The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 6, 1924, Page 4

_ over the low wages offered for the hard labor de- Page Four ‘THE DAILY WORKER THE DAILY WORKER. Published by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1118 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Ill. (Phone: Monroe 4712) SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mail: $3.50....6 months $2.00....8 months By mail (in Chicago only): $4.50....8 months $2.60...38 months $6.00 per year $8.00 per year Address all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER 1113 W. Washington Bivd. Chieago, Illinois J, LOUIS ENGDAHL WILLIAM DUNNE MORITZ J. LOBB. yoorseveernseneees LCItOTS Business Manager Entered as second-class mail Sept, 21, 1928, at the Post- Office at Chicago, Ill, under the act of March 3, 1879. | <i 290 Advertising rates on application | Sacco and Vanzetti Are Innocent! The evidence adduced in the latest effort of the Sacco-Vanzetti defense to secure a new trial for these worker victims sheds a great flood of light on the mental processes of capitalism’s judges. The defense brings an affidavit of an eyewitnéss of the payroll murder for which Sacco and Van- zetti have been sentenced to death—one Roy E. Gould who was within ten feet of the actual mur- derers and whose overcoat was pierced by one of their bullets. Gould says’ that Sacco was not one of the robbefs. He had a good view of both of them and says that Sacco does not even resemble them slightly, altho the prosecution says he is the man who fired the fatal shot: What does the noble judge say to this un- equivocal exoneration of the defendants? Simply that they were convicted on CIRCUM- STANTIAL evidence and not on that of eyewit- nesses and therefore the. testimony of Gould is without value in support of a’ motion for a new trial. This sounds like something out of “Alice in Wonderland,” but it is the expression of the reac- tion of a capitalist judge to evidence that acquits two victims that the vultures have clutched and whom they are loath to relinquish. . If any worker has been hanging back from do- ing his level best for Sacco and Vanzetti because he had doubts as to their guilt, the evidence of Gould should make him ashamed of himself and bring him ‘into the fight—a fight that is for the whole working class and every one of its martyrs. The best answer to the vicious maundering of Judge Thayer is a substantial contribution to the Sacco-Vanzetti defense and aid in organizing the protest meetings that the, Workers Party will-soon begin to hold in conjunction with other working class organizations all over the United States. Are the Workers Also Happy? When employers begin to laud a union and its! of LaFolletteism. The Cotton Industry and Asi . a Comrade Varga in his report on the economic situation for the third quarter of 1924 gives some interesting information concerning the effect on industry in capitalist nations of industral develop- ment in the colonial countries. He sMows that in the cotton industry, for in- stance long hours, cheap labor and continuous la- bor in Asiatic countries discount the improved technical processes in European nations. England has 100,000,000 cotton spindles and consumed for the first three-quarters of the year not quite 4,000,- 000 bales of cotton. Asia with only 16,000,000 spindles—one-sixth of the English equipment— consumed almost 3,000,000 bales—three-quarters of the English production with one-sixth the machine capacity. America with its 41,000,000 spindles consumed only as much cotton, measured in bales, as Asia altho America has two and one-half times the ma- chine capacity. There is a crisis in the European cotton industry and the unstabter condition of the entire textile industry in the United States is a matter of record. The above figures show the reason and show also that in a short space of time the Asiatic cotton in- dustry is bound to drive its western competitors to the wall. The figures show further the tremendously rich field for the investment of western capital in low wage enterprises in Asia and the reason under- lying the bitter rivalry of the western capitalist powers for the power to exploit these peoples. Immigration laws may fool the workers of this country into. believing for a time that. the bosses want to keep up their living standards. But the constant flow of American capital to China, and other low cost countries is proof that American workers are forced to compete with lower paid labor in a much more vicious manner than if un- restricted immigration was allowed. Wall Street’s Useful Citizens We take this occasion to express heartfelt thanks to the Wall Street Journal for its latest decree as to who is a useful citizen and who is not. In a leading editorial discussing freedom and politics, this high-priced mouthpiece of American financedom declared: ‘“LaFollette and Gompers—|. and apologes are due to the latter for linking his name with that of the Wisconsin. quack, because he is an incomparably better and.more useful citizen—have talked of tyranny so much that they believe it to be a sort of round. game.” This is an enlightening gem. It is not our task to defend LaFollette. We cer- tainly have done more than our bit, and will con- tinue to do so, in presenting to the working masses the true picture of LaFollette and the real meaning But what interests us in this policies, as Cleveland garment bosses are doing, it] instance is the comparison. It certainly is in- is high time for the rank and file to take stock of | structive as an index to the great services rendered the union and its officials. by the labor bureaucracy to the employing class The garment bosses point out in’ a suspiciously | that biggest business can look upon the head of the enthusiastic manner that in Cleveland there has} American Federation of Labor as a useful citizen not been a strike for six years and compare the| while it frowns upon the petty bourgeois politician present peaceful scene with 1918 when one com-|showing the faintest tendency towards protest. pany spent $90,000 for gunmen. The bosses main- tain that their agreement with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union, Wall Street has every good reason to call Gom- pers a useful citizen. Wall Street measures the and the harmony | ysefuiness of American citizenry by the yardstick resulting therefrom, gives them a favorable posi-|o¢ the dollar and the bank check. Mr. Gompers tion in the competitive fields of selling and credit-|)a, done more than his share for scores of years When a union arouses this kind of a reaction in to keep the American labor movement in a bank- the ranks of the bosses it is no far-fetched con-|»ypt, defenseless condition. In this fashion, Wall clusion to say that it is no longer a real union] greet has profited tremendously thru the services but a part of the organization of the employers,|,¢ yy, Gompers, Wall Street is fully justified in because the interests of unions and bosses are fun- looking upon Mr. Gompers as one of its most use- damentally opposed. Otherwise the class struggle jy) citizens is a figment of the imagination and unions, or any other form of working class organization, is un- necessary. We are inclined to, believe that many members of the Internationalgadies’ Garment Workers in Cleveland will tell an entirely different story of the conditions there if the honeymooning of the bosses and union officials has not resulted in des- troying completely the militancy of the members without which a union becomes a mere dues col- lecting and class-collaboration agency—glorifying officialdom at one meeeting and the bosses at the] 1, next. It will take more than the testimony of the bosses to convince us that the millenium has ar- rived for the Cleveland garment workers. WANTED—Laborers; none but first class ex- cavators need apply; wages, 40c per hour. WANTED—Man, strong and industrious, to drive ash wagon; $2.75 per day. WANTED—Experienced shipping clerk, not afraid of hard work; lary, $75 a month. ° The above advertisements appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of November 20. Any worker who is tempted to become heated manded should remember that he is supposed to “Keep Cool with Coolidge.” The Coolidge message expresses the “earnest hope for increased prosperity” of the Latin-Amer- ican republics. This contains some elements of humor inasmuch as American capitalists grab whatever surplus prosperity puts in the pockets of the Latin-Americans. Just 11144 lines in the president’s message are devoted to honesty in government. This slogan al- ways loses its appeal a soon as the advocates there- of are in reaching distance of the treasury once more. F And as to who is more useful to Wall Street between Gompers and LaFollette we will let the financial solons themselves decide. All we can say is that the sooner the working masses of this coun- try xid themselves of: the influence of both Gompers and LaFollette, the better off those who have to toil will be. A Crisis in Ireland The spectral hand of famine hovers over Ireland. ‘ood and even fuel are scarce. Soup kitchens oper- ate in Dublin. Misery walks thru the land. One of the richest little nations ‘of the world in fertile soil, blessed with a mild elimate, the sea that. surrounds teeming with food fish, Ireland’s masses suifer because the country does not be- long to them but to a small class of native and foreign robbers who plunder them. The Free State government has changed nothing unless it be to have broken the fighting spirit of large groups of’ the masses and strengthen the elements which want an entente between Irish and English capitalism. There is a great potential force in the Irish la- bor movement and upon the revolutionary elements rests the responsibility of bringing unity ‘in its ranks. The program of the Red International of Labor Unions must be energetically put forward by the left wing and the present terrible conditions used to drive home the need for unity to the Lrish industrial workers and farm laborers. The Irish working class, that has fought so many brave battles against British imperialism, must not be allowed to become so discouraged and hopeless that it becomes a prey to the fascist ele- ments of international reaction. A fighting program and unity are the first necessities in the present Lrish situation, If there is any doubt in the minds of our readers as to just whose government this is, let them com- Every day get a “sub” for the DAILY WORKER) pare the appropriations for the department of la- and a member for the Workers Party. _ | bor and the department of commerce. Pe ns hie preset LITTLE JUNIORS ORGANIZE BiG ENTERTAINMENT Detroit Juniors Show “They Are Ready!” (Special to The Dally"Werker) DETROIT, Mich., Oec.5.—The mem- bers of the junior section of the L. W. L., Detroit, Mich., will present a spectacular program at the House of the Masses, 2646 St. Aubin Sts., Dec. 12, at 8 p. m. The feature numbers of the program will be three plays: “The Children’s Auction,” scene from Andreyev’s “King Hunger” and a two- act play, “Schooldays.”” Solo selec- tions by the children will complete the program, which promises to be one of the most interesting presenta- tions ever given to a working class audience in Detroit. The junior section of the Y. W. L. in Detroit has been organized for two months and now has one hundred members, every one of whom will par- ticipate in this program, m the very start the juniors have beén mark- ed for their activity. They contribut- ed to the success of the seventh anni- versary celebration in Detroit. They have made meetings of both the par- ty and the loague more enthusiastic by their singing. The only.fght in Detroit against American educational week was waged by the juniors. This program, their latest effort, is a glori- ous demonstration of what the freed anergies of childhood can achieve. STATEMENT BY THE N. E. C. Y. W. L. IN REFERENCE TO THE RESOLUTION ON DISCUSSION In the resolutions sent to the Y. W. L. units and printed in the DAILY WORKER of Dec. 3 issue, governing t! ener SN ARH NOES A ATA TSE ELON TE OR EON RAILROAD LABOR BOARD DECISION | ROBS ENGINEERS AND FIREMEN OF CONCESSIONS WON IN BITTER FIGHTS By LELAND OLDS, (Federated Press Industrial. Editor) Long standing rules won by engineers and ‘firemen on western railroads thru years of organized efforts have been eliminated in a railroad labor board decision rushed thru in face of a strike vote on the Southern Pacific. The board grants the men a compensating 6 per cent increase in rates of pay. The carriers themselves were willing to grant this-to secure abolition of working conditions which they felt expensive. f Refused Proposed Changes, The controversy began in January when the two brotherhoods asked western carriers for the wage increase granted by the New York Central. The break in negotiations gta id SPRING Say RC gE arama alma? when the western carriers demanded as the price for the 5 per cent in- crease the modification of important working conditions not touched inthe New York Central settlement. ‘The brotherhoods refused to consider such changes in long standing conditions and the managers’ committee prompt- ly asked the intervention of the board, which hastened to assume jurisdic tion. Legal summonses issued by the board failed to force the attendance of representatives of the brotherhoods at hearings which they contended were illegal. The board, they claimed, was exceeding its jurisdiction. So the board went into the courts to resusci- tate its waning authority and: in the present decision it retains jurisdiction over enuf points to afford grounds,for again subpoenaing the organization chiefs if its authority to do this is sus- tained by the supreme court. Strings to Increase. The decision grants the increases in he discussion of the statement issued by the N. E. C., there inadvertently appeared a section, No. 2, which might have been construed to limit the discussion to the official organ of the league, The Young Worker, altho this, In order to clarify the matter, thi to read as follows: 2. Discussion may be carried on in the following rules: of course, was not the intention. ie N. E. C. has redrafted this clause the language press of the party under (a) The statement of the N. E. C. and the resolution on discus- sion must be printed in full before any articles are printed. (b) Absolutely no. articles can be printed In any party lan- guage paper until an English translation together with the original has been sent to the National Executive Committee of the Y. W. L. for approval. (c) The discussion in the party press shall be under the direct and sole supervision of the National Executive Committee of the Young Workers League. It is the desire of the National Executive Committee to give the widest and fullest discussion possible to the membership. The previous clause might have been construed as disqualifying a few language comrades who are not yet sufficiently familiar with the English language from a thoro and con» plete Gnderstanding of the discussion. ¥ Freiheit By M. B.—N. UNDAY, Dec. 7, (tomorrow) our Communist Singing Society, “Frei- heit” is celebrating its ‘enth Anni- versary (with a public concert). ‘HIS event is of special interest to our proletarian _ revolutionary movement, to the organizations and members of the Workers Party. It is necessary to acquaint our English speaking comrades and federations with this organization, for in our ev- eryday work for the revolutionary movement, in our propaganda and appeal to reason and class-interest of the workers, we forget or almost neglect one important factor—to stir not only his class consc'! 8, but also his emotions, his intiermost feel- ings which are a part of the human in- tellect. OMETIMES a song, a revolution- ary song, reaches depths of the worker’s soul, that no amount of ora- torical exuberance will do, This ele- mentary factor is perfectly under- stood by our comrades in Soviet Rus- sia where the revolutionary song is made great use of. This was also understood by our Jewish comrades who had the experience of their revo- lutionary activity in the old countries. Ten years ago, in December, 1914, a few comrades decided to supply the movement with revolutionary song; and in a few weeks an organization was formed with about ninefy mem- bers. 3 E founders and the most active members of the organization(who, by the way, are all, with the exception of three or four, now members of the Workers Party) are still active. They were: Comrades Shaefer, Bailin, Ab. Kochansky (About him later), Aspis, M. Dobrow, J, Karish, the Steinbergs, especially Mrs, L. Stein) and A. Simons and others whose names space does not allow to mention, All, without exception, proletarians, work- ers of shops and factories, ‘ B Whey first public appearance, in April, 1915, was greeted by the Chicago Jewish workers with enthust- asm. It was felt by every one that a great cultural void 1 need in our J YOUNG WORKER LEAGUE, John Williamson, National Secre development of the organization show- ed that the utility of the chorus for the movement is inestimable, not only because their song (all their song) urges to action, calls for struggles, supplies the stimulus and wakes én- thusiasm, but also because they be- came the center around which prole- tarian culture began to develop, even a symphony orchestra was organized (existed two years). have before us most of the programs of their ten years’ ac- tivity. A huge number of songs, ora- torios, cantatas, etc.—and not a single song that does not urge to action in the class struggle, that is not of pro- letarian-revolutionary contents and character, beginning with their first song in 1915, the International, and ending with their last cantata, “The Twelve,” depicting the revolution of November, 1917! ‘HERE is plenty of proletarian and revolutionary poetry in the Yiddish or translated literature, but music has been written for a very few of ther Where do they get the music? They pick out a piece of poetry that answers their revolutionary purpose. .. it has the music, Comrade Shaefer arranges it for the chorus or for an orchestra with the chorus; if it hasn’t the music, Comrade Shaefer gets busy and com- poses it. His music not only depicts and expresses the contents and mean- ing but always brings out in relief ahd underlines the most appealing and re volutionary moments of the piece. Comrade Shaefer being a working m: himself (a carpenter by trade) wit! a real “under dog” pedigree, was al- most from his childhood brought up and educated in revolutionary move- ment, first in Russia (Bund)— then here. He somehow instinctively feels The yearning and soul of a revolution- ary appeal and expresses it as only one of the strugglers and fighters can. FEW words about the chorus and its organization. When you hear the chorus on the stage—you eajoy the perfect rythm and execution of the song, you marvel at its fine harmony, organization and discipline, but you pay conthingent upon acceptance by the men of the conditions demanded by management. These changes in rules will mean money in the pockets of the roads thru reductions in over time and other special wage payments and thru some reductions in force The net increase in wagé payments as a result of the decisions will prob: ably not exceed'2% per cent to 3. per cent. The important changes in rules which are somewhat technical in char- acter include. (1) substitution of a 20 mile per hour speed basis for rules providing overtime payment on a higher speed basis; (2) substitution of the 8-within-10-hour rule for rules pro- viding for computation of overtime in passenger service on any other basis; (3) trips classed for pay purposes as short or turnaround trips not to be limited to_those where turning point is 25 miles from. terminal; (4) elimina- tion of certain‘rules providing more than single time pay in miles or hours for emergency, side or lapback trips and other short or turn-around trips; (5) elimination of rules re- stricting tonnage handled in trains. That this decision was rushed out in face of the Southern Pacific strike vote recalls the asesrtion of Vice-pres. Walber of the New York Central that Saturday, December 6, 1924, SALZMAN TOUR MEETING WITH FINE RESPONSE : Brings the Y. W. L. Pro- gram to Mining Section Preparations are being made for @ mass meeting for Salzman in Chrfe- topher, Ill, on December 8 and 9. The meeting will be held at the French Club, near Eastman, Local members of the United Mine Workers of America are making preparations for Salzman to speak before the local union of the U. M. W. of A. j This meeting is only. one of the ser- ies being arranged by the Youngs Workers League thruout the entire Southern Illinois territory in its coal mining campaign. The Young Work- ers League is rallying the young min- ers_on the basis of specific demands and slogans such as: ¢8 No contract shall be drawn up’ by" the union containing discriminat- ing clauses against the young min ers, such as boys’ wages clauses,’ ete. 4 No initiation fee for miners under 21 years of age. 4 The enforcement of the objective: : of the union which calls for | the. abolition of all employment children under 16 years of age, Abolition of all employment for. the youth in dangerous occupation in and around the mine. . Immediate establishment of day and night school under the superyi+ sion and control of the miners them selves. The six hour day and five day week. Utilizing these demands as a basia of rallying the young, miners around © f his railroad granted the wage increase | Our organization to lead them in strug- | which started the movement because|8le and develop these into broader . its hands were forced by. a strike threat. Evidently threat or direct ac- tion gets results whether favorable or not. MUSIC. Chaliapin Sings Here with the Chi- cago Civio Opera. The sixth week of-the Chicago Civic Opera season will open on Sunday afternoon at two o'clock, with the Barber of Seville, with Pareto, Shipa, Rimini, Chaliapin, Trevisan. Cimini conducting. Monday night brings a repetition of Tannhauser, with Forrai, Van Gordon, Lamont, Schwartz; Oukrainsky, Miles. Elisius, Milar, Nemeroff, Shermont and Corps de Ballet, Weber will con- duct. Tuesday night brings Mefistofele, with Muzioo Van Gordon, Cortis and Chaliapin, with Moranzoni conducting. Wednesday night Rigoletto will be repeated with Macbeth, Perini, Pic- caver and Schwartz and Weber will conduct. political channels the league will ar- ous the young miners of Illinois and organize them into the Young Work- ers League, the only organization capable of representing the interests of the American young workers both on, the political and economic field. ' o; 0s Max Salzman, national organizer of the Young Workers League, speaks on “Unemployment and the Young Miner” in the following cities om the | days mentioned: Duquoin, Ill—Dec. 6. Dowell, Ill—Dec. 7, Rex Theater. Christopher, Ill—Dec. 8, French Club, near Eastrun. $ Valier, Ill—Dec. 10, Majestic Hall. © _ Buckner, Ill.—Dec. 12° Zeigler, Il—Dec. 13, 14. Benton, Ill—Dee. 15, 16. cs Collinsville, Ill—Dec. 17. ‘ O'Fallon, Ill.—Dec. 18. Belleville, Ill—Dec. 19, St. Louis, Mo.—Dec. 21, Labor Lyceum, Garrison Ave, 5 Springfield, Ill—Dec. 24, 25, 26, 97.. Peoria, Ill—Dee. 28, 29. Rockford, Ill—Dec. 30, 31. Open Foriim, Sunday Night, Lodge Room, Ashland Auditorium. and you will get a conception of the amount of work and drudgery requir- ed. None of the comrades of the chor- us, except Comrade Shaefer, had any musical education, a.very few of them can read music, the song has to be learned by heart, bar by bar, sen- tence by sentence, phrase by phrase, first with the sopranos their part, then altos, then tenors, baritones, basses. It rains a cacophonia of meaning- less sounds; and this drudgery lasts weeks until the ‘different parts are learned, and only then, when they are assembled, the singers themselves hear the song, enjoy the music and are repaid for their hard labors. se 3 R.a stranger at a rehearsal the question arises! What bringsdthese working people here? What compels them, after a hard day’s work in the shops and factories, to spend here their few spare moments that are so needed for rest in order to be able to slave the next day? The answer is—the ingtinctive call of the song, which cannot be satisfied in the shop or factory nor at home where he is crowded by other people who will not allow him to disturb their rest by vo- cal expression of his accumulated feelings and emotions. Hence—in the region of song.the worker is compell- ed or instinctively strives to action en masse, in company. He works in industry in company, he struggles and fights battles in company—he wants to in company—i. e., chor- uses, Bs: UT a chorus is an organization and requires’ incessant work: execu- tives, organizers, etc, and . . . money. “But our,singing comrades are so knit f er, 80 devoted to their n that no sacrifice is too great for them, with some of them even their very lives is not too great a price ir organization, Wein. , | here one who seems to be one of several and probably of many of/this unique or- ganization, the deceased Comrade Abraham Kochansky. He was one of jurses of the singing ‘ eee it literally with @ @ typical product of the ps sa revolutionary move- tate es Singing Society--Tenth Year | living thru the whole gamut of a re- volutionist: privation, illegal exist- ence, prison, Siberia, escape, etc. Here in the United States, he, being an ir- remediable walking protest incorpo- rate, could not adjust himself to the slowness of the milk-and-watery #o- © cialist party movement and he devoted himself to the building up of an or ganization that can give “pep” and en- thusiasm to the working people. EING a printer by trade, he could earn enough to keep alive, but then he would be com} to give — only his evenings or nights to his ¢ pet which, according to him, was not enough; for work there was a plenty! And he cheerfully gave his days in ad- dition to his nights. If he did work in the shop his earnings were spent not for himself . . . Due to he was always in a state of tervation and seldom with a roof over his head. Only a very few comrades ~ knew it. Help was always offered but ees och by him tho money for the organization he always demanded, His health and bata were gone, and in the winter of 1! while preparing a public appearance for his singers and at the same time helping to organize a bazaar, he over- worked himself in exposure—he was clothed sufficiently—caught cold” and died a martyr for nist culture. . ‘HE labors and sacrifices Kochanskys (there are of them still at work in the Singing Society) were not in vain, Sparks and rays of the Chicago Fret- heit Singing Society have been over to New. York, Philadelphia a great number of other cities wi Jewish workers and comrades are Or ganized in our movement, and new Freiheit Singing Societies have been organized. There are now sixteen or | eighteen cities with Communist Frei | heit Singing Societies with a sional national secretary, Gomeaat t Saroff of New York. Leb B Bet how contemplate calli it national conference of all pi heit Singing Societies with tree ! establish different “national” {i tions, as a directorate, a publi house for proletarian sic, a Communist conservatory.