The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 25, 1925, Page 3

Se we THE DAIL ‘NAVY DISCHARGES EMPLOYEWHOWAS TRUE TO LABOR Hawaiian Machinists in Protest The following is a part of a long resolution sent in to the T. U. E. L. section of the DAILY WORKER from , Honolulu, Hawaii. American imperial- ism guards its interests jealously and carries on its system of terrorism re- lentlessly. In some places the perse. eutions are thru loss of employment, in,.others it cast the leaders of the workers into prison. But whatever form this terrorism takes, its purpose is to break down the organized resis- tance of the workers. This mild protest on the part of Honolulu Lodge No. 1245, I. A. of M shows the need for working class in- ternational unity. This protest sent in for action to the American Federa- tion, of Labor will sleep soundly with all the other working class protests, in the archives of that organization, unless it is taken up by the militants Within the Machinists’ Union and made a live issue. “Whereas, Mr. Wright's activities have all been outside the jurisdic- tion of the Navy Yard, with the ex- ception of his work on wage data committees for the departmental wage board of review, and have all been for the benefit of labor and in furtherance of labor’s efforts to se- cure better wages and shorter hours, especially on the sugar plantations of Hawaii where laborers are paid @ basic wage of $1.00 a day for ten hour work; and “Whereas, in this work Mr. Wright has opposed the rich and “powerful groups that dominate the territofty of Hawaii, especiaily the sugar interests; now, therefore, be it “Resolved, That this organization 6 on record as protesting against “what it regards as an act of injus- tice and persecution under cover of a technicality; that it assert its be- Atéf that Mr. Wright has been dis- eriminated against solely because of his stand in support of labor's prin- ciples and ideals and because he has fought aggressively for labor’s main ‘Objectives; that it assert its belief that the conimandant of the Navy Yard at Pearl Harbor has been too easily influenced by prejudice and the persuasion of those who are in _.,,wpositions of power in Hawaii, finan- . gially, socially, industrially and po- _ ditically; and “Be It Further Resolved, That we urge upon the international officers of this organization and upon the executive board of the American Federation of Labor the necessity of using every effort to secure a re- dress of this grievance that will cor- rect the injustice that has been done, and protect government em- ,.Ployees from similar acts of discrim- ination in the future by securing from the navy department or the civil service commission a reversal of the order dismissing Mr. Wright from the service; and “Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be for- warded to the international presi- dent of this organization, to the president of District 44, I. A. of M., to the secretary of the American Federation of Labor, to the presi- dent of the Federal Employes As- sociation, to the secretary of the navy, to the secretary of labor, to the chairman of the house commit- tee on naval affairs, to the chairman of the senate committee on naval affairs, and to such other members of both houses of congress as may, upon investigation, be considered in »@; position to render assistance in Ahis matter; and ~ “Be It Finally Resolved, That ecopies of this resolution be furnished to the press, and to the labor papers 4 on,the mainland. sa “Duly approved at a special called meeting of Lodge No, 1245, I. A. of M., held at Phoenix Hall, Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan, 22, 1925. “A. B. Boyd, President, a “Arthur Douse, Secretary.” When you buy, get an “Ad” 9 for the DAILY WORKER. SECTION died out, The 12,000 Pennsylvania pits again. locals. of the local press, for cars, timbers and tools, the voices of discontent are growing in volume and intensity, An “Agreement”—Not a Settlement. The Pennsylvania strike is “set- tled,” but, the grievances still remain and new, ones pile up daily. The con- ciliation board delays and does not act. The union officials have forgot- ten their promise to fight for the min- ers. The general grievance commit- tees, which represent the rank and file, are powerless in the face of the agreement and the Lewis-Cappellini machine. The miners still spend many hours underground waiting for cars or load- ing rock for which they get no pay. The agreement is being violated right and left by the operators, and the vio- lations referred to the conciliation board, where they are delayed indefin- itely and forgotten. But the miners remember keenly and bitterly. New Rebellion Brewing. Beneath the calm surface a new re- bellion is brewing. The lessons of the “Pennsylvania” strike have been driv- en home. The erstwhile supporters of the arch-betrayer, Cappellini, curse his name today in the pits, the union halls and their dingy shacks. Out of all this subdued discontent a new move- ment is being formed. One hears snatches of conversation that give a new note to this brewing rebellion. The progressive forces are organizing. Down in the pits, under the lights of the miners’ lamps, a program of action is being forged; slowly and crudely the caloused hands of the miners are writing a program that will give clarity and guidance to this confused discontent. They Stand on.a Program. Anthracite is on the eve of a dis- trict election. .One.hears the rumors of candidates from the pits, obscure names that stand.on a program. Con- versation at the miners’ supper tables indicates a new hope. Committees tramp the long muddy streets of mining towns. There are meetings, speeches in many tongues, crude explanations, violent outbursts of temper, but, above all, a spirit of confidence and awakening. The pro, gressive miners’ movement is being crystallized in the Anthracite. ‘PAINTERS UNION OF PHILADELPHIA BACKS DEFENSE Michigan Cases Menace all Labor PHILADELPHIA.— Painters’ Local 1083 unanimously passed a resolution protesting against the action of the Michigan courts in sentencing C. E. Ruthenberg, executive secretary of the Workers Party, to prison for a term of three to ten years. Members of the Trade Union Educa- tional League, who introduced the res- olution pointed out that the existence of the criminal syndicalist laws is a menace to the labor movement, that in this case the capitalist courts be- gan with sentencing a leading Com- munist and are about to try Robert Minor, Wm. Z, Foster, Wm. Dunne and 27 other men actively engaged in the labor movement. They also pointed out, that unless the organized worekrs of America close ranks and present a united front to this latest attack of the ruling class, that it will be only a matter of months before the same laws will be used to crush the trade unions every time they resist a wage cut or put up a struggle to better their conditions. The lengthy discussion on thisreso- lution proved that the members of the union fully realize the significance of the Michigan cases and are pre- pared to assist in every way the on- slaughts of the ruling class against the labor movement. Geta“ First He Talked Then He Stopped Third, He Wrote This Dear Comrades: I am a cigar maker and do not work in a large shop. I have been active in the La- bor Defense work. For a while I merely talked about it to the men in the shop, then decided that the talk- ing stage was over so started to take up a collection which resulted in $35 being raised for the defense of the Michigan cases. I mention this be- lieving that it could be successful in ' for the DAILY WORKER OF THE OWN IN THE ANTHRACITE PITS A NEW REBELLION IS BREWING AS MINERS WRITE NEW PROGRAM All is calm and quiet in the Anthracite. All is quiet on the surface to the passing observer. pits, during the quiet of the lunch hour and the long pauses while waiting The rumblings of revolt have “outlaw” strikers are down in the Lewis has returned the charters to the 12 expelled rebel The general strike sentiment has disappeared from the headlines But down in the UNION OFFICIALS AND UNION STOOL AID BLACKLIST Peter W ekich Driven from Industry MEADOWLANDS, Pa.—Lewis may succeed in removing the 200,000 sur- plus coal miners from the industry, if the coal diggers allow Lewis to drive out the progressives and those who want to save the Miners’ Union from destruction. But, if he should succeed, there would be nothing left but Lewis and his gang, with probbaly & company union or two. When the lieutenants of Lewis can- not persuade a progressive to stop fighting or force him to quit his job, they allow the operator to fire him, and when his case is brot before the district board member, he is given no satisfaction and is forced to leave the industry. Bot Flowers for Dead Boss! For example, Peter Wekich, whc was a progressive candidate for dis- trict teller and secretary of his Local Union No. 1829, was fired. This action came after a hot meeting of the Local Union, at which several district offici- als were present, where the financial secretary was severely criticized for charging up to the union, flowers which he had bot for a mine operator WORKER TRADE UNION ED LOC. NO, 5, A.C.W, WHIP OFFICIAL SLUGGING CREW Strong.Arm _ Men Flee from Membership NEW YORK CITY.—Union officials came to the Amalgamated Temple in Brooklyn, N...¥., with an army of guards to accomplish the union smashing tactics of the Wolf-Blum- berg-Hillman alliance. Active members were beaten up. Wolf and Blumberg escaped with their forces. Meeting decides unan- imously not to allow the union bu- reaucrats to reorganize the local for their own purposes. Wednesday evening at the meeting of Local No. 5, operators, the present leadership of ‘the Amalgamated saw something which ought to teach them a lesson fof the future. They could see whether ‘the members of Local No. 5 watit' another local or not, They could'#ée whether the members agree with thé union smashing tac- tics or not. They could see whether they could go on ruling the rank and file by strong‘arm methods in order to crush the determination of the membership to have one strong union in the trade, Guards Can't Stop Left Wing. At the meeting they could see ‘the old revolutionary spirit of the tailors, the same spirit that prevailed at the time when the tailors freed them- selves of the Rickard machine. Two messengers: of the general office, D. Wolf and Hyman Blumberg, came to Wednesday's ‘Meeting all prepared to do their destriictive work. At the entrance to the hall they had theirwguards on both sides to watch out'ithat active members are not admitted: «Mainly they were after Sam Lipzin, William Abrams and Nel- son—three-of; the most active mem- bers of the local that the general officers decided to suspend. But, who had died. A Union Stool Pigeon. When Wekich asked the reason for his being fired, he was told by the pit boss that he had attacked the pur- chasing of the flowers, that he was a progressive and a supporter of the DAILY WORKER. Wekich wanted to know the source of this information, and the pit boss said that “old man Paterson” (the financial secretary) had told him. The pit committee was given the case but could not get the job back for Wekich. The case was then turn- ed over to the board member. But when Wekich went to get his job back, he was put off again and again, until finally the boss told him that he would have to apologize to “old man Paterson,” who had bot the flowers for their deceased boss, before he could get the job back! This Wekich refused to do. Union Officials Aid Blacklist. Soon a new pit boss came, and he refused to deal with the pit committee until the local removed Wekich as sec- retary, which meant driving him out of the industry, depriving him and his family from making a living. At the last meeting, the district of- ficials saw to it that Wekich was re- moved from the secretaryship of his local union, and the will of the boss was carried out. This undoubtedly is taking place in every mining cen- ter. Lewis, of course, cannot do this to the 66,000 or rather to the more than 100,000 moners that voted for the progregsive slate. A little more cen- tralized activity, and Lewis and his gang of parasites will go, and the U. M. W. of A. will then become the most militant section of the American labor movement. Bay State Jobs But Little Better While Wages Are Slashed BOSTON.—An increase of 1.4 per cent in the number of workers em- Ployed in Massachusetts factories, making January the sixth successive month of gain, left the general level of employment still 4.9 per cent short of January, 1924, according to the state department of labor. Average weekly wages declined to $24.18 which compares with $24.48 a year ago. Massachusetts factories are employ- ing 8.3 per cent fewer workers than the average of 1922, Approximately 40 per cent of those employed are still working only part-time. This, how- ever, marks a gain from August, 1924, when 50 per cent were part-time. Nearly all the 19,780 workers hit by wage cuts in the month were in tex- tiles. These decreases are reflected in the average weekly wage of cot- ton mill operatives which fell from $23.96 in January, 1924 to $19.82 in January, 1925, In textile finishing av- erage wages declined from $25.13 to $23.87 and in textile machinery from $29.73 to $27.21, Get your tickets for Red Revel Ball, February 28, Corner of Monroe and Ashland Bivd. were] mane ! when these three came to the place, they proved that an army of guards is not enough to keep them out. The Guards Escape. No sooner did the membership make way forthe three active mem- bers to enter than the sluggers began their job. \While these members were being attacked, the operators who were inside,and outside the hall rush- ed to'their‘kesistance and ‘finally got into the shally and the guards were compelled to: escape. When Lipzin came into the hall he was carriedsto the platform as he fainted from:the beating received for his long record of union activity. An- other well-known member was also beaten up.. The membership was en- raged against. such methods. The leaders of the local declared from the platform that the two messengers from the general officials will be giv- en an opportunity to speak at the meeting provided they order their army out of the hall. Blumberg'“and Wolf, realizing that thousands at‘the meeting are opposed to their unio policy or organizing an- other local; left the meeting together with their army of guards. Two Badly Injured. A doctor’ ‘was called in. He ex- amined Lipzin and Polak and declar- ed that they were badly beaten up. Later, the chairman of the local opened the meeting. Speeches were made by Zutkoff, Wiener, Nelson, Abrams; Lifshitz, Manschel, Jacobs and-others. All pointed out that the union bureaucracy wants to break up the local because it stands against re- ductions of wages, standards yt duction and because it wants a union without corruption. A union, which is able to protect the interests of its members. A Big Demonstration. In conclusion, a unanimous resolu- tion was adopted which stands against the union smashing tactics of the gen- eral officers,, A committee of the lo- cal with a committee of shop chair- men, shall demand from the general office to stop immediately all such tactics and policies. The meeting from the beginning to end showed itself to be one great demonstration of operators deter- mined to preserve their union. Every Faker Has a Recipe’ for Winning Elections: Here’s One CANONSBURG, Pa.—Wholesale vio. lations of the: constitution of the U. M. W. of A.-went on in this district to insure the election of Lewis and his gang; knowing that if the election was left to the membership they would all be swept out of office. Here is one example of the tactics used by the Dist. 6 officials, and which is, no doubt, used in other parts of the céuntry,,, This is in direct viola~ tion of the gonstitution. A notice of the election was posted, signed by the president and secretary on No, 1826, calling for er, Board Organizer. ik Dobbins came to the pit committee and told them to hold the election in the blacksmith shop of the coal instead of at the ho ~ be heen tone ha) | RN ite \ SAYS JACK By JACK shall be adapted to the new conditions that. have arisen thru the latest ghange of front in the imperialists’ camp. I. W. W. Does Not Know Develop- ments. Revolutionary workers over in America, even the members of the I. W. W,, I take it, little dream of what is going on on this side of the Atlantic.:.On the whole, they know nothing, or at least very little, of the new developments in the European labor movement. They may have heard about “some scheme on the part of Moscow and the Communists to link the chief existing organiza- tions into one big union;” but of what it is all about they have no clear con- ’ ception. Not so long ago there was held in Hull, England, a congress of British trade union delegates to discuss the question of the affiliation of the Am- sterdam and the Moscow internation- als. These two organizations are the two main labor bodies of the world. They are international in scope and contain within themselves the prin- cipal labor, organizations on this earth. The Amsterdam International, with headquarters:in Amsterdam and with a membership of some sixteen million is conservative. The Moscow or Red International of Labor Unions, headquarters in Moscow and mem- bership of about twelve million, is re- volutionary. What World Unity Means. From this congress at Hull a dele- gation was sent to Russia, The mem- bers of this delegation met with the delegates of the Russian Trade Union Congress during its session in Mos- cow and here the question of the amalgamation of the two internation- als was further thrashed out. When the British trade union delegates came back to England their reports on Russia and on the progress of the amalgamation program were re- ceived with great enthusiasm by the British labor movement. The significance of all this lies in the fact that the British trade union movement is the cornerstone and the foundation of the Amsterdam Interna- tional the same as the Russian trade unions are the basis of the Red In- ternational. Hamburg Meeting of Seamen. On the night of February 5, there was held in Hamburg, Germany, a meeting of seamen. This meeting was called by the German Transport Ar- beiter Verein, a conservative organ- ization linked up with the Amster- dam International, to discuss the question of the united front of the German seampn’s unions. All organized seamen had been in- vited with the result that there were present members and officials from some four different organizations, The Transport Arbeiter Verein, The Indus- trie Verband (revolutionary © dock- workers), the Schiffartsbund (red sea- men’s organization) and the I. W. W. (two members). The hall which does not hold more than five hundred peo- ple, was filled to overflowing; a pack- ed house as they say over in the States. One of the officials of the Transport rbeiter Verband started off the dis- cussion with an hour's talk on the subject in hand and altho he said nothing revolutionary or vital, the usual trade union slop, still on the whole his attitude was one of sym- pathy with the new movement. Yes, énce he even made a hit with me and that was when he said that as an official of a conservative union he reotild help only very little in the es- tablishing of the united front. ‘After the first speaker there were others, and plenty of them. Plain Seamen Discuss Vital Subject. Here you had plain seamen discuss- ing a subject which is of vital im- portance to the working class in an, interesting and instructive way. One of these was Fellow Worker Walter of the Schiffartsbund, Germany's red Sailors’ Union, which is linked up with the Red International of Labor Unions and which has branches in fifteen German ports and in four for- eign ports. Dramatically, and yet faithfally, Walter pictured the deplorable decay of that prestige which German sea- men at one time enjoyed amongst the other sailors of the world. What had become of that prestige? Where were the German seamen’s unions? Where was their solidarity? Gone, all gone! Today 80 per cent of the German sea- men are unorganized while the rest are split up in some six different mu- tually destructive organizations, a bunch of helpless cattle, so to speak, at the slaughterfest of the German shipowners. f Amalgamation 6+ Annihilation. Walter then spoké on the united front and showed what it is, insofar as it touches Gd Yemen; the amalgamation of ‘thé different Ger- marine transport workers’ unions to GAVEEL, AN I. W. W. GAVEEL, HAMBURG, Germany.—(By Mail.)—-A question which greatly agitates the seamen of this port and, from what I can see, of other ports in Germany, too, is that of the United Front of all German seamen, or rather of all those now split up amongst some five different rival organizations But this ques- tion is only part of a wider and bigger issue, international in scope; the linking up of all the principal organizations of the world, conservative as well as revolutionary, into one mighty international organization fit to fight the workers’ battles in a way that ¢+—— meet and stop the terrible havoc which the fierce..and ruthless on- slaught of the German shipping lords is playing with German seamen and their organizations everywhere, trom Konigsberg to ‘Hamburg, and Bre- men, “The united front of all German seamen,” and “back into the conser- vative unions to ififluence and control them for .reyolutionary purposes,” such was the burden of the discus- sion of the principal speakers. An I. W. W. Against Solidarity! Of course, things did not always go smoothly., There were some who spoke against the solidarity of the workers and amongst them a mem- ber of the I, W. W. conspicious by the big wobbly button on his coat. But the number of dissenters was negligent. There was also quite a bit of mud slinging, and, of course, nothing definite, except a thorough threshing out of the subject and a general airing of views, was accom- plished. , . However, nothing else can be ex- pected from a meeting of this nature where the serious and business-like atmosphere of a conference with its delegated: power is lacking. But the thing to. bear in mind here is that the sentiment was one decidedly In favor of the united front of all the German marine transport workers’ organizations. This sentiment came to the fore strongly every time an opponent of the new idea had the word. Such a one was. continuously and most vio- lently interrupted from all sides and in the face of the most pressing en- treaties, from the chair (an official of the conservative Transportarbeiter) to preserve order and to give the speaker.a chance to continue. Otto Reiger—A Barnacle on the . WwW. W. And now comes Otto Rieger sup- posed to be the representative of the I. W. W. amongst the Hamburg sea- men, But is he? He may be official- ly,. but I'll be damned if I can see where he really is. For what we say of one who, claiming to be a member of the I, W. W., nay its sole and only representative in the port of Ham- burg, gets up at a meeting of Ger- man seamen, like he did at this meet- ing, ‘to announce, apparently inno- cently and fully convinced, that the I. W. W. is not a centralized organ- ization, to prove which he tells the: workers what Bill Haywood has to say about it! A scream, isn’t it? Who is this fellow and why does the I. W. W. depend on such people to represent it? For that this Rieger has not even the inkling of a concep- tion of what the I. W. W. is, is clear from the statement which I have quoted him as saying at this meeting, But that it not all. How Long Will the M. T. W. Permit This? There are sinister and unwhole- some reports floating around this port about Rieger. Stories of a trust betrayed and of heavy working class funds that were misused, to say the least. That the man is hated as any scab in this town and that he has given the I. W. W. a bad name amongst seamen here, of that there cannot be the least doubt. Last night I met him for the first time and all doubt that might have existed in my mind previously as to his unpopularity and the bad repute in which he stands amongst Hamburg seamen was dispelled then and there, when I listened to the remarks and the accusations that workers from everywhere in that hall were hurling at his head while he was talking. And it didn’t stop here. The I. W. W. itself was dragged into it, more than one seaman at this meeting getting up to say that according to his opinion the I. W. W.’svare scabs who refuse solidarity with other organizations and with other members of the work- ing class. 5 Questions that Need an Answer. Who is this Rieger, what has he pulled off to make the I. W. W. so unpopular here, not to say more, and why does the I. W. W. keep him here? ‘These are que that I should like to have answ Does the I. W. W. keep this fellow in a fat job perhaps, because it thinks more of an insigni- ficant and dead local than of its revo- lutionary principles? And before I forget, what is the I. W. W. going to do for the united front movement? Will it continue to stick to its old traditional policy (a policy followed all these many years without any success) of trying to build up an international one big union outside of and without reckon- ing with the existing organizations? Wake Up—And Act. America wake up! Your jails are full of class war prisoners. You have laws forbidding organization on the part of workers. You let the K. K. K. terrorize you. Yet the I. W. W., the only important revolutionary, eeonom- Page Three CATIONAL LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL LABOR UNITY AND UNITED FRONT NEEDED, PUT NOT YOUR TRUST IN ROYAL COMMISSIONS! District 26 Militants Expose Govt. Fake The following editorial from the Maritime Labor Herald, the miners’ paper of Nova Scotia, shows the at- titude of the militants of District 26, U. M. W. on the question of govern- ment commissions to “investigate” the British Empire Steel corporation, which is attempting to cut their wag- es ten per cent. “The Futility of a Royal Commission, “The miners want the present rate of wages continued for four months and a royal commission appointed with power to go into the affairs of Besco. The remarkable thing about the men’s offer is that it tallies com- pletely with the suggestions of Dr, Roberston, altho the miners declare that their offer had absolutely no con- nection with or sprang from these suggestions. “Be that as it may, we wonder what any commission can do in the matter. The yellow press says that such a commission can get at the truth, and once that has been properly establish- ed, then, and then only, can peace and harmony be permanently brot into the industrial life of the country. Of course that’s all pure bunk. “Very often it is only when mem learn the truth that hell is let loose— and if ever the truth of the completely rotten condition of Besco is told, then look out for war and not peace. But what does the yellow press want to know the truth about? Is it about the miners and their wages, and whether they could live on less? “There are hundreds of mine work: ers who have been living on $3.25 a day, and only worked 150 days in the year. Do you want three or four well- fed parasites to whom the govern- ment will pay $20.00 per day and ex- penses to sit in judgment and find out the ‘truth’ whether a miner and his family can exist on less than $478.50 per year or not? “And suppose that the ‘truth’ that this royal commission finds is that he ean! Do you think that ‘truth’ will establish peace? You yellow-bellies pretend that you don’t know the ‘truth’ about such a simple proposi- tion as that stated above, and that is the very reason you want a royal com- mission, There is nobody so blind to the truth as those who do not want to see. \ “Then again, the miners claim that Besco is using the wealth created in the coal mines by the labor of the miners to pay dividends on idle junk at Halifax. Besco does not deny this now, but says their business is a unit and all of it, including the Halifax shipyards, must stand or fall together as far as dividends are concerned. But you want to find out the ‘truth’ about it, do you? “And suppose your truth-finding, fact-finding commission does discover the fact and truth that Besco does use the coal mines to provide dividends for other concerns than the coal mines, and the truth and fact is that Besco is a unit in all its undertakings and has a perfect right, in ‘truth’ to do so, and that that is the very purpose tor which Besco was organizeds Will that truth and fact—even sancitfied by the blessing of three parasites ‘call. ing themselves a ‘royal commission’— bring peace into the coal trade? We do not think so, “The fact of the matter fs that if the miners refused to believe they could get any truth and justice out of a commission on which they had a right to appoint one working class rep- resentative, and for that reason re- fused to appoint a man, then they cannot now believe the ‘truth,’ ‘fact,’ ‘justice,—or any of the other pretty phrases with which the yellow press loves to tickle them— can be obtained by a royal commission on which they will have no right to name any repre- sentative, but which will be com- posed wholly of men outside the ranks of labor. “Peace in the coal industry—and all other industries—can came only when the workers own and control them, and not one minute before then.” (auc PITTSBURGH, PA. To those who work hard for thelr money, | will save 50 per cent on all their dental work. DR. RASNICK DENTIST 645 Smithfield Street. Get your tickets for Red Revel Ball, February 28, ic organization in your states, instead of fighting for the international unit- ed front of the proletariat, is splitting up into two hostile fractions which at this very minute are flying at each other’s throat in an internecine war which must end in the destruction of