The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 5, 1924, Page 2

MINERS’ HALLS BEAR WITNESS ~ TO CLASS WAR West Virginia Diggers Defended Homes By ART SHIELDS. (Federated Press Staff Correspondent.) BRADY, W. Va., Sept. 4.—The roofless, concrete block founda- tion of the miners’ union hall, burned down June 19, stands on the slope of union hilltop as a livid testimonial of the methods of warfare Sam Brady uses against the United Mine Work- ers of America. It stands just under the bigger brick building dedicated at the great mass meeting August 31, a year after the ceremonies that opened the first hall. Bullet holes perforate the outer casing of the concrete blocks on the side looking to- wards the company town. I counted 19 such holes drilled thru the sides of the hollow blocks, in addition to the marks of numerous other bullets that merely pitted the artificial stone. War Scars. These war scars testify to the fur- ious bombardment that raged from the automatic rifle nests in the water tank on the company side of the hill and in a tall yellow building several hundred yards away. They are the marks af the shots that went wild. Hundreds more passed thru the frame sides of the main hall floor. This hall the “yellow dogs” were as- saulting with the ferocity that charac- terized the airplane bomb raids of Don Chafin’s forces in the south three years ago, was not an empty nesting place. It was the temporary home of two evicted families; who had not yet found permanent quarters— Henry Howell's wife with six chi- ldren; Mrs. Annie Gillespie, with two children—and a squad of male defend- ers. The men were stationed there because of threats passed on from E. BE. Wilson, who rents company houses, evicts strikers and takes per- sonal charge of the Brady-Warner guards when Sam Brady isn’t on the yjob himself. Miners Defended Homes. The miners kept sentinel over their LA-FOLLETTE FORCES NOT WORRIED ABOUT SMALL’S KLAN TAINT Charles J. MacGowan, LaFollette campaign manager for Illinols, isn’t Interested In the charges made by State’s Attorney Delos Duty of Wil- Ilamson county that Governor Len Small, supported by the LaFollette forces for re-election, is a member of the Ku Klux Klan. “The national campaign has noth- ing to do with state politics in any state,” declared MacGowan, dismiss- ing the whole matter. The LaFollette manager con- fessed, however, that it was impos- sible for them to deliver the labor vote’to Small. “In Ilinois the American Federa- tion of Labor has endorsed Len Small. The socialists are putting up their own candidate. Some of our people will also vote for the demo- crat, Jones.” When urged to give his views on Len Small’s alleged connections with the Ku Klux Klan, and on the Klan itself, Congressman John M. Nelson, LaFollette’s national cam- paign manager, declared: “The senator (meaning LaFol- lette) is the only one who expresses an opinion on such: things.” And there you are! rested Huber, Bryan Costell, Ray Cot- terell and John Hutcheson, four miners. He took them under deputy guard to the town of Brady and locked them up in the Company Club- house in charge of Brady-Warner guards. Then he ordered the rest of the defenders to leave the hall for the night, pledging them that the building would be protected. William McKinley Yost is a—repub- lican politician. His promise meant exactly the same as the promise of safe conduct made by other republic- an politicians to Sid Hatfield when he fatally surrendered to a warrant at Welch courthouse. Two hours after Yost made his promise of protection the miners’ union hall, built at the cost of thousands of dollars contribut- ed by the coal diggers, was lighting up Monongahela Valley. New Union Hall. The new union hall is of brick and cement thruout. It will not burn down so easily as the last one. And it has behind it the determination of union men who are. determined to beat Sam Brady and the corporations behind him at all cost and to win thru again to union wages and union liberty. ¢ | Cases of the four men arrested | were shortly dismissed. Their arrest TH SPLIT MOVE DEFEATED I NOVA SCOTIA Miners Refuse Brea with U. M. W. of A. By JOE NEARING (Special to the Daily Worker.) GLACE BAY, Nova Scotia, Sept. 4.—The miners of Nova Scotia have lined up_ solidly against Ben Legere’s “One Big Union” in its attempt to split the ranks of the miners. The locals on Cape Breton Island, containing about 8,000 miners, have definitely stated their position against a split and for staying inside the United Mine Workers of Amer- ica, to settle accounts with the Lewis administration which treacherously betrayed them in 1923. To the militants among the rank and file of the miners belongs the credit for opposing the “O. B. U.” maneuvers. The provisional district executive board, appointed by Lewis last year when he deposed the district officers, did not raise a single finger to oppose the “O, B. U.” On the con- trary, the sat quietly waiting for the miners to split, knowing that a split in the district would prolong their jobs as appointees of the Lewis ma- chine. Miners Reject “O. B. U.” In Pictou county the miners have decided against a split after a strug- gle.- Many miners, who were in the west during the “O. B. U.’ split in 1919, still think that they should split. But in face of the opposition to this policy displayed by the militants among the rank and file, they were forced to abondon their position. But the profound disgust of the min- ers in Pictou with the Lewis gang of appointees in the district has led them to endorse the ridiculous propo- sition that they should get an injunc- tion against the provisional district officers, and thus force Lewis to hold district elections immediately. They are also withholding their per capita tax and assessments from the inter- national. In this way they are un- consciously playing into the hands of Lewis. It is a well-known fact that the hall since thug violence began with} courts of this province are quite ready to help the corporation at any time, as has been demonstrated in the past. the evictions May 19th. Then 30 days later the attack came, shortly. before midnight. A flash of light streaked from the water tank 200 yards away and a bullet whistled thru the build- ing. The men huried the women and children to the basement, later get-/| ting them out thru a back way, and took their stations. More single shots followed and then the bombardment began in earnest, fusilades screaming from the water tank and the yellow building. The air was lighted by the flashes from automatic riflemen core to reinforce the regular Brady guards in the as- sault. Shots broke out more closely as the gunmen advanced. Able to catch glimpses of their foes the min- ers returned the fire and the gunmen retreated. For hours the firing con- tinued. Suddenly Andrew Huber, a heavy-set, middle-aged miner went down with two buckshot in‘his back. Someone had sneaked up to the side of the building. A sortie of miners drove the assailant away. Huber re- turned to the defense only slightly in- jured. He was winged again slightly in the leg. Sheriff with Gunmen. The miners were making good their defense against the private thug army when the State of West Virgina came to the gunmen’s aid. A hello was heard announcing that Sheriff Yost wanted to talk to the deferfders. He entered the building. The men told of the at- tack and demanded that Yost arrest the gunmen. Instead the sheriff ar- appears to have been timed solely for It is-therefore quite safe to say that | the purpose of stripping the hall of its} +16 pictou miners could not get an in- defenders while the gunmen applied] junction against the tools of the cor- | the torch. None of the attacking gun- poration who are occupying the dis cove arb pcg giin tare sand — trict offices at Glace Bay for the time | With intent to kill, arson or any other) peing Even tho it were possible to per |crime, tho Murray and Conway, two * . get an injunction against them the of the thugs, admitted under cross @X-| Hiitants are abs olutely opposed to amination in the circuit court in Mor- taking any action which would draw gantown last July during a hearing, the capitalist courts into labor union of an injunction against the union,) syairs, Only the reactionaries in the that they knew they were firing into labor movément do things like this, a bulding containing women and chil- and then they are able to do it be- dren. cause the capitalist courts are will- ing to be used against the workers by the labor fakers. Elephant Campai < Pull Mr ok Fight Wage Reduction. The definite stand that the militants the Covered Wagon of Cape Breton are taking against the injunction idea will finally force the WASHINGTON, September 4.—In| Pictou miners to abandon this ridicu- place of the “Golden Special” train] lous scheme. which wrecked Hughes’ chances with} The British Empire Steel Corpora- the women voters in the campaign of}tion is preparing to force the miners 1916, the Coolidge-Dawes managers/to accept a reduction of wages next are sending across the continent a|January when the present contract caravan of six motor cars, starting| expires. Recently, it is said, the pro- from Plymouth, Vt., on Sept. 9 and|visional officers were informed by the following the Lincoln Highway. This} corporation officials that there was to time there will be no millionaires} be a reduction of wages of the miners, abroad, to be featured as the chief/and the corporation did not want any speakers. Instead there will be a crew/trouble in putting this over. The re- of machine politicians from New| sult of this information is that Hous- England, who will hold- whispering}ton, provisional president, has hur- conferences with local leaders, after|ried to Indianapolis to see,if this fits the fashion of the late Murray Crane,lin with the policy of Czar Lewis. patron of Chairman Butler, The big job for the miners is to pre- ER PSAAC ERR CCN pare for the battle with Besco next Subscribe for “Your Daily,”|January. The first essential is soli- Se ialist Soviet Republics. Dear Comrades: We have read your appeal to the children of the world at our conyention held in Chicago on August 30 1924. We have already done what you asked for in your appeal. We are or- for over a year into Com- munist Children Groups. We are known as “The Junior Section of the Young Workers League,” or as “The Junior Groups.” The capitalists of this country are organizing a mobilization day on September 12'for new wars. We are going to do all in our power to help our older comrades from the Workers Party and the Young Workers League to disclose the’ A., August 30, 1924, pido the DAILY WORKER. darity and that is being achieved by the actions of the militants in fighting all suggestions of a split in the union. “ Trimming; Morals of Hoosiers Saved VINCENNES, Ind., Sept. 4,—Cen- sorship on printed matter by the state Satan Gets a Bad ¢ Ohildren of the Union of; real aims of these war prepara-|ot Indiana on the pretext of decency tions, to tell the truth about capi is in full sway in Vincennes. News talist wars to the children and the |4¢#lers were served with notice over workers of America, We are doing much propaganda work against capitalism. We speak to the children in the schools while the older comrades speak to the workers in the shops the signature of Mayor John M, Gray- son that sale of periodicals banned by the Indiana attorney general must be discontinued and the magazines with- drawn from display under penalty of prosecution, The periodicals banned are; Whiz- and factories. bang, Secrets, I Confess, Hot Dog, hearty’ geeatingn to the aetinenetimeotit, bel Tike tee ceomeaalaae s to the Leninis » Real Life, True Confessions, of the Union ot Socialist Soviet]Tue Romances, Dream World, Flap- Republics, We join in your ap- per, Midnight, Saucy Stories, Fig Leaf, peal to the children of the world] ?¥J4mas, Clever Stories, Tatler. to organize Children’s Communist cae mie evant ad Abin g groups to fight against wars and bh pr aa aad ayptinp av! Soerathn capitalism. hes appearde lip crys Signed ; City Convention J unior chure presenting letters from Indiana Section Y, W. L. of Chicago, U. pastors written in approval of, the snagazine, E DAILY WORKER YOUNG WORKERS WILL TAKE TO THE WOODS SEPTEMBER FOURTEEN The Young Workers League of Chicago will finish a week's cam- paign against the Mobilization Day acheme of the militarist government with a hike into the Milwaukee woods, on Sunday, September 14. All those wishing to participate in the hike are requested to meet at the end of the Milwaukee Avenue car line at 11 a. m. SMALLOPERATORS BEING SQUEEZED OUT BY WALL ST. Coal Trust Being Formed by Big Operators By KARL REEVE (Special to The Daily Worker) MARION, Illinois, September 4.— The closing down of the mines in Southern Illinois, and the over-pro- duction of coal has been used by the large coal companies to squeeze out the little coal operators and complete the organization of the Coal Trust headed by Wall Street. Many of the small mines here will never open again under the present owners but will be taken over by the railroads and the large coal operators association. An example of the pro- cess taking place all over the mining fields of Illinois is the sheriff sale an- nounced at the court house here of property of the Sunnyside Coal com- pany, a small independednt mine. “By virtue of transcription from the Municipal Court of Chicago,” says the notice of the bankrupt sale. “The Circuit Court of Williamson County announces judgment against the Sunnyside mining company in favor of the Republican Coal Company of 34 mine mules belonging to the Sun- nyside Coal Company.” Miners Forced To Wall Miners who have accumulated a lit- tle property have. also been forced to the wall by the depression in in- dustry, and the sheriff, George Galli- gan, is kept busy dividing his time between rounding up law-breaking Kluxers and conducting sheriff sales. The banks of the county are taking over much land and property of bank- rupt miners and farmers. The City National Bank of Herrin received a judgment against, Joe, Toneile,yand sold out his interest in a Herrin Hotel, O. A. Green, of Herrin sold out the property of S. D. Loni and Mario Loni, when they could not pay their debts. A judgment was granted against J. J. Zoller and Adam Zoller when they could not pay the Citizens Trust and Bagking company. Seventy acres was disposed of. These are only a few of the many sherfff sales being con- ducted in Williamson County. Farewell to Studebaker The Marion State and Savings Bank sold out the farm of Henry Nicholson, and Udell Gangle forced Charlie and Nettie Caplinger to dispose of a Stude- baker car to meet their debts. Marion now has a population of 9,000, having lost 3,000 population within the last year. Many mines are shut down in the vicinity of this town. The Atwood mining company, employing 200 men, is closed, the Pea- body mine No. 3, a small mine, is working only 3 days a week. The Big Muddy coal company, employing 200 is shut down, and the Gent mine, employing 200 is also closed. Foster Speaks on Defense Day, Sept. 12, at Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Sept. 4.— William Z, Foster, the Party’s can- didate for President, will speak at the Musical Fund Hall 8th and Locust Sts, Friday, Sept. 12th. (Defense Day). Party Branches are instructed, sym- pathetic organizations are requested to cancel all meetings or affairs ar- ranged by them for that evening. Circulars, tickets, throwoyts, show cards etc. will be out soon. Do not wait till you get your material thru the branch. , Stop into the office and get your supply. Branches will re- ceive 2 tickets per member and should make every possible effort to sell them. The Foster Meeting must be made the most enthusiastic Communist Ral- ly that Philadelphia has seen. It will surely be an opportune moment. The workers of Philadelphia will answer the Capitalist Mobilization Call on De- tense Day by pledging full support to the candidate for the presidency—the jCommunist, William Z, Foster, To work comrades: sleepy ones and speed up the work in our First Communist Campaign, Wake up the Swipe $112,000 in Checks, NEWARK, N. J., Sept. 4.—Two bandits who sprang from an atitomo- bile on the city’s main thorofare to- day held up and robbed William Smith, bank messenger, of $112,000 in checks, The bag of checks was found a few minutes later. a Rn = Sowing the Seed that Will Some Day Bring Communist Harvest By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. TRAY: the mightiest task of the American Conimunist movement is getting its candidates, the candidates of the Workers Party, on the official ballot for the national elec- tion in November. It is a great effort for a youthful political organization of workers, harrassed on every side by the attacks and preju- dices of the established social order. But the results being achieved are magnificent. ‘ * * * * It is possible, with a little work on the part of all party members and sympathizers, to get our candidates on the ballot in a large number of states, along with candidates for state and local offices. It should be a spur to the workers in the great industrial centers, where labor is massed by the millions of human beings, to know that the first state to put the Communist ticket—William Z. Foster, for president, and Benjamin Gitlow, for vice-president—on the ballot is North Dakota, the center of agriculture in the northwest. = * * * | was assigned by my party branch to Precinct No. 7, in Chicago’s 30th Ward, to get signatures for our national, state and congressional candidates. The fact that there was no Labor Day Issue of our paper enabled me to do this party work on Sunday morning, accompanied by Comrade Sam Hammersmark, our advertising manager, candidate for congress in the Seventh Illinois District. This precinct, far out on the northwest side of Chicago, is closely peppered with the cottages of workers, who have escaped from the more populous tenement and cheap apart- ment house districts. Yet even here there flared unrest and discontent. Everywhere we find the disillusion of workers who had expected something from the old parties and failed to get it. What an opportunity for the Communist forces in America, if we could oy take advantage of it, with our own meager numbers, organize this seething discontent and edu- cate it, and lead it into action. - If this discontent, and disgust: prevailed, in this neigh- borhood of cottages and flivvers, what must it be down in the Ghetto, in “Black Belt”? “Little Italy,” in “New Poland” or in the * * * * “1 can’t afford to live out here,” an Italian trainman on the “Elevated” declared. “Yes, | belong to the union, and | earn $35 a week, but that isn’t enough to raise a family.” » This man lived down in the Italian slums in \the 17th ward. He had just come west along Chicago Avenue to visit a friend. * . * * They signed the Workers Party petition. There were only a few refusals. There was the man who wouldn't do such a thing on a Sunday. There was the wife who stood in awe of her husband, who was not at home, and she was afraid. And there was the worker who claimed to be so dis- gusted that he wouldn’t sign anything. : But on the whole they gave their signatures to the peti- tions of the Workers Party to get the Communist candidates on the ballot. Even the democratic precinct committeeman signed. It must have been a mistake. It seems he did it to oblige a friend who was with him. But we gave all those we visited a copy of the DAILY WORKER, of the First Special Communist Campaign Edition. The democratic commiteeman paled at the sight of it. He swore we had gotten his name under false pretenses. He said we had failed to tell him we were socialists. Hammersmark and I contended we were not socialists, that we were Communists, that this was the Foster-Gitlow ticket; that the socialists were out for LaFollette. “No, | know who you are,” he persisted. “You are 100 per cent socialists. Communism is 100 per cent socialism.” This committeeman, in the argument that followed, con- fessed he was for Davis, because Davis was wet, and he claimed the neighborhood was wet. But he drew the line at Bryan. We left him promising to read his copy of the DAILY WORKER more thoroly. But he shook his head over the thought of his Sonys heey to Communism. So the story goes. The circulation of the petitions for the Communist candidates offers an open door to the home of every worker in the United States. Every party member should be on the job, not only getting signatures, but leaving Communist literature in every home that is visited. It is sowing the seed that will some day, in the not far distant future, make it possible to reap the Communist harvest in the United States of America. ee LaFOLLETTE CAMPAIGN MANAGERS _ . HAVEN'T SINGLE IDEA OF THEIR OWN ON UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM LaFollette’s campaigners, lodged in sumptuous headquarters at the Morrison hotel, are not bothered by the widespread un- employment conditions among the coal miners of the state. So far as could be learned, none of the LaFollette backers among labor officials, not to mention the politicians, intends pushing the unemployment question at the Illinois Federa- tion of Labor Convention at Peoria next: week. An Ignorant Congressman. LaFollette’s campiagn manager, John M. Nelson, a congressman from “Mr. LaFollette’s Labof Day speech discusses the unemployment ques: tion,” he countered, “LaFollettb de- clares he is against national monop- oly. The condition of the Illinois coal miners is only one example of the evils of national monopoly.” Wisconsin, confessed absolute ignor- ance of ynemployment conditions when interviewed by the DAILY WORKER. ony Congressman Nelson was under the impression that there might be some- “How do you propose to do away with national monopoly?” was asked, ¢ He Has No Opinion. “Mr. LaFollette is considering all these matters)” declared Mr. Mac- Gowan. thing about unemployment in the La- Follette program. He wasn’t sure. But he was sure that he didn't know anything about it, and that the cam- paign he was conducting didn’t touch it. MacGowan Also Very Shy. The congressman then passed the DAILY WORKER reporter on to Charles J. MacGowan, LaFollette’s state campaign manager. But Mac: Gowan was equally shy of the jobless problem that grips the state, especial: i ° Yete Communist This ‘Tlmet'iy the cont mintog sectiope. “What is your opinion?” was the next question, but MacGowan was not hard pressed for an answer, It was: “I agree with anything LaFollette proposes.” If the jobless workers of the s' get hungry, or are turned out of their homes for failure to pay rent, the LaFollette campaign headquarters, Morrison Hotel, Chicago, will send them a copy of one of LaFollette’s speeches, or a copy of “His Program,’ But nothing concrete will be done to them, Friday, September 5, 1924 BRITISH LABOR CONGRESS GETS UNITY PROJECT International Merger Plan Proposed LONDON, Sept. 4.—A move for international unity in the trade union movement was made at Hull today at the an- nual meeting of the Trades Union Congress + the intro- duction of a resolution calling for British labor's endorsement of a joint congress of the Am- sterdam International and the Red International of Labor Unions, based on proportional representation, for the purpose of merging the union movement of the world. Unity Resolution Proposed, The resolution, introduced by Harry Pollitt, prominent mem- ber of the Boilermakers’ union, and leader of the Red Interna- tional of Labor Unions in Eng- land, aroused the fury of the old reactionary guard of the Trades Union Congress, who did their best to oppose the plan for unity. Will Thorne, member of parliament and a remnant of the old social-demo- cratic ‘movement in the British isles, attacked the proposal vigorously. “Any kind of unity between us and Moscow is out of the question,” he said. Thorne and ‘his fellow parlia- mentarians prefer unity at the king's table at Buckingham palace to inter: national working class unity. A. A. Purcell, also an M. P., who presided at the sessions, and who ,is being driven toward the left by the rising protests of the rank and file, was inclined to agree with the pro- posal. ‘ Dawes Plan Attacked. Purcell in his address assailed the Dawes plan, stating that the burden of the reparations should be placed on the shoulders of the exploiter and profiteer, instead of the workers. He pointed out that the eight-hour day would be sacrificed if the Dawes plan were put into effect and that interna. tional market competition would soon bring down the wages and shoot ‘up ythe working day of the workers of the rest of the world. The miners in particular are oppos- ing the Dawes plan at the congress. Purcell also declared that the Anglo-Russian treaty would do much for Russia and would help the British workers. RIVAL CHINESE ARMIES FIGHT NEAR SHANGHAI SHANGHMI, Sept. 4.—Fighting has started between two rival armies twenty miles from here. The armed forces of the capitalist nations are ready to butt in and the capitalist diplomats hope that as a result of the civil war they will be able to get a firmer hold on the economic life of China, Foreign naval forces now here avail- able for assistance in the event that the native hostilities threaten foreign daterests include ten American destroy- ers and three gunboats under command of Admiral McVey; a British cruiser and two gunboats; a Japanese cruiser and thtee gunboats; two. French cri- isers and one Italian cruiser. Czarists Are Hungry The naval personell combined with the volunteer corps and police gives the foreign defense approximately 8,000 men, There is a possibility of 700 Russian “white” soldiers now quartered on the volunteers ships here may participate in the fighting It is reported the Russians have of- fered to fight as mercenaries for the highest bidder. They arrived from Vladivostok two years ago and have since been interned here. They are plentifully Supplied with rifles and machine guns. ‘ Speeding Up and Wage Cut Follow Piece W ork Plans (By Federated Press.) MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 4.— A sidelight on piecework system comes to the fore by the complaint of agricultural implement workers that speeding up and rate cutting have followed introduction of piece- work. , Employers put over piecework by the argument that they wanted in- creased output, and so the more the men earned the better their pay, They said there would be no rate cut: ting. Now the men find out that rates are fixed on the superior skill of the fastest hands, and in die course the less skilled find themselves unable -o earn a decent wage for a fair day's work, i * \