The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 4, 1925, Page 5

Teac nietineeii NEW YORK IS": HUB OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN U, S, r P Are ‘Anti-Labor Plans Hatched in Metropolis (Continued from page 1.) Rot even buy there a comprehensive directory of the mill towns. (I bot the last little pocket textile directory to be had in Providence.) Eyery question is answered, “Oh, you might get that in New York,” Where Butler Is Czar. In New Bedford and Fall River— you can get much gossip of the czar- like rule of “Old Man Butler” (Cool- idge’s angel) and his tight little clique of local cotton-mill squires. It seems as tho there in the two old mill cities of southern Massachusetts is the only remaining stronghold of the old order. You can hear much talk of how the “new men” of the wider world a few months ago were scolding the “old men” of New Bed ford and Fall River for refusing to co-oridnate their wage-cutting and la. bor-baiting and speeding-up with the general campaign of that nature which is now on. You can hear how the “old men” managed with their political and banking facilties to freeze out any new arrivals who try to start up any unwelcome businesses there. And you can hear tow Old Man But- ler, local king of them all, is quarrel- ing with the Coolidge cabinet about this policy of international finance capital which “invests in foreign in- dustries, building them up to com- pete with our own.” (More of this later; it seems strange to hear of But- ler, who led Coolidge to the White House, now quarreling with Cool- idge’s mission of perfecting the Am- ertcan finance-capital oligarchy over the world.) You hear talk of all that, but you get no general information of what is going on in the big labor-deflation drive which now embraces with a sin- gle plan the entire industry of weav- ing and spinning wool and cotton. “You can get that in New York.” Company Union Movement. Yes, you can get that in New York. The real center of control of every- thing pertaining to the textile indus- try is in New York—the center of everything except the phase of textile labor organization, and that has no center anywhere. That is, unless you take the point of view of capital. It you take that point of view, you can find a textile “labor movement” which does indeed center in New York, and in one street of New York—Wall Street. Look at the hideous night- mare, the clamorous, raucus, insistent movement, gaining ground and confi- dence and boldness every day, which flaunts the slogan: “Let the Mill Agents, Superintendents and Over. seers be Your Labor Leaders!” This is a company-union movement of such unmitigated, swaggering nerve, that you almost refusé to believe your ears and eyes when you run across it. It is one of the biggest and most deadly of events that ever occurred in the struggle between labor and capital in this country. You might strain the language enuf to call it a fascist move- ment in a pacifist stage. The pacifist phase of it is surely only a passing phase, and finds that form only be- cause there has not been enuf labor resistance to make it show its fangs, At present this movement is pulling the glad-hand Sunday-school stuff, with “inspirational,” “co-operation” and “welfare” talk to the workers from bosses who hope to get the whole industry of woolen and cotton manu- facture tied up in an unbreakable system of scabbery before any coun- ter-movement can establish itself on a big enuf scale, to count. é This “superindendents’ labor move- ment” is completely centralized in Wall Street, New York. And the counter-movement of real jabor has no center anywhere excep‘ so far as the Workers (Communist) Party, with the Trade Union Educa- tional League and the Young Work- ers’ League may succeed in giving it a national head. Up to the present, the labor resistance to the monstrous seab movement is scattered and frag- mentary, expressing itself in a few spontaneous, isolated local. strikes and in a lot of confused, grumbling except in some New England towns where the proposal of the Workers Party has caused a half-dozen united front rank and file committees to be formed. What has been done in this way is good, but it is only a drop in the bucket, The drive of the mill own ers from the Wall Street center has now been on for three months in the most intensified form, and for about three months more preceding that, in a less open form. There is no disguising the fact that the bosses have succeeded in isolating all of the sporadic strikes that have occurred so far, and most of them have been com- promised or beaten or hastily surren- dered to by the bosses to prevent spreading. There are very few. hun- dreds of workers on strike ~ The employers’ agents are watching these like a hawk, and would probably sur- render to. them at least temporarily if the chance of their widening out became impressive; for the wage-cut- ting plan is on an elastic, tactical ba- sis. But,everything depends upon widening the labor resistance. =” And , by widening out, I mean widening, to a@ tremendous scale, giving a national center to the labor resistance; “as against the natiénal center of ‘the present big scab movement. To look at this problem as one which can be handled, as such problems were hand- Jed in the past, as -for instance, as one of Pawtucket, Valley, or Blackstone Valley, or the Lawrence district, or the Fall River district—or as a “New England” problem of these districts together, would result in dis- aster, To pursue such a policy would be to overlook the fact that the mill owners’ plan of campaign reaches in a single front from Maine to Florida It would be to overlook thé fact that the textile manufacturers (with the possible exception of one ot two small “old-men” groups) aré so thoroly uni- ee: FO fied in this fight that ‘they can and do play the Southern mills against the 3 Northern mills. Y There is some dispute as to whether the textile industry has already com- ° 2 pleted the. transition into finance-cap- ital, monopoly control. In industry generally we know that this stage was reached about twenty-five years ago. Many persons claim that the textile industry in America is a par- tial exception. New. Hngland cotton mill Owners’ propaganda, plays strong on the note that they are in competi- tion with the Southern mills, But in- dications are strong that this “compe- tition” is between the right hand and the left hand of the same financial in- terests. (I shall take this up in a lat- er article and try to show the dmaz- ing development of mill-combinationr that reach literally from Texas to Maine.) Have Monopoly of Credit, Certainly there exists, and has ex- isted at least since the world war, some sort of a banking-capital ar- rangement for monopoly of credit in the textile field. As to the silk indus- try, the existence of a bdnk credit monopoly was charged last week by the Gerseta corporation: (which is a mere little “La-Follette-size” corpora- tion of $1,000,000\capitaltzation) and its associates: in.a;$28,000,000 damage suit in New York against the Silk As- sociation of America. As to cotton and woolen manufacture; it is known that about a year or more ago there were negotiations hetween the manu- facturers’ assocjations and the depart- ment of justice ‘on the question of price-fixing arrangements. and the anti-trust law— ion of so-called interchange, of. price , ‘information,’ But today a writer in the biggest or- manufacturers’ boasts in the words: “Where, indeed, are the anti-trust laws? They have gone with the roses.ofjwesteryear.” But more certainly still, there is complete and unqualified unity of all the™*textiie* interests as far as this ;antilabor drive.is concerned. The mere fact that a few months ago the “old men” of et ‘ms: a and Fall River were publitly scolded in the textile bosses’ press for not quickly enuf cutting their wages, indicates that there was rahi no other ex- ception to the unity, and the subse- quent wage-cut in that district indi- cates that the.“old men” group fell into line, BAM Y The anti-labor drive for a 25 to 30 per cent cut. in wages and doubled production per worker, for the elimi- nation of one-half of the workers from their jobs ‘ahd the installation of “the mill superinténdent as your labor leader,” is unified and centered and its center is the financial district of New York, And this “superintendent labor movement” has a force behind it which is astounding. It has its “cul- ture.” It. has developed its “intelli- gentsia” specialists in propaganda. It has its literature, big and bold and rollicking and eynically frank, thriv- ing on the untold millions that have been wrung, and are. being wrung, and will be wrung from thé slaves of the textile mills in a thousand towns from Maine to Florida, J New York Hailed As “Rome.” ‘ “You can get that in New York.” I went to New York and got it strong- er than I dreamed was possible. In the offices and’on the streets and in the restaurants even the small-fry clerks of brokers’ offices know what this textile wage-cut and speed-up drive means. They speak now of New York as “Rome,” the center of a new “Roman Empire” drawing tribute BLOW from all the world. Before March 5! There in New York, brokers. and head-clerks are, passing from hand to|' Philadelphia proved its met: hand, and enthusing and marveling | Monday by driving home to th over, a copy of the thost authorita-| DAILY WORKER $225.00 in < tive of all the organs of big finance in |!ast effort to fill its quota fo: the textile field. It is the issue of the |the Insurance campaign. Th textile financial paper, Commerce | Mount was raised at a Work ers Party jubilee with ai. HAVE YOU SENT STRIKE FINAI 9 itm Send this. Greeting té°the Comintem: and Finance, the last issue of the beakabhs hareeliaeal “The Daily Worker Year 1924, and the article is one writ- icipating. ten by Edwin Dakin a8 @ forecast ot} Other branches have one Safe for 1925” more day in which to clear their records for the Comintern edition. to be published March 5. One last mighty heave is needed to raise even half the quota. Exactly $21,614.49 are on hand. This re ints the complete accomplishment to date of the $50,000 drive, Many prominent branches are yet to be heard from. T ein. remittances may carry the DAILY WORKER drive over pad $25,000 mark. But if their contributions do not arrive March 3, they will stand charg- iwith Communist negligence! = Uf the spike remains still in.» if tomorrow, it will be a dan- signal for the future. Keep ‘hammering! Don't lay down ‘the jobh . n —— i the future of American world imper- jalism, Its appearance in this, the chief of all the organs of the textile branch of American finance capital, in the midst of the huge “labor-doflat- ing” drive, is significant. It is an al most poetic expression of the hopes and dreams of this man-and-child-de- vouring monster whose claws are felt in the heart of the weaver who reads on the wall of a cotton mill in a far- away New England town, that in or. der to increase earnings ‘of all con cerned,” his wages will be cut 10 per cent and he must run 72 looma in place of 36, But it is too long for one story. will take up in tomorrow's D, WORKER the story of r able expression of th world scab herders’ dream, on d+am witn you ror msuring the DAILY WORKER .TO THE LAST SPIKE! Here is'my dollar to HAMMER IT HOME! Page Five Kept Press Wars on Truth As Usual (Continued from Page 1) ments of their government in all phases of life under the leadership of the Communists. Vietory Ovér Obstacles The report recites the victories of the Russian workers in overcoming the terrible and even heartbreaking obstacles laid upoti’ their effort to re- store industry by tte blockade and|* armed intervention of capitalist na- tions, which laid waste nearly the whole country. Further, the report takes up the lying versions circulated by the Second International espec- jally concerning Soviet Georgia. “Lies About Georgia.” “In Tiflis,” says the report, “the members of the delegation addressed @ mass meeting of railway workers, andsaw from a special stand a re- markable demonstration in the thoro- fare, _ This demonstration conveyed to them the impression that the workers of Tiflis were not living in that state of oppression and subjec: tion which certain reports would ap- pear to indicate. appeared to reflect a strong, united approval of the workers in the present system of government in Georgia.” “Experiences in Georgia did not bear out the general impression cre- ated by reports appearing in the capi- list press and other. newspapers that the population of Georgia was being held in a state of suppression by the Russian Red Army.” Parasites Have Hard Lot. One section of the report deals with social and religious conditions Any person between the ages of 17 and 56, having no physical or mental defects, who is not classed as a work- er, has absolutely no political status at all. He has no vote and receives no state benefits. He must pay the maximum tariff everywhere. His education and medical attend- ance must be obtained from private sources. He will have to pay the maximum’ house Tent and be lable at any time to receive @ month’s notice to. make room for a worker. He must pay high prices for a meal outside his home and his theate: ticket will cost him ten times that o! a worker. He will have no recognized club. Recreation and sport will be difficult and expensive. The lot of some of: these people, who cannot ‘or, will-not fit in with the new system, often is very lamentable, and at present they doubtless number many thousands. In another place the report says: “Strong propaganda is carried on in the press, schools, colleges and trade union clubs against religion generally, and especially as. practiced by the old orthodox church.” Education Given Every Ald. In regard to, education, the report saysy “Education ,is, obligatory, and in most cases free, but where the state subsidy is, not,eufficient to cover the cost, the local Soviet. may charge fees fixed on a sliding scale, according to the income of the parents, provided they are workers. In the curriculum great attention-is. paid to languages, Particularly French, and in some cases English. “Under the heading of elementary- natural science and anatomy, children are given very detailed instructions in the principles of personal hygiene, sex relationship and the construction of the body. History is confined to the social and political aspects of na- tions, and stories of kings and dynas- ties are superseded by descriptions of | the lives and creeds of social reform- ers. “Great care is devoted to instruc tion in art, rendered easy by collec- tions of works of art bought together under the nationalization of private property.” | The demonstration |°"°°. | Britain are The Rattlesnake Press Squirms. To this comprehensive and reason ed document, the capitali press of London brings the vilest attacks. The Times says, “The whole document abounds in childish irrelevancies, but adds absolutely nothing to the know! edge of Russia which the outside world possesses.” The Chronicle , “It is a naive document, and t is not naive it is misleading.” The Mail says, that the delegates swallowed what was told them and adds, “They are not above acting as agents for Bolshevik propaganda in return for their trip. It is sheer im- pertinence for the delegates to cite the wild and muddled experiments of the Soviet as the way of wisdom.” The Post says, “Purcell and his friends will bitterly repent some day —that they ever lent the authority of their names to this travesty of truth.” On the other hand, the working class newspapers are greeting the re- port with studious but friendly accept, ance, The fact that the unions of reaching a closer bond with the Russian unions, it is remark- ed, is the reason for the outburst of hysterical lying and misinterpretation on the part of capitalist editors, Government Claims Rights, WASHINGTON, March 2—The gov: ernment’s right to préferential ratl- road rates in the case of railroads that have been aided by grants of government land was upheld by the supreme court of the United States today in two cases, involving the Louisville and Nashville, and Chica- go, Milwaukee and. St. Paul railroads, The roads had sued to recover excess freight charges on government busi- ness, Some Bang In thie Bank, IONIA, Mich., March 2—One man was seriously injured, scores were panic stricken and windows in sur- rounding stores were shattered by an explosion in the national bank today. Police intimated the explosion was caused by a bomb. in compactn completeness} strength, durabil- ityand thebeauty of its work. An it leads in sale: and popularity! Take any user’ advice and buy.a Portable. Price, with case, 560 Hasy payment terms can be arranged when you Order from The Daily Worker 1113 W. Washington B CHICAGO, ILL, _ Another New Pamphlet! publications “Work Among Women” Giving a brief report on every phase of activity among the women of Soviet Russia, s eaeaaaaaal In addition to the many photographs of the women's groups this attractive pam- hlet includes an appendix on ‘Suggested | rear for Working Women’s Study Circles” in that country. , One of the most interesting and attractive of the recent from Russia. 28, CENTS: ‘BACH THE DAILY WORKER Literature Department 1113 W. Washington Blvd. puott wad od! wt hicago, Ill