The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 6, 1924, Page 11

LIFE ON A NIPPON ISLAND. ocean, there rises an island covered with lavish green foliage surrounded by untiring ocean waves. The islanders call it Mikura Jima, or the Treasure Island, and the island is worthy of its mame. You can walk from one end of the island to the other im less than one hour; about four miles in diameter; it is situated at the farthest south of the Izu, the seven is- land group, which belongs to the juris- diction of the province of Tokyo. When modern imé@ustry invaded ‘Treasure Island, the islanders were able to respond to its call without destroying primitive Communism and thereby enjoying its beauty and hap- piness from the vague past to this era of capitalistic anarchy which prevails thruout the civilized mations. About 600 years ago, they were told that they have one more trgasure in addi- tion to fish, fruits, and reots of plants. The Mikura boxwood with plenty mois- ture and good athletic exercise! against tropical tempest, has fine grain for comb material, from which Japanese girls contrive hair orna- ments. The people do not have to pay tax- es to the village community.’ Instead, they receive what they need and to- day each family of the island popula- tion would own well over 20,000 yen if the properties of the boxwood in- dustry were divided among the villag- ers. Sometime ago Baron Iwasaki, one of the richest men in Japan, propos- ed to pay 500,000 yen for the box- wood, and in reply, he was riticuled in the native way by a fiat deniel. Buy off our treasure? Never! You may propose that nonsense stuff the day before yesterday (the day which will never come). During the Tokugawa clan govern- ment, the island was visited only twice in a year-——-spring and fall. The }girls above 15 years of age are bound HERE the beautiful Mt. Fujijday the ship arrives was fixed as a/to work in the Mikura Jima, it is cer- Yama dips her clear snow-clad | holiday, and the old custom still pre-|tain ome who dislikes Communism outline in the blue of the Pacific | vails. By Nishimara Yoshio only have to work 40 days in a year. Do you think if you were told to play, study or do whatever you prefer thru- will express disapproval of this cus-] out the year, except for 40 days, that When people hear that boys anditom. But go easy with it. The boys ITHE SOVIET TRADE UNIONS AT THE SIXTH ALL-RUSSIAN TRADE UNION CONGRESS The report made by Comrade Dogadov, setretary of the All- Russian Central Council of Trade Unions, at the Sixth Trade Union Congress on November 12, gives the following picture of the present status and work of the trade unions of the U. 5. &. R. - The first notable thing is the in- crease of the trade union member- ship. Two years ago, at the time of the Fifth Congress, the All-Rus- sian Central Council of Trade Un- tons had an affiliated membership ‘of 4,547,000; now at the Sixth Congress, the membership has reached 6,060,000. This member- ship comprises 62 per cent of man- wal workers and 38 per cent of brain and office workers. The per cent of women members has de- creased since the Fifth Congress from 28 to 24 per cent, the num- ber of young workers has been lowered from 3.7 per cent to 3.4 per cent. However, this was not due to an actual decrease of wo- men and young members, but to the greater rate of increase of male members. There are only 391,000 workers who are not mem- bers of the trade unions, thus making up 8 per cent of unorgan- ized workers in Soviet Russia. The unorganized belong chiefly to trades in which the work is large- ly seasonal. ‘There are 35,000 shop commit- tees thruout the U.S. 8S. R. The shop and local committees have 120,000 elected members, of whom about 50,000 are free to devote their entire time to trade union activities. The financial situation of the trade unions has greatly improved Unions has been managing its af- fairs without deficit. While dur- ing the Fifth Congress only 11 out As regards wages, two periods have been noted since the Fifth Congress. The first lasting up to the beginning of 1923, was a per- iod of an intensive growth of wag- es. The second period which is still continuing, was a period of retarded growth of wages. On the whole, wages thruout industry have increased since the Fifth Congress by an average of 63 per cent. Taking individual indus- tries, we now have the following wage level: 564 per cent of pre- war in the metal industry, 91.7 this would be bad? The boys in the Treasure Island engage in fishing in- This is a custom adopt- F | ite E a You look like devil Oh, the Mikura! The Treasure Island, Your real treasure is love.” An Interview With Saklatvala - Tt recent election of S. Saklat- vala, member of the British Com- munist Party and also of the British labor party to parliament by the vot- ers of the Battersea (London) district is a smashing answer to the charge of labor party offieials that Communists cannot function constructively in the labor party and trade union move- ment and should be denied member- ship in the British labor party. S a member of the Clerks’ and Administrative Workers’ Union, and their delegate to the Jabor party | ‘branch of St. Pancras (London), Sak- jatvala has for many years taken an joining the Communist Party he was a member of the independent labor ter one term's absence he now comes ong as the lone Communist mem- er. E comes back to parliament now because 15,000 working men and | women in Battersea believe in his in- tegrity, in his ability as a fighter, and in the principles of workingclass gov- ernment for which he stands. These 15,000 workers—not more than 30 of _ whom are members of the Communist his attitude toward the problems con- fronting the British workers under the new tory government. “i Y attitude in parliament toward the labor party,” he said, “will depend very largely upon the position of the labor party group toward the big domestic and imperialist problems now facing the country. If such men as George Lansbury, Maxton and others like them are to be kept in the benches instead of being placed in the front as leaders, I shall certainly raise my voice as the opposition. Thir can only mean that the labor party has completely recanted its former lead, a vigorous effort must be made to arouse the rank and file -against this. It cannot continue this reac- tionary course and live as a strong instrument of working class expres- working class appeal for imternation- 2l solidarity. Naturally this was bound to create a psychology among many Sritish werkers which allowed them to be stampeded by the false Zinoviev letter. MacDonald bungled his end of the matter and it cost the labor party working class votes. While labor polled a million more votes this time than at the previous election, it must be remembered that there were 85 more parliamentary candidates in the field, which gave many an opportunity to vote labor who had never hed it before. I am convinced that had Mac- Donald and the leaders acted with de- record in office, we would not have "}lost the seats we did and probably | would have gained.” ‘HAT labor's participation in par- liamentary action must lead to the the real purpose of working class pol! tical action. Already the lure of plac« and preferment in government an public life was making itself felt an¢ by business people as “Labor must learn to be absolutely honest with itself. It blames its reac- By Carl Brannin tionary officialdom for lack of prog- ress and applauds a radical program but when the issue is drawn and the choice lies between the old crowd and a new militant leadership too often it hangs back and refuses to make the break. ‘There is no half-way ground. You are either right or left. Labor must be honest and choose the left.” HINDU by birth, Saklatvala is married to an Englishwoman and has a family of five children. He is about 45 years of age. The Walden Book Shop 307 Plymouth Court (Between, State and Dearborn Just South of Jackson) CHICAGC BOOKS FOR THINKERS SCIENCE, LITERATURE ECONOMICS, HISTORY, Any Book in Print at Once. Jimmie Higgins Book Shop 127 University Piace NEW YORK CITY A Workers Party Book Shop tes. 1632 S. 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