The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 25, 1925, Page 1

Sih pease $a é THE DAILY WORKER . RAISES THE STANDARD FOR A WORKERS AND FARMERS’ GQ} Vol. Il. No. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: AND NAME nA. AS ARBITER AKRON, Ohio, May 24.—The carmen here have proposed a scale of wages to the Northern Ohio Traction system which will increase the present scale, but they have chosen a decidedly poor way of trying to get the proposal into effect, that is, they have agreed to arbitration and named an “exalted cyclops” of the ku klux klan to be one of their “arbitrators!” The present scale is 48, 50 and 53 cents an hour, and the proposal, which cannot be dignified as a “demand” owing to the spineless nature of the union officials in expressing the wishes of In Chicago, by mail, $8.00 per year. ‘ Outside Chicago, by mail, $6.00 per year. z DAVIS VISIT “Can't Talk on Open Shop,” Cal’s Aid Says (Special to The Daily Worker) GARY, Ind., May 24.—The lockout following the strike of plumbers, | volving 3,000 bullding trades workers remainst in effect today, despite the \ ) WAGE CUT AND FOR WAGE INGREASES By A. HOFFMAN (Worker Correpsondent) PHILLIPSBURG, N. J., May 24.— At two different slik mills the weavers of Reynolds Slik com- pany, 35 In al have struck against in plece work 60 in all, are on conditions and a Dally Worker Annual Sub- cription Drive Now on In Full Blast! GET IN.ON IT! Published daily except Sunday by THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING GCO., 1118 W. Washington Blvd., Chicage, Ill. 9,000 BUILDING (DETROIT AUTO WORKERS FIGHT TRADESMEN IN | POLICE RESERVES TO HEAR THE STRIKE VOTE, UNIONISTS, COMMUNISTS SPEAK Boston Warkers Ask Wage Raise By TOM BELL, 7" (Special to The Daily Worker) BOSTON, May 24.—While the banks Price 3 Cents (Special to The Dally Worker) Mich., May 24,—That conditions In the auto fao- tories of Detroit.are rotten ripe for organization was demon- strated at the/Marper Ave. Briggs plant when Frank Brunton, secretary of Local 127, Auto Workers’ Union, with Edgar Owens and Alfred Goetz held an organization meeting at the entrance of the shop. The workers in the Briggs plant are allowed from 11:30 till noon for lunch. . The‘day being warm and balmy the men stayed DETROIT, the men, is for the scale to be increased to 63, 65 and 68 cents an hour. There is also a dispute on the matter of unionizing the bus sot chaeeatisti teaierate ies ae TES AS WE SEE IT By T. J, O'FLAHERTY. HE two Mowrer boys, Paul and Hdgar are working overtime giy- ing the world the lowdown on the vile deeds of the wicked Communists. ‘They are getting paid for it. Indeed patriotic saviors of the world from the “menace of Bolshevism” are notori- ously fond of the cashier, and never feck at the typewriter unless given assurance that the eagle will scream on Saturday. Paul Mowrer exposes the Bolsheviks, from Paris, where life can be made agreable provided the sojourner's. budget is in somewhat better condition than the bank of France. i peed UL tells us that the Communist International aims to overthrow the capitalist system all over the world. He has already written eighteen exposurers, and excepting his own editorial comment and the inevitable forgeries, every “discover- ed” document with which he pads his stories, appeared already in the columns of the DAILY WORKER. ee IDGAR, who writes under a Berlin date line, makes a kick about the new revolutionary pictures made in Russia. The latest film to come out of the workers’ republic, is entitled “His Heritage.” It’s bad, bad stuff. Does it not play up Lenin, as our’ cap- italist producers play up George Washington? Lenin, to the capitalists represents all that is wicked. To the intelligent workers, all that is good. The more the workers see of Lenin, his. kindly lovable-eyes and the more they understand what he lived and sacrificed for, the more they will sym- pathize with the Communist move- ment for which he did so much. ‘2 HB story is built around the life of a Russian revolutionist who fights on the streets against the cap- Wtalist soldiers. His daughter brings him food, while he fights. Finally he is killed by the capitalists and his daughter and her grandmother leave the city. Later on the daughter is shown as a library worker. Her sweet- heart is a proletarian. Her father’s murderer returns and charms the girl with his airs. But he gets What is coming to him and the girl marries the worker. This is the kind of a hap- py ending we like, when there is a good purpose to be served. Let us hope the picture finds its way here. oe + R. NORMAN THOMAS has joined the international chorus against Trade Union Unity, in his customary slimy fashion. Thomas is one of those preachers who left his pulpit to save the workingclass. Being a preacher, who has not repudiated the preacher’s technique, Thomas hopes to win the capitalists over to the idea of pro- duction for use instead of for profit. He has all the patience of the itchy job, when dealing with the master- _ class, but his pious heart bursts with \rage when the Communists intrude on “his equanimity. eee (Komen on the movement for a united international, spon- sored by the British and Russian trade unions, Thomas, as usual starts out by saying a prayer for a united front of all workers, regardless of political differences. But he suddenly turns his mud guns on the Communists and rakes them fore and aft with charges of disruption. There is no indictment of the capitalist system in the rever- end preacher’s fulmination against (Continued on page 4) SOVIET UNION MORE STABLE THAN .urban and A. B, @. interurban are attempts of a representative of the United States department of labor, sent out by the Coolidge government, to break the resistance of the work- ers and induce the plumbers to return to work at the contractors’ terms. The plumbers, building trade coun- cil officials declared, are steadfast in their demand for $1.00 a day wage in- crease, and the plasterers and other building trades workers refuse to set- tle with the contractors’ association until the plumbers’ demands have been met. Davis Attacks Reds. Secretary of Labor James J. Davis, speaking here at the dedication of a new Moose home, attacked the for- eign-born workers, openly advocated the deportation of Communists born in foreign lands, and urged that ad- mittance of foreign-born workers be further restricted. Davis made a plea for “American principles and Amer- ican institutions.” When asked about the deliberate lockout of the building trades work- ers here, Davis told the DAILY WORKERS, “I know there is a lock- are reporting that the projected bulid Ing operations In this distrcit are 2 per cent greater than last year, the building laborers of thie city have voted to strike on Monday to force the bosses to accede to their demand for an increase In wages from 65 and 70 cents an hour to 77 and 80 cents. The strike order affects 5,000 building laborers, and'Is called after balloting showed a majority in favor of strike of 3,284 out of a total of 4,300 votes cast. The original demands of the union called for an increase to 80 and 90 cents an hour. The date for the strike was set for Monday at a conference of the wage conference committee of the five Boston locals of the International Hod Carriers’, Building and Common La- borers’ Union which met Wednesday afternoon to tabulate the votes cast. No work will be carried on on those jobs which refuse to pay the increase, and those bosses who agree to the in- crease will be supplied with workers. Sullivan Says Wages Too Low. In discussing the strike vote and the men working for the company, the local having once voted not to arbitrate this question. Fakers Rush to Ald Open Shop. However, the union is to be called again to vote on this matter since the local officials, Mike O'Neil, presi- dent and Fred Harper, member of the local executive board, following the usual tactics of labor fakers, have appealed to the chief faker of the union, William D. Mahon, president of the Amalgamated Association. of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America and owner of a string of non-union hotels, who promptly decid- ed that, of course,'the local should ar- bitrate the matter of the open shop. The hocus pocus against the plain interest of the union was pulled off by O’Nefl and Harper taking a trip from Akron to Detroit to “ask Ma- hon’s advice.” Reports state that Ma- hon told the local officials to drop the dispute on the bus drivers and to arbitrate any and everything. In weavers on all silk wo! mittees, Ui other silk and support form shop com- im together with and the union A. F of L, Fakers Hold Meeting with Bosses’ eo addition, Vice-President Shea is to bd here, but what can I say about z decision to give the bosses until Mon- attend Monday’s session to put over | !t” (Special Sey) Dally Worker) day to put the new rates into effect, the offictal agreement to the open|, Davis was told that the contractors,| NEW YORK, 24.—At the cele-|Dan?:1 J. Sullivan, president of the shop. backed by the bankers and’ material} bration of th id anniversary of| district council told the DAILY men, had declared a lockout in order (Continued on page 2) The “Split” in the Ranks of Capital Did Net Get Very Far! WASHINGTO.; May 22—The United States chamber of commerce today unanimously passed a resolu- tion, censuring speculative fluctua- }tions ‘on grain ‘exchanges and com- mending the department of agricul- ture for its efforts to remedy the situation. The resolution was heatedly op- posed in the resolutions committee, it was ascertained, because of belief the exchange officials themselves could solve the problem, but when the measure was presented to the general assembly, it was without a dissenting vote. PROGRESSIVE MINERS DEMAND A SPECIAL ILLINOIS CONVENTION Net a Sign of Struggle for Demands. The matter is complicated by three other divisions of the N. O. T. sys- tem having already surrendered on the open shop issue of the bus drivers, But these as well as Akron, have ye to settle the wage scale altho the usual betrayal by “impartial” arbitra- tion is expected by the company to defeat the demands. Platform men on the Canton inter- Federation Bank “labor bank” in the founding of New York, the east, Bick William. Green, president of American Federation of Labor, spoke | ediately following the reading oriiieeses from Presi- dent Coolidge, The gath might have been a meeting of the facturers or bank- ers associations, judging from those the celebration held WORKER that the building laborers feel keenly the fact that they have been working below the 1919 standard of wages and have been receiving less than this peak rate while the other building trades have received increases of 20 cents an hour since that year. The wages of the building laborers have only advanced about 10 cents an hour since 1919. Members Will Resent Interference. The result of the referendum vote ‘has been-reported to: Dominic D*Ales- sandro, president of the International Union, and it is expected that he will insist on going into conference with the bosses upon his arrival in this city to. attempt a settlement of the dispute without a strike. The feeling among the rank and file of the union is against this procedure since they think that the great vote cast for a strike shows that the over- whelming majority of the building laborers in the city are for a strike if the bosses refuse to come across. Any compromise with the bosses on the part of the international president will be keenly resented by the mem- bership. asking a t6fi sent increase, but.these are not even will “to bear the expense of arbitration,” hence it is hardly possible. that they will “bear the expense” of .striking either. Company Feels Secure. In the face of. such timidity on the part of the union, and with the aid of the local and_national officials of the union, there is small wonder that the company, thru A, C. Blinn, vice- (Continued on page 2) : Green , commander of the American Isgion, Senator James J. Walker, and Rt. Rev. A. S. Lioyd, bishop of New York. Morgan Partner There The invited guests present included Dwight Morrow, partner of J. P. Mor- gan, Owen D. Young, head of the General Electric company, Lewis E. Pierson; chairman.of the board of the Irving Bank, Columbia Trust company, Benjamin Strong, governor of the federal reserve bank, Senator Cope- land, Nicholas ‘Murray Butler, presi- dent of Columbia’ University, Hugh eee Painters’ Strike Winning. Boston, Mass., May 24.—The strike of the Painters’ Union here is still in progress against those hard boiled bosses who refuse to raise wages to $1.25 an hour. Many bosses have signed up with the union, and the painters have gone back to work on these jobs. An assessment of $2.50 is. being collected from all members of the union at work for the main- tenance of those on strike. It is claimed by the officials of the union that the building boom here favors the union in its struggle since the bosses must soon resume work on their jobs or suffer under the penalty clauses in their contracts. The bosses have been unable to get sufficient scabs to do the work on the struck jobs, millionaire department store owner, J. I. Straus, and Rear Admiral C. P. Plunkett. The American Federation of Labor officials seemed well pleased with themselves that they had gathered to- gether such an array of exploiters of labor. Hugh Frayne fairly beamed when Coolidge’s letter declaring, “The bank is a strong piece of evidence that the people of this country own the property of the country” was read. “America is neither owned by nor controlled by a small group of rich men,” Coolidge: said. And the anti- union employers present applauded. No Unemptoyed Present Raymond Hitchcoek and Jackie Coogan were the official entertainers. A discreet silence was maintained about the 2 million unemployed in this country and abont the wage cutting »pen shop drivewwhich some of those present were prominent in further- ing. Statement of the Progressive Miners Committee on District 12, : United Mine Workers of America. ‘Freeman Thompson and John Watt are expelled from office by Frank Farrington in violation of his own rulings and the international constitution Art 18, Sec. 1, on a framed charge of election irregularities, Fight Expulsions Thompson and Watt have been the militant backbone of the Illinois miners for years and have consistently fought for progressive Policies and fought the class collaboration policies of the bureucracy and have earned the enmity of the officials for their loyalty to the rank and file, resulting in their expulsion. ‘ A spéCial convention to try Farring- ton must be called at once and for the purpose of reinstating Thompson and Watt*into their office. Starving \Women and Children, The same convention must take up the unemployment question and fight for financial aid for the starving miners, the treasury belongs to the miners and as the officials are getting away with the money the unemployed are demanding aid before the treas- ury is emptied by the fakers. Also at this convention the progres- ive miners are demanding an explana- tion of what is termed padded expense accounts, the officials are drawing every dollar they can get away with, train fare that would take them around the world, padded hotel bills, and enormous miscellaneous, while the miners are starving the officials are rioting in luxury. Lewis Violates Constitution. _The convention must demand the tabulated report of the last interna- (Continued on page 2) | SHANGHSL TEXTILE WORKEn.'N STRIKE BATTLE Ws.” SUNMEN (Special to the DAILY WOn =R.) SHANGHAI, China, May 24—vie Japanese capitalists who own the textile mills of Shanghal, are be- coming discouraged at the solidarity and courage of the textile strikers, whom they and the Chinese authori- ties cannot conquer. A few days ago a group of strik- ers doing picket duty were attack- ed by Japanese company sluggers armed with guns. The strikers put up such a battle that nine persons were wounded and one striker was _killed. As a result four Nagai Jap- anese milis were closed down by strike protest and 7,000 more text- lle workers came out. Yesterday the dead striker was buried, and at his coffin the strikers gathered en masse and pledged their support to the continuance of the strike. The Chinese radical pa- Waterway To Increase Profits MICHIGAN CITY, Ind., May 24— Completion of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence project was termed an “economic necessity” by William L. Harding, former governor of lowa, shortly before the council of states of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Tide- water Association met here today with more than 500 politicians present.. CAL’S DELEGATE TO cries nanaepsiyicstonin aie es The Old Gang Gets Back in the Railway Clerks; Despite All KANSAS CITY,¥3(FP)— BothePres. B. H. Fitegeraldsand Sec'y. George S. Levi remain in“bffice for three years more as a resultivof the election by the triennial convention, Brotherhood Railway & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station em- ployes, which closed in Kansas City. Phil, BE, Ziegler was reelected editor of The Railway Clerk, the brother- hood’s official monthly organ. The two outstanding convention is- sues were not definitely settled. The out of doors to soak up a bit of sunshine before going back to the grind. The situation was ideal for a meeting and the representa- tives of the union were quick to? take advantage of it. Owens mounted a chair and immediate- ly entered. into an organization talk. Deputy Sheriff interferes. He had been in action for perhaps five minutes when the chief watch man of the plant flashed a deputy sheriff's badge and demanded that Ow- ens stop speaking and hie himself hence. This was a signal for the crowd to step up and take notice and they began to surge forward. The dick was armed with a club, and while he was crabbing at Owens, one of the workers, a young fellow of 19 or 20 years of age grapped the club out of his hand, while the crowd yelled its approval. The dick threat- ened to arrest Owens and was dared to go thru with it. He then got nasty and attempted to push Owens off the chair. Workers Take a Hand, At that moment, one of the work- ers, a giant of a man, took the dick’s arms in hand and politely informed him that if he (the deputy) attempted any rough stuff, he would cave in his face. On demand the dick showed a card issued him by the sheriff's office which stated that he was a Briggs special policeman. However, his au- thority does not allow him police power outside the factory. By this time a crowd of upwards to 2,000 had gathered, and Goetz took Owens’ place on the chair. The dick made a lunge at Goetz when he was grabbed by the big worker and-Brun- ton and pushed back against the wall. He reached for a black jack which he carried in his hip pocket and they begged him to start something. At that moment One of the workers tossed a nice soft fice cream sand- wich at the dick and he got it full in the face. The crowd jeered him and he beat a hasty retreat. Police Arrive. Goetz continued to speak without further interruption while Brunton went through the crowd announcing an open organization meeting for Fri- day night. The response indicated that the slave driving tactics in vogue in the Briggs plant have the men and women employed there in a receptive mood for organization. Just as Goetz finished speaking two policemen in a Ford drove into the crowd. They too threatened to pull an arrest if the union representatives did not immediately beat a retreat. When the organizers stood their ground the cops dropped their belig- erent attitude and requested that the inspector be approached for a permit. However, the organizers declared they (Continued on page 2) 500 MINERS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROWN INTO THE STREET BY BOSSES (Special to The Daily Worker) WHEELING, W. Va, May 24.— Five hundred miners and their fam- ilies occupying houses owned by the West Virginla-Pittsburgh Coal company and the McKeefrey Coal company were served with eviction notices, here Saturday and are to be thrown out at once, according to the announcement of William Roy, a union official. ARMS PARLEY CALLED BY LEAGUE OF NATIONS AIDS MOVE “OUTLAWING” SOVIETS GENEVA, May 24.—The capitalistic world powers, including the United States, again demonstrated their enmity toward the workers’ and peasants’ governments of the, Soviet Union when the arms control conference in effect, declared the Soviet Union an “outlaw nation”, STANDARD OIL LOSES FIGHT 10 SELL LEAD GAS Bat Issue Is Not Yet Definitely Settled (Special to The Dally Worker) NEW YORK, May 24.—With nearly one million workers directly exposed to gasoline fumes thru their work and millions more indirectly exposed the labor movement has an enormous stake In the fight to keep tethaethy! tead gasoline off the market, sald Mrs. Grace M. Burham, director of the workers’ health bureau, on her re- turn from Washington where she was one of the three labor delegates at the U. &, Public Health Service con- ference on this poisonous fuel. The conference made some dect- sions in line with recommendations of the labor officials but the perilous issue has not yet been settled. The conference ofdered the surgeon gen- eral to make an exhaustive investiga- tion with the assistance of seven fentists. At labor's request it was agreed that the cost of the probe be met.from public funds and. not from, the purses of the corporations affect- ed, ag was the case in the recent ora- tion, composed of the Standard Oil of New Jersey and General Motors. Re- sults of the probe must be reported to a public conference at which trade unions will be represented. Papers Ald Oil Trust Newspaper reports of the confer ence obscured issues and softened the facts against the corporations involy- ed in the tetraethyl lead business, said Mrs. Burnham. Thruout the ses- sions there was sharp cleavage be- tween one group representing labor and science, on one side, and the Ethyl Gasoline corporation, Standard Oil, General Motors on the other, Ten seperate industrial corporations were directly represented, in addition to their medical experts, thus sitting in judgement on their own case. Efforts of the corporations to show that the new motor fuel was harm- less would have been comic had the issues not been so serious. Admis sion was made at the conference that 11 workers had died and 118 had been poisoned in production plants but Standard Oil and General Motors men insisted ‘production had been made safe. Three hundred million gallons of treated gasoline have already been put on the market and distributed to 20,000 filling stations, they said. As evidence that there had been no cases of poisoning in the latter group corporation physicians submit- ted the story that 30 workers engag- ed in the distribution and sale of the product had been examined and shown to have suffered no harm. Mrs. Burnham replied that at least (Continued on page 2) TRAITORS BESET WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINERS (Special to The Dally Worker) SHINNSTON, W. Va., May 24,— The value to the coal operators of having their men inside the United Mine Workers is illustrated by the situation in Shinnston Local No. 4009. Last week the local officers formally turned in its charter and notified C, F. Davis, international representative, U. S., SAYS VISCOUNT GOTO; CALLS FOR CLOSE FRIENDSHIP OF JAPAN MOSCOW, May 24.—That chauvinistic influence were still strong in Japanese policies, both the internal and external, was stated by Viscount §. Goto in an intefview with a representative of the Rosta News Agency at Harbin. The Viscount added that he deeply regretted this fact, Thus, he said, the chauvinistic elements had done all in their power. during the long Russo-Japanese negotiations, to prevent the conclusion of a And treaty between the Union ot Soviet Socialist Republicw and Japan, ~ (Continued on page 6.) TO IMPEACH FAKER FARRINGTON °°; som pers ‘are bitterly criticising the Jap- anese Imperialist exploiters. proportion of funds devoted to death benefits was ordered trebled but re- mains probably insufficient for the demands on them in years to come. The question of: reducing the enorm- ous size and expense of conventions (1200 delegates « nded at Kansas City) was turned over to a committee of five whose plan ts to be submitted to referendum. The next convention will be at Co- lumbus, Obio, in dpas, Czech Bar Foreign Newspapers PRAGUE, May 24.—The Czecho-Slo- vak government issued a decree ,to- day prohibiting the entry into the country of about twenty-five foreign newspapers, mostly Austrian and Ger- man, and also several from the Unit- ed States. No reason was given for the division, | . empting all nations bordering in the @——————___________ Soviet Union from publishing arms |approved the discrimination against transactions, quired by the convention of the arms parley to publish all data pertaining to the manufacture and traffic in arms carried on in their countries, chairman of the American delegation, The general commission of the conference, which was called by the league of nations, approved the proposal of the French delegation, dictated by the Painleve government in which the socialists are participating, ex- that the men were going back to work, Such was the report broad- cast over the country last week. However, Davis has issued the fol- lowing statement: “Newspaper reports to the contrary, no request has been received at the mine workers’ office in Fairmont or by any of the officers of the United Mine Workers from the former off- cers of Local Union No, 4009 to the (Continued on page 2) Other nations are re-|the Soviet Union. Russia had refused to attend the parley on thé grounds that it was called by the league of nations, which {s an instrument of the large imperial: istic powers to keep the weaker na tions in subjection to them, ° Congressman Theodore Burton, oe