The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 23, 1924, Page 5

—" \ \ +t * Monday, June 23, 1924 RUSSIA GOES AFTER GRAFT WITH BROOM USS. Would Honor Those Russia Kicks Out By ANISE, MOSCOW, June 22,—Life in Mos- cow this past winter has gone on by a@ series of “cleanings” which have caused considerable worry in one sec- tion of the population after another. First the speculators were cleaned out of the city, in just the way that we hold vice clean-ups in the United States. In fact, under “speculators” came\a large number of gamblers, prostitutes, swindlers, bootleggers who were infesting the capital and whose jewels and luxury, even though confined toa few cafes, was causing discontent among the workers. But Russia adds to these undesirables the man living by his wits, without legiti- mate business. A legitimate business is one which has a_ license, keeps books and pays taxes. Party Cleans House. Then followed the “cleaning” of the Communist Party, in which all Com- munists not actually workers at the bench or peasants on the land were subjected to a grilling investigation as to their ancestors, past history and present work, The purpose of this was to get rid of those elements which were making the party a means to graft, office-seeking or personal ad- vancement generally. Now comes the university students. The situation is serious. Before the revolution there were 90,000 students of university and higher technical in- stitutes in Russia proper; but’ when education: became free, they flocked into the schools until the number reached 176,000. Last year the cost of living under the new policy reduced it somewhat, but there are still 150,- 000 students and Russia simply can- not support them now, nor furnish jobs to them when they graduate, Students Get Political Test. “How do you conduct the cleaning?” I asked Comrade Ludwig Martens, who is on the “cleaning” committee. “We have before us the entire file or ; work: ‘Then we havé a conversation with him and ask him questions both to test his knowledge of his life work and what he intends to do with it later in life. From these things we decide whether he is in-a suitable place. “One test is, however, applied which is not common in American universi- ties, and that is political knowledge. Every student is expected to know ,/something of the organization of the state in which he lives and of what he expects to do for that state as a citizen.. The blase student common in American ‘universities, who takes no interest at all in public questions, is’ simply not allowed to stay in the uni- versity, ‘whose business for many years must be, not giving personal cul- ture, but training up leaders for the state.” PITTSBURGH, PA. DR. RASNICK DENTIST Rendering eg Dental Service ‘ears 6 ITHF TL y li CENTER AVE. "oor Arthur's e Spaulding ASHER B. PORTNOY & CO. nd. HAVE PRIN NEW FREIGHT RATES MADE BY I.C.C. DISCRIMINATES AGAINST COAL OF UNION FIELDS; FOR SCAB BOSSES By LELAND OLDS (Federated Press Industrial Editor) Is there a conspiracy of non-union interests to thottle jthe union miners of Illinois and Indiana by securing freight rates which favor non-union coal in the competition for markets? Federated Press Staff Gorrespondent.| Certainly recent decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion increasing the cost of shipping Illinois coal to the northwest will have just that effect while the a si a! open shop Indiana 0 State Chamber of Commerce is pressing for wer rates for non- union coal shipped into that state. In the northwest freight rate * decision the commission author- izes inereases rarrging from 13c to 32c a ton in the rates on coal shipped from southern Illinois to Minnesota. Increases ranging from 8c to 42c¢ a ton are author- ized in rates from southern Illi- nois to points in Wisconsin. But on eastern (largely non-union) coal shipped via the lakes are left unchanged. To Affect Big Field. This decision’ will affect the market for a considerable proportion of the 8,500,000 tons of Illinois coal shipped annually to the near northwest. In other words the jobs of more than 8,000 miners are involved. And al- ready nonunion coal favored by lower wage scales has cut into the market for Illinois coal. During May more than half the Illinofs mines were closed terminating the jobs of approx- imately 40,000 miners and the mines still open were operating at little over 1-5 capacity. “The commission,” says a statement representing the viewpdint of Illinois operators, “has evidently authorized the increase solely for the purpose of increasing the tonnage from the docks (coal from West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and Pennsylvania) with a resultant effect of decreasing that from Illinois.” Here Are the Figures. Typical increases in freight rates on southern Illinois coal are shown in the following table: Present Proposed To rate rate Winona, Minn. $3.22 35 Rochester, Minn.” 3.47 3.5) Farmington, Minn 3.47 3.75 Beloit, Wis. 2.52 2.75 Menominee Falls, Wis. 2.58 3.00 Oshkosh, Wis. 3,22 3.25 Wausau, Wis, 3.26 3,55 Such changes mean an actual in- crease in the cost of southern Illinois coal in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas and will to that ex- tent encourage consumers to purchase eastern nonunion coal shipped via the lakes. This eastern coal is already competing successfully to the extent of 6,000,000 tons a year. It will now compete with Illinois coal on more favorable terms in spite of the longer haul from eastern mines. i 1. C. C. Bunk. As a basis for the change the com- mission referred to the fact that state institutions in and around Mad- ison, Wis. were able to buy coal cheaper from southern Illinois than from eastern mines. It is now to be assumed that this same state will be able to purchase nonunion coal from more distant eastern mines more cheaply than union coal from the neighboring state of Illinois. Room.to Rent. Single or double. WINOCUR, 3538 Thomas St. Four blocks from Hum- boldt park. YOUR TING DONE IN YOUR OWN SHOP From New, Clean Type on Our Own New Presses NYTHING IN THE PRINTING LINE, from a card to a “newsp can be printed in the shop of THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING COMPANY. Prompt Delivery, Reasonable Prices and evi dollar of profit goes to make THE DAILY WORKER a bigger and better paper. ; Out of Town Orders Promptly Filled Bian friends get qu } ni ; , hone, mail or bring in your printing jobs. Have your they may on any printing ‘ / Daily Worker. Publishing Company | 1113 W. Washington Blvd. Telephone Monroe 4712. Legion Fascisti to Try Gagging Buffalo Speech by Ordinance By LUDWELL DENNY. (Federated Press Staff Correspondent) BUFFALO, N. Y., June 22.—Ameri- can legion officials, an army recruiting officer, the mayor of Buffalo and po- lice have decided to prove their pa- triotism by over-riding the U, S. con- stitution and preventing free speech -—by using mobs and violence against speakers if necessary. Following thc mob action, led by an army officer which broke up a proletarian party street meeting here, June 13, Mayor Frank Schwab announces that he will put thru the city council a gag ordinance written by the local Ameri- can legion denying meeting and speak- ing permits to radicals. Commission- er Frank C, Perkins, Socialist, will op- pose this unconstitutional ordinance when it is introduced, June 18. Protest by the Erie county commit- tee, American legion, against the ac- tion of Mayor Schwab in granting a permit to the June 13 meeting, led to a refusal of a permit for a June 14 free speech test meeting by the Ameri- can Civil Liberties union. George Starborough of Illinois, the June 13 speaker, was attacked on the stand and beaten up by the army re- eruiting officer for criticizing the war and Coolidge’s bonus veto. Te ee ae Civil Liberties Protest. NEW YORK, June 22.—Challenging the action of the Buffalo American Le- gion organizajon in its campaign against constitutional rights of free speech, the American Civil Liberties union, New York, announces that it has telegraphéd a protest to the In- dianapolis national headquarters of the legion. Speak for Yourself, Andy, and Tell the Workers the Truth! (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, June 22.—Secretary of the Treasury Mellon, as well as Daugherty and Burns, were connected with the alleged conspiracy to violate the prohibition law in testimony giv- en by Charles W. Johnson, govern- ment witness, in the trial in New York of Gaston B. Means, formerly Burns’ right hand man in the depart- ment of justice. Johnson recounted the following conversation with Means: “You have heard, Johnson, of a lot of money that Mr. Mellon put up for the Republican party—about $1,700,- 000. Now the Republican party is go- ing to pay back to Mr. Mellon this money. They are also about to cre- ate a fund for the next election, For getting this whisky out of bond we are going to chafge $200 a barrel and we are going to take out enough whisky to create this fund for what- ever amount they want.” Convicted Kluxers Cluck for Bail But Judge Says “Nixie EBENSBURG, Pa., June 22.—Hight- cen members of the Ku Klux Klan and thirteen citizens of Lilly con- victed of affray and unlawful assem- blage, will not be admitted to bail pending a motion for a new trial, Judge Thomas D. Finletter of Phila- delphia, specially presiding, an- nounced last night. , William Monalian of Lilly, aged 18, had just been acquitted of murder, the charge growing out of the Lilly riot of April 5, when the motion for bail was filed and promptly refused. Samuel Evans, alleged Klansman, also was acquitted of the murder charge, and similar charges against the 29 others were continued until the September term of court, on motion of | District Attorney D, P. Weimer. Judge Finletter will return to Ebensburg July 1, to hear arguments for new trials in the cases where con- victions were secured. Goose Step Slipped. ‘PETALUMA, Cal. June 22.—The goose step has slipped a cog here, When Principal David L. Oberg of the Junior High School called Miss Ruth Hinckley, superintendent of music, a “Bolshevist," by all the rules Miss Hinckley should have been fired. In- stead, it was Oberg who was dis- THE DAILY WORKER BOSSES BACK ‘GOLDFISHING’ OF WORKERS (Continued from page 1.) in handling strikes that they should be especially brutal in handling all sorts of suspects, The word “goldfish” to describe the third degree originated in Chicago. From there it spread to other cities. The police of this town needed a new word to describe the refinements they put on the old fashioned sweating or third degree methods ‘used in all American cities by the police, “Schomaker Punch.” Then the police have a nice little set of blows they call the “Scho- maker punches.” These were named after detective captain William Scho- maker. After that it is not necessary for us to say that he has a reputation as a “hard-guy.” The most famous of the “Schomaker punches” is a blow at the base of the brain at the rear of the head. The writer was once discussing the fame of these blows with their originator. He said, “Here I'll show you the original.” Nith that he struck me a crack with -he side of his hand on the neck. The writer let the discussion continue for several minutes without taking part in it. His head sang for at least ten minutes after. The writer had not gone without sleep or food for hours before being struck. Think of the effect of such a blow on a man who had not had sleep or eaten for hours. Think of the ef- fect of a dozen such blows on a man in that condition. “Tells All—Then More.” It is when the police get hold of a man with radical or labor sympathies that they use the “goldfish” to the fullest extent. Men are told they will be forced to tell all they know and “a Hell of a lot more.” This is not idle talk. It has happened as will be told in future articles. When a certain Judge during a trial refused to permit the introduction of a confession which had been gotten by use of the “goldfish” a high police authority admitted that that was the only way the police could hope to get confessions. Occasionally a court or public au- thority will rave against the use of the “goldfish” but its use continues because it is such a heavy club in the hand of the police. High Court's Empty Words. That solemn body, the Illinois Su- preme Court handing down a decision in the case of the People vs. Rogers said: “It has been the practice of the Chicago police in a number of cases to extort confessions from suspects oxy means of what is called the ‘sweat- ng process.’ It is the most danger- ous and most uncivilized practice im- aginable to allow the police to go out and arrest a man or boy on mere suspicion and for days subject him to the ‘sweating process’ until he gives up and confesses to escape further torture.” 4 Yet in spite of such high’ sounding protestations there has not been a single conviction of a police officer for doing a thing that is plainly against the law. This practice will continue till the workers who get the worst of it in all cases make an end of it forever. Wholesale Co-ops Show Good Record in the Northwest SUPERIOR, Wis., June 22.—The co- operative central exchange to the all American Co-operative commission re- ports an excellent month’s business for April just made public. The excha has its headquarters in Superior, » and serves mo than eighty local co-operative stores. Sales for April amounted to $76,059, the previous high record being $67,- 683. For the first four months of 1924, sales reached the sum of $210,891, as compared with $180,613 in 1923, Organized in 1917 by a group of 15 Finnish co-operative stores as a wholesale society, the exchange has made a steady growth since that time. Most of its 80 stores are located in northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, Bosses Race for Cool Climate as Slaves T oil in Heat While the lords of the earth who live in Chicago were racing for the cool of the mountains or starting their yachts out on the lake yesterday two workers were drowned while seeking relief at beaches and a third dropped dead from the heat. The drowned are | William Dales and John Barrett. John Moffett, a repairman working in the Telephone Building, dropped dead from the heat. The workers sought relief at the beaches and parks of the city, But it was little coolness, they found. The entire city was aa grip of it wave, a sticky, humid TWO BRANCHES OF SAME TRUST (Continued from page 1.) the Western Union stockholders, work faster, reduce production costs, and in general, make better slaves of them- selves and make more money for the stockholders. “The following is indicative of the objects toward which suggestions should be directed,” writes the West- ern Upion head in a circular which has given to every employe. “Improvement in service rendered to the public, DEVELOPMENT OF NEW BUSINESS, DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF RE- VENUE THRU MORDP INTENSIVE UTILIZATION OF FACILITIES AND ORGANIZATION, REDUCTION IN COSTS, ELIMINATION OF WASTE, IMPROVEMENT IN CONSTRUC- TION AND MAINTENANCE METH- ODS, PROMOTION OF CO-OPERA- TIVE RELATIONS BETWEEN EM- PLOYES AND THE COMPANY.” No Responsibility. All ideas submitted by the employes in this contest that is being widely ad- vertised among the employes, are to belong to the Western Union company according to’ the president, who gays, “Suggestions shall not be » acknowl- edged or returned to the authors, and it is expressly understood, that in sub- mitting them under this plan, the sender authorizes the Western Union to reject or make use of them, with- out liability of any kind.” The above campaign to increase the efficiency of the profit grabbing speed- up Western Union company, is run “In collaboration with the Association Western Union Employes” which is the most reactionary company union in existence. The Association is run and controlled by the Western Union management. The Western Union immediately dis- charges any employe who is found to’ have joined a real union. A private wire house telegraph operator told the DAILY WORKER reporter that he has, been repremanded and threatened with dismissal for talking with a mem- ber of the Chicago Telegraphers’ Un- ion Association, which is organized in Canada and among the brokerage tele- graphers in the United States. Company Unionists Wanted. “The company agrees to hereafter prefer for employment those appli- cants for positions who indicate their willingness to become members of the .ssociation,” says the Western Union sompany union. Newcomb Carlton admits discrimi- nation against union telegraphers when he says in a message to his com- pany union, “Referring to our confer- ence today at which three vice-presi- dents and myself were present, it is agreed that you should say to our as- sociation that the company agrees that all employes WHO HAVE BEEN RE- LEASED FROM SERVICE SINCE JANUARY FIRST BECAUSE OF UN- DESIRABL# AFFILIATIONS, will be re-employed UPON THEIR APPLICA- TION AND SUBMISSION OF EVI- DENCE THAT THEY HAVE JOINED THE ASSOCIATION WESTERN UN- ION EMPLOYES AND _ RELIN- QUISHED THE UNDESIRABLE OUT- SIDE AFFILIATIONS.” The company union of the Western Union company, which follows the same general plan as the Hawthorne Club at Western Electric, declares against strikes. “The Western Union Employes’ association opposes the con- scious retardation of out-put,” says the company union constitution. “It stands unalterably*for the principles of arbitration.” Make False Promises. Both the Western Electric com- pany and the Western Union tele- graph company get out booklets promising the employes si¢k and death benefits. A careful reading of these reveals that the offitfals of the companies are the ones wh» pay out, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMPANY, all money given to their sick, or the families of deal employes. The similarity of the death bens fit plans of the two companies is an- other proof of the general control by the Morgan Electric Trust anid the Western Hlectric gets out a pamphlet entitled, “Plan for employes’ pensions, disability benefits and death benefits,” The Western Union company alan gets out a pamphlet WITH EXACT- LY THE, SAME TITLE, THE SAME SIZH, THE SAME TYPE, THE SAME: MAKE-UP, AND THE SAME PLAN OF OPERATION. The only trouble with these death benefit plans is that the companies’ lawyers refuse to pay the policy due wherever possible, A Typical Ca A man in one of the distributing de- partments at the Western Electric reviewed for the DAILY WORKER the famous case of Fairbrothers. Fairbrothers was with the Western Electric company for over thirty-five years. He was well-liked and wide- ly known thruout the plant. Two of Fairbrothers’ daughters worked at the plant. One of his daughters who had been with the Western Blectric for five years, was out for a month with the “flu.” Under the sick bene- fit plan she was entitled to pay, but her superior gave her a month's pay and discharged her, Fairbrothers protested to his daugh- a ter’s superior at her dismissal, and was told to go and mind his own busi- ness. Fairbrothers then took the matter up with his own boss, and got no satisfaction. Finally he took the matter up with Albright, head of the Hawthorne works. Albright put Fairbrothers off with polite words. However, the next day Fairbroth- ers was discharged by his superior, for going over his head to Albright. Fairbrothers, after serving the com- pany for thirty-five years, was fired as a disturber, and has not received a cent in pension money, according to bis fellow workers. Fairbrothers was first in the engineering department and was later transferred to the shop order department. The Western Union Telegraph company employes are required to pay fifty cents down and ten cents a month if they wish these sick and death benefit policies. They are not paid on the policies if the lawyers for the company can squirm out of payment. One Way Co-dperation. The employes’ association of the Western Union, claiming so much for the employes, and always insisting so much on co-operation, has repeatedly asked an increase in wages. The Western Union officials, however, re- fuse to grant this increase, evidently believing in co-operation only when it increases the company’s profits. The employes’ association members have also asked that the time and one-half pay for Sunday work be re- stored, but Carlton has refused this request. THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPHERS NOW ARE FORCED TO WORK SUNDAYS FOR THE REGULAR WEEK DAY RATE OF PAY. THE COMPANY UNION HAS DONE NOTHING FOR THE WEST- ERN UNION OR WESTERN ELEC- TRIC EMPLOYES. IT HAS DENIED THEM THE RIGHT TO STRIKE AND IT HAS BOUND THEM TO THE WESTERN UNION AND WEST- ERN ELECTRIC COMPANIES LIKE A LOT OF SCAB SLAVES, AFRAID TO ORGANIZE AND DEMAND A DE- CENT STANDARD OF LIVING. Gas Company Won’t Let Any Law Take Its Excess Profits (By The Federated Press) NEW YORK, June 22.—The federal court in New York has again wiped out a reform law for the benefit of Big Business in the action of Judge Win- slow declaring confiscatory and uncon- stitutional the state Walker law es- tablishing a $1 gas ratef As a result the Consolidated Gas Co. stock is go- ing up on Wall street. The first statute objected to by the gas companies prohibited any addi- tional charge for service or the in- stallation and use of apparatus. This act, reduced the combined commodity and service rate from $1.38 to $1.15. The Walker law then prohibited a charge of more than $1 for 1,000 cu- bic feet of gas in cities of more than a million population and set a mini- mum standard of 650 British thermal units per cubic foot. ‘Winslow rules that the law is con- fiscatory and tho the companies can- not make a service charge they can continue to charge a flat rate of $1.38. Nor can the state enforce its minimum standard of thermal units, the judge rules. Almost $5,000,000 in excess charges has been collected by the trust in the last year under the injunction against the law, it is estimated. Perjury Cherge Awaits Boss Who Lied About Union (By The Federated Press.) NEW YORK, June 22.—Conspiracy charges against New York Bakers’ Union No, 305, Bakery and Confec- tioners’ International Union, have been dismissed by Judge Glennon. Rose Glasser brought suit for $5,000 charging that the union, thru high wages and threats of violence, had forced her to sell at a loss her bake shop. In dismissing the case the judge said he would have dn investigation of the testimony of the boss and her witne: with a view to prosecuting themefor perjury. A former owner, Kaplan, had given the shop to workers who were union officials, They sold it to Isadore Glasser for $350, whose “wife,” Rose, later sold it for $450. Isadore and Rose gave conflicting testimony re- garding their marriage and whether Rose had spent money on the shop. Who Reichstag Members Are. BERLIN, June 22.—Among the la- bor members elected to the Reichstag at the recent election is the vice pres- ident of the German Federation of Labor, the president of the Federation of Salaried Employes, the presidents of the miners, the transport workers, the shoe workers and the metal work- unions, and the secretary of the textile workers, * i DETROIT'S CAR WORKERS SOLID AGAINST BOSSES Capitalists Refuse to Recognize Courts By SHERMAN BOWMAN, DETROIT, June 22.—Even the cir cuit court of Wayne county has re- pudiated the Detroit Street Railway commission in its stand against arbi- trating wages and working condi- tions with the 3,900 platform em- ployes of the municipality owned De- troit cars. Judge Theodore J. Richter in cir cuit court has issued a writ‘of man- damus ‘compelling the commission in” the arbitration procedure to recog nize union officials designated by the men as the men’s representatives, Must Meet Real Union. The commission had sought to ar bitrate by recognizing not the desig¢ nated union officials but a committee of platform employes chosen as @ bona fide company union. in an elec: tion managed by the commission's representatives. Less than 400 men voted in the commission’s election, whereas the designated union of- ficials had been named in petition cluded the following slap in the face platform men, whose wages and work- ing conditions are at stake. In his opinion Judge Richter in- cluded the following slap in the face for the city and the bureaucrats of the department of street railways: “It is the claim of the respondents (the commission) that notwithstand- ing this large body of men the peti- tioners (the union executives) ob- viously represent, they can not deal with them but that they will deal with men chosen at an election at which less than 400 men voted. This petition seems to be entirely without reason. If the respondents are willing to deal with men elected by less than 400 out of 3,900 membership, why they should refuse to deal with men elected by 3,900 platform employes out of the same number is beyond me.” (!) Bosses Answer By Radio, There was irony in the situation at the announcement of the opinion _.._ Clarence EH. Wilcox, $10,000-a-year at- torney for the department of street railways; Ross Schram, assistant gen- eral_manager and swivel chair marti- net of the lines, and J. A. Martin, act- ing mayor, all of whom refused quar- ter to the union, were on board the S. S. Noronic on Lake Huron on the annual Detroit board of commerce cruise and had to send their com- ments by radio to the newspapers and the awaiting puppets of big business. Moreover, the attitude of the com- mission was further borne out by the statement of John J. Barlum, capital- ist, and one of the three members of the cqgmmission. He showed that the would-be union-smashing commission, would go as far as it could toward ignoring a court that would not play the game of the commission and the game of the real power that is oppos- ing the streetcar men’s union, the or- ganized industrial and finance capi- talists. Boss Won't Recognize Law. “We will certainly carry this fight to a higher court,” Barlum announced. “We will never submit to arbitration with any union which represents, as this one does, city employes. We do not believe that the granting of a writ of mandamus gives the union any more right to speak for the employes of the city of Detroit than had be- fore the writ was authorized.’ So that, if the court had halted the union-smashing tactics of the com- mission, the commission has repudi- ated the courts. By this the status of courts and constitutionality is said by the more militant workers to be ik luminated. Meanwhile the solidarity of the plat- form workers is iron-clad, And if their morale is not weakened thru bureau- cratic theorizing and negottfation they will win their demands for a 14 per cent wage increase and the partial elimination of the so-called split runs) Biggest Bootlegger Will Have to Cough Up at Means Trial NEW YORK, June 22.-Andrew Mel- — lon, Secretary of the Treasury and, according to testimony at the Daugh- erty investigation sessions in Wash- ington, the biggest bootlegger ever forged a permit, will be required to tell what he knows here on Tues day at the trial of Gaston B. Means, Mellon is charged by Means with being responsible for the flow of liquor that inundated the country, th Andy was charged with the res) bility of enforcing the provisions of the prohibition law, Waiter Killed by Bomb. George Swan, a waiter, was killed and several persons were hurt, when a bomb was thrown into a soft drink saloon on the south side early A gamblers’ war is held ! tor the bombing, Page Ae ean aaa &