The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 29, 1924, Page 3

Friday, August 29, 1924 MINE BOSSES ~ FAIL IN PLAN ~ TOCUT WAGES Miners Absent F rom Herrin Meeting By TOM TIPPETT (By The Federated Press) The cleverly laid plans of the Illinois coal operators to bring consideration of a wage reduc- tion before the Illinois mine workers failed insofar as the public meeting arranged by them to discuss that question. in Herrin on Aug. 20 is concerned. The purpose of the meeting fell flat when the mine workers officially refused to participate in the gathering. The opera- tors were there in full force as were representatives of the rail- roads, public service corpora- tions, corporation lawyers and others who feel a pinch in their pocketbooks because of the un- precedented unemployment in the mining industry in Illinois. All for Wage Cut. Every speaker openly advocated or implied that the coaldiggers must take a cut in wages to remedy a “deplor- able situation.” It was made plain that neither the operators, railroads nor public service companies could be expected to lower their own profits. The miners alone must stand the cut. The August 20th meeting is the aftermath of an excursion from south- ern Illinois into the non-union fields of Kentucky a few weeks ago. This trip was ostensibly organized by the Lions’ Club, a business men’s organ- ization at Herrin. Mineworkers, busi- ness men and operators made up the party. Glowing accounts of flourish- ing business in the neighboring scab fields were released when the excur- sion returned. Then came the meet- ing referred to above. Mineworkers who at first agreed to participate in the round table discussion were led to believe that a reuction in freight rates ‘would be considered as one way to ob- tain cheaper coal to compete with the non-union product mined across the Ketucky line. They refused to take part in the meeting when they learned that wage reductions would be dis- cussed. Wants to Bust Union. . Dr. F. C. Honnald,of Chicago, presi- dent of the Franklin-Williams Coal Operators’ association, was the chief ‘spokesman for the operators. His speech was rather to inspire others to demand a wage reduction than to do so himself. He called the miners’ un- ion a failure and said that some other machinery would have to be created to handle the present problem. He was quick to add that he did not wish to destroy the miners’ union and then he called upon the rank and file in the miners’ organization to force their officers to save them from economic ruin. They weren't going to break the contract, he said, and then reminded the miners that the two increases in pay had been forced by them between contract periods. (This was during the war and right after when the miners ‘were notoriously underpaid.) Honn- ald “did his stuff” poorly. Let’s Cat Out of Bag. Following speakers let the cat out of the bag by openly declaring with emphasis that the miners must take a@ wage cut. Herbert Taylor, head of the Taylor coal company in southern Illinois, said the coaldiggers must take & wage reduction or the mines would remain closed. Walter Williams, Ben- ton, Ill, a corporation lawyer, was in- vited by the chairman, County Judge A. W. Morgan, vice president of the Herrin Lions’ Club, to address the as- sembly. Williams made the key note speech. It was for a reduction in miners’ pay. He drew a graphic pic- ture of the situatién with non-union Kentucky only 48 miles away. Th§ whole remedy, he declared, was a lowering of the miners’ wages. Wil- lams is an ex-coal operator. He failed to meet a payroll at his mme in 1914, according to Benton coalminers, and his mine was closed. The “deplorable situation” that he stressed here was not a factor then. Representatives of the Burlington and Illinois Central railroads were Present and notified the gathering that their freight rates could not be lowered. They “unloaded” to the In- terstate Commerce Commission. In Interest of Public Service. | The Central Illinois Public Service company was represented by the vice president, J. P. Clayton, He made the most of the meeting to advertise the virtues of his company and’ to also notify it that the price of power his SPEAKER: J. Louis _“L” to the Grove, transfer to Suburban Line. teats a Engdahl Editor of THE DAILY WORKER, and Work- ers Party Candidate for U. S. Senator. ADMISSION 35 CENTS HOW TO GET THERE—Take Forest Park or Madison St. car and SOLIDARITY WINS MEXICAN TEXTILE WORKERS’ STRIKE MEXICO CITY.—The general soli- darity strike of Orizaba which was called in order to support the. de- mands of the textile workers suc- ceeded in oBtaining the minimum demand of $2 a day in the whole in- dustry. * Another solidarity textile strike that was called to support 250 work- ers who had been locked out by one of the seventeen large textile mills operating in the state of Mexico, is being settled satisfactorily to the workers. The 250 are to be re- turned to their work with wages paid for the seven days on strike. ‘seestetceencinentcnralenpnaslinetenianinanetn company sells the coal operators, which is an essential item in the cost of coal production, could not be lowered. The Central Illinois Public Service company sells electric energy to 40 southern Illinois towns. Practically all coal mines are operated by its power. Clayton gave some illuminat- ing figures on this privately owned super-power corporation. He said that operators were producing coal from 6 to 12 cents per ton cheaper with super-power than with the old steam method. He did not account for this saving but since mineworkers have been given no increase it follows that this item went into operators’ profits. Since 1918, Clayton said, his com- pany had spent $9,000,000 in extend- ing their properties and since that de- velopment it was possible to generate one kilowatt hour of electricity with two Ibs. of coal. Before super-power from 12 to 16 Ibs. were required. Ob- viosly a grand saving in coal has been accomplished when the size of the corporation is considered and the ex- tent of its activities. Clayton called such a saving a “blessing” but he did not say to whom. He made it plain that there could be no reduction in the price of electric power. The other cost factors, he pointed out, were freight and labor. | Freight rates could not be reduced. The railroad repre- sentatives themselves had said so. He then implied that the miners ought to take a cut in pay. The poverty of this corporation can be appreciated by considering that Clayton said that $9,000,000 had already been spent by it and that his company was ready to expend that much more to develop as circumstances require. Only Miners to Be Cut. It was madé plain that the miners alone must take a wage reduction so that business men, lawyers, coal op- erators, railroads and billion dollar public service companies can live. The meeting was attended by about 65 Illinois coal operators, 100 business men and aprpoximately 50 coaldiggers who sat silently thru the first propa- ganda meeting staged by the coal op- erators to reduce their wages. The capitalist press was on hand. Spe- cial correspondents from Chicago as well as St. Louis wexg there to dash off the welcome news. They all lost in the first round, according to Wm. Daech, President of Subdistrict No. 5, United Mine Workers of America, who was an observer at the meeting and who furnished the material for this article. Unemployment Acute. The unemployment situation inthe Herrin field is acute. Out of a mem- bership of 14,000 miners 9,170 were unemployed in the past three months, Only 17 of the 43 mines in that lo- cality are working and only three of them are working more than a few days a pay. Ignores Deflation Problems of Farmer In Irrigation Plan (By Federated Press.) WASHINGTON, Aug. 28.—Dr. El- wood Mead, the new commissioner of the bureau of reclamation, has re- ported to Secretary of the Interior Work on a study of government irri- gation projects thruout the west that settlers henceforth _must have more capital and adaptability to the con- quering of desert land. At least $1,500 of ready capital should be required of the man who undertakes to develop a 40-acre tract on an irrigation project. He admits that the extreme depres- sion in agriculture has hit the irriga- tion farmers hard, but declares this is mporary” factor which “may be ignored” in dealing with the main problem. Captain, Crew, Schooner Gone. - HALIFAX, N. S., Aug. 28.—Captain Miller and his crew of five lost their lives when their schooner, the Prince Edward Island, crashed on the rocks at Kitty Witty shoals, 20 miles from Halifax, PITTSBURGH WORKERS IN MOVE ON SPY T.U.E. L. Brings On Speedy Action (Special to The Daily Worker) PITTSBURGH, Pa., August 28.—At last the Pittsburgh la- bor movement is going in the right direction to rid itself of the notorious ae ae and labor spy, Robert W. Beattie, now president of the labor bank here and secretary of the Pitts- burgh Central Labor Union. But this was not done until the local branch of the Trade Union Educational League had written a leaflet asking .the rank and file how long it in- tended to haye in offices men who were in the paid employ of their worst enemy, the boss. Decides to Resign. After three hearings of the trial board, Beattie decided to resign and escape expulsion and the publicity the case,might receive-in trade union pub- lications. This was too much for the delegates to swallow, although Hick- ey, president of the Central Labor Union, and Nelson, acting secretary, did their best to have the resignation accepted. In the discussion that followed dele- gates stated that they were ander in- structions from their local unions as a result of the T. U. E. L. leaflet, and that the membership demanded action. It was pointed out that not only Beat- tie, but the labor movement of Pitts- burgh was on trial before the workers of this country. Nelson did not lis- ten. Nelson an Old Faker. He is the same gentleman who rep- resented the carmen in the last strike in May, when the mayor got $25,000 to put down the strike by tear bombs. riot guns and other war implements and when Nelson was shown this strike-breaking paraphernalia he went back and demanded that the men call off the strike. On the motion to defer action on Beattie’s resignation until the execu- tive board reports on the charges, his reactionary friends did not have the courage to vote for it. The trial so far has cost the workers nearly $1,000, but it will be worth a million to them to discover and throw out spies who have stuck to their backs like leeches and torn down what it took painfu) years to’ build up. ‘pigeons, held secret conferences with THE DAILY WORKER (Continued from Page 1.) republican party. The chairman of the national committee of the repub- lican party is exposed as having hired scores of private detectives, stool pig- eons and to have secretly. conspired to have them worm their snaky way into the textile workers’ unions of New Bedford, Mass. If Open Shop Dawes does not ap- prove of secret organizations against the workers, why doesn’t he de- nounce William Morgan Butler, the real head of the republican party ma- chine? Butler, in order to compel the workers in his textile mills at New Bedford, Mass., to accept one wage re- duction after another, paid out tens of thousands of dollars to sneaky stool them, conspired with them as to how to control and wreck the unions, and put some of these “under-cover men” at the head of the unions of New Bed- ford. ‘ The, nefarious business of putting across this secret attack to effect a wage-slashing campaign without strikes was directed by Butler thru the “Sherman Service,, Incorporated,” which is in the conspiracy business for the jack it collects from great in- dustrial concerns. If any one thinks that the Sherman Service is an open. above-board concern, dealing as it Lyra aes “claims” to deal, with “engineering” and “changing the motives of em- ployes,” then .read the following in- structions given by the “service” to ite agents: “blow to Spy on Workers.” “As our employe you will be known and called ‘representative.’ “You will be designated by a num- ber under which you will be known to us only, and which you will employ when signing communtcations, ex- pense accounts and all other docu- ments. “As your mission is to be consid- ered confidential absolutely, you must follow~our directions relative to di- vulging your real vocation to any one. “The rules and regulations of our organization exclude even one’s clos- est friends and families from any knowledge as to the details of any as- signment a representative may re- ceive. “In referring to any worker (being spied upon) give that person’s name or working number, otherwise give a detailed description of him so as to aid us in identifying him. (So he can be fired and blacklisted.—Kditor.) “You will receive frequent instruc- tions from us relative to the work you are doing, which instructions you are to mail back to us, together with en velope in which it was sent you. You are not to destroy them or keep them Silk Strikers Denounce Socialist Daily (Continued from page 1) upon the strike committee, the For- ward, on last Saturday, published a vicious diatribe against the alleged “Communist influence” in the strike. Cahan’s - publication “warned” ‘the strikers against political enemies and eried that the “Communist provoca- teurs must be smashed.” The socialist Forward took partic- ular exception to the activity of the Communists who exposed the fact that many members of the Jewish Work- men’s Circle were playing the parts of | yellow rats and doing work for the struck shops under sweatshop condi- tions. As a matter of fact it was the “cockroach” supporters of the For- ward that prevented the complete shutdown of the broad silk industry in Paterson. Every large mill was closed, but these small family con- cerns, hid away in obscure places, stubbornly resisted the efforts of the strikers to get them into the street. When their political bosses in New York perceived the growing influence of the Communists in Paterson, who, by their’ self-sacrificing devotion to the cause of the workers, had won their places of leadership in the strike, the local socialists were told to sneak. in for the purpose of sowing suspicion CHICAGO SPEEDS (Continued from Page 1) _ WORKER and a new member for the party is our big task in this cam- paign. Browder told the gathering that, with practically no campaign what- ever from January to June, our mem- bership has increased by 5,000. “If we can get such results without a campaign, just think what we can do with a well organized and sys- tematic campaign,” he said. Find Potential Readers. Browder, in making his plea to the members to work hard within the next few months to get new readers for the DAILY WORKER, said: “The getting of new members goes hand in hand with the getting of new readers to our daily paper. And the straw vote in the shops can be used to make new readers for The Daily. A man who will cast a straw vote for Foster is a potential reader of Our Daily. I for one can see these straw yotes putting new life into our party.” He urged the comrades to take their paper more seriously. The Chicago circulation can be greatly increased with only a comparatively © small amount of work. The branches must get on the job and put more energy into getting subscribefs and readers for the Daily. Every means should be utilized in this work. Street meetings should be used to good advantage for getting subscriptions. Manley told what is being done na tionally to get the entire party into the political campaign. Working Hard. and most important said Manley, “is get- ting those signatures. Everywhere the comrades working hard and we have some excellent reports of progress. The task in Illinois is com- paratively easy alongside what it is in some states. For instance, in Illi- nois we need 2,000 as against 20,000 that are needed in Ohio, CAMPAIGN WORK Manley reported that the Foster- Gitlow meetings were doing remark-| ably good work. They attract big crowds, they get an enthusiastic! response, forcing their way in \big| publicity on the front pages of all the capitalist newspapers, and in general putting the Workers Party in the posi- tion of an important political party in this country. “These meetings are very important. We must organize to make them a and distrust against the Communists and to try to control the movement they had scorned a few weeks before Many of the Forward gang ap- proached non-Communist members of the strike committee dnd tried to align them against the Communists, but to no avail. They weré con- temptuously ignored. The next move of the discredited crew was the attack in the Forward, under the guise of giving fatherly ad vice to the strike committee. The committee resented this sort of impu- dence and drafted the following reply. which we print in full: “Editor Jewish Daily Forward, New York City: “Our attention has been called to a translation of an article that appeared in your paper om Saturday, Aug. 23 containing a series of statements, ac-| cusations and innuendoes that are| wholly uncalled for and unfounded in fact.” “You say, in effect, that Commun- ists are playing politics in the strike, and base your accusations upon al- leged treatment accorded members of the Workmen's Circle. Thus far your publicatian is the only one that has even mildly suggested that the strike was being utilized by any po- litical group. Not even the enemy press of Paterson has resorted to this sort of subversive propaganda against the strike. You profess to have the welfare of the strike at heart. But your savage attack upon some mem- bers of the strike committee, which is a back-handed slap at the whole com- mittee, belies your pretenses. Your attack aligns you with the capitalist press; in fact, you outdo them in vi cious mendacity. “There is not one word of truth in your story. In the first place, you say that one ‘Comrade Dubrov’ appeared before the strike committee to investi- gate alleged slanders against the tremendous success. The Chicago meeting must be made the greatest meeting of the entire campaign, and we should work to pack the biggest hall in Chicago. “We have not given our imagination enough sway with the tremendous possibility of these meetings, com- rades,” he said. “Everything our can- didates say is ‘broadcasted in the newspapers thruout the country. Think what significance this will have in building our party. “I can report to you that Massa- chusetts has already succeeded in getting the necessary signatures and| desire that you be clear on this mat-| three and four looms, which is a viola will be on the ballot. Rhode Island is on the ballot. New York has a tremen- dous job but the comrades are work- ing hard. They need 12,000 signa- tures. New Jersey and Pennsylvania will go on the ballot. Getting Penn- sylvania on the ballot is a big victory for the party when you consider what a fight we have had in the coal min- ing districts of the state. Maryland will go on the ballot. Thru the ac- tivities of Comrade Ella Reeve Bloor, Colorado is being swung into line and we expect that state to report soon that we will be on the ballot. Wash- ington state is on the ballot.” “And do not forget that the DAILY WORKER is the real force in this ign. Every comrade should buy a bundle of the campaign issue, get them into the shops and fac- tories and give them the widest possible distribution.” FOLLOW THE CROWD TO Workmen’s Circle. This is not true, for no one has appeared for any such purpose. Nor has the question of the Workmen's Circle ever been dis- cussed, except to point to the number of members of that organization that are working while the strike is in progress. The fact that they are ‘cockroach’ capitalists who do most of their own work is no excuse for their working at this time, especially when we called for a hundred per cent shut- down in the industry here. “As to your charge of certain peo- ple bringing in political questions, we ter. The following little incident may serve to enlighten you regarding the tricks of certain politicians, who draw their inspiration from the Jewish Daily Forward: “At a meeting of the strike com- mittee, held Aug. 10, a committee with credentials from the socialist party branch of Paterson appeared and stated that their.party was inter. ested in the strike and that the Jew. ish Daily Forward. described as a rich concern, would render valuable as- sistance. This all sounded very well but before your committee left they added that there was just one little consideration they wanted incorpo: rated along with their generous offer That was that they be permitted to have three memberg on the strike committee. . Their proposition had just this one little string tied to it. This being an unusual, not to say un- Great Labor Day Demonstration THE T.U.E.L. PICNIC Bare Secret Instructions to Spies on your person over twelve hours. “You are not, under any circum: stances, to use the telephone in con- nection with this business from the town in which you may be employed, unless it has over 50,000 population. Otherwise you are to proceed to a nearby city or town of reasonable size. and at least five miles beyond the out- skirts of the town in which you are employed. Should it be necessary tc phone frequently, you are not to use the same telephone station, and at no time are you to talk over an open} phone. “In mailing your daily communica tions to us, you are to take care that no one observes you and that the post- office clerks do not see the specific letter which you yourself deposit. | “The rules and regulations of our organization forbid you to make known to ANY ONE your connection either with us or in this business, un- less under specific directions. “Our work frequently requires that Many representatives, unknown to each other, are engaged in the same factory at the same time. Should you know them to be representatives, you must not indicate that you know who they are, neither must they indicate that they are aware of who you are, unless specifically directed to do so by your official. “Get a room for yourself. Do not ,Page Three Ser share it with others, as the presencd of an outsidér would materially inter. fere with the writing of you confidend tial communications and the making’ up of your expense accounts.” All to Cut Workers’ Wages, This is the’secret o: on that. the head of the r Wil- lam Morgan Butler, to spy upon and work in the textile gwnions of New Bedford. Besldes Silver and Binns, secretary and pre t of the Textile Council, Butler got t e stook pigeons to install two more, Silva and Valley, on the council, so that it wag completely under the secret control of Butler, And what for? Butler wanted to reduce w Girls in his factories getting $1 per week are getting too much to suit the head pf the republican party We rs in his mills are getting for this trained work only $ . This is too much, according to the republic- an party. Harding was the republic- an who invented that strange word) “normalcy.” Butler wanted “normal ey,” too. “Normalcy” meant to him that the $14 girl would go back to thet 1913 wage of $6.39. a week, and the; weaver would be cut in wages to! 1913 wage of $9.73 a week. Blessed be the name of “normale; The stool pigeons of the Shermaw Service, Incorporated, shall inherit the earth. | heard of, procedure, the committee considered it and adopted the follow- ing motion: “We fully appreciate the offer of assistance, but the strike committee cannot see its way clear to seat represntatives of a political party.’ “This is the beginning and end of the one and only attempt on the part of any one to use the strike for po- litical purposes. “On the strike committee are avowed Communists, but they were! not selected as Communists, but as strikers and fighters in the ranks of labor. Likewise there are members of the socialist-labor party, who are there as fighters in the ranks and not as representatives of their political beliefs. No one from either of these groups has endeavored to impose him- self upon the strike committee. That | distinction is the exclusive effort of the socialist party in this strike. “If we must purchase your support | by becoming pawns of your political machine, we respectfully decline your generosity, and the favor your wealth affords you, with thanks. Your much vaunted wealth that your representa- tives promised to bestow upon us is no temptation, much as we desire sup port, when it must be purchased at the price of deviating from our fixed policy to play no political favorites Also your undoubted service to the en emy class may account for your great ‘wealth. If you are not paid the same as any other paper that slanders the workers when they are engaged in a desperate struggle against the avarice and greed of the capitalists, you are scabbing upon the paid editors of the capitalist press. “Now as to the facts regarding the local Workmen's Circle. The strike committee, in one of its regular meet- ings, appointed a subcommittee for the purpose of lining up the Jewish workers, This subcommittee had full power to carry on organization work. They arranged a Jewish mass meet ing and at that meeting elected a larger committee of 28 to aid in this work and also adopted a resolution caliing upon members of the Work men’s Circle who were working to come out on strike. A few days thereafter that enlarged committee re ported facts and figures to prove that about 150 members of the Workmen's Circle, known as ‘cockroach’ bosses. were doing work for manufacturers whose places were struck. Further more, these members were running tion of the two-loom demand of our union, and is the main cause of this strike. Also, our committee proved that some of the Workmen's Circle members had ordered their lackey foremen to ask the police to arrest strikers who were doing peaceful Picketing. “If there is a scintilla of decency in your publishing organization and the political party you speak for, you will publish this reply in full and without distortion. “(Signed) “ASSOCIATED SILK WORKERS, “Per Strike Committee.” Members of the strike committee, commenting upon the reply to the yel- low Jewish Daily Forward, declared | ,, they were aware of the policy of Ca han and his henchmen to rule or ruin organizations of labor having large ferred to the gangster terrorism tha prevails in the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union, the furrier: and other New York city and Chicago} unions, and asserted that this blight; upon the labor movement would never} be permitted to penetrate Paterson’ and wreck the organization here in’ the silk industry. 4 The reply to Cahan is ample evi-j dence that the Paterson silk strikers, mean what they say in reference to the professional union wreckers or- ganized around the Jewish Daily For- ward. Send in that Subscription Today. WM. Z. FOSTER What do you know about him? When speaking to your neighbors, friends and shopmates and urging them to support and vote for Wil- liam Z. Foster, the working class candidate for president, at the coming election, you will have to tell them what Foster has done for the labor movement. Fer this we recommend Foster’s book: AN AUTHOGRAPHED COPY “THE GREAT STEEL STRIKE AND ITS LESSONS” The story of the steel workers fight for organization and recog- nition, led by William Z. Foster. AN AUTHOGRAPHED COPY of this wonderful story sent to any address for $1.00 Regular price of this book is $1.75. Order at once, while the supply lasts! Remember: AN AUTHO- GRAPHED COPY. ee Literature Department, Workers Party of America 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Ii. Night and Morning to keep them Clean, Clear and Healthy Write for Free “Eye Care” or “Eye Beauty” Book Marine Co., Dept. H. S.,9 B. OhioSt.,Chicago E. W. RIECK LUNCH ROOMS Seven Places 62 W. Van Buren ( 42 W. Harrison 169 N. Clark 118 S. Clark 66 W. Washington 5 E i] DO YOU ROOM OUT? | want to rent my room as | am leaving ks, and would like to take it when | go because t can RECOMMEND IT AND ITS LAND~ LADY SO HIGHLY. it is suitable for one or two. Fér more particulars call) blocks of Jewish members. They re- FORE SEPTEMBER 1 Altenheim Grove (German .Old People’s UNION ORCHESTRA ~FREE DANCING —SPORTS Monroe 4712, between 9:00 a, m, and! 6:00 p. m. ST PARK, ILL. A Home) + %