The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 31, 1925, Page 3

a eg LANDLORD CURSE MAKES FARMERS RED, BOOK SAYS Bankers Control Poor Tenantry “The danger is that it is already - too late to find a remedy short of re- volution,” writes Herbert Quick in his book The Real ‘Trouble With the Farmers. He sees a class conscious farm proletariat coming into exist- ence as a result of the increase in land values due to the complete oc- cupation of all good farm land. “Most writers,” he says, “are ignor- ing the fact that farm tenantry has increased until it is the controlling factor in the condition of the farmer. ‘When to the proportion of farms un- der tenantry is added the other farm areas which are mortgaged and the owners of which are in fact if not in law ‘merely tenants, it embraces a vast majority of the farms in the United States. “Farm tenantry increases with such rapidity because land grows so val- uable. that a poor man cahnot buy it and pay for it, Farms in good farm- ing regions are not for people in even moderate circumstances, as working People go. Lands which sold for $5 an acre in my boyhood have been sold in recent years for $500 an acre. Rich people in towns and cities bid with unvarying success against the dirt farmer for the ownership of farms.” Rich Get Land Quick points out that this passing of the land into the hands of the rich is imoreasing the average size of farms. The 40-acre and 80-acre farms of yesterday have been combined into 320-acre farms worth $100,000 to $150,- 900, Once young men could buy and equip a farm with the savings of a mumber of years labor. Now that is impossible where land is good. The curse of landlordism, he says, settles on a region wherever the land is value. The farm rental system in the United States is described as the worst in the world. To find one as bad we must go to prewar Russia, It * 1s rackrenting, a system in which the landlord has the legal right to get as much out of his land as he can. It is filling the land with people on a peon scale of living. “But,” he predicts, “class conscious- ness is coming. It is, in fact, here. When it has its threatened increase, look out for bitter attacks on existing institutions.” NOBLE “MOUNTIES” OF STATE POLICE STRONG FOR ROMANCE OF BREAKING WAGE STRIKES ARTICLE V, By MANUEL GOMEZ. Facts and figures brought out in these articles prove conclusively that state police are not “rural police” but industrial police for use against the workers in industrial disputes. But the police have their secondary rural purpose too—and in rural communities it is the poor farmers who suffer from their depredations, bankers and big business elements are the ones who profit. The That is why the La Salle street financial district is such a unit behind the Dunlap bill for a state constabulary in Illinois. It is why Wall Street is behind similar police bills in various states thruout+————_______ the country. The Romance of Strike Breaking To see what a military police force will mean for the poor farmers and tural workers one need only study past experiences. In this article I propose to tell some of the history of the Royal Northwest Mounted police of Canada which is singularly not re- vealed in the magazine stories and movie reels dealing with these famous troopers which play such a role in the inspired “mammonart” dished out to American flappers and schoolboys. The stories of romance and ad- venture which have been written around the Royal Northwest Mounted police have built up a legend among the unsuspecting that this force is an ideal organization established for the sole pupose of protecting the sanc- tity of home and fireside. The cold pages of history tell a different story. it Runs Something Like This: During the early sixties the Hudson Bay company, which then owned “by grant” a considerable slice of north- ern and western Canada, had become engaged in bitter competition with its rival, the Northwest company. Both concerns flagrantly violated the rights of the poor squatters scattered thru the region, In 1867 the Hudson Bay company sold great tracts of its land to the Dominion government. Less than two years afterward, the inha- bitants of the northwest territory were actually forced into open re- bellion, as a protest against the new land regulations which the prostitute politicians and landgrabbers at Ot- tawa sought to enforce upon them— regulations which meant nothing more nor less than the break-up of their homes. The rebellion was suppressed by the military forces of the crown. Permanent Martial Law The commanders of the''troops ad- vised that permanent military details be stationed in the territory. Sir John MacDonald, head of the Canadian gov- ernment then conceived the idea of a military police force, and upon his re- commendation, a law was enacted establishing the Royal hgirohie | MAY RE-OPEN FOSTER’S CASE (Continued from page 1) more of those indicted under the criminal syndicalist law of the state of Michigan. The event that led up to this was the holding of a peaceful convention in Bridgeman, Michigan. The depart- ment of justice had succeeded in get- ing a stool pigeon in to this conven- tion, who, together with the depart- ment of justice agents working on the outside, helped to stage a raid which initiated the famous Michigan Com- -munist cases. Thru the trials of W. Z. Foster, whose trial came first, and that of C, E, Ruthenberg, it never was once proven by the state or any one else that these Communists performed any overt act. Ruthenberg was convicted only upon the basis of “assembling with” other Communists, discussing matters coming up before this con- vention. Proved No Overt Act William Z, Foster, who was the first tried, was not convicted as the jury disagreed in his case. This doesn’t . mean that the case has been abandon- ed, buf that at any time the state may- fe-open the case and attempt to se- cure conviction whenever the situa- tion is favorabie to them. Where Money Came From It is interesting to note in this case that the prosecution peculiarly enuf has been. financed from other than local sources. This has been proven by an effidavit made by Fred C. Franz, sheriff of Berrien country at the time of the Bridgeman raid and now a mem- +! ber of the board of supervisors of Berrien county, who said: “Berrien county will be put to no expense for what has happened here or what will happen in these cases, The money will come; from what source I cannot say, » but it will come, It has come in other ‘cases and it will come in this case.” After 16 had been arrested on the ground, and six later apprehended, ten Communists involved in this affair Fortse! every Ist & phel ‘Thursday, Wicker Park Hall, 2040 W. North Avenue, Secretary. PITTSBURGH, PA, To those who work hard for their money, | will save 50 per cent on all their dental work, . RASNICK . DENTIST 645 Smithfield Street. voluntairily surrendered themselves to show that it was in the case of all the defendants involved primarily a matter of fight against the criminal syndicalist laws and the railroading of workers to prison, instead of the mere defense of individuals. Red Baiting Stories, Out of the Bridgman raid and the Michigan cases have grown a series of red-baiting stories from various sources which sought to picture the Communists and other sections of the working class in the most lurid light. Some of those red-baiting stories went even further and took in every con- ceivable person that might have had the slightest liberal conception. The Boston Transcript published one of these lurid stories, and was forced later because of libel suits against it to apologize to various of these indiv- iduals. While much propaganda was made by the capitalist press against the Communists and the rest of the labor movement on the basis of this fa- mous raid, nevertheless the persecu- tion in these cases succeeded in ac- complishing an unification of the vari- ous elements of the labor movement who saw the menace of the criminal syndicalist laws and possible persecu- tion that might be kept up under them. Out of the criminal syndicalist cases of the state of Michigan rose the La- bor Defense Council, and a tremend- ous surge of protest all over the coun- try against the Michigan and similar prosecutions, Fifty to be Tried. There are still 30 Communists to be tried under the criminal syndical- ist law of the state of Michigan, the cases connected with this Bridgeman raid. It was announced that Robert Minor will be the next case to be tak- en. Then this case will come up or whether another case will. be taken instead of Minor’s, or whether Will- jam Z. Foster will not be tried over again shortly, is a matter of conjec- ture, the solution of which is up to the authorities of Michigan. What- ever they decide to do, it 1s certain | “* that the criminal syndicalist law in the state of Michigan is there as a club to be used against the 32 indi- viduals involved on the Michigan cas- es and against every other individual in th te of Michigan who dares to bee with the authorities, And it is further certain that all possible preparations must be made to fight the criminal syndicalist law and the attempt to imprison any one under it. Jt 19 ty fhe ong teat the. Leber Defense Council is directing all of Mounted police, which began the per- formance of its unenviable duties in 1873—being sent immediately to the disaffected district of the northwest for use, against the poor farmers. But industry reaches out even into the farmlands and into the unploughed wilderness. Strikebreaking became a feature of the activities of the North- west Mounted police from the: very beginning. In The Canadian Pacific Strike At this time the work of surveying for the building of the Canadian Paci- fic rallway was started. The workers were poorly paid and poorly treated in every respect. Their only protec- tion—as is everywhere the case under capitalism—was in their own organ- ized resistence. And the Northwest Mounted police was on hand to prev- ent that if it could. Strike after stsike among the construction workers was broken by these mock heroes of story and screen, who acted as out-and-out agents of the profit-hungry railroad magnates. Reporting to the inspector-in-chief, Captain R. B, Deane (appointed to command part of the force) wrote: “I instructed the men in charge of the detachments to use the sever- est measures to prevent a cessation of the work of construction.” A year later, 1886, found the police active in suppressing another land law rebellion among the poor farmers. When it was all over Louis Riel, lead- er of the rebellion, was taken to a police barracks and executed there. Since that time, the history of the Royal Northwest Mounted police has been replete with stories of strike- breaking activities at the behest of the big capitalists who hold Cahada in their grasp. Every miner, lumber; jack and raflroad worker in the Do- minion has learned to fear and hate the mounted police. And the farmers have learned this lesson too. Workers and poor farmers are united against the oppressive power of capitalism. In the United States as in Canada, these two elements must be brought closer and closer together. Every extension of the police power, every attempt of the financial inter- ests to get more clubs and more ba- yonets in their service, constitutes a new menace, Its purposes may be camouflaged by pretenses of “protec- tion of life and liberty,” “safety for rural communities,” “road policing,” etc., but the plain facts of history can- not be swept aside. Women Refused 48-Hour Week. ALBANY, New York, March 29—A bill limiting the hours of working women to forty-eight a week failed of passage in the assembly the last day of the 1925 session of the legislature. The message had earlier in the day been passed in the senate. 314,308 RAILWAY WORKERS GETTING BUT $900 YEARLY hess | hata Scorned By Railway Board By LELAND OLDs. Certain members of the U. S. rail labor board must chuckle at the forty- eleventh presentation of the argu- ment for a living wage when they know from interstate commerce com- mission figures’ that they have al- ready awarded 314,308 adult male workers an average of less than $75 a month or $900 for the full year 1924, It must be better fun than a cross word puzzle to figure how a Man can support a family on that basis. The figures are from the commis- sion’s summary of wage statistics for 1924. If we raise the maximum to $100 a month’or $1,200 for the year, we find over half a million workers grouped below this figure which rep- resents the minimum subsistence wage for a normal family. 200,000 Get $876 a Year. The 202,967 section men averaged $73 a month or $876 for the year; 56,406 extragang and work-train la- borers averaged $75 a month or $900 for the year. There were also 8,120 other maintenance of way laborers and 23,007 crossing and bridge watch- men whose yearly average came to an even $900. In the shops there are two big classes of low-paid common labor, one of 59,842 workers with an average of $80 a month or $960 for the year, the other of 45,994 with average yearly earnings of $1,140. And 13,004 coach cleaners average $1,092. Over 38,- 500 freight handlers average $92 a month or $1,104 for the year. The average wage of all hourly. paid rail workers in 1924 was $1,544 marking @ decline of $12 from 1923. By groups the comparison is shown as follows: Rallroader’s Yearly 1924, 1925 $1,487 = $1,463 Maintenance of way... 1,068 1,085 Shop forces .......... 1,470 1,513 Station, including dis patchers, agents, teleg- raphers, freight and bag- gage handlers, etc .... 1,479 1,451 Yard, switch and hos- tlers .. 1,805 1,764 Train and engine + 2,294 2,283 Yearly Average $1,544 $1,556 Pile Layoffs on Wage Cuts. Thus the shop crafts suffered the largest reduction in average earnings. Over half of-all the layoffs also fell to this group. The average number of shopmen employed through the year was 54,898 less than in 1923. The total number by which the entire railroad forée was reduced was 102,- 379. The train and engine service em- ployes show a slight gain in average earnings but their numbers were re- duced by 22,003 compared with 1923. Maine Rejects Child Labor Bill. AUGUSTA, Ms., March 29—The Maine senate, by a vote of 16 to 7, re- jected the proposed federal child labor amednment. The house has not yet GET A SUB AND GIVE ONE! acted on the resolution. THE DAIILY WORKER S OVIET GOVERNMENT DISCOVERS PRICELESS RELICS OF ORIENTAL MONARCHS AND RARE TARTAR COINS (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, D. C., March 29. Recent bulletins received from the joint information bureau in Moscow by the Russian {nformation bureau here give the news of discoveries of remarkable interest to archaeologists, made by scientists who have been making a survey of great quantities of material packed away and forgotten for many years in the store rooms and vaults of Russian museums. One notable find is the seal of the Persian monarch, King Artaxerxes, presumably either Artaxerxes I, who reigned 465-424 B. C., or Artaxerxes III, who reigned 359-383 B. C. + The seal is carved on a cylinder of fine chalcedony. It depicts the king, in warlike raiment, with a halo over his head, holding in one hand a scep- tre with the point resting on the ground. With the other hand he is leading three fettered prisoners in foreign dress, wearing turbans on their heads. The whole composition, executed with delicate artistry, is framed with the branches of a date palm. The space between the palm and the scene depicted is filled with a Persian cuneiform inscription read- ing: “I am Artaxerxes, the Great King.” Goes to Moscow Art Museum. It is being studied by specialists, and will be exhibited in the Oriental section of the Fine Arts Museum in Moscow. Another discovery is a treasury of oriental coins consisting chiefly of coins of the Golden Horde, the name given to the Tartars under Batu Kahn, the grandson of Jenghiz Kahn, who established a Tartar dynasty in Rus- sia in the thirteenth century. The coins include issues of various kahn- ates of the Golden Horde for upwards of a century. State Museum Shows Coins. Some of the coins were contained in a jug standing at the bottom of the glazed vessel. This was two-thirds full of coins of one of the later Tar- tar dynasties. They were covered with a piece of felting over which wax had been poured, and above this cov- ering the jug was filled to the top with earlier coins. Twelve hundred of the coins, those best preserved, have been placed among the collections in the State Historical Museum in Moscow, URGED RUSSO-CHINESE UNITY (Continued from page 1) which showed his appreciation of the heritage of Lenin, follows: “Dear Comrades—On my death bed I should like to express my thoughts on the fate of my country and my party. You are at the head of a un- ion of free republics, which immor- tal Lenin left as a heritage to all op- pressed nationalities of the world. With the aid of this heritage the vic- tims of imperialism will inevitably emancipate themselves from a system of society which has always been based on slavery, war, and all soris of injustice. “I leave to the nation a party which, as I ardently hope, will share with you in the historic mission of eman- cipating China and other oppressed nationalities from the imperialist yoke. My statement to the Kuoming- tang Party consists, in the first place, of the demand for the continuation of the cause of the national revolution- ary movement for freeing China, which has been degraded to a semi colonial country by the imperialist powers. “Therefore I call upon my party to remain in uninterrupted contact with you. I firmly believe that you will always support my country. In tak- ing leave from you, dear comrades, I give expression to my hope that the day is not far, when the U. 8. S, R. will find in a free China a strong friend and ally, who will work to- gether in the great struggle for tne emancipation of the oppressed of the whole world. “With fraternal greetings, “SUN YAT SEN.” At the same time Sun Yat Sen ad- dressed His political testament to the Kuomingtang Party, of which he was the leader. Sun wrote: “The forty years’ work for the na- tional revolution aiming at winning liberty and equal rights for China have filled me with the conviction that that aim could only be achieved thru mobilizing the masses and thru the closest connection with nations who trust us on a footing of equal- ity. The struggle for the success of this revolution must be programmat- ically fixed. There shall be called to- gether a national assembly which should demand the repeal of all trea- ties and agreements, in which China is not dealt with on a footing of equal- ity. I call for the speedy realization of that object.” Following Sun Yat Sen’s death, the central executive committee of the Russian Communist Party sent the following telegram, signed by Stalin to the central committee of the Kuom- ingtang Party, which expressed the faith that the cause of Sun Yat Sen has not died but that the workers and peasants of China will emancipate themselves from ioreign imperialism. The message stated: “The central committee of the R. K. P. (Russian Communist Party) mourns with you |the loss you have sustained thru the death of the leader of the Kuoming tang Party, and the organizer of the national struggle of the workers and peasucts of China for ths liberty and independence of the Chinese peo- ple, for the unity and independence of the Chinese state. “The central committee of the R. K. P. has no doubt that the great cause of Sun Yat Sen will not die with his death, but will continue to live in the hearts of the Chinese workers and peasants, in spite of all their enemies, and that the Kuoming- tang Party will carry aloft the banner of Sun Yat Sen in the great fight for emancipation from imperialism and will march to the final victory over all imperialist agents in China, Sun Yat Sen is dead! Long live the work of Sun Yat Sen, long live and pros- per his testament!” Jap Labor Wages Big Struggle (Continued fron from page 1) all organizations looking to the eman- eipation of the proletariat, It is such @ brutal piece of legislation that we have not seen the like even in our 50 years of corrupt constitutional history. The passing of the bill is immi- nent, since it has already been ap- proved at the cabinet meeting and is now referred to a committee in the diet for approval. Of all the proletariat of the world, there is no group of people so miser- able as we, who have not even the right to vote. And the movement to gain that right is also absolutely for- bidden even under the so-called rights of a constitutional regime. The ex- amples of how the proletariat of our country is oppressed are too many to enumerate. Deny Right to Strike. ~ Not only the organization of labor unions and the system of collective bargaining are not legally recognized, but even the right to strike on the part of laborers is totally denied. And if we are forced to resort to direct action, the only action granted der the capitalist regime, we are to be trampled on by the hoofs of the authorities thru the application of the cruel peace ordinance, and to be driven out of work by the employers, The words and phrases in the atipu- lation of various regulation are being left for the free interpretations of the authorities concerned, and as a result they are being distorted by the capt talists according to their own objects, While our constitution grants with the blood of our comrades. Denied Right of Assemblage. The application of the existing peace ordinance, which forbids the as- semblage of more than two persons without the permission of the police, interferes and makes it impossible for us to assemble together. And by the judgment of one ignorant policeman our assemblies can be interrupted or dispersed, and the comrades partici- pating in the assemblies are, more often than not, arrested and put into prison. By the working of this peculiar piece of legislation, the citizens of our country, and especially our com- rades face imprisonment at the whim of the police, for no offense at all. For instance, comrades residing in a home can be arrested and be put into custody of the police under the name of loafers who do no good to the so- ciety. Our legislation in regard to the pub- Ushing of books and newspapers are 80 prohibitive that we, the proletariat, can hardly hope to have our own pa pers. Our newspapers and magazines, which survive in spite of this pres. sure, are frequently placed under ban and confiscated by the police for no particular offense. Moreover, we are compelled to pay heavy punishment or, worse than that, to be put into|: prison for publishing the magazine: intended for the oppressed class. And If we were to be brought into a court of justice, we are not even allowed @ chance to say,one word for our de- fense. st Bo bad the oppressed of Japan, beget! realize the fact that ental reform in tion, which fetters owr-actions in every di rl sie course of develop. i can not be achieved, and that it is the imperative necessity for the realiza- tion of our end that we should strive to get the existing legislation altered to our benefit by political action. We, the proletariat of Japan, are now in a position to form a solid united front to advance ore step for- ward toward the goal of victory. Out of the hardship and misery of the past years, we stepped into the new era with the advent of 1925, firstly by the successful conclusion of an agreement between Russia and Japan, and, sec- ondly with the approaching realization of the franchise. At.this important moment, the bour- geois government of Japan, one of the monsters of imperialism in the whole world, under pressure of its privy council, is going to set up a piece of legislation, intended to threaten ur with the regime of white terror, namely the peace maintenance law, in exchange for the granting of the fran- chise and the recognition of Soviet Russia. Not satisfied with oppression by means of various brutal existing laws, such as the peace ordinance, publish- ing law and similar laws proclaimed by various provinces, the reigning capitalist class, with the aid of the authorities in power which are noth- ing more than feudal bureaucrats, is going to establish the law designed to cripple the movements of the prole- tariat in order to insure the last hur- tied gain out of their capitals. The bill is now being laid before the joint committee of the three govern: ment parties to be investigated and it will shortly be introduced into the diet for final approval. It is not difficult to foresee that the bill, if passed, will enable the govern- ment to carry out its policy, much more brutal than the BS. of the regime of czarist Russia, or that of fascist Italy. We are threatened with a regime of white terror! We are challenged by the imperial- ism of Japan as to the rights of the proletariat! We swear before the working men of the world that we will fight it out with the reigning class of Japan for the destruction of impprialism with all our might and in spite of all sac- tifices and oppression! We swear that we will fight it out with the imperialists in Japan until the last! We, the proletariat of Japan, appeal to the working class of all the coun- tries! Let all join hands with us and help as in our fight against the oppression of the ruling class of Japan! Let all of you encourage us,in our determination in the struggle with the threatening white terror! Long live the proletariat of the World! Down with the regime of white ter- ror! SEIJI KENKYUPKAI, (Proletpolitical Association). Ford Makes a Hundred Million. BOSTON, Mass., March 29.—Henry Ford and his son Edsel, made operat- ing profits of $100,435,000 last year, according to the Ford Motor com- pany’s financial report filed with the commissioner of corporations here. Ford extracts the last ounce of energy from his workmen by using the speed up, special part system, Get a sub for the DAILY WORKER from your shopmate and you will make another mem- ber for your branch. Page Three LABOR DEMANDS STATE ADMIT ITS FAULT IN MURDER Workers Ask, Mercy for Child Slave Who Killed ATLANTA, Ga., March 29.—Organ- ized labor in Atlanta is aroused over the threat of the state to hang Mrs. ~|Ida Hughes for the murder of her mother-in-law. Mrs. Hughes was found guilty and sentenced to death recent- ly and unless Governor Clifford Walk- er seeg fit to commute her sentence she will be hanged. In an open letter to Walker publish- ed in the Journal of Labor, official or- gan of organized labor in thts town, it is pointed out that altho Mrs. Hughes undoubtedly did commit a murder society is responsible. The open letter follows in part: “Society thru the state says to her, ‘You have committed murder and you must die.” That she has done a most terrible thing no one will deny. But suppose she were allowed to indict society for the crime against her? She might say to society, ‘You denied me the right to a normal life. Where- as I should now be in the bloom of maidenhood I am broken by fourteen long years of hard labor. You allowed me, at the age of eleven, to be thrust into a factory. Since that time my body has known no rest. Bound to the machine I have been denied by you all opportunities. Born a mortal you have condemned me to be a ma chine.’ . “Let the state first acknowledge her crime against this woman, as a child, and against the thousands of other children; let the state first take steps to free the child from the greed of the workshop; and then exact her pound of flesh. Will you, Mr. Walker, raise your voice against this social injustice by offering clemency to this woman?” Hammer and Sickle But No Crucifix or Bible for Communist PARIS, March 29—~In comparison with M. Galliard, who recently refused to testify in the parliamentary cam- paign funds inquiry unless a crucfix were provided for taking the oath, Deputy Raffin Dugens, a Communist, today brot a hammer and sickle be- fore the committee for the same pur- pose. Questioned concerning a checkt07 5,000 francs alleged to have come from union economic interets, the deputy said he certainly had received such a check with an illegible signature. “I was unaware of the origin of the check. All funds are good for the sup- port of party purposes,” he said. Mexico-Chile Rellations Resumed. MEXICO CITY, March 29—Mexico resumed relations with Chile following the appointment of Gen. Eduardo Hay as minister to Chile. Relations were broken off after last September's flight of President Alessandri of Chile, GET A SUB AND GIVE ONE! The Latest Issue is now being mailed, This number of the . “Communist ° O Internationa! in addition tot “Seven Years: The First Anni- versary of the Revolution Without Lenin” by GREGORY ZINOVIEV, contains articles on: United States, England, Georgia, China, France and Jugo-Slavia, Single Copy 25 Cents, $2.50 a Year—$1.25 Six Months Order from the Daily Worker ‘Agent in your city or THE DAILY WORKER 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, III, — Dz S. ZIMMERMAN IDEnrris1 MY NEW LOCATION Special X-Ray rices —_ to Gas Workers Given | ESTABLISHED 12 YEARS, My Examination is Free S My Prices Are Reasonable My Work Is Guaranteed Extracting Specialist = DELAY MEANS DECAY —