The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 5, 1925, Page 3

WHO'LL ANSWER ? WHO WILL BE OUR CORRESPONDENT? Workers Everywhere Invited to Write The importance of developing the T. U, B, L. section into a real live expression of the everyday struggle of the workers on the industrial and political, field cannot be overestimated. The success of this. section however depends entirely, upon the militants in the labor movement, the members of the Workers Party and the T, U. B. L. The T. U. EB. L. is attempting. to organize a corps.of correspondents in every industry. So far only the Det- roit and Chicago league have notified the editor of the T. U. B. L. section that they have selected reporters who | will be held responsible for sending | tho news of these cities for the sec- tion, Let’s Hear From You, | At the next meeting of your indus- trial or local general group take up this matter and see that some one in each industry is selected and held re- sponsible for the sending in of reports on strikes, election campaigns, shop conditions and shop activities, trade union activities, political activities, | injunctions, child labor, criminal syn- dicalist laws, etc. In fact, give us news of all the struggles of the workers, no | matter how small they may appear to be. Irregulars Also Welcome. If you are located in places where |so organization exists, or you belong jto none, yet if you know of such events as mentioned above, if you jhave a story—send it in. We want {regular correspondents, but we ac- jcept “irregular” ones if they have jlabor news. One local comrade should be se- lected to cover your city and should \be responsible for the reports of the \industrial group reporters. We do not |reject articles, they are welcome, but it is not necessary that your feport should be in the form of an article, Send us notes on things as they hap- pen, gives us dates, figures, results, the part played by the left wine in the struggle, no romancing—just » facts. Just jot them down as they happen and send them into the T. U. B, L., DAILY WORKER section and we will do the rest. All material should arrive’not later than Friday of each week, for publication in the following Tuesday's section. Since joining the T. U. E. L. we have learned that it isn’t the worst thing in the world to get what's left. 7 * * F’R INSTANCE— Take our left wing group in the printing tradeg—there’s a fine crowd— hey always true to type. en BUT— If you are ambitious in the building rades, promotion is sure. Even tho om every job you must start from the yottom, you soon work yourself up. a Se While the Minneapolis central la- vor body expels Dan Stevens of the ainters and Mauseth of the Machin- \% sts, both Communists, Walter Frank, uso Communist, is elected from an- sther local union to be seated. The local unions in that town just nsist that there should be some brains n the central body. sees S'FUNNY Figure it out for yourself if it isn’t funny world: ‘When you are in the left wing, you re right—and yet in the right wing ou “get left.” 1 ae A Hutcheson probably figures that ¢ ood carpenter is one who says noth ag and will “saw wood.” —~ But the left wing carpenters just in. ist on nailing his ideas. *e @ The WORKERS MONTHLY is the ficial organ of the T. U. B, L. Play ; heavy with subs and you will note new tone in the league. COULD IT BE HALITOSIS? “In union there is strength.” In ome unions the leaders are so rotten aere is lots of it. a "RADE UNION CROSS WORDS * A four word letter meaning: Wm. -reen, the new A. L, of L, leader is ', lad to accept the left wing program— Jah, Bunk, Bull. . . "noice. UNION E CENTRAL THE DAILY WORK ER Page Three DUCATIONAL LEAGUE WEEKLY SECTION DISTRICT MINERS DEMAND NATIONALIZATION OF COAL MINES |4-Day Week and 6-Hour Day to Aid Jobless The following unemployment reso- lution was passed by Local Union No. 2376, U. M. W. of A., Christopher, Ill: Resolution on Unemployment. Whereas, we the members of the Miners’ Union of America, are face to face with the most severe crisis in the history as an industry, and an in- dustrial union due tv unemployment, and starvation resulting from same, which is eating at the very foundation of our very life and union, and caus- ing ‘unspeakable misery and hard- ships, and Whereas, according to reports many Places are falling out of the ranks of our union because of the economic pressure by the magnates of industry ably backed by Wall Street and the Coolidge regime, and because of lack of financial support due to the finan- cial condition of our organization, and Whereas, no educational policy is being conducted by any branch of our organization to educate the workers to the real cause of the crisis, which is an outworn economic system that can no longer function to the wel- fare of the people, and Whereas, the miners all over the country are organizing unemployment councils and a demand is made to pur- sue a policy and campaign to educate the rank and file of our union, rela tive to: First, a six-hour day and a four-day week; second, an intense campaign for nationalization of the coal mines; third, an intense organ- izational campaign in the unorganized field and to further that end we the members of Local Union No. 2376 do hereby petition and RESOLVE, first, that the officers of our international and districts at once commence to educate the rank and file along the lines of the above policy thru the official organs of our organization and in every other way advisable; second, that a special in- ternational convention be called to bring together «the representatives of our union to council and advise, to de- vise ways and means for carrying the above policy into effect and for any other business relative to the same, and be it further RESOLVED, that a copy of this re- solution be forwarded to the Illinois Miner and The United Mine Workers’ Journal. Committee on Resolution, Alex. Reid, Sec. Arley Staples, Adrian Delforge, Leon Gremling, Pres. Pres. L. U. 2376, Ed. Johnson, Rec.-Secretary, Rec.-Secretary L. U. 2376. Cleveland Cooks Strike Against Lockout and Cut (Special to The Dally Worker) CLEVELAND—The cooks and wait- ers of Webber's restaurant, a food em. porium catering to the fat-bellied poli- ticians in this city, have been locked out and their jobs given to more docile slaves when they refused to accept e cut in their already miserable wages. The locked-out workers, who are members of Locals No. 106 (Waiters) and No. 167 (Cooks) of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ Internationa: Association, are picketing the restau- rant and are fully confident that Web- ber’s will be forced to adhere to the union agreement and maintain the union conditions. The wages of the waiters in this establishment which the owner has for a long time been trying to cut were but $18.00 per week, and the proprie tor has claimed that he is unable tc pay even such a wretched pittance and has even refused to present his case to a mediation board. The lockou' was initiated without warning and in ‘This lockout is an illustration of the bosses’ real views on the sanctity o/ CHI. FEDERATION IN UNITED FRONT FOR PRISONERS Votes Down Hostile Committee Report The Machinists’ Lodges 387, 84, and 390, also Painters’ Locals 275 and 687, passed the resolution supporting the Labor Defense Council in its fight to free the Communist victims of the Michigan “criminal syndicalism” gag law. The resolution, in part declares: ~ Solidarity For Defense. “Whereas, the sustaining of Ruth- enberg’s conviction by the United States supreme court will make easier the railroading to long terms in pris- on of William Z,. Foster, Robert Minor, William F. Dunne, and 28 other well- known fighters in the ranks of the labor movement—and would also en- courage high-handed suppression by the capitalist-controlled government of all and any working-class organiza- tions who dare oppose their open shop rule, and “Whereas, the solidarity of the en- tire working class is essential to its welfare and requires that those in the forefront of the struggle must es- pecially have the support of all work- ers, therefore be it “Resolved that we protest against and condemn the action of the Michi- gan state supreme court, record our- selves as in support of the Labor De- fense Council in these cases and call upon all labor organizations and working class bodies to take the same stand.” Chicago Federation Stands True. This resolution came up for action in the Chicago Federation of Labor at their meeting Sunday, February 1. In spite’ of the recommendation of the resolution committee to file the resolution an amendment was made and carried|by an overwhelming ma- jority that the federation reiterate its former position. The Chicago federation was the first central lahor body to condemn the Michigan raids and to come to the support ‘of Foster, Ruthenberg and the other 31 Communists. *-Reactionariés’ Lose Leadership. © Since ‘then the Chicago Federation of Labor’has repudiated its former stand on! amalgamation and indepen- dent working class political action, but it is not yet ready to follow the lead of its reactionary resolutions committee. All Ill. Coal Fields Are Stirred by League Unemployment Program When the Illinois coal operators at: tempted to use the clause of the exist- division of work during unemployment as a means of forcing down the throat of the T. U. E. L. put over on them. But when the miners’ union officials relief of the unemployed miners the take some action by themselves. become stirred with activity. The needs of the unemployed ‘have become formulated into concrete demands upon the state government to enact legislation providing relief for the un employed and for the industry to bear the burden of maintenance. Repeatedly the rank and file coal miners have demanded action from their officials and proposed that con ferences be held to work out measures for relief but they failed to respond Under the leadership of the T. U. E L, and Workers Party militants, the rank and file are now laying the basi: for organization of these unemployec workers to bring sufficient pressure tc bear in the struggle for the demands The basis is solidarity between em- ployed and unemployed, between al unions in the territory no matter wha ‘trade they belong to—united working ass action. So. Bend Prosperity SOUTH BEND, Ind.—The local capi. talist papers have ben raising a cry About the prosperity that is gripping this city. Let us examine. Informa tion I have received from a person A DAY WITH A SHOVEL STIFF ON HIS JOB A Round Trip, Told by One of Them The L, E. Myers Co. is construct- ing an extention to the “L”, planned to connect with the Chicago & Evan- ston “L” at Howard St., and run- ning from there northwest to Niles Center. Several hundred men are employed out there now; 40 cents, an hour being paid those laborers who live in the company’s camp (board $8 per week), and 45 cents an hour to those who live outside,—in Chi- cago mostly. Here, every mofning before day- light, a motley crowd of widely tra- yelled men begin to gather, to whom for the present the 40 cents or 45 cents looks like @ life-saver, They are all “Micawbers”, too,—something better is bound to turn up in a week or a month. ‘ The Scissor’s Ambition. In the street car going north some luckless worker hantis the conductor a transfer all nicely folded up and is admonished to do his own unfold- ing. Arrived at the check window one minnute past seven, the worker is docked half an hour for his minute's tardiness by the hard-faced slave back of the wicket, who has doubtless been dreaming a little while since of rising to be the head of the company. Hustled into a work train or truck, the workers are then rushed out to the job in the bitter morning air and perhaps put at unloading cinders for ballast. Oh, how the wind does carry those cinders and ashes and dirt into and through and over oné, and how one’s eyes especially get to hurting The job is not a contraet, but is being done on a percentage cdst-plus basis, so the work is not carried on very stre- nuously, but is cold and tedious. The “I Am the Boss” Mind. ‘The walker says, “Damnedest bunch of know-nothings I ever saw. Chinks or Japs are nothing to these.” The foreman says, “Go on, damn it, move up the line. Too many men here. Go on, take a walk.” Their psychology is that of slave drivers, but the sla¥es respond only slowly; some get cross and scowl and | swear, others smiléand joke. The lack of x dpe organization for getting work dope is apparent to all. Nearly everyone does as little ing working agreement providing for of the miners a “Yellow Dog” contract, they calculated without the militants It could not be practically sided in with the operators instead of proposing something for the militants decided it was about time to Now the whole Illinois coal field has as possible, and kéeps from getting too cold. No class collaboration here. The Stiff's Daily Treadmill, Owing, perhaps, to a late train, they get back to the office at night half an hour or more late but the morning's penalty is not remitted. Home? In the dafkness, to eat and sleep awhile, and then up and at it again, on the job from 7 to 6, 7 days a week. > Milwaukee T. U. E. L. Gives Berger Hell and Battles Bob The Milwaukee T. U. EH. L. group have*been successfully exposing the local C. P. P. A. which is composed chiefly of republican politicians, bankrupt socialists and a few labor fakers. Most of the unions in the city have refused to send delegates to the local conference for progressive po- litical action. Al The purpose of this to solidify the so-calle| forces and to elect di tes to the Chicago convention of,the C. P. P. A. Several railroad, buil trades and other unions turned d@wn this propo- sition, The Machinists’ Union No. 66 at its last meeting voted down the in- Meg to send delegates by a vote of to erence was “progressive” Socialists Protest, Even the membership of the social- it party is beginning to seriously pro- test against Berger's class collabora- tion policy. In open violation of party instructions, the me: hip in Mil- waukee are refusing to support this move that has the official endorse- ment of their party.’ ; Notwithstanding the idle boast, made to keep up their ebbing courage, that 1,000 delegates will be at the convention, all indications are that the whole thing will be a flat failure, and that the delegates will be com- posed of politigians of the socialist CANADIAN DISTRICT ‘NO WAGE CUT! SAY MINERS OF NOVA SCOTIA Militants Remind Miners of Their Power The coal miners of District 26 Nova Scotia have been asked to ac- cept a cut in wages by the British Empire Steel corporation. The rea sons advanced by this blood sucking octopus are: 1. “The steel trade is so depressed that the Sydney Steel plant cannot operate at a profit. 2. “The coal trade has become un- satisfactory, owing to the ability of the United States producers to under- sell our coal in Canadian markets.” Sounds Like Farrington. This is the same argument put up by Frank Farrington at the Illinois miners’ convention when he urged the miners to produce more and cleaner coal so that the Illinois mine operat- ors could successfully compete with the nonunion mines of W. Virginia and Kentucky. The miners in District 26 are deter- mined to fight against any attempt to cut their wages. The following is one of the militant calls for action: Brother Rebels. “Brothers, rebels of Cumberland county, day in and day out your pro- tecting hand saves the grinding, crushing millions of tons of earth pressure from destroying Besco prop- erty in your county. Besco looks longingly at your breakfast table and sees your children with less than one half glass of milk for breakfast. Besco and Wolvin want to snatch the children’s milk away from them and take one-tenth of it to pay profits on idle junk. Can you not see the trump card you hold in your hand to stop Besco and save the children their morning milk? Then use it to the limit! “Brothers, rebels of Cape Breton county, your protecting hand saves every day the destruction of Besco property from flooding. Besco look: longingly at your thinly clad, poorly fed family and says that $17.50 per week—if you get work enough to earn that much—is enough for you and yours. Besco wants some of the food off your table and some of the clothes from your backs to pay dividends to idle stockholders—some of whom are now in jail for bank smashing. No Defense Council Meeting on Saturday There will be no meeting of the Chicago Defense Council this Satur- day, Feb. 7, but there will be one held the following Saturday. All dele- gates should be prepared to settle for tickets and advertising at that time. Complete settlements should be made if possible, but all available cash should be turned in. By A RED UNIONIST. The A. C. W. of A. is living upon its past reputation, the only thing re- volutionary about it at present being the phraseology of its leaders, A union, to be militant and revolu- tionary, must have a class conscious membership and a revolutionary lead- ership. In the A. C. W. of A. only a minority of the membership can be designated as revolutionary or: class conscious, If the balance of the mem- bership lacks these qualities, it is not their fault, They, are. not as dumb as the fake leaders try to pic- ture them, to serve as an excuse for their conservative attitude. The blame rests upon the shoulders of the offi- clals who do not attempt to lead and teach the members the class strug- gle. Patience and Sincerity. When I first came into my shop and started to agitate, asking the workers to fight for the betterment of their conditions, they looked upon me as a professional kicker. They used to tell me that I found fault with everything. It took weeks of hard work to prove to them that I was their comrade, and my aim their aim. I did this by actually fighting and helping them gain improved working conditions. When I had gained the confidence of my fellow workers, it was easier to explain that in fighting for them I fought for myself as well, as I was a part of the working class, while the boss belongs to the class of exploit- ers, our enemies. Talks With the Workers. During working hours in my sec- tions, we discussed many questions pertaining to shop conditions. I found one conception prevailing in my shop which was the hardest to combat, and which even exists to this day, and that ‘is this: To the workers the union seems but a dues collecting agency. They claim they were better off before un- ion took control. For example, the boss would give them cheap lunch rates, visiting nurses, and once in a while, a wedding present. My hardest task was to show up this fallacy. To show them that all the so-called “good things” of life with which the boss used to favor them, are nothing in comparison with what can be gained thru their solidari- ty. Their standard of living and their working conditions being much bet- ter than when they were accepting “charity” from the boss, and only by their organization can they hope to still get more. Unions and Officials Different Things. Another difficult job is to show the workers that the leaders and the un- ions are not always swynonimous. We fight and expose fake leaders because they neglect the union and its mem- bership, and instead of fighting the boss, they collaborate with him; for example, the recent “readjustment,” which benefitted only the boss, One day, while we were sitting and ok sharp; je, a muy on events; {this controversy are Nrgerned any bo closely connected with health depart- Besa AQ spgerginepey ‘and labor fak. — fee ing etae rae Dea irsn't scams afraid; don't, hurtin things le cittenken phe by the big May|tresent three head ave, have a) Break Bob's Grip Thtu Unione. | time) I called the foreman over and “mm shouldn't waste time on—and|Department Store, who were locked |iivine en eherite whe clin mm) | qn, metbers of the Workors Party | asked him why it was not arranged 10 ‘ess any matter that will cut the re-out in violation of the agreement ving on charity (the city feeds them) lang the T, U. B, L. are active in the| that the boss should suffer this loss “loose trom leadership—|the Joint board of Cooks, Waltort, and [ogee re more coming every day.” unions and are succeeding in break-| ot time as well as we. As usual, he ‘at's T. 7 B. L. work! ‘Waitresses, which is also handling e local press tells us that Stude-|ing the LaFollette illusion. told me that if the boss would suffer, ees the Webber case, were successful. 10 | ones tO, Co, nas not reduced wages} ‘The progressive workers in Milwau-|1 would too; that less profit for the If you want to be on the right roa |enforcing adherence to wre wrtietbd Hey thee irrenclt te another le }kee are sobering up from the LaFol-| boss would mean that I would get care: tot athe ty tun ma ow anor Weed one Mey Le eeueve the workers could tell bette |iette intoxication, they are beginning | ess. I told him not to talk such This pene painllbvaane, "jabout that. Most of them are working |to see the correctness of the position | nonsense to me, that I had nothing in pre eral Ai ea part “ah ra ery tana! bod a ~_ by the left wing. One can clear-| common with the boss. t - indefinitely, , Perceive the growing influence of} Teaching the Workers of Russia. out. . Subscribe for “Yo Daily, working have their wages reduced to| the left wing movement in Milwaukee. | Atter aha left, some of | WALT CARMON for the DAILY WORKER. ; Je marae Jere: . And the fight is only beginning, the wgrkers asked, “Do you mean to HOW TO DOT.U.E. L. SHOP AND REACTIONARY UNION WORK IN say that we don’t need the boss? What would you do without a boss? Where would you get work?” So I explained to them that a boss is not necessary, the workers in Rus- sia having proven this. I showed them that the boss knows nothing about our factory, anyway, all the work being carried on by men to whom he pays wages, from the man- ager down. All the boss does is to clip coupons, and many bosses die, and still things go on without them. If we workers could win the factory for ourselves, the difference would be that the boss would not exploit us and get the pro- fits, etc. Discrimination Futile. ‘When the boss, or foreman, saw how my propaganda was influencing the workers, he thought it necessary to transfer me to a different shop run by the same firm. But in the new shop it did not take long for me to gain the confidence of my new fellow workers. One of our comrades used to be chairman in this shop, end carried on active propaganda, so it was not so difficult to liven up the progressives in the shop. Take the T. U. E. L. Seriously Yes, the workers understand not on- ly nickles and dimes, as the fakers say, but when proprely informed, they understand the necessity for revolu- tionary action. And I am convinced that if all our comrades would take the T. U. EB. L. work more seriously, the success of our cause is assured. Big Vote for Left Wing in District 5 of Miners’ Union The Progressive Miners of District Five, Pittsburgh, reports that the tabu- lation of the election returns in 48 lo- cals of that district, shows a 3 to 1 vote for the progressive candidates, The following is an example of how the vote runs: For general president: Lewis, 1,000; Voyzey, 3,097. For district president: Fagan, 1,254; Guiler, 3,492. Of course we must not forget that Lewis and Fagan do the final counting and have quite a few blue sky locals up their sleeve, Pakors Foiled. by Militants At the fist meeting in January of Lodge 671, I. A. of M. (Auto Mechan- ics) of Pittsburgh, Pa. the nomina- tions were held over until the last meeting of the month in an effort to try and put over the Anderson slate. The T. U. E. L. militants, how- ever, were on the job, and the entire left wing slate headed by Julius Em- me, and Tim Buck, received the en- dorsement of the local, Dowell Miners for United Front Werk The miners’ local union of Dowell, Illinois, endorsed the resolution sub- mitted by the progressives demanding a new trial for Sacco and Vanzetti. They also endorsed a resolution sup- porting the child labor amendment, with provisions for full support by the government for the child while at- tending school. Lodge 311, I. A. M., Puts Up Part of Left Wing The Machinists’ Union Local 311, of Los Angeles, Cal, nominated A Overgaard for edjtor, and P. Jensen John Otis and McNamara received the nomination for vice-presidents, all running on the left wing slate. Valier, Ill., Miners Did Not Elect Lewis VALIER, Ill, reports the following on the miners’ election in Local 3613: For president: Lewis, 411; Voyzey, 672; vice-president: Murray, 387; Staples, 556; Secy-Treas.: Green, 501; Nearing, 312. Movies for Workers “Beauty and the Bolshevik” and “Russia in Overalls” will be shown at the following places: Chicago, Ashland Auditorium, Feb. 5. Pittsburgh, Pa, Music Hall, Feb. 7. South Bend, Ind.—White Bagle Theater, 1125 W. Division St., Feb, 11. St. Paul, Minn.—444 Rice St., Feb. 20. Milwaukee, Wis.—Pabst Theater, March 7. San Francisco, March 21, Subscribe for “Your Daily,”: the DAILY WORKER. N. 8S. Carnegie PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD FIGHTS FOR COMPANY UNIONS IGNORING RAILROAD LABOR BOARD ORDER ‘That the Pennsylvania Railroad will make a determined stand for its labor policy of fostering company unions is indicated by the mailing out of notices that an election of employe represent- atives will be conducted as usual in February. The election is for the teleg- raphers on the system. This action is taken despite the re- cent vote ordered by the Railroad La bor Board, in which the telegraphers employed on the Pennsylvania voted four to one in favor of representation by the Order of Railroad Telegraphers, @ national organization. Is Rabid Open Shop Road. According to those who are familiar with the labor policy of the Pennsyl- vania, any failure to carry out the election in the case of the telegraph: ers, notwithstanding the vote recorded by the Railroad Labor Board, would have been a virtual withdrawal from its policy of dealing with its employes thru the company unions. The Pennsylvania has made a strong fight in favor of this policy for several years, even tho it has been opposed seriously by the national un fons and at times by the Railroad La- bor Board, Must Not Represent Union. One provision of the notice of the election mailed to the tolegraphers is that any one accepting the nominatio must be an employe representative and not a representative of the union. In the election lust year the em Dloye representatives appeared before the Railroad Labor board and declared that they were representatives of the nitional union, It is said that this clause was insertad in the nomination liank this year to prevent .a repetition of this casa, The stand of the Pennsylvania on employe representation has made ‘t one of the railroads most closely watched in its dealings with the rail- road hoard. “A Fair and Impartial” Count. Under the system employed on the Pennsylvania the ballots will be sent to all telegraphers. They will be in- vited to register their choice for em- Toye representatives and return them in sealed envelopes. All of the ballots are to be counted by a committee of tellers represent: ing. the management and the “em- ployes” now in the company union, Patronize our advertisers. (SSSI The Mexican Workers are developing a movement that merits real interest. Read: “APan-American Fig Leaf” By J. W. Johnstone in the February issue of the WORKERS MONTHLY to get a most interesting picture from a reporter to the Pan-American Labor Convention. SUBSCRIBE to get such features every month. SSeS sss