The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 20, 1925, Page 2

Nos. 9 and 2. a ot WHEN LOCAL 22. MET TO DECIDE FATE OF UNION Membership of I. L. G. | W. Pledges Mass Revolt} By FANNIE BOBICK, (Worker Correspondent.) NEW YORK CITY, June 18.— On Tuesday, June 16, I attended a meet- ing of workers in Webster Hall. As I approached the hall, I saw hundreds of workers marching up the stairs, hurriedly. The joint board of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers had thrown out the executive boards of Locals 22, 2 and 9, which were legally elect- | ed by the members. The workers were hurrying to protest against this rotten action of the International. As I entered the hall I saw all the chairs already occupied and every space filled by standing workers. It was only six o'clock. Foolish Charges. In a few minutes the executive mounted the platform and amid loud cheers Brother Portnoi called the meeting to order and Brother Zim- merman was elected chairman. He gave a brief outline of the charges brought against the local executive board. These were: The executive board allowed Communists to speak at the first of May celebration; it en- dorsed a certain loan to a workers’ summer camp colony which is fre- quently visited by Communists. Plain Talk. After that the floor was open for discussion by the membership. The members spoke in plain working class language, but they vigorously protest- ed against the corrupt action of the fjoint board. They satd that the joint [board will have to take back the exeeutive board which the workers ; @lected; that. the joint board will have ‘to reckon with the will of the work- j ers, otherwise the workers will drive them out of the working class move- ment; they will drive them like mice into their holes until they will not dare to show their faces again be- fore the workers. Brother Zimmerman asked that if| any one in the audience who is| against the executive board would take the platform and express him- | self. One responded. Many workers recognized him as an official of the International and protested. The chairman, however, allowed him to speak. He mounted the platform and ~ produced his membership card of Lo- cal 22. All Swelled Up. One could see that he was self-sat- isfied and confident that because of his well-fed appearance and good Eng- lish the workers would listen to him. He opened his speech by telling that it is easy to appear before the mass- es when the masses are with the speaker. He, however, took the difficult task of appearing before the masses know- ing that the workers are against him. Then he went on to the arguments defending the action of the joint board. These arguments were so flim- sy and ungrounded that the workers refused to listen to him very long. They drove him off the platform with loud boos, which lasted for several minutes. They convinced him that they will not be satisfied with good language unless that language ex- presses the truth. Spirit of Victors. Three resolutions were read and approved by the workers unanimous- ly. They expressed the will of the workers to stand by the executive board tooth and nail. The executive board pledged itself to give every- thing in their power, even their lives, to the fight against the action of the joint board and remain where the workers elected them to stay, and to work for the workers’ interests. With this the meeting adjourned. But many workers went to guard the headquarters which the joint board wants to seize by force. Gangsters are sent there for that purpose. They succeeded in the other two locals, Lerner Debates Lewis of Socialist Party in Worcester Tonight WORCESTER, aMss,, June 18.— Max Lerner is to debate Alfred Lewis, district organizer of the socialist party, tonight at Foresters Hall. The subject is: Is the policy of the socialist party better adopted to secure the end of capitalism than that of the worms | (Communist) Party? Much interest has been aroused in the Workers Party program by the series of lectures delivered recently by Lerner and a large crowd is ex- pected to attend. French Reply on Security Pact. BERLIN, June 18.—France’ would welcome participation of the United States in the forming of a security pact guaranteeing Germany's western frontiers, the French reply to Ger- many’s security proposals asserted to- day. (Continued from Page 1) that day, which we have held regular- ly for many years. We were not the only locals which held such meetings; in fact, Local 85, headed by vice- president Breslau, held their meeting in Tammany Hall and were addressed by Jacob Panken of the socialist party, “Local 22 informed everyone of their meeting in Carnegie Hall by a letter five days before the meetings was held, and invited President Sig- man to address their members. They ‘Also invited Prof, Scott Nearing and Juliet Stuart Poyntz, the latter an honorary member of Local No. 25, re- cently amalgamated with Local 22, Miss Poyntz worked as an education- al director for Local 25 and for the International for many years, Invited Sigman, Too “Local 22 printed its program six days before May 1. Mr. Sigman knew about it and we have a written answer from him in which he stated he could not attend the meeting because of an engagement in Chicago, “As far as the alleged loan to Camp Nitgedaiget, this is another excuse to cloak the real purpose of the joint board. The Unity Co-operative Asso- ciation, 1815 Madison Ave., New York City, an organization to promote co- operation among the workers, had asked Local 22 to help them secure a loan from the Amalgamated Bank of N.Y. Loan For Socialists All Right “They made this loan on a second mortgage on their property, but since | the bank laws do not permit such loans on second mortgages, our local deposited with the bank $2,000 worth of bonds, something which is quite | common. For instance, Local No. 66 | has loaned the Rand School Camp $5,000 and our own organization has signed notes for various co-operative organizations in the past. “The real reason we have been sus- pended without notice is.our stand for the right of the members to have their say in the union. Our joint board and international are conducting them- selves in no better manner than the building unions. Brindellism is an open fact in our international union. We wished to abolish professional “organization committees” that have brought shame and disgrace to our organization. We insisted that the work should be done by the member- ship and we succeeded in rallying it to abolish the professional ‘organiza- tional committees,’ Where Is That Half Million? “We fought also against the right of officials to raise the dues against the will and desire of the member- ship. Although we paid our per capita and proportional payments to the In- ternational, when Locals 2, 9 and 22 called a conference for the purpose of charging our members 40 c¢. instead of 50c. dues, we were forbidden to hold such a conference and were com- pelled to charge our members more money against our own will. “We also fought against fooling our (Continued from page 1) such excellent strike solidarity with their class, the following: « Louise Belf, 18 years old, 1902 Gra- tiot street; Sophie Heber, 18, 6303 Dardanella avenue; Leona Niehoff, 21, 1475a Burd avenue; Gertrude Schkol- nik, 20, 4605a St. Ferdinand avenue; Anna Hancovsky, 20, 1627 South Ninth street; Ida Coffes, 47, 3117 Kimberly avenue; Mary Dennis, 18, 1604 Cas avenue; Melissa laab, 2G9, 924 Tyler street; Hattie Madino, 22, 1401 North Ninth street. Good Picketing the Key to Victory. In spite of the continual police per- Secution, the shop is being picketed every hour of the day. An example of police brutality took place Wed- nesday morning, when a strike sym- pathizer was viciously beaten up by the police in front of the shop. This was done without any cause or provo- cation given by the victim, but simp- ly as an effort to terrorize the strikers, This latest crime against the work- ing class of St. Louis is only one of the many outrages id is practical proof of the Communist contention that the capitalist government is an instrument of suppression which will be ended only when the workers re- place it with a government of their own, of, by and for labor. Girl Strikers Good Fighters. The morale of the strikers is excep- tionally good, considering that it is the first experience of hundreds of girls, who are none the less standing shoulder to shoulder with the men and showing the finest fighting spirit. At the strike meeting Monday the Amalgamated _ officials. ‘ahnounced that it would begin plying strike benefits and also sefye noonday lunch to strikers in the Fraternal building, which is strike headquar- ters, Don’t Forget the Demands. The unusual “vacation”—while a serious matter of battling for theh de- mands, including the reinstatement of workers fired for “talking union,” the right to organize, sanitary conditions, time and a half for overtime and a 25 per cent raise—is being enjoyed A security pact “is only possible it Germany joins the league of nations,” the note added, All present treaties must stand un-| Wednesday, with marked success. by the strikers, who held @ picnic last Sunday (a picture of which accom panies) and an “athletic benefit” Tie Up Open Shop in St. Louis ‘members with stoppages and agree- ments that are never carried out. The last so-called stoppage has cost the dressmakers $500,000, and we cannot secure an accounting of how this money was spent, For Proportional Representation “Although our three locals comprise 60 per cent of the membership re- presented in the joint board, we have only a 20 per cent vote in that body. “Business agents have been appoint- ed for our members against their vote, which is unusual and outrageous. Also at the last convention, the Interna- tional decided to increase the per capita of every member from 10c. to 1bo. In addition, the International has levied unconstitutionally a $2.50 tax against our members.- Our locals protested against this and challenged the right of the international to levy such a tax. The officials of the joint board, however, entirely ignored the representatives of our three locals, Freezing Out The Largest Membership “The conference committee that worked out the demands of the Cloak- makers before the governor’s commis- sion, consisted of one representative of every local. After all the demands were submitted to the governor’s com- mission, a secret meeting was held of the conference committee, leaving out entirely the representatives of our lo- cals comprising 60 per cent of the membership. The representatives of the three locals protested against this procedure. We believe that the mem- bers have a,right to vote on these questions. “When we started to expose these matters to our members, the interna- tional decided to throw us out by force illegally. This morning, they broke by force into the headquarters of locals 2 and 9, “The Dressmakers’ Building at 16 W. 2ist St. is now in a state of siege. They have attempted to break in at four o'clock this morning, but we had over 100 members on guard. We call- ed membership meetings for Local 22 at Webster Hall, Local 9 at Cooper Union, and Local 2 at Manhattan Ly- ceum; and we left it to our members to decide what course of action they want us to take. Elected by Big Majority “In the last elections, a few months ago, the. present administrations of the three locals were elected with votes of four to one. We challenge the joint board and the international to call membership meetings of our locals, and we are willing to leave our office if the members so decide. We consider this attempt on the part of the joint board and the internation- al a gross violation of.our.rights an officers and members of the union. “The international and the joint board officers know that we are right. They do not dare to face the real issues. Instead of answering our mem- bers squarely they ery ‘Communism,’ a charge irrelevant to union business, and attack us for celebrating the workers holiday in the usual manner.” Clothing Workers is the chief point of issue as a matter of course, and the fight of the union is supported by all members of the Young Workers League and the Trade Union Educa- tional League among the Curlee strikers. The crafty effort of the Curlee com- Pany to try to discredit the Amalga- mated Clothing Workers as somehow bad because “not connected with the American Federation of Labor,” has met a sharp and praiseworthy rebuke from the A, F. of L. unionists in St, Louis, And Old Trick of Curlee. The Curlee company, a confirmed open shop outfit, has tried to Play such games before. But when the United Garment Workers which is connected with the A. F. of L. tried to organize the Curlee shop, the man- agement, far from welcoming it, hast- ily formed a fake union called the “Industrial Tailors’ Union” to break the strike of the United Garment Workers’ Union. All trade unionists in St, Louis, especially those who are conscious of their class interests and who adhere to the principles of the Trade Union Educational League, are expected to rally the whole of the local labor movement to help the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Union organize and win the Curlee strike. Faiman Supplied Germs That Killed “Billy,” Court Told “I had some tubes of bacteria, Shep- herd asked me if he could have them and I told him he could. I could get more; they didn’t cost me anything. He asked me if I knew of any in- stance of bacteria being used for criminal purposes.” § William D, Shepherd, charged with the murder of his millidnaire foster son, William Nelson McClintock, sat in the criminal court and heard, in these words, the most damaging testi- mony sco against him, Dr. Charles C. Faiman, head of the national university of selences, star of the prosecution, was on the stand, called as a court witn Faimon testified he had arranged with hak yp to supply germs to kill McClintock, Shepherd agreeing to pay Faiman $100,000, + hac coe SS L STRIKE NCE AT GHAI ENDS Peace Negotiations in Sudden Ending (Continued from Page 1) manded by General Chang Hsueh- liang, son of Chang Tso-lin. The ac- tivity of the students are increasing. All Chinese shops are forbidden to display any brands of cigarettes made by the British-American tobacco com- pany. Chinese newspapers are re- fusing foreign advertising. One of the dethands most insisted upon in the negotiations now broken by the bolt of ‘foreign negotiators, was the right to Vote of Chinese resi- dents within the foreign. concession. The Chinese pay taxes there, and far and away out number the foreign resi- dents, but are’ pérmitted no right of representation at ‘all in the municipal council governiheht. As the chairman of the council is an American, the Chinese have reminded him of the old American slogan about “taxation without representation,” being ty- ranny. Maintaining a firm attitude, the students today inaugurated a picket system around ‘the railway stations in Chinese territory in order to prevent food supplies from reaching foreign residents. Many cases of rice and other food are held up. % eee Chinese Reaction Plays Traitor, PEKING, China, June 18.—Signs of reactionary and foreign-bribed Chin- ese elements are coming to the sur- face. While the foreign imperialists make a great deal of noise over the istory of “Soviet aid” to the upheaval going on for national liberation, they have no condemnation of the open subserviency of Chang Tso-lin to Jap- anese interests, Also, it is known that the Ameri- can consul hadja@ secret conference at Hankow with Ghinese officials who later executed ap alleged “Chinese Bolshevist” and arrested many mem- bers of the Kuo Min Tang. Behead Chinese Communists. “The governor ‘of the province of Hupeh, also, has‘arrested several stu- dent leaders,” jfafléd several members of the Chinese Communist Party and ordered some beheaded. Chinese troops are picketing the streets of the' Capital and the stu- dents continue to bombard the gov- ernment with demands, urging forci- ble occupation of the legation quar- rs, disarm! the foreign guards id eve! lon of wat | Great Britain. Rail Workers to Help Strikers. The employes of the Peking-Han- kow railway propose to devote one day’s pay each month for the support of the Shanghai strikers and the em- ployes of other, lines are said to be taking similar action. . Thousands of posters have appear- ed in Peking depicting British police- men shooting and bayoneting strik- ers, women and children, with bodies lying about on the ground. *? © British Consul Ghased Into the Water CHUNG KIANG, June 18.—Chinese today forced the British consul here to take refuge oh board a ship. Th diplomatic corps is meeting to send instructions’ to their commissioners at Shanghai who are conferring with the Chinese commissioners, but no solu- tion of the difficulties here has been reached. WORKERS PARTY CONTINUES FREE SPEECH FIGHT The Workers (Communist) Party will continue its free speech fight on the corner of North Ave. and Orchard St. on Saturday night. Last Saturday eighteen members of the Workers Party were arrested when they con- ducted an open air meeting on this corner. They charged with viola- ting a city ordinance, declared uncon- stitutional by the Illinois supreme court, requiring a permit from the chiet of police to hold open air meet- ings. The cases will be fought in the courts. ai The speakers at Workers Party street meetings Saturday night will be: North and (Orchard—Barney Mass jhtenaw—Manuel Go- mez and Al Shaap. Division and Washtenaw—I. A. Da- vidson and J. Louis Engdahl. Kedzie and 22nd—Sam Hammer- smark and William F. Kruse. Philadelphia Y. W. L. Picnic Sunday, June 21 PHILADELPHIA, Pa, June 18.— The Young Workers’ picnic will be held on Sunday, June 21, at Burholme Park. There will be games, dancing and good music, refreshments and a jolly time for all. To get to park, take car No. 50 on 5th street, get off at Cottman street. and three blocks across the railiroad to the bottom of the hill and there you will see the buneh, two, will make a * «* policy. In the days when “Willie” Hearst. Hearst Attack on Wall treet’s Mexican Policy. “Does’nt Mean Anything” “TL GPAYs James R. Sheffield, American ambassador at Mexico City, plans to cross the southern border to resume his duties at the Mexican capital. “Cal” Coolidge put his foot down hard on any attempt to discredit the spokesman of oil and high finance by sending some one else in his stead, in view of the recent sharp inter- change of notes between Calles and the American president. But it has become very evident that Sheffield is not going south with the blessing of William Randolph Hearst. By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. by the grace of Wall Street The ubiquitous publisher has vast estates ih Mexico and to safeguard these he has very “Black Jack" Pershing under orders of the “pacifist” president, Woodrow Wilson, crossed the Rio Grande with a choice collection of American soldiery, ready to loot and murder in Mexico, there was no jingo who shouted fouder in favor of intervention than did this same He had received his estates from Porfirio Diaz, and ‘Back to Diaz!” was Hearst's slogan at that time. evidently adopted a changed But times have changed. “Diaz” is a dream, or a night- mare, in Mexican history, gradually fading into the past. This same Hearst now demands an easy-going diplomacy in handling the Mexicans. Hearst champions the cause of Calles, the “socialist” president of Mexico, the last bulwark against the demands of the peasants for the complete ex- propriation of the land. Hearst has evidently concluded that it is better to have a friend in Calles, than in the American embassy, since he can't have both. If he can’t keep all of his estates, estimated at 1,000,000 acres, he will keep all he can, as lon: as Calles lasts; until the Mexican tillers of the soil, with labor in the cities, take power into their awn hands. * * Hearst attacks Sheffield Hearst has always had a consistent anti-British helps sell papers. It is true that when Great drew her ambassador to Mexico, followin; ing out of the death of Mrs. Evans, the * ° as an agent of the British. olicy. That ritain with- the trouble brew- ritish government turned over to the American government (Sheffield) the duty of looking after its interests. This was more an indi- cation of the international solidarity of capitalism, in ad- dition to the pro-British sympathies of the Wall Street bank- ers, especially the House of organ, It is better for Hearst to join former President Obregon, supporter of President Calles, in declaring that, “The Americans are apparently trying to pull the British chestnuts out of the fire,” pretend- ing that American imperialism has no selfish interests of its own in Mexico, . * The duty of the American workers and poor farmers is first of all to attack the capitalist power in this country. It is safer for Hearst, with his 25 daily newspapers and half a dozen magazines, and an annual income of $120,000,000 to direct his paper broadside against the British, than it is to criticise Wall Street, which he needs in his financial deals. ‘American labor must make this situation clear to Mexican labor so that it will not be misled by Hearst, the master char- | latan, into granting him even the _— concessions, in the belief that he is now their “frien » Every square inch of land given Hearst by Diaz, the utcher of workers and peasants, should be taken from him. Only in the complete overthrow of capitalism, in all its forms, will Mexican labor be able to march forward to complete emancipation, to enjoy victor perialism. to the full over world im- Every class conscious worker and poor farmer struggles toward that goal north of the Rio Grande, even as militant labor in Mexico makes steady progress toward , that same end, which must result in a Soviet America, j “The American government could not contemplate with \equaninity the establishment of a Soviet government just across the Rio Grande,” writes the Washington correspon- dent of the New York World. the United States. Soviet Rule mist be established in both sides of the Rio Grande. ST. LOUIS JOY FEST FOR UNIONISTS HELD SATURDAY EVENING (Special to The Daily Worker) ST. LOUIS, Mo., June 18—The trade unionists of St. Louls are to hold a lawn party at the Labor Lyceum at 8 p, m., Saturday, June 20. The Trade Union Educational League, the Young Workers League and all local branches of the Work- ers Party are taking part in the affair which promises everyone a good time. The local committee going to cut the speaking to one-half hour, 80 that there is more time for play and enjoyment. The program comprises dancing, singing and several different games : it are almed to be Interesting to all. As an item of special Interest, there will be a speaker to explain the s of the clothing strike of the Curlee shop, and all Curlee strikers are Invited to attend. loe cream, sandwiches and other refreshments will be served, Don't forget the place—Labor Lyceum, 1243 North Garrison avenue, on Saturday evening, June 20. Held under the auspices of the Trade Union Educational Morgan's Wife Has 8 Doctors NEW YORK, June 18,—The fllness of Mrs, J, Pierpont Morgan, wite of the banker, has been diagnosed as sleeping sickness in a serious form, it was announced tod Her condition late this morning was improved over last night. Since she became ill last Sunday, eight specialists have beon called to attend her. *Getting a DAILY WORKER sub or better Communts? 4 Neither can the workers of Green Afraid of Revolutionaries. WASHINGTON, D. C., June 18. — William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, has issued a warning that he will not sup- port Kellogg’s statement on the Mexican situation on the ground that it “might encourage revolutionaries.” THE FIRST RED ATHLETIC CARNIVAL AND PICNIC this season at PLEASANT BRON::, N. Y. Spacious, shady, green groves overlooking Long Island Sound SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 1925 Gates Open at 10 A, M. ADMISSION its, baseball, dancing, refresh: iY the attractions ee workers ‘tnd thet families will have an enjoyable time. Auspices, Workers Party, Local New York. DIRECTIONS-—Take Bronx Park subway or “L” to and children will be som take Unionport car to Un! Party members, =» EMPLOYES OF ‘L’ TURN DOWN COMPANY PACT Surface Men’s Union Votes Acceptance , The employes of the elevated lines, owned by Samuel Insull, voted to re- ject the contract offered by the com- pany on the basis of the present agree- ment which carries a wage scale vary- ing from 77 cents for motormen to 71 cents for guards. The vote was 807 to 515. On the other hand the surface em- ployes under the leadership of Presi- dent William Quinlan, voted to accept the agreement. While Quinlan did not directly advise the membership how to vote at the last membership meeting, he attacked those who would suggest strike action and declared that port (end of line), Free buses ; TICKHTS for sale at Party district office, Fretheit office, and trom these men were “irresponsible,” The original demands of the surface men included a wage raise of 5 cents per hour above the present scale. It was ‘ evident that Quinlan had an under- + standing with Blair, the president of the Surface Lines, on a settlement along the lines of the existing agree- ment, ae; Quinlan Is Willing. The leadership of the elevated men’s union does not seem to be as complacent as that of the surface men’s. In 1919 the elevated men voted against the company’s proposed agreement, but a settlement was reached by pooling the votes of both divisions of the amalgamated union. Employes of the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago lines were granted a 2 cents per hour increase a week ago. There is no doubt but the workers on the surface and elevated lines would have also gained their paltry five cents an hour increase, but for the willingness of President William Quinlan of the street carmen’s union to comply with the wishes of President Blair of the Surface Lines. The street carmen’s union has 16,- 000 members. Out of this number 7,531 cast their votes for the agree- ment and 1,818 voted against it. Building Unions Are Enjoined from est | | } Aiding Chauffeurs {. NEW YORK, June 18, — Building trades unions of Westchester county, |” New York, are enjoined by an injunc- tion granted by supreme court justice Joseph Morschauser from calling strikes on jobs where non-union chauf- feurs deliver building materials. The injunction is directed against officers of the buildnig trades council of West- chester county, Carpenters’ Union, Bricklayers’ Union, and Hod Carriers’ Union, According to the affidavit of F. Herbert Brown of the Buliding Material Men’s Association the West- chester building materials men would have to let their chaffeurs join the International Brotherhood of Team- sters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers. JAPANESE BUSINESS WANTS UNITED FRONT OF ALL IMPERIALISM (Special to The Dally Worker) TOKIO, Japan, June 18—A con ference of the Associated Chamber of Commerce of Japan adopted resolutions recommending that the Japanese government cooperate with other powers in taking the steps necesary for an early res- toration of peace in China. BAY PARK | aif ah 35 CENTS. 177th St., then’ 4 to park.