The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 13, 1925, Page 4

a—_ * Miners’ Union. b awe. THE DAILY WORKER i FARRINGTON AN ELECTION THIEF __ WITH WHOLE KIT OF BURGLAR’S | TOOLS, SAYS REID IN EXPOSE By ALEX REID. (Secretary of the Progressive Miners Committee.) ARTICLE XII, In their desperate attempt to cover up their actions, the Farrington traitors are stealing elections, disfranchising miners, and disrupting the The last election of the district officers, of District Twelve, gai the subdistrict elections also, are still the subject of bitter controversy in the Miners’ Union. All over District Twelve the vote was manipulated in , ——E————————————EEE oo OF He HOEK MR OR MO Peon atonal inter netees Tv Paee aaa | union, In Buckner the ballot was stolen, in the middle of the night, and in other locals the full membership union, John Hindmarch received about| ... yoted, where the mines were shut 100 per cent of the vote cast in a local| gown for three years and most of the casting about 1,000 votes. The Far-| men had left town, and working else- rington-ku-klux faction manipulated} where, the ballot in such a way that it be-/ The officers officiating at a local came illegal, thereby saving Frank| union near Benton during the election RUSSIA T (Continued from Y esterday’s Daily Worker) SYNOPSIS.—The British trade union leaders’ report on Soviet Russia, which is running serially in the DAILY WORKER, Saturday took up thé subject of foreign trade in the Soviet Union. Transportation, Industry and agriculture have already been described In the official report. The union leaders concluded that foreign trade and agriculture is steadily improving, and told how the finances of the Union have been placed on a stable basis. The New Economic Policy in relation to agriculture was explained. The Industries are increasing production, the report stated. Recent instal- ments of the report dealt in detail with the relation of the Union with for- eign countries. The regulation of trade, financing, foreign bank credits, statistics of foreign trade, status of foreigners, were some of the subjects @ealt with. The instalment concludes that foreign trade is workable, and Work In the Dark. In Zeigler, Illinois at one local Phat harm is being done Britain by the absence of full diplomatic relations. The Civil Code of November 6th, 1922, contains much that is very interesting in respect to the regulation of property rights on a new basis of State Socialism. The Code of Civil Status is also of interest, anda summary of its provisions concerning family life is given as an appendix. There are also Codes of Civil and Criminal procedure and on special subjects. These Codes, while not without deficiencies, and even de- fects due to hasty preparation, provide a firm ground for build- ing up a new structure of jurisprudence. The critical examina- tion to which they have been of late subjected by German and ener continental jurists has not shaken them in any serious point. The Code of Civil Status The code as to personal status, and on marriage, family, guardianship rights is the only code which dates back to the ReYpolution. It originated in 1918, and was not essentially af- fected by the new order which introduced re-orientation of the New Economic Policy in 1921. Section I. deals with personal status. Marriage Section II. concerns marriage. Only civil marriage is rec- ognized, if registered in a Bureau for Records of Personal Sta- tus. A religious marriage has no civil validity. Marriages per- formed according to religious rites before December 20th, 1917, remain valid. Marriage must be a public ceremony, awd may be performed by the Registrar of Records of Personal Status or before a Notary Public. Publication of the banns is not re- quired, and the marriage is valid as soon as entered in the Regis- ter. Any man of 18 may marry and any woman of 16. Polyga- my is forbidden. Obstacles to marriage are mental deficiency, blood relationship in direct ascent or descent, brothers or sis- ters, or half-brothers and half-sisters. A marriage can be nulli- fied between minors, if they are still minors when the marriage is denounced or if no children have been born and the wife is not pregnant. Marriage is invalidated by mental deficiency at the time of marriage, a previous valid marriage, or want of con- Sent of either party due either to ignorance or to compulsion. Religious marriages are invalid if contrary to the marriage laws in force at the time. Divorce A divorce can be obtained by mutual consent from the Courts or from the competent marriage registrar. A divorce whether of a pre-revolutionary marriage or of a new civil mar- _Tiage, may not be granted merely on the application of one par- ty if opposed by the other, but the application need not be based on a charge of any kind. A judgment of divorce can be appealed and becomes valid only at the conclusion of the legal proceed- ings. Married Women’s Rights A wife’s property is absolutely independent of marriage. Marriage settlements which affect the property rights of the _ wife are invalid. The parties to a marriage take a married name. The married name may be either the name of the man or of the woman, or the combined name of both. Marriage has no effect on the citizenship of either party. The wife is not obliged to follow her husband to another place of residence. The incipal effect of marriage, as far as property rights are con- erned, is the responsibility of maintenance. This responsibility mutual. It presumes that the one needing the support is in- jpable of working and that he or she does not possess any ns of livelihood, and that the one obliged to support is in a ondition to furnish maintenance. Minors (under 18 years of e), men over 55, and women over 50, are under no obligation maintenance as earners. The obligation of maintenance must be continued after divorce. Arrangements by the parties as to ‘continuance of the maintenance after divorce can be modified by the Court. Section Ill. deals with family law. Married and unmarried hers have the same rights of maintenance. The unmarried her can, three months before confinement, apply for an affil- on order. If the alleged father does not enter defense with- two weeks after notification by the Registrar he is assumed have accepted paternity. If he denies*pa ernity, the matter before the People’s Court for inquiry. If the inquiry estab- les paternity he is obliged to support the mother during preg- ey and confinement and maintain the child. A defense that might have been the father, if proved, results in their also obliged to contribute. The child, born out of wedlock the name of the father, were not members of that local union They were working at another min¢ and had their cards withdrawn out of that local union for some time prior to the election, and even in spite of a telegram from Lewis that men could not officiate at elections unless they were members of that local concerned, the ‘ballots were counted in this local for the machine (for Farrington.) In West Frankfort. In West Frankfort the Farrington machine came near wrecking the Miners’ Union completely, Frank Johnst8n was duly elected financial secretary of Sub-district Nine but was counted out by the sub-district thieves. Johnston was elected by a large ma- jority but in order to have the tool (Cobb), a Farirngton republican hench- Man put over, Johnston was beat out in every local where the gang had a chance, A local union in Zeigler gave John- ston.a large majority, and this vote, aeamnns rict by registered m@ijjj was sent special delivery, and bi He of this technicality the ballot wasithrown out, and this same ballot defeated John ston, Some places the votejwag held up for a few days too long, and on ac- count of that technicality, the ballot was thrown out also, The traitors stopped at nothing ta, destroy the Progressive Miners’ vote, to put the Farrington fakers in office. No Doubt Left. In face of this rottenness can any- one doubt the necessity of a district investigation and house cleaning? Consider the fact that every Prog sive Miner elected in Springfield beat out of his office. The topher cases were just,as,rotten as the Springfield ones, Too Busy to Call Convention. Down in Harrisburg all the Farring: ton machine were defeated, but illeg- ally put themselves backvinoffice. The men in that sub-district got up a peti Chris- Unemployment Hits New Low Level in Kluxed Ohio State COLUMBUS, Aug. 11—Unemploy- ment in Ohio during July reached the highest figure in the 13-year history of the state-city free employment bu- reaus, the state industrial commission reported today. Last month 68,824 persons applied at the employment bureaus for jobs, and 49,848 were turned away without work, 4 Figures for July from Cleveland S| showed 22,589 applicants and 6,111 em- ployed. constitutional amount of signatures, for a special tion signed with the conventino, presented it to the sub- district officers, but the sub-district of- ficers still refused to call the conven- tion, and ‘when asked to explain why. they brazenly told the miners they had lost’ the petition and therefore could not call the convention, An appeal was then taken to an- other crumb of the Farrington ma- chine by. name Wright., The same Wright that helped to work Freeman Thompson out of his office in Spring- field. He also refused to call the con- vention on the same grounds (be- cause of the loss of the petition.) Miners, Do Something. Brother miners how much longer are you going to stand for this corrup- tion in our union? Is it any wonder that Freeman Thompson, Watt and Parry are fighting this bunch of yellow cowards and traitors? .Rally to the support of the progressive miners and bring back our fighting organization to its former fighting position, as a mili- tant weapon of the rank and file of the U. M. W, A. (Continued Tomorrow.) _of the bajaues, he $9 instead of being sent in to the sub-dis- THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH TRADE 0 A UNION DELEGATION TO SOVIET RUSSIA of both, as the parents may agree.. Failing agreement, the Court decides. Children born in wedlock take the married name of the parents. If the parents are divorced they agree what name the children shall bear, and, failing agreement, the Court decides. If one parent is a foreigner and the other Russian, their children have such nationality as their parents agree. Fail- ing agreement, the children are considered Russians, but on at- taining their majority they may choose the citizenship of the other parent. The religion of children under 14 years of age is determined in writing by the parents. If the parents cannot agree the child is considered as having no religion. Upon at- taining the age of 14 the child chooses his own religion. Pa- rental responsibilities are exercised jointly by the parents and the Court settles disputes. The Court may deprive the parents of their parental rights if they do not serve the interests of the child. Parental responsibilies include care for the ¢hild’s bodi- ly health and mental preparation for a useful life. Parents are required to meet those responsibilities. They are legally respon- sible for the children before the Courts and otherwise. Parents must provide for their children living with them and. have a claim against those who have provided for the children, without the right to do so. As far as property rights are concerned, the children are absolutely independent of the parents. The par- ents have absolutely no right to use the property of the chil- dren. Parents must provide for their children in proportion to their own resources, but éach parent is obliged to pay at least half the minimum of existence determined for the child, so far ashe is able to do so. On the other hand, parents when inca- pacitated and indigent may claim maintenance frome«their chil- dren. These obligations of parents and children continue after the dissolution of the marriage. Sisters and brothers and half- sisters and half-brothers can also respectively clai h mainte- nance. An agreement by which one party renouné mainte- nance is invalid. It is forbidden to adopt children, but a decree is being prepared again allowing it. 5 oie - Wardship nite Minors not under parental care and mental deficients are State wards. Other persons, especially spendthriftsand per- sons who, in the opinion of the Public Trustee, require ‘guar- dianship may be put under ward. The guardianship-may be exercised either directly by the Public Trustee or by special guardians appointed by him. The guardian represents the ward and has the care of the person of the ward. Any adult not in a condition to look after his own affairs may put himself under guardianship. pat: pees ies Wh, oat X General Conclusions ] The conclusion reached by the Delegation in the. matter of law and order is that public order is now on a footing well above that in most Continental countries; that justice is equitably en- forced in the new courts, and under new Codes that constitute a judicial system still in its youth, but adequate for its present purpose; and that there is nothing to prevent the early devel- opment of a body of law and of lawyers capable of bringing the principles of the Revolution into further accordance with the established precepts of European civil and commercial law. The judicature~is necessarily the latest organ to function fully ina new State, and the new judicature of the Union, still in its infancy, will play a most important, perhaps the most im- portant part in the further development of the Soviet system. PART Il THE SOCIAL SYSTEM CHAPTER VIII Social and Religious Conditions The Soviet Social System and its Penetration Before entering upon a review of the social side of Soviet life it is necessary to realize the main objects of the system, to remember that in many cases it is still in its experimental stag- es, and that no conclusions as to its stability or value can be obtained from those who steadfastly refuse to accept what it offers. It would be misleading to state that the s¥stem“Has perme- ated the whole country, or that it has not been modified in cer- tain districts to meet the requirements of the varioug, nationali- ties which are to be found in the Russian Empire. jUt is, how- ever, a gross misstatement to say that it is only found to be in ‘operation in the large centers and a few miles from the railway track. It is undoubtedly being supported by the whole of the industrial workers, by many of the peasants and by those of the former middle class who have joined the movement either from conviction or through force of circumstances. Critics who maintain that its working and results have had very little effect on the country as a whole, and do not penetrate beyond the few Communists who have accepted it, should real- ize the following facts:— > The total population of Russsia, including all the Autono- mous and Federated Republics, was estimated in 1923 at 133 millions, of which 70 millions were wonien. The inkabitants of the urban and industrial areas numbered 21 millions, of whom five and a half millions, or 25 per cent., are members of the Trade Unions and directly involved in the system. Women, however, only constitute 28 per cent. af the Trade Union membership; but, most of the women and all the chil- dren under the age of 17,must be added to the figire of five and a half millions as being equally affected. Thus it will easily be seen that the ‘whole of the industria) population has come within the system which controls the lives of the majority alli Of Reaeania ven Moc ta \ much lesser degree, while the indigene and native tribes are scarcely affected at all. It should also be remembered that the present system came into operation only three years ago when it replaced War Communism, which was a very different form of social construction. As regards the large mass of peasantry, now that Budget economy has forced the réduction of the large expenditure and elaborate equipment of propaganda trains and perambulating lectures with which War Communism hoped to educate the peasants, more practical methods are being followed. It is now generally recognized in Communist circles that the peasantry can best be educated by giving them a larger representation in the Government and District Councils, and by teaching them to govern themselves locally. The Communist attitude to the peasant is a curious combination of contempt and consideration. Sovietism as practised at present appears to be a compro- mise between Communism and State Socialism, with strong tendencies towards the latter. It is the result of practical ex- periment among large communities, and the success of the movement is undoubtedly due to the courage of its leaders in acknowledging mistakes when by practical demonstration their theories have proved to be impracticable. The fundamental principle of the system is the formation of a State and society which shall giye the greatest possible benefits to the majority of the workers (by which is meant both hand workers and brain workers), and equal opportunities to all men and women. Without entering into a detailed survey of the means to be employed for the Construction of this State it will be sufficient to mention the main features. Work vs. Wealth The keystone or main feature of the new structure is the creation of a power of personal worth by the destruction of the power of private wealth. In order to effect this, the reacquisition of power by individ- and acquisition of wealth and the amassing of money by private persons is rendered, not only unnecessary, but-unlikely, although not in principle impossible. (a) The Worker This is accomplished in the following manner. In the first place, all real property, industry and capital wealth are vested in the State by nationalization, the State being composed of men who have obtained their position by other means than the influence of wealth. Secondly, a worker is granted a minimum wage according to the category in which his duties or professsion place him. This minimum wage is really only intended to cover the actual necessities for which he has to pay cash. The rest of his re- quirements in life, social recreation, travelling, yearly holiday, medical and insurance benefits, education and upbringing of his family, housing, ete., accrue to him in the form of benefits supplied by the State. These benefits increase in value as the worker rises, by his own efforts, from a lower to a higher category. A member of the Government, even a Cabinet Minister, for instance, receives only £20 per month. His benefits, however, are free and include a house, motor-car, servants, and entertainment, etc. At pres- ent the worker has to pay a nominal fee for most of his benefits; this fee is graduated on a sliding scale according to his category and income. Eventually as the State becomes wealthier ail these benefits will become free. ‘ The next measure to prevent accumulation of persona’ wealth is heavy taxation over a certain maximum income and the reversion of all property to the State at death. A man may leave to his heirs not more than £1,000 (under the system he has no dependents). Exactly the same principle applies to man and woman. A woman to be counted as a worker must either work or show that she is necessary to her house and family. (b) The Peasant With regard to the peasant or land worker, his land and house represent the workers’ wage. In view, however, of the fact that this form of wage is not constant, but varies in accord- ance with his own efforts and his general facilities for cultivation» his status is somewhat different. His benefits are primarily con- cerned with the facilities for cultivation and the disposal of his produce. By centralization, organization, and the acquisition. of more up-to-date machinery and appliances he is able to increase his profit, and his standard of living. The greatest benefit of all, however, will be realized when the huge electrification schemes, mentioned in another part of this report, have materialized. This will give him practically free power, His social benefits consist of education, medical attendance, clubs and recreation. (c) The Non-Worker ‘ Any person between the ages of 17 and 55, having no physi- cal or mental defects, who is not classed as a worker, has abso- lutely no political nor social status at all. He has no vote and re- ceives no benefits. He must pay the maximum tariff everywhere. His education and medical attendance must be obtained from private sources. He will have to pay the maximum house rent, and is liable at any time to receive a month’s notice to make room for a worker. He must pay high prices for a meal cus his home, and his theatre ticket will cost him ten times that of a worker, He will have no recognized club; recreation and sport will be difficult and expensive. . ; 4, 08 The lot of some of these people»who cannot, or will not, fit in with the new system is often very'lamentable, and at ee f us- ‘ ent they doubtless number many thousands, But in Soviet sia everyone must work to live. FIRE WORKER, ASK COURT AID TO SMASH UNION Movie Owner Knows What Courts Are For By K. (Worker Correspondent.) PAWTUCKET, R. I., Aug. 11.—E. M, Loew and Philip Berler, owners of the Music Hall, Pawtucket, have ny illu sions as to what the courts are for in a capitalist republic. They recently fired an operator, Thomas Hayden, and when the union objected to this smash- ing of the agreement, the owners promptly went before Judge McLough- jin for an injunction to restrain any and all unions from interfering with any .and all theaters operated by the circuit. Since this is one of the theater chains that are now rapidly being combined into a nation-wide trust, the situation affects not only Pawtucket, but New Bedford, Lynn, Lowell, Fitch- burg, and Boston, where the company has holdings. Accordingly the injunc- tion is sought against “L. N. Shattack and the other persons comprising the American Federation of Musicians, Lo- cal Unions Nos. 193, 83, 9, 126, and 214; and the International Stage Em- ployes and Motion Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada, Locals 182, 546, 245, 73, 86, 131, and 134.” Evidence is to be taken before a master, and since the union would not agree to the bosses’ nomi- nee, the court will appoint—which pro- duces the same result. Two notable facts stick out from this news.item. The first is that the struggle between master and man in the theater field has grown beyond the confines of a single theater, or even a single city. Against the natien-wide combine of capital as represented in the chain theaters directly affiliated with film producing and banking inter- ests, there is pitted the nation-wide or even international organization of the workers. A struggle over the working conditions of a single worker may thus in a single day bring on a clash of major proportion and widest extent. The second is that the bosses im- mediately and often effectively para- lyze the strength of organized labor by resort to court action. The ever-ready capitalist court promptly forbids Pick- eting, boycotting, strike benefits, or- ganization work and publicity—forbids every means whereby the union can function, The strikers soon must learn that the Communists are right in their condemnation of court and legislature as servants of the employers, of the ruling class, and that the workers must, thru conquest of state power, turn the tables against those who now exploit them. The more the everyday struggle of the workers becomes in- tensified the bettter will be its lessons in class solidarity. The more the Clashes become intensified, the more ruthless will be the masters’ recourse to the help of political state power, and the more speedy will grow the workers’ recognition of the true nature of the struggle he fights, and the rem- edy—Communist organization, strug: gle, and victory, Wm. Morgan Butler, Big Capitalist and Fink Boss, Needs Aid SWAMPSCOTT, Mass., Aug. 11.— President Coolidge’s political advisor and bosom friend, Wm. Morgan Butler, is needing his help in the election due next year. Butler has several things to recom- mend him to the workers—for. punish- ment. He cut wages of employes in his cotton mills last fall. He has speeded up the woolen mill slaves to the point of frenzy—when he gave them work, then let them whistle for a job much of ‘the time. In addition Butler and his son, Mor- gan Butler, president of the National Association of Cotton Manufacturers are known as enemies of labor unions, the old duffer having become famous for hiring finks to control the textile unions in New Bedford. erat opponent is little better. Reasons for Foreign Imperialism in China Shown by Labor Wage NEW YORK, Aug. 11,—Men work. ing in the Nanking Turkish towel fac- tories make only $4 a month while women in the same factories get only about $1 a month for their labor, The shops are mostly family affairs, the largest having only 20 weaving ma- chines, a New York textile trade pa- per state; Boys and girls go to work as ap prentices without pay the first year, with a few cents a month during the second year and a littlte more the third, Board and lodging is given, Pull fledged workers pay about 10 cents a day for food, . _—_—— PITTSBURGH, PA, To those who work hard for their "mone: will gave 60 per cent on all their dental work, DR. RASNICK However, David Walsh, his demo- é as