The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 17, 1924, Page 1

| | ] j ] | ‘The DAILY WORKER Raises the Standard for a Workers’ and Farm- ers’ Government Vol. I. No. 230. SUBSCRIPTION Vole Hl. No. 230. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: RICH DIVIDE BIG In Chicago, by mail, $8.00 per year. Outside Chicago, by mail, $6.00 per year. AS WE SEE IT By T. J. O'FLAHEATY. NGENUITY is by no means a mon- | opoly of the circulation depart- ments of the capitalist papers. The latter have recently helped to drive thelr readers crazier than usual, with their cross word puzzles andi other crooked stunts. The object is to get advertising. That “the end justifies the means” is supposed to be the wicked slogan of the jesuits. Not a bad slogan in a period when dead ones are so popular, But the circu- lation manager of the DAILY WORK- BR translated this slogan into action, which is the only way to treat a slogan. Having your curiosity suffi- ciently aroused by now, I shall let you in on the secret. ee. ‘VERY subscriber to the DAILY WORKER and every member of the Workers Party is provided with a tool box. Not a heavy load to carry, just the kind of a tool box that will work wonders in getting subs for our daily. It is nothing more nor less than a neat little red book with a sig- nificant picture on the outside of each cover, and on the inside a calendar, important dates in the history of the international working class movement and high spots in the history of the American labor and revolutionary movements. so * N this Httle “tool box” you have subscription blanks for the DAILY WORKER and the Workers Monthly, application blanks for membership in the Workers Party, space for ad- dresses and telephone numbers and a littié pocket in which to carry your membership cards, in the party or in your union. It strikes me as being a very useful weapon for the live awk who are building up ta on labor daily published in the is Mali Mngdase and-to dofng~that Building. .up. the labor movement. Every reader of the DAILY WORKER should carry this “tool box” with him ane use it. The supply is unlimited. tee “ UR leader is gone” shrieks the Seattle Union Record in an editorial commenting on the death of Samuel Gompers. That is right. After all, Gompers was the leader of that type of fake progressive. Silk purses cahnot be made from sows’ ears and ‘the difference between most of our erstwhile progressives and Gompers was a difference in the de- gree or method. The editorial ends with: “He devoted his life to labor's cause. May he rest in peace.” We say, Amen! At least we hope he does not pull off a resurrection. We have had enough of him. see ‘ODAY the capitalist press shed gallons of inky tears over the death of Gompers. But at times, when the labor chief made some play that the. capitalists did not under- stand. they were not so enthusiastic about him. One of Sam’s favorite gags was to defy injunctions and then forget about them. He never forgot to brag about the famous Buck Stove and Range case, when, by heck, he almost went to jail and, goldarnit, was perfectly willing to go. But he did not. These fiery speeches were the necessary introduction to a later counsel of surrender, in case any group of workers took Sam seriously and started out to fight the injunc- tion. * 98 A OMPERS was here in Chicago in G the early part of this year beef- ing about an injunction that was levelled against the members of the International Ladies’ Garment Work- ers’ Union by the clothing bosses. Sam came, talked, smoked several cigars and went away. The injunc- \. {fon held, hundreds of members of union were clubbed and sent to il, The Tribune now vies with the y&w socialist press in showering -g on the departed labor lieu- Dut only a year ago it threw ons into the old faker's “not, suse he was too reac- tionary, course, but because his ‘ (Continued on page 2) ASHINGTON, Dec, 16.—For ‘the first time in many years, the entire United States, from the Pa- io to the Atlantic, is to suffer Itaneously from extremely cold weather, the United States weather bureau announced today. The cold wave, coming down out une oot has already struck the hates and will move SIX BURNED TO DEATH IN N. Y. EAST SIDE FIRE Blaze Takes Big Toll in Night Disaster (Special to The Daily Worker) W YORK, Dec. 16.—Six persons were burned to death, two of them women and four men, in a mysterious fire which swept thru a five story tene- ment at 13 East 98th Street early today. Five others are missing. Charred Beyond Recognition. Edward Russell, 64, tenant on the fifth floor, was positively identi- fied. Of the other dead the police said they believed two of them to be Miss Ida Goldberg, who had been liv- ing with a family on the fourth floor, and Mrs. Minnie McShane, whose hus- band is a prison turnkey. Other bod- ies, the police said, were charred be- yond recognition. There were 60 or more tenants in the building. Authorities said they were unable to account for a consid. erable number of these. Tried to Escape. It was tragically evident, as the pe lice searched the charred structure for victims, that the tenants had made desperate efforts to escape after the alarm of fire had been sounded, for all bodies except that of a woman, were found in the hallways. The body of the woman was discovered in the Me- The police believe that she was. focated by smoke. Dies In Long Plunge, From the roof of an adjoining struc- ture firemen saw a man hanging from the sill of a fifth floor window. Below him was a vacant lot. A life rope was let down to him and the firemen called to him to knot it about his waist. Instead of doing this he grasped the rope and started toclimb hand over hand to the roof. Already seriously burned, and his strength weakened by hanging to the window sill, he had climbed only a few feet when his grasp on tle rope loosened and he plunged to the ground. He was killed. The body was partly identified as that of a man whose name was Rus- sell. His sister, Mrs. Anne Nugent and her three children, Barbara, 18, Anto nette, 22, and Fred, 16, made their way to the ground down a fire escape. Mrs. Nugent and her son were slightly burned. Tried to Save Insurance Papers. Mrs. McShane, believed to be one of the dead women, would be alive, her husband said, had she not gone back to get fire insurance papers which were in their rooms. McShane said he, his wife and their two chil- dren, Florence and William, 12 and 17, fled in their night clothes to the fire escape. Once outside, and with safety at d, McShane said that his wife suddenly remembered that insur- ance policies covering their furniture were in a tin box in their room. For a time there was a near-panic among patients in the Mount Sinai hospital nearby. Nurses and internes went from room to room, reassuring patients that there was no danger, and pulling down window shades so the pa- tients could not see the fire. Investigation by the authorities re- vealed that the fire started in the room of Joseph Ackerman, a lodger in an apartment on the ground floor. Shane apartment on the fifth floor. isi aM seam] |[ RAN SECOND WITH THESE FARMERS OUT IN NORTH DAKOTA That the poor farmers are not afraid of voting for the Communists under their right name and their own banner and will give the Work- ers Party their support as against LaFollette, Is indicated by the re- port from Comrade W. J. Husa, branch secretary at Belden, North Dakota. Comrade Husa writes: “In this county of Mountrall, only 48 votes were found for Foster, and we be- lieve that It is correct. Of that num- ber Sikes township, where this in- land town Is located, the vote was as follows: LaFollette, 36; Foster, 29; Coolidge, 3; Davis, none. This isn’t 80 bad at that.—Signed, W. J. Husa.” SEND HATHAWAY, COMMUNIST, TO LABOR COUNCIL Machinists Do Not Fear Gompers’ Terror (Special to The Dally Worker) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Dec. 16.—C. A. Hathaway, district organizer of the Workers Party, was unanimously re-elected as a delegate from the Machinists’ Union, local 91, to the Minne- WAY solely on the grounds that he is a Communist. Vote Confidence in Hathaway. ‘The union approved a statement, drawn up by a committee of three, expressing complete confidence in Comrade Hathaway. When Hathaway at first presented his credentials, Paul Smith, “special representative of the executive coun- cil of the American Federation of Labor,” refused to seat Comrade Hathaway. Smith overrode the will of the large majority of the delegates present who wanted to seat Comrade Hathaway. Smith threatened to revoke the char- ter of the Minneapolis Trades and Labor Assembly if Hathaway were seated. Can Only Revoke Charter. Smith admitted there is no rule of the A. F. of L. by which he could legally prevent Hathaway from being seated. He declared: “The American Federation of Labor has no authority or regulation which can be used to prevent the seating of any delegate elected from any local union, but we ean revoke the charter of the central body as a last resort.” Finding that the Minneapolis trade unionists resent his uncalled inter- ference, Smith is planning to wreck, if possible, the entire organized labor movement of the city. Hopes to Exclude Militants. Smith plans, it is declared, in fol- lowing out Gompers’ policy of retain- ing the conservative rule at all cost to revoke the charter, and re-organize the assembly, excluding the most virile elements which either belong to the Workers Party or are favorable to the Communists, Next Sunday Night and Every Sun- day Night, the Open Forum, MINERS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS WORK TWO DAYS A WEEK AND GIVE ONE DAY’S PAY TO DAILY WORKER The coal miners of Southern Illinois are responding heroically to the campaign to insure the DAILY WORKER for 1925. Unemployment has pre- vailed in the mid-western coal fields almost continuously for the past two years. Workers, who are digging coal only one or two days a week are sending a day's wages to their working class daily newspaper. Coal miners who have been ‘out of work for many months: have pledged a part of their first pay to insure the DAILY WORKER for 1925. The following is a typical letter from Andrew Young, O'Fallon, Ili nois, and demonstrates that the coal miners are determined to make the 1925, with a policy of $10.00. On account of the representatives of the cecal operators who are at the head of the Mine Workers’ Union, I have been denied the right to make a bine all over the state of Illinois, I have been unemployed since the DAILY WORKER a better and bigger| middie of March, But I here pledge fighter for the workers next year. Pledges First $5 to DAILY. Baditor of the DAILY WORKER:— am the sorriest man in this country today because I am not in a position = not ina DAILY WORKER for |cal Union the first $5.00 I make to insure the DAILY WORKER for 1925, A better weapon to kill the capitalist system does not exist. Andrew Yi ONGRESS speaks of Peace, and Coolidge speaks of Peace, but only to cover their preparations for war. The naval appropriation of $140,000,000 for warships is THE DAILY WORKE! Entered as Second-class matter September 21, 1928, at the Post Office at Chicago, Mlinois under the Act of March 3, 1879, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1924 <> made both in Anticipation and in provocation of the URN FOR SAM GOMPERS Recognizes His “Con- spicuous Service” (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 16.—Samuel Gompers oame back to Washington yesterday, Loreto cage the scene of many betrayals of labor to the inter- , coal miner from Lo-|ing to the incetown, ests of capital. The body arrived at 3:15 p. m. and was taken to the Federa- tion building where it laid in state until night, when it was removed to New York City. Altho the capitalist government it- self pretends to be taking no part, a military guard of honor, composed of a sergeant and ten soldiers, was order- ed to accompany the body thru the streets of Washington yesterday. The War Department Weeps. “In recognition of his conspicuous war service and at the request of offi- cers of the A. F. of L.,” said a gtate- ment issued by the war department, “the war department has detailed a sergeant and ten men to guard the remains of the late President Samuel Gompers from the union station to the headquarters of the A. F. of L. and on the return to the station.” Artillery and Labor Fakers. In New York City, the program now provides that when the body arrives over the “B. & 0.” at 7 a. m. today, it will\be met by a composite battal- ion, representing the army, the navy and the national guard. The bronze casket will be placed on an artillery caisson and with its military escort, and a delegation of labor officials, will proceed to the Elks’ club on West 48ra street. There it will le in state until the funeral services begin at 9 a. m. Thursday. Assorted Sky Pilots. Masonic sefvices at the grave in Sleepy Hollow cemetery, at Tarry- town, will be conducted by the Very Rey. Oscar F, R. Treder, chavlain of the grand lodge of the state of New York and dean of the Pro-Cathedral at Garden City, St, Cecile lodge No, 560, the actors’ and newspaper men’s ee ee service and the Elks’ ritual. Play Hall in Moscow. vs ry Ape in gene Omelite phage the stokehole of a ship, has been playing in the Kamerny ‘Moscow, accord: of the Prov: RED FLAG OF SOVIETS RAISED OVER RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN FRANCE PARIS, Dec. 16.—T —The Red Flag of the Union of Socialist Soviet Repub- lies was raised over the Russian emba: Leonard Krassin, the Soviet Rus- slan ambassador, made the principal speech, Every citizen of Soviet Russia residing In Paris was pres- ent, Krassin announced. The red flag was raised to the tune of the “Internationale” played by a large band. A crowd gathered to watch the ceremonies, but was dispered by the police. HUTCHESON’S PLOT 10 DROP CARPENTERS The reactionary henchmen of President Hutcheson and Dis- trict President Harry Jensen in Carpenters’ Union No. 181 are in such desperate straits that they appealed to the interna- tional headquarters in Indian- apolis for somebody to help them conduct their meetings on the ground that the action of the membership of the local prevents them from conducting hie business of the organiza- tion. The troubles of these fakers began when they had several members of the union expelled for signing a reso: lution protesting against the signing of a scab agreement by Hutcheson and Jensen which allowed for the use of scab material by the members of the carpenters’ union, It was.a Landis award contract. The expulsion of these militants ar. roused the anger of the menibers of the local, and when the officers denied the accused or their supporters the floor to defend themselves their anger could not be restrained. Policemen Defied. The attempt of the reactionaries to have the militants expelled from: the meeting place was prevented by the tank and file despite the presence of 4 small army of policemen. The off. cers therefore wrote to Hutcheson re- questing the “Czar” to send them as- sistance, Hutcheson was afraid to face a loca) that is practically unanimous for the expelled members but wrote a letter that the victims of the reac- ¢ (Continued on page 2) bond Published daily except Sunday by THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO., 1113 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Ill. E BIG LOOT FOR XMAS deadly universal “War of the Pacific,” which Wall Street intends ‘shall mean the military conquest of the world by American capital. BRITISH TORY GOVERNMENT IN LEAGUE SCRAP Trish Free State Cause of Trouble DUBLIN, Dec. 16.—Ireland still continues to be a thorn in the side of British imperialism despite the fact that the Irish Free State is a creature of the British government. But cir- cumstances over which these flunkeys have little control force them to take actions that some- times run counter to the plans of the tories now at the helm of the British ship of state. The most recent action of the Irish Free State to acquire international importance was the registering of the Anglo-Irish treaty with the league of nations. This was done during the premiership of Ramsay MacDonald and no notice was taken of the in- cident by the government of the day. But no sooner had the tories as- sumed office than all these petty details assumed importance and Aus- ten Chamberlain began to straighten them out. The tories do not intend that the empire shall be shorn of any of its power during their incumbency. Austen Chamberlain protested to the league of nations against the registra- tion of the Anglo-Irish treaty with the league. The British foreign secre- tary claims that the relations between the British empire and any of its Parts are no concern of the league. This places both the league and the empire in a rather embarrassing posi- tion, But Ireland has no objection to see- ing the empire in an embarrassing position, and makes matters worse by insisting that, if the British conten- tion’ is upheld, that the dominions have no right to membership and vot- ing privileges in the league councils. This would eliminate the six votes which Britain usually counts on at league meeting: Canada Has Ambitions. The other dominions are more likely to side with Ireland than with the empire on this question, particularly CAnada which has a desire to follow the Free State government in sending an ambassador to Washington to re- present Canada directly. The Irish treaty was registered in conformity with article 18 of the league covenant. which says that treaties shall not have international validity until they are registered with (Continued on page 3.) Help Insure THE DAILY WORKER for 1925! Price 3 Cents SPLIT QUARTER BILLIGN OUT OF THEIR PLUNDER Parasites ‘Spend While Millions Are Idle By LELAND OLDS. (Federated Press Industrial Editor) Christmas dividend and inter- est payments of between $200,- 000,000 and $300,000,000 mailed Dec. 1 by 114 leading New York corporations will mean full Christmas stockings for the children. of the idle rich. But what about the children of the involuntarily idle poor whose meager savings have been exhausted by unemploy- ment? Dividend announcements for 1924 include a flock of extras which altho small in dollars and cents per share mean thousands of dollars additional income to the millionaire whose hold- ings are reckoned in thousands of shares, Among the extra dividends recently announced are U. S. Gypsum, the building material trust, 5 per cent ex- tra in cash and 35 per cent in stock; American Radiator, another profiteer at the expense of the American home, 50 per cent in stock; General Gas & Electric, one of the big public utility combines, $33.25 per share of pre- ferred stock; American Gas and Elee- tric of the same family, 50 per cent in stock; Crane Co., manufacturers of goldplated lavatories, 1 per cent in cash; Lehigh & Wilkesbarre Coal, $3 in ‘cash; Island Creek Coal, $1 on stock of $1 par value. The extra % of 1 per cent declared by U. S. Steel means an extra $29,325 Christmas money in the pocket of George F. Baker, dean of New York bankers, who owns 58,650 shares of steel corporation stock. The pockets of the owning class are already bulging with the dividends and interest payments of preceding months. These are reported by the department of commerce for the first 10 months of 1923 and 1924 as fol- lows: First 10 months 1923 1924 January $459,465,000 $420,025,000 February 175,905,000 185,565,000 March 283,645,000 319,041,000 April 374,286,008 384,350,000 May 253,425,000 316,565,000 June 295,050,000 305,740,000 July 366,025,000 396,880,000, August 187,550,000 198,370,000 September 259,636,000 313,840,000 October 387,215,000 397,760,000 Here with two months’ yet to go is a record of $3,238,136,000 paid in cash in 1924 to the owners of stock and bonds. For the same neriod of 192% total disbursements were approxi- mately $200,000,000 less, amounting te $3,042,202,000. This gain stands in sharp contrast with total wage pay- ments running about 13 per cent be- hind a year ago. The huge outpouring of wealth te the wealthy comes in a year in whieh well over 2,500,000 wage earners have been constantly unemployed while other millions could only work 2 or 3 days a week. Clearly any identity of interest which may once have ex isted between employers and workers has vanished. The idle rich don’t suffer from depressions any more. But the chronically unemployed poor are forced to stand by and see industrial ism dispossessing them even of their jobs. MAGNUS JOHNSON BLAMES HOOTCH FOR HIS DEFEAT Claims Blind | Opponent Favors Bootleggers WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.—Se Magnus Johnson, farmer-labor, will file a contest within a few days against his republican opponent, Thomas D. Schall, in the recent Min« nesota senatorial election, it was an+ ‘ nounced at his office here today, The contest will be based upon charges that Schall’s managers ¢o lected a $50,000 campaign fund trom Minnesota “bootleggers” by promisii criminal immunity. Schall, who {i blind, will also be circulating political falsehor’g Johnson in the campaign ~