The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 13, 1925, Page 3

} THIS PAGE Is Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the Trade Union Educational League (T,0.°8. L.) North American Section of the RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS (R. 1. LU.) THE T.U.E.L Represents the Left Wing of the Labor Movement. Purpose Is to Strengthen the 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 Ci: * le Ite Labor Unions by Amalgamation Struggle for the Overthrowal of Capitalism and the Establishment of a Workers’ and Farm- ers’ Government. WASHINGTON STATE FEDERATION CONVENTION A PICTURE OF ALL THINGS THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE ABERDEEN, Wash., August 11—The 24th annual convention of the ‘Washington State Federation of Labor has been in session here. began with speeches of welcome by The session three prominent citizens of Aberdeen, the mayor, the president of the chamber of commerce, and the commander of the American Legion post. Then the president of the Washington State Federation of Labor, Wm. Short, took the chair. Save for the refusal to seat Martin Flyzik of the miners’ union, and Phil Pearl of the Seattle barbers’ union—both of the extreme right wing, the keynote of the convention was “harmony.” There was no trouble with left wing delegates, for none were present. Bill Short and his supporters were in complete control, A Want List. State legislative action recommend- ed by the convention is as follows: For child labor amendment, for right to picket, to place culinary work- ers under state compensation act, to regulate light and ventilation of kit- chens, forbidding basement kitchens, to forbid one-man crews on street cars over 25 feet long, to compel mer- chants selling prison-made goods to Plainly mark them prison-made, for a state old age pension, for a state vo- cational education act (to train ap prentices for factory work in the pub- lic schools), to regulate uses of poi- son, dusts, gases, sprayed paint, and other things harmful to workers using them, to have a state hospital for in- dustrial diseases, to prohibit anyone under 18 from operating motor trucks (present law limits only on trucks of 4 tons or over.) Also to forbid pool rooms, drug stores, etc. from serving meals, allow ing only restaurants to do so, and to fight the forest owners tax-dodging scheme of creating game preserves. Any of these measures might get five favorable votes in the leislature, but probably not one of them could get ten. Certain federal legislation was also advocated, including higher pensions for ex-soldiers and ex-postal employes. Ha! A Red Demand! One Communist demand was en- dorsed—the withdrawal of American military and naval forces from China. Six Per Cent Referendum. President Short’s salary, now $250, is to be increased to $325 a month, subject to referendum. (As with ref- erendum of election of officers—it will pass.) Only a six per cent vote was cast for election. Most locals never see or hear of ballots. That is their fault. Last year Short declined this in- crease saying the State Federation could not afford it. The current year’s financial report is not yet pub- lished, but the previous year Shortt’s salary was $3,000, his expenses, in- cluding auto upkeep, were $2,651. To- tal expenses for that year were $11,820. About $12,000 expenses— $7,500 of this or about 70 per cent be- ing Short’s salary and expenses. It is somewhat doubtful if he ig worth that much to the workers, somewhat doubtful. We'll Say Its Doubtful, The past year’s accomplishments are as follows: No strikes, absolute defeat politically, an increase in mem- bership of 1122, making the total 21,386; increased wages for a very few local union. Only one serious strike was threatened, that of 1,600 Seattle teamsters who asked better conditions and $1.00 a day increase, The Satte Federation aided in set- tling it by arbitration—and the men got 50c ‘a day raise, nothing else, The Short machine is very proud of the no strike record, and so are all the business men’s organizations. To those who remember the militant spirit of six years ago, this official re- port comes as a shock. What has hap- pened? The answer is that after eight years’ hard work, the Short ma- chine with a policy of class collabora. tion is in‘full control, Meat Market ‘pny IN THE y Wana A Successful Failure. And the W. S. F, of L. has now 21,000 members, only two thousand less than when Short took the presi- dency. time, but that was due to the wartime shipyard boom. 16,000 of these were in one Seattle local, now disbanded because the shipyards have gone. Many more left as other yards at Ta- coma and Vancouver closed. 1,500 were lost when the miners’ strike failed in 1923. And the Seattle strike did not meet with approval from the State Federa- tion, still less from Short: But then, they dared not interfere. Central Councils “Subdued.” Today, after a long campaign of treachery and underhanded tactics, in- cluding the threat to revoke their charters, which Gompers made, the Seattle and Tacoma Central Labor Councils are subdued. Short Killed Labor Party Movement. The Farmer Labor Party, which was building up a class conscious’ political party,.and which in 1920 polled a third of the total vote, has been. wiped out. It was a long hard fight but in the end it won, and Short tied the labor movement up with a little known poli- tician who ran a poor fourth in the republican primaries. Short howls about the trecahery of the victor’s supporters. But his pol- icy of always picking out the weakest candidate, and saying he must be elected, or the reactionary will win seems peculiar, Short’s tactics made Hartley's elec- tion possible, Is Short just naturally so stupid he could not see this? A Good Record Gone Wrong. The Seattle Union Record, once the most militant labor daily in America, has passed into private control, and complete harmlessness. Under Short’s Pressure it had degenerated steadily into a weak and spineless rag. But today, labor has still one really class conscious daily, the DAILY WORKER. Even Cuts Down the Word, The Record has placed the word union of its title in steadily smaller type, and long ago dropped its slogan of “published for principle and not for profit.” Its place is taken by Short’s weekly, | threats against the local and its previ- It climbed to 55,000 at one| vey THE DAILY WORKER ia RAIDS ELECTION WITH GANGSTERS Philadelphia Carpenters Fighting Back PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—The recent election in Local 1073, of the Carpen- ters’ Union was an example of the new Hutcheson tactics of fighting the left wing in the Carpenters’ Union, An organized gang of gunmen took charge of the elections, forced the progres- sives out of the hall and counted them out. A week later, Wm. Allen, member of the executive board from District No. 2, came to install the newely “elected officers.” He congratulated the new officers for defeating the bad Communists and promised them every aid in case the progressive elements again try to get control of the local. Allen pointed out that he had been informed by Hutcheson that there was a bunch of bad Communists in Local 1073 and that Hutcheson’s eagle eye is closely watching every development in Local 1073 and if it becomes neces- sary the charter will be revoked. The Disrupters’ Formal Oath. The newly “elected” officers assured the great man that no “disloyalty” will be tolerated and the first time the Com- munists assert themselves they will be Sut out with the strong loyal hands of the supporters of the Hutcheson administration. The membership of Local 1073 is and has been progressive, numerous ous left leadership were made, but the membership stood solidly behind their | progressive leadership. Reactionary Raid by Gangsters. At the last election, held in the lat- ter part of June, the small reactionary group was organized and encouraged by the district officiaidom to make a raid upon the elections. The constitu- tion was violated left and right. The secretary of the local, who was run- ning on the progressive slate, and who —according to the constitution, must act as the clerk of election, was bodily put out of the hall when the elections began. This was the first step of the new Page Three ooemeennecey tamer rerum inert eranermeenitenieniene” metecetemase renraanetnnsnrensnsrnsnte ii" neteetee—WGMNOennraumrNatkcer nr Sen Se RN HUTCHESON GANG WHEREIN PETRUS JESUS UTTERLY | REFUTES PETRUS JESUS’ THEORY By HARRISON GEORGE The following are samples of the sort of logic that is being inflicted these days upon the readers of the I, W. W. publications, It is bad enough when two writers conflict with each other in their teachings, because “ideas do not fall from heaven” and the only place the workers get them is trom others by reading, lectures, conversations and experience, and naturally ex- pect to get the right teachings from a workers magazine, But when one writer disagrees with himself ! We offer the fol- lowing fram the pages of the Industrial Pioneer, written by a modest’ gentle- man under the anonymity of his union card number, but in fact by our old friend Petrus Jesus Welinder, for a fleeting few months the I. W. W.’s high- est official: By P. J. WELINDER. “The main task confronting us is to prove to the workers the failure of all leadership.” By P. J. WELINDER, “What is needed in the East are a couple of hundred of the old type intelligent and courageous job dele- gates.” After which it is quite easy to believe the ancient yarn about the fel low who lifted himself over a fence by Se ASKS REDUCTION. his boot straps, BARBERS’ UNION. OF EXORBITANT | FAKERS DEPRIVE FEES AND DUES Must Make Possible for Men to Join By HELM VOLL LOS ANGELES, Cal., Aug. 11.—Now while an organization campaign is to be inaugurated under the direction of the new secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles District Council of Carpen- ters, Blair, there is the old wrangling popping up again about the size of the initiation fees and dues. If low initiation fees and dues have helped little in organizing Los An- geles, the high kind have been worse than useless. We have tried both and it is certain the former is the che which create the least friction or op- position among prospective members. Everybody knows this to be true. So if we want to do something really con- structive they will go lower and not higher. Answer Universal Objection. As long as we refuse to raise them we are minus one universal objection saviors of Local 1073. Next, the pro- gressive watchers were surrounded and threatened with shooting, stab- | bing and beatings until finally to | avoid bloodshed, they had to leave the hall and the election three hours be- fore closing time. The further elec- tions and ballot counting was left. in the hands of the reactionaries, who announced a glorious victory for the Hutcheson administration. Members Denied Right to Vote Choice. During the elections, while the pro- gressive watchers were still in the hall, the reactionaries tore a number of ballots out of the hands of the members who dared to vote for the Progressive candidates. What took Place after the progressives were forced out of the hall any member of the Carpenters’ Union can easily guess. The official blessing and sanction of the election by Wm. Allen gives the clue to the entire election steal. The reactionary group in Local 1073 is quite insignificant and would not have the courage to browbeat the membership and steal the election in this manner without official encourage- ment and promise of protection when the membership would assert its rights, This Fight is Only Started. The progressive membership of Lo- cal 1073 was surprised by an organized raid on their elections and are tem- porarily defeated, but those who know the stuff of which the progressive car- the Washington State Labor News, a| penters are made of, know that the on the part of those we request to join. The reason for members drop- ping out and the refusal of outsiders to join, isnot, never was, and will be, because the cost is small. A baby in its cradle knows that. The reasons are to be sought elsewhere. A man is callous, indeed, who does not. athize with the unorganized workers’ unwillingness and often in- ability, thru no fault of his own, to pay exorbitant fees and dues. We also must consider the barriers raised against this practice by the continuous agitation of independent and often dual unions for a number of years past. Large numbers of eligible mem- bers of our craft have been influenced MINERS STRIKE AGAINST FRANK FARRINGTON RULE Back Joe Lett; Honest | Checkweighman SPRINFIELD, Ill, Aug, 11 Eight | hundred coal miners employed at Pea body Coal Company Mine No. 6 Springfield, Ill., are still on strike fol lowing the refusal of the operator to permit Joe Loda, the local union check-weighman, who has been unani mously elected by the local union, to weigh coal on the company’s tipple. Frank Farrington, the tool of the operators, has again shown his hand of -betrayal and class-collaboration | policy, by telling the»miners that if they did not go back to work and ac cept the new conditions, which the Peabody lords are trying to impose upon the min he would revoke their union charter. Cheated Miners On Weights. The miners went out on strike after GIGANTI OF JOB Progressive Leader Is Denied Right to Work That the reactionary officials of Lo-| him to stop that kind of practice. Then cal 548, Journeymen Barbers, intend | after catching him at the same game to starve into submission or drive | again, Loda used direct action by de- into scab shops the expelled progres- sives, is proved by the following re- cent incident: F. A. (Yellow) Ackerman, a busi- ness agent, walked into the barber shop operated by G. Berg at 3250 Bel- mont avenue last Saturday morning and threatened the boss with a strike unless he immediately fired Joseph Giganti, one of the seven progressives recently expelle’ by the action of the labor fakers in control, Yellow Ackerman had been tipped off by a stool pigeon and made his appearance Saturday morning, just be- fore the day’s work had been started. The boss, intimidated, paid off Giganti without questioning the legality of this procedure. The yellow business agent did not have the courage to engage in argu- ment with the expelled barber, nor did he show any inclination of doing the “pulling out” from the shop him- self. When Giganti challenged his Joe Loda, a well known fighter for | progressive and check-weigh man of his local union caught the com- pany weighman putting his hands on the scales and thereby short weighing the coal of miners by several hundred pounds on every car. Joe Loda told issues livering several blows to the jaw of the company weighman. The company weighman notified the superintendent, and the superinten- dent tells Joe Loda to get off the tip- ple and never come back. Loda called the mine committee and they called the miners out on strike. Farrington's Promise. After that, the mine committee called on Farrington and presented their case, telling him how Loda caught the company weighman short weighing the miners coal and the re- sult. Farrington told the miners’ committee to get the men back to work and he would see that Joe Loda would stay on the tipple as long as the miners are satisfied with him. That was on a Saturday. On Mon- day the miners went back to work and Loda went on the tipple to weigh the miners’ coal, and the superintendent brought the sheriff out to the mine, PHILADELPHIA CLOAK =, AND DRESS MAKERS IN” DEFI T0 SIGMAN GANG PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—The follow- ing is the answer of Philadelphia Garment Workers to Sigman and Company: RESOLUTION “After hearing the reports of Rose Wortis and Brother L. Hyman, about the attacks of the Interna- tional, “We, Cloak and Dress Makers of Philadelphia, gathered in Mass Meet- ing on Tuesday July 28th at the Public Hall, 7th and Morris Street, voice our strongest protest against these methods. The tactics of breaking into the offices of Local 9 at night with the aid of gangsters, is not befitting union leaders. We condemn such tactics and demand that Locals 2, 9 and 22 be imme diately reinstated. We demand that Sigman, Perlstein and Fein- berg, who were the cause of this internecine struggle in our Inter national, immediately resign. “These leaders of the machine have introduced a system of terrom ism everywhere. We, Philadelphia members of the International still remember their disruptive work in Philadelphia. “We pledge our whole hearted support, financial and moral, to the Joint Action Committee of the three locals in their struggle to destroy the corrupt machine. We the Phila- delphia members of the Internation- al are with you till your efforts are crowned with success.” CARPENTERS OF MICHIGAN MEET HUTCH GAS PIPE Opposers Asphyxiated in| Convention (Special to The Daily Worker) BAY CITY, Mich., Aug. 11. — The Michigan state convention of carpen- ters, which just ended its sessions here, is a good barometer of the gen- eral condition of the brotherhood and of the measure of control which the official family maintains over these deed, he said that he did not wish to|@nd takes Loda off the tipple and | lesser gatherings. argue, “Damn right, you don’t want to argue,” replied Giganti, “you haven't } Men out of the mine and walk out on | brother-in-law, anything to say.” throws him into jail. The mine committee again calls the a strike again. The miners decided qand-stay on strike and to fight this and demand the reinstatement of the | battle to the finish, progressives, who have prodded into action. LONGSHOREMEN by this propaganda in a way which make them opponents. Out of Date. High initiation fees and dues may have had merit in the past under more prethitive conditions. In 1925 it is out of date, just as much as Hutcheson is. It is not necessary for a man to be very old to know from his own personal experience that the building industry with its myriads of labor saving, skill-reducing inventions is entriely different from anything ever dreamed of when our organiza- tion was founded. Not in the past, but in the development going on be- fore our very eyes is to be found the answer to many of the problems con- fronting us today. I-am willing to admit that if the officials succeed in raising the fees and dues high enough, they will there- paper without a spark of militancy or] reaction to these tactics will only re- of class consciousness; the personal] sult in a greater and more militant organ of pie-cards, hard boiled guys,| effort on the part of the Progressives. BROOKLYN, N. Y,, ATTENTION! CO-OPERATIVE BAKERY RVICE OF ‘THE CONSUMER, Bakery deliveries made to your home. r FINNISH CO-OPERATIVE TRADING ASSOCIATION, Inc, (Workers consumers) ih? yale seatnae who can see nothing except petty eraft unions, Lumber Neglected by Both Fakers and Wobblies. by an industrial union, such as the 1. W. W. advocates but do not build. There is no room for craft unionism or] tion in Local 1073 has the full sup- class collaboration in the lumber in-| port of the Jewish Daily Forward, dustry. Look Out for Pickpockets! President Short and Governor Hart- ley celebrated convention week by hit-| glory on the new administration to ting at each other in public speeches] hide their corruption and incompe- on all possible occasions. Short can} tency. , not understand a fight for principles, only one over personalities, to judge Years ago, at circuses clowns battered each other with slapsticks, while pickpockets worked thru the crowds, and the shell game ran open- ly, They no longer do such things— at circuses, Restaurant munist movemen The situation in Local 1073 is a new tactic of the Hutcheson machine, but it is only the first phase of the fight. The matter is not closed yet, the POOR FISH DROPS Lumber, the leading industry of the | membership is now rallying ipethert é state, remains almost unorganized.| and Hutcheson will soon get another Perhaps the gang is not anxious to| and quite different story from Local organize it, for that can only be done | 1037. The Daily “Backwards” a: Usual. Needless to say, the new administra- which spreads daily Mes about the Communists and progressives and piles many wreathes of honor and WILLIAMANTIC, Conn., Aug. 11, —Thread workers of the American Thread Co. mill voted to continue their strik they have already carried on for 21 weeks. Many workers who have not voluntarily left company houses have been evicted. Company Agent Curti; ims that 1,200 strikebreak- ers are now employed in the mill. Strikers assert that less than 100 are at work, is If you want to see eph Fish, who marches around in a circle with the imposing title of “Sec- retary-Treasurer of the New York Joint Board of the International Lad- e “We don’t listen to the other side. Sigman does not consider the sug: gestions and demands made by the left wing.” .. After by have done what Hutcheson so far has failed to accomplish thru his ex- Pulsion policy, namely, the destruc- tion of the union, WISE GRACK OVER LEFT WING FIGHT Explaining Mystery of Earless Eel fs NEW YORK CITY, Aug, 11.—That there is no fish like a poor fish may be seen in the remarkable statement made to the capitalist press by Jos- jes’ Garment Workers’ Union.” Concerning the demand made for the resignation of Morris Sigman, President of the I. L, G. W., by 4,000 shop chairmen and committeemen at the great overflow meetings at Cooper Union and*Manhattan Lyceum, Fish its the following drops of wisdom: saying which he silence, without explaining &.union can be run on this . SUFFER; LEADERS IGNORE THEM _ (From a Worker Correspondent.) NEW YORK, Aug. 11.—Conditions among longshoremen are horrible. Men are hungry for organization, yet the - International Longshoremen’s Union is not lifting a finger towards or- ganizing them. And unless these workers are soon organized conditions will become absolutely unbearable, Right now about four hundred men are employed on the Erie Railroad docks unloading fruit. From 7 p, m. thru the night the workers toil away under constant prodding and speeding up of the hard-boiled overseers. For for years fought consistently in their interests, while the officials have had to be Unusual Speed. In the meantime this case is taken up by the courts of the Sub-District and Board Member, both handing down a “disagreement case”. Then the Joint Executive Board is quickly called on Sunday afternoon and a de- cision sancationing the removal of Joe Loda, as check weighman is rendered. To go thru these three courts of the miners’ organization it usually takes from seven months to a year, but in this case it took a few hours to do the work. That was because the Peabody Coal Co, demanded immediate action, and when Peabody Coal Co. wants ac- tion the Farrington’s machine sets it- self to work. | Officials in League With Company Steal. | Joker Young, board member of this | district and Farrington henchman, | who presented the evidence on which | Joe Loda was convicted, is the same | bird that told several miners in a white mule joint that he was out to) get Joe Loda out of the miners’ or- ganization because Joe Loda was the | cause of his local union casting a| twelve to thirteen hours they slave away with a brief interval for lunch. The pay is fifty cents per hour for twelve hours’ work. very heavy vote against the Farring- | ton machine in the last election, / On Monday, after the miners walked If a man can | out on strike and the decision of joint Tho Hutcheson was not there per- sonally, he was represented by a F, C. Plambeck, and jinted a general organize : han two months’ membership in Yesow Shér- rock’s local (1805 of Detroit). sAlger Yeels duly grateful for this little favor and he arrived early on the job and was spreading the poison against the two local unions which the czar had | expelled in Detroit, long before the\ convention convened, Detroit Expulsions the Issue. z As the greatest issue concerning carpenters in Michigan is the division and discord in Detroit which has re-~ sulted from Hutcheson’s expulsion pol- icy, the task of the poison gas brigade was to head off any consideration of the problem, William Reynolds, who was sent to/ represent Local 2140 of Detroit, one, of the expelled (2) locals, sat thru” the usual “Labor, don’t get radical” speeches of local politicians and fakers and was beginning to wonder what was holding up the steam roller, when in the second session a letter from }one of the family circle of.>erasites,-=~ All barbers should take note of the | then that they would fight for justice | William Alger, 4 actions of their reactionary officials, Mba Jobn Potts, who acts as that kind of |” a receptacle for Hutcheson’s mental excrement in Detroit, was read, stat- ing that Local Unions 1191 and 214 were expelled and that no delegates representing them should be seated, - i Then the works started and Rey-) nolds was soon on the outside looking — in. A formal written request by Local 7 2140 that their representative be given | stand the pace he receives time and a] board was re: half for overtime. Illinois ‘Silicon Convention to Be at Champaign, Sept. 14 CHAMPAIGN, Ill, Aug. 11.—(FP)— The Illinois State Federation of Labor annual convention opens in Champaign | face and said, “You men didn’t tell me Sept. 14. NEW JERSEY “ART” FACTORY PAYS $16.00 A WEEK, TO SLAVES By JAMES SZEPESY. (Worker Correspondent.) PERTH AMBOY, N. J, Aug. 11.— There is a branch of the Embed Art corporation in Perth Amboy, lo- cated at 72 Fayette street, employ- ing fifteen workers, This factory makes shaving s, ash trays, cigarette cases, ete. out of bakelite. The hours of work are eight and one-half with one half day on Saturda: Wages are thirty-five cents an hour or $16.50 a week. The ndered the mine commit- tee goes back to Farrington to see if he would keep his word, which he made last Saturday when he told the committee that he would stand back of the men and see to it that Joe Loda would stay on the upple as long as the men wanted him, “Mr, Looking-Both-Ways”. But Farrington again rights-about- | the truth last Saturday, because yes- terday Dan Clark, the coal company commissioner, told me a different story and the big boss of the Peabody Coal Co., at Chicago called me up over the long distance telephone and told me about this man Loda, also if you insist upon having this man for your check-weighman he would close the mine down indefinitely. So the best thing you men can do is to elect a new check-weighman and go back to work,” 800 Miners Stand by Loda. One of the mine committee then said, “So the coal company’s commis- sioner's story is true, while the union | miners’ story is false, in other words you rather believe the story o! out- the floor to make a@ statement Was meeting developed itno a talkfest with © the officials doing most of the talking, — and the paid parasites smiling and» back-slapping in that “oh, so friendly” © manner peculiar to those whose bread ~ is the fruit of others’ sweat. However, the delegate; ed with the plight of the 600 ters who have been deprived of rights by the whim of a ezar, and as they report to their locals the problem in Detroit as they learned it by the printed and spoken word will be the chief burden of their story, even tho Hutcheson's prevented a regular discussion and | vipers spewed their poison gas, Fall River Textile, Workers to Ask Old i Lf io P| aider than of a rank and filer.” “Well, Farrington, the miners of Peabody Mine No. 6, have already afew | gone on record that they will stick young workers who have been em- | with Joe Loda and want him and no ployed here for several years who only get about $22.00 a week, | have been working here for about three or four months, but have had many discussions with the workers. | also was warned many one else to weigh their coal and also that they will fight this fight to a fin- ish and that a circular petition has al- ready been sent thru the district call- ing upon Peobody mines and others to lend their support to help us get ius | 7 te hou for my aging, [ee tat we are Aehing for” Scale Before C FALL RIVER, Mass., Aug. 11 toration of the 1920 wage scale in| River cotton and woolen textile will be sought by the United Workers’ Union in accordance the International's decision to. wage increases where possible. 1920 scale is about 20 per cent than the present rate of pay, { } id 4 | ruled out of order by Chairman Se > — cord, tho the only delegate from De-~ troit supported it vigorously. ‘i A Poor Mood to Get Into, The delegates realized that any at tempt to get consideration of vital i problems would be put down, They i seemed in no mood to fight, so the | ~ . if