behalf of Fili- pino freedom from American im- perialists was voiced at the mass rally which adopted the following resolution; “Whereas, the Congress of the United States, by an almost unanimous vote of its members, representing the Republican and Democratic parties, passed on August 29, 1916, the Jones Act declaring it to be ‘the purpose of the people of the United States to withdraw their sovereignty, over the Philippine fslands and to recognize their independence as soon as = stable government can be established there- in’; and “Whereas, this was « clear and definite promise on the part of our government to grant Filipinos their freedom as soon as such ”* government should have been establisl “Wh he ich a government has been established in the Philippines for many years, as téstified to by their former Governor-Gen- eral, Francis Burton Harrison, in his book entitled “The Cornerstone of Philippine Inde- pendence”, and as is quite evident to any impartial observer of the Islands; and “Whereas, the workers of the United States are opposed to the imperialistic schemes of the present Governor-General, Major-General Leonard Wood, who is repaying the millionaire backers of his campaign for the Presidency of the U. S. in 1920 by handing over to that same group of American exploiters the de- pment of the enormous natural resources and the industries of the Philippines; and “Whereas, there is now pending in Congress a bill to grant the Filipinos their immediate freedom from American rule: as an indepen- dent nation; “Therefore, be it resolved, that this mass- meeting of American snd Filipino workers and citizens demand that the government of this country fulfill its solemn promise and that we urge the Congressmen and Senstors from this state to support unreservedly the granting of immediate independence te the Philippines. “Be it resolved that we condemn the Re- publican and Democratic parties for their failure to give the Filipinos their freedom and that we commend the Workers Party of America for its stand in behalf of immediate Philippine independence. “Be it resolved tNat copies of this resolu- tion be sent to the press and the men and Senators from this state.” On April 2 at 8 p. m. the workers of New York City will hold a mon- ster rally for Philippine freedom at Webster Hall, 119 East lith St. Pedro Guevara, Philippine resident commissioner to the United States, Scott Nearing and Jay Lovestone will be the speakers. IMPEACH COOLIDGE! . _ _ Hindoo Student of Northwestern Spoke Before Yowls Sunday The relation between the pacifists discovered at Northwestern Univer- sity, and the Young Workers League was made plain at a meeting held Sunday, March 80th, at 3:00 p. m., at 4021 N. Drake avenue, under auspices of the Irving Park branch of the Young Workers League of Chicago- Haridas Muzumdar, student at Northwestern University and closely connected with the Pacifist move- ment, was the principal speaker. The Irving Park Branch of the League is making arrangements for an entertainment and dance to be held Saturday evening, April 19, at 4021 N. Drake avenue. All the Young Workers League members will do well to set aside this evening for this affair. 2 This branch of the Young Work- — ers League meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 4021 N. Drake avenue, and all who are interested to attend the meet- ings will be very welcome. BURNS MUST GO! The Daily Worker “May Day Special” the leaders of the world Commun- ist movement. It will Sttingly celebrate labor's international holi- edition that will put in all previous special is- . Its writers and cartoonists will do their best to make the first May Day issue of the DAILY WORKER a historic one. Get on the job immediately. Order a, bundle. Fill out the blank printed below and send it in at once, | and struggle of