The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 21, 1925, Page 3

¥ THE DAIL'Y°-WORKER ————————L— THIS PAGE Is Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the Trade Union Educational League (T. U. B. L.) North American Section of the RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS (R. L L, U.) HE T.U.E.L. Represents the Left Wing of the Labor Movement. its Purpose Is to Strengthen the Labor Unions by Amalgamation of Existing Unions, Organization of the Unorganized, and by Replacing Reactionary and Class Collaboration Policies with a Unified Program for the Transformation of the Unions Into Organs of Revolutionary Cla: Struggle for the Overthrowal of Capitalism and the Establishment of a Workers’ and Farm- ers’ Government. GREEN, A. F. OF L. HEAD, AND U. S. COMMERCE CHIEF CONFESS JOINTLY CONDITIONS IN COAL FIELDS “BAD!” By LAURENCE TODD (Federated Press Staff Correspondent) WASHINGTON, May 19.—Conditions in the bituminous coal industry in this country are bad, and in the Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Central Pennsyl- vania fields, where the miners are organized, the situation is especially bad. This is the report issued by C. P. White, chief of the coal division in the department of commerce. President Green of the American Federation of Labor, formerly secretary-treasurer of the United Mine Workers of America, agrees that White has not over-stated the seriousness of the crisis. Nonunion fields are not doing very+— well, but employment is better there than in union territory. Of course, White does not charge the owners of unionized mines with a conspiracy to break the union agreement by a starvation process. He merely recites coal facts. Big Mines Close. In the report for Illinois he says: “The developments of April in the Tilinois coal indugtry have not only fallen substantially below the operat- ors’ hopes, but have likewise failed to meet carefully calculated expectations, even built up as they were on what was, by common consent, a very likely pessimistic attitude.. . .Among the mines closing are some whose normal daily output ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 tons. . . It is no secret that ooal has been available from practic- ally every producing field in the United States, at or below production cost. . . The labor situation is likewise unchanged except as affected by the increase in idle men from the additional mines closed and closing.” Indiana’s report shows that with a productive capaciity of about 2,500,- 000 tons a month, the state produced in April only 1,000,000 tons, of which 200,000 came from strip mines, mines using loading machines and mines working on the co-operative plan. Other mines were to be closed April 80, Pittsburgh Contracts Not Renewed. From Pittsburgh No. 8 district, Ohio, came the report that, “Many contracts expiring March 31 were not renewed,” resulting in the closing of mines. Out of 140 mines in that field, only 50 are operating, and many of these only one or two days per week. In the central Ohio field, only five out of 30 mines were expected to operate this summer. In the southern Ohio field production was estimated at 13 to 15 per cent of normal. “Production in the central Pennsyl- vania district continues to decline at an alarming rate,” says White. On April 16 the mines of the Northwest ern Mining & Exchange Co., a subsid- iary of the Hrie railroad, were closed down indefinitely. About 1,300 union miners were thrown out of employ- ment, making a total of more than 25,000 union miners idle in the dis- trict, The Berwind-White Coal Min- ing Co. reduced wages of their em- ployes approximately 20 per cent, ef- fective April 8. This company op- erates mines at Windber and Houtz- dale, and tho it has never recognized the Miners’ Union it has always paid approximately the union scale. To in- sure steady employment the miners accepted the reduction in good grace ‘and the mines have been operating _regularly.” U. 8. Has Big Mining Capacity. In West Virginia, on the other hand, production is heavy, The Logan district, nonunion, reports “work * plentiful.” The northern West Vir- ginia district, in which the U. M. W. A. called a strike at non-union mines on April 1, reports tonnage of 280,250 for nonunion mines for the week ending March 28, 221,350 for the week ending April 4, 231,300 the next week, 227,250 the third week and 264,- 800 tons the fourth week of the strike. The Kanawha district reports a “steady increase in production” in April, and denied rumors of a strike, All of these statements point to the shifting of the soft coal industry to southern flelds which as yet are large- ly nonunion. While unionized mines are closed down, nonunton mines far- ther south are developed, altho the total mining capacity of the United States is 80 per cent beyond its noods, FAKER FAGAN TRIES NEW ONE IN DISTRICT 5 Charleroi Local 4546 Repudiates Bunk CHARLERIO, Pa.—The miners of District 5, United Mine Workers of America, are having a continuous and bitter battle with their officials against the expulsions of sincere and’ militant members who fight the com- bine of fakers and operators and who have exposed the graft of the chief officers of the district. 5 5 At a recent meeting Local No, 4546 at Charleroi passed the following mo- tion concerning the latest trick of the bureaucratic officials, It reads: To the Officers and Members of all local unions of the United Mine Workers of America: i “WHEREAS, it has come to our notice by reading the United Mine Workers’ Journal issue of April 15, 1925, wherein a resolution purporting to come from L. U. 2363, Mollenauer, Pa., and which in reality is Castle Shannon, Pa., and, by the way, is President P. T. Fagan’s own local union, wherein said resolution praises the district officials for their untiring and splendid efforts in behalf of the U. M. W. of A. in District No. 5 and for the splendid service rendered our members who were involved in: the Cliftonville march. And “WHEREAS, there was also embo- died in said resolution condemnation of W. A, Guiler and his associates for creating discord and dissatisfaction, and branded Brother Guiler and his associates as disruptionists in the ranks of our members. Therefore, be it “RESOLVED, that Local Union No. 4546 U. M. W. of A. located at Char- leroi, Pa., District No. 5 desire to place ourselves on record in brand- ing statements printed in United Mine Workers’ Journal issue of April 15, 1925 and said to have been adopted by Local Union 2363 as false and mis- leading. Brother Guiler and his asso- ciates are not members of Local Union No. 4546 but we have known them for many years and we know of the sacrifices they have made in be- half of organized labor and the tre- mendous obstacles that they have been contfronted with, both from the coal operators and the miners’ offi- cials. We deem it a pleasure at this time to contradict the lying state- ments em! in resolution from P. T. Fagan’s local union and to give credit where it is due and we will not permit any members of our union to be crucified in such a dishonest manner. And be it further “RESOLVED, that any further lying statement emanating from any official or from any of thelr reactionary following will be contradicted just as we have contradicted this attack on progressive miners of District No. 5. And that copies of this resolution be sent to Thos, Kennedy to be printed in Mine Workers’ Journal and to Mon City Labor Journal and to all labor papers that publicity committee deem necessary.” John Lee, John Lb. MeGiny, Publicity Committee. their seats. tical opinion, and the right of the locals to choose their council dele- gates, ’ To the membership of organized labor in the city of Seattle: “Greetings: —On Wednesday, March 25, a report was made by the strike and grievance committee to the C. L. C. This report was made in connec- tion with the charges that had been made against six delegates to the Seattle Central Labor Council, for holding membership in the Workers Party of America. On roll call the report of the strike and grievance committee was adopted by a vote of 78 to 71. “According to Roberts rules of order, which is supposed to govern in the C. L. C., a two-thirds vote is necessary in order to expel a dele- gate from that body. In violation of this rule the president of the council held that these six delegates were ex- pelled by a vote that was previously taken when a resolution by the Building Trades Council was con- curred in by a vote of 93 to 33, when, in fact, this resolution was adopted for the purpose of giving the dele- gates a trial. “If the ruling of the president of the council goes unchallenged, it means that six tried and true union- ists were expelled by the vote which was intended to be a vote on whether the delegates should or should not be tried. “If it be contended by the presi- dent of the council, that the trial took place on the night of March 25, it then follows that the vote taken on that night clearly does not expel these delegates. In order, therefore, to make no mistake in getting these delegates expelled, the president of the council was forced to rule that the vote taken on March 25 did not expel them, but the one taken previ- ously did expel them. “We ask, why were we taken thru the form of a trial on the night of March 25, if we were expelled by the vote previously taken in the resolu- tion by the Building Trades Council, concurred in by the Seattle Labor Council? i Right of Free Political Opinion “This discrimination against mem- bers on account of their political opin- ions is contrary to all the traditions of organized labor, and denies the right of every member to form his own political ideas. The pledge taken by delegates on joining their respect- ive unions, one of which is directly chartered by the A. F. of L., specific- reached the Office Employes’ Union demanding his expulsion from his local. The letter was sent by the Central Labor Council and signed by John S. Horn, its reactionary republican secretary. The communication, after stating the expulsion “charge,” asked Seattle, Wash—(By Mail)—The following fe the form of petition circulated among the’trade unionists of Seattle by the illegally unseated delegates to the Central Labor Council. Every one of these delegates have been re-elected to the council by their local unions, but are still denied It is expected that between 5,000 and 10,000. members of the Seattle unions will sign the following pledge of support to these workers who were unjustly deprived of the right of poli-¢——————____________ |CIRCULATE PETITIONS IN’ FIGHT CAPITALIST FOR UNSEATED DELEGATES IN THE SEATTLE CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL i JAP LABOR PARTY LEADER VISITING GREAT BRITAIN Will Function Like German S. D. LONDON, May 19.—Kagawa Toyo- hiko, a labor leader of Kobe, Japan, arrived in London recently to study the workings of the British labor party in Japan. Toyohiko said the socialist and la- bor leaders of Japan had combined in efforts to further the movement, and that while the Japanese labor party would be modeled after the British system, it would function in some ways along the lines of the social- democratic party of Germany. The new Japanese labor party will include, necessarily, members of the Japanese Federation of Labor and the socialist movement, the Japanese Fa- bian society, consisting of a small group of students and professors, and peasants’ union It is quite likely, in the opinion of Mr. Toyohiko, that the party will also include a certain number of liberal members belonging at present to the government and opposition parties. ally states that no discrimination shall | be made against members because of | their political or religious beliefs. “We, the undersigned, expelled dele- | gates, appeal to every trade unionist | in the city of Seattle to sign this peti- tion as a protest against such auto- cratic and disruptive procedure in the labor movement. “Paul Mohr, Bakers Local No. 9; | M. Hahisen, Painters Local No./ ‘300; Willlam H. Jones, Painters Local No. 300; Joe Havel, Book- keepers and Stenographers Local; H. G. Price, Machinist Hope Lodge No. 79} J. C. Carlson, Shipwright Local. 1184.” “We, the undersigned members of organized labor, in good standing in the city of Seattle, hereby register our protest against the expulsion of the six delegates from.the C. L. C., and we pledge them our full support in their effort to be reinstated; and the right of members to hold political opi- LOS ANGELES UNION OFFICIALS BRAZENLY IGNORE CONSTITUTION IN EXPELLING LOCAL DELEGATE LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 19.—As was to have been expected after the expulsion of F. W. Kaplan from the Central Labor Council on the charge of being a member of the Workers (Communist) Party, a communication nions is vindicated.” of Los Angeles at its last meeting the local to send a delegate in place COURT RULES IN UNION ROW Carpenters and Metal Workers Both Lose CINCINNATI, Ohlo, May 19.—The nited States circuit court of appeals last Friday, in its decision affirming Federal Judge Westenhaver’s ruling in the suit brought by the General Metal Products company of Canton, Ohio, against the Sheet Metal Work- ers Union in 1922, is claimed by the open shop campaign leaders to have outlawed all sympathetic strikes of the sheet metal workers and their af- fillated organizations in the building trades. From Jurisdictional War The dispute arose between the Sheet Metal Workers Union and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners on the setting of metal trim, and has split the building trades group into two hostile camps. The horrible example of this jurisdictional war between unions, has been fre- quently and correctly pointed out «as ruinous to labor unity by the Trade Union Educational League in its campaign for amalgamation of all building trades craft unions into an industrial union. The present decision was rendered by Cireuit Judges Dennison, Donahue and Mack. The case directly arose from the so-called “City Hospital case” and involved the question of the “open shop” manufacturers on one side and the Building Trades Union, the Association of General Contrac- tors and the National Architects Asso- ciation on the other. But the ruin to the unions was far- reaching. The carpenters were expel- led from the building trades depart- ment of the A. F. of L. and are still at war with the sheet metal workers. Company First Wanted Scabs The Central Metal Products com- pany of Canton has a $300,000 con- tract to install doors in the city hos-| pital. The metal workers demanded the right to hang the metal trim doors and to unionize the factory making them. The company declared it should use “open shop” labor on the metal trim. Then they receded from that, but still would not use sheet metal unionists, Finally, the company hired union carpenters to hang the metal trim doors and the sheet metal workers struck against the whole building and tied up the work on heating and ven- tilating. Same Open Shop Lawyer as Against Hatters The injunction was fought thru by the same attorneys as fought the union in the Danbury Hatters case. In 1923 Judge Westenhaver declared that the strike by the Sheet Metal Workers Union was unlawful as in- terference by a third party and that the contractor should go ahead and hire either scabs of union carpenters as it saw fit. He also declared unlaw- ful the strike against the sub-con- tractors. Both Unions Loose—Open Shop Wins ‘The Sheet Metal Workers Union ap- pealed the decision and the carpenters union is now sanctified by a capitalist court in its scabbing on the sheet metal workers., The both unions, how- ever, have been weakened by the of Kaplan and specifically stipulated ¢————————__——___-__—_——- | struggle, and the only victor is the that if Brother Kaplan was not expel- led immediately from the Office Em- ployes Union, the charter of the local would be taken away. Despite a bitter fight in the local against letting the matter slide smoothly thru and in favor of a reso- lution of protest against the unconsti- tutional expulsion, the request of the Central Labor Council was passed by a vote of thirteen to six. Brazenly Illegal Expulsion In his remarks against expulsion from the unton, Brother Kaplan proved conclusively that he had not been expelled constitutionally from the council. He read the constitution of the council bearing on expulsion charges and the manner in which a delegate or a union may be expelled or suspended from the Central Labor Council, This constitution, which has never been changed, provides that charges in writing be placed against the dele- gates and a special meeting of the council be called, the members noti- fled and the defendant be given an opportunity with the aid of counsel to defend himself. A verdict must first be brought in by a commit- tee investigating the charges before the general body can deal with the matter. Will Carry Appeal to Rank and File Contrary to these provisions of the constitution, the expulsion of Brother Kaplan was railroaded thru within a hour and he was given practically no opportunity to defend himself. The expulsion of Brother Kaplan from the Office Employes Union at their last meeting marks another milestone in the reactionary policies of the labor takers of this city. given an opportunity to defend him- self and he rightfully contends that the mere charge of being a member of the Communist Party is not suffi- cient for expulsion, he having done nothing which might be construed as being against the interest of the labor movement. Sees Future Vindication When requested to leave the room of the Office Employes Union after his expulsion, Brother Kaplan stated that he was*glad that his activity in the labor movement had proven of such an unsatisfactory nature to the Central Labor Council officials, and contrary to the cowardly attitude of some delegates who maintained an attitude of silence, he would rather be expelled than sit and give silent consent to the actions of the labor fakers. He further stated he feels the time is approaching when he and those who had been expelled before him, would return to the labor unions from which they had been expelled, and would be recognized and welcomed as the unions’ most ardent supporters. open shop “American plan.” Master Painters Give in to Union After a Fight for Open Shop WASHINGTON, May 19.—Now it is the master painters’ association, fall- ing into line with the master plumb- ers and master steamfitters, who have agreed to a raise of 50 cents a day in the wages of union workers in the capital city. Five weeks of strike have been enough for the painters’ bosses. The painters’ union has call- ed a mass meeting to consider ac- ceptance of this compromise of their demand that the wage be raised from $9 to $10 a day, Because the master painters have abandoned their pledge to the real es- tate and building ring, that there would be no increase in building wag- es of any kind, the operative build- ers have cut off all communication with the master painters. The antl- union drive has thus broken down on two fronts, and is considered to be virtually ended. SAYS SHIPPING BOARD IS “FAIR” WASHINGTON—(FP)—Private ownership of merchant ships means, in general, the open shop, while government ownership, administered by the U.S. shipping board, means cial journal of the marine engineers. started strike of 1921 against t per cent ction in wages. collective bargaining, says the offi- It was the marine engineers who he board when It announced a 15 “The labor relations of the private owners may be summed up in the statement of 0 it is feasible, The shipping board thru collective bargaining, — of their managers—'We will recognize the unions when they ,are strong enough to compel us’”—says an official of the union In reviewing their present state. “Open shop is the rule where garters into agreements with the unions 4 “DEMAND TABULATED REPORT,” SAYS APPEAL TO COAL MINERS; STATES VOYZEY WON ELECTION By ALEX REID The silence of the Egyptian Sphinx is deafening in comparison to that of the house of John L. and his co-conspirator Farrington in the latest inter- A violation which proves greater than any words the accepted belief of hundreds of thousands of miners that John L. Lewis was beaten by Voyzey for the international presidency in the last election of the U. M. W. of America. ¢#—————— national constitution violation. Proof that Voyzey Beat Lewis Approximately 70,000 votes given to Voyzey out of 155,000 votes by the Lewis machine with the Lewis gang counting the totgls in Indianapolis, with the doctoring of sub-district and local votes thruout the U. M. W. of A., with the suspected voting of hun- derds of blue sky locals, locals that were not or are not in existence coupled with the refusal of the inter- national office to send to each local union the tabulated return of the vote of the organization of the miners, proves to hundreds of thousands of miners, that Lewis is holding office illegally. The execuse that the treasury was not in a condition to warrant the ex- penditure is shown to be false by the fact that a short tune previously Wm. Green, international secretary treas- urer, stated in Peoria that the treas- ury was in a healthy condition; and coupled with that, the fact the presi- dent with the international board has the right to assess the whole member- ship any amount for legitimate pur- poses and in this case 4 cents per member would have covered the Dill In view of the further fact that Lewis with his board immediately following the election did tax the membership $2.00 and did not use any of it for the above purposes, is taken to show that Lewis, “in panic” has taken the unprecedented action of deliberately tearing the constitution asunder to hold himself in the office, which the miners by virtue of their last votes have kicked him out of. No articles, statements or excuses are appearing in the Miners’ Journal in this connection. A campaign of |silence is being carried out, and the | constitution and the miners can go to hell when the same interferes with the office salary and expense account of the bureaucracy. | This instance only proves again | what the progressive miners have con- jtinually driven home, that the labor fakers are in the U. M. W. of A. ex- clusively for their own benefit and would rather wreck it than permit themselves to be removed from the payroll, Farrington and Lewis Combined True to his canary color, Farring- ton has enshroyded himself with the stillness of King Tut’s tomb. This latest outrage does not concern him, his personal publication, The Illinois Miner likewise is silent. Tongue and pen paralysis has at once overtaken the family and a strange hush has spread itself over the office of Judas. At the present time, Farrington and Lewis have joined hands in a consti- tution busting campaign. Farrington in spite of the law has removed Thompson and J. Watt from office, and in return for his silence on the Lewis outrage mentioned above, in like manner receives the Lewis, and Lewis journal’s support by ignoring the outrage in District 12. Now Allied to “A Louse” Only yesterday it was that Farring- ton notified Lewis he had the soul of a louse, that he was a constitution buster and disgrace to the union and Lewis replied in kind. But it is noficeable this wrangling is gone, they have made up, and with the aid of.the other fakers of the miners’ union, coupled with that of Green now of the federation, with Hutchinson, Johnston, et al, a solid Page Three Miner Writes Book By ROGER DATALLER. From A Pitman’s Note Book, Mac- Veagh (London), Dial Press, (U.S. A.) $2.50. ae dark and dangerous life under- ground in British coal mines is set forth by a coal digger in from a pit- man’s note book. Short diary entries from 1922 to 1924 tell of the York- shire mine and the little Yorkshire town where he worked aand lived, Thru the record the hand of death is constantly felt. “He was quite dead when we found him—squashed—a fall of stone,” saye the entry of Novem- ber 27, 1922. Next month the author himself is buried, escaping with a week in bed. Other fellow workers are killed as the story goes on. Death is always near the miner, The sensation of being underground is intensely conveyed. The abysmal distance down the shaft, then the damp, heat and darkness in the work- ing places, dimly lit by forehead lamps. His lamp goes out once, The “blasted, velvet atmosphere,” the prospect of being found next Christ- mas or later, with bones picked clean by rats. But no gunmen there as in Ameri- can camps and less gas hazard, His friend Singleton gets back from Amer- ica and says American mining doesn’t suit his constitution. “Too much rush, unfavorable conditions all around.” The first day on the job his American boss gave him a naked light to set on his cap. “What about the gas?” he asked. “Oh, you must take no no- tice of that,” was the answer. $$$ eee united front of fakirism is brought into line against the militant workers of all unions in the effort to perpe- tuate themselves in office. They feel this can only be done with the expulsion of the militant workers from the unions, the destruction of all Progressive ideas and with the accept- ance of the class collaboration policy. Revolt of Rank and File Amazes Fakers In the breast of the fakers there is panic, because the last election proves conclusively that the militant workers repudiate their class collaboration, spurn and scorn their “labor” bank- ing, insurance, “B. and O.” and fake educational schemes, to enslave the toilers, And we miners say to you Lewis, Farrington, Cappellinis et al. “We have finished with you and your kind, go to your banks, insurance offices! It is more comfortable there than pur- suing the lines of the class struggle, and leading fighting miners and work- ers is no place for bank presidents or insurance agents, Miners of America! The milttants appeal to us, to safeguard our orgate ization from its disruptionists, its “fake leaders,” Lewis, Farrington and Cappellinis. Demand he constitutionally provide that report to each local union, and organize in your locals for the safety of our union. Organize for a militant program, for a shorter work day, shorter work week, unemployment in- surance, national agreements, etc., and never let up until onr union ig forced from its fake offictaldom, + Banks Have 23 Billion. WASHINGTON, May 19.—Total re- sources of national banks of the Unit- ed States are $23,832,463,000, acting controller of the currency, Charles W. Collins announced today, Meat Market 4301 8th Avenue a Fost, LABOR MOVEMENT 1118 W. Washington Blvd. | Dr. A. Moskalik | DENTIST || &.W. Corner-7th and Mifflin Sts. i PHILADELPHIA, PA, BROOKLYN, N. Y., ATTENTION! CO-OPERATIVE BAKERY IN THE SERVICE OF THE CONSUMER, Bakery delivéries made to your home. FINNISH CO-OPERATIVE TRADING ASSOCIATION, Inc. (Workers organized. as consumers) BOOKS— THE GREAT STEEL STRIKE (Cloth) THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION .......cssssesssessmeesmen 80 Cents THE RAILROADERS NEXT STEP..........ssssernnad Cents BANKRUPTCY OF THE AMERICAN THE DAILY WORKER PUB Restaurant Brooklyn, N. Y. By Wm. Z. 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