The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 21, 1925, Page 4

re POLISH VICTIMS TORTURED ANEW BY TERRORISTS Peasant Given Death for Protesting MOSCOW, U. S. S. R., August 19.— The Polish government is inflicting new cruelties on the class war pris- oners, simultaneously with the re- sumption of the conferences of the joint commission to discuss conflicts on the Soviet-Polish border. , Two hundred prisoners of the Lut- sky prison have gone on a hunger strike because of severe beatings ad- ministered to political prisoners and the subsequent death of one of them. the Polish white terror guards again beat them and chained them in dun- eons. In Bialystock, 120 paraders carry- ing Red flags “and ; mottoes against the white terror gowernment were ar- rested, One peasantywas sentenced to death, Metal Polishers Want Help. Trade union shoppers in St. Louis can greatly assist the Chicago Metal Polishers’ Union if they will bear in mind that the Super Maid aluminum products are unfair, says business agent John Werlik The Advance Aluminum & Foumry Co., which makes the Super Maid kitchen uten- sils and other goods, refuses to rein- state four union men who were fired when they told company managers in reply to a question that they pre- ferred a union shop. Super Maid products are said to have their larg- est market in St, Lou SOVIET TRADE WILL INCREASE, SAYS BANKER Conferred on Sale of Cotton in Moscow MOSCOW, U, S, S. R., August 19.— Reeve Schley, vice-president of the Chase National Bank of New York, has left for Warsaw after two weeks of business conferences in the Soviet Union. Schley was in Moscow dis- cussing the financing of Soviet pur- ses of raw cotton in the, United States with George Tchitcherin, Sov- iet commissar of foreign affairs, and M., Frunkin, acting commissar of for- y Fleming, cotton of . Houston, Texas, and» Alex erg of New York, treasurer and general manager of the All-Russian textile syndicate. Schley said of hi ie “I am tremendously! fmpressed with the possibilities of the country and also the activity I haye seen working. This assures economig improvement. Russian bysiness men are greatly in- terested in American industry and es- pecially in cotton and agricultural machinery. “I had a cordial reception in all the establishments I visited and re- ceived all the information J asked for. I believe that new and stable business relations between the United States and Russia are possible and that anybody who comes here to in- spect the fleld will be.so convinced.” If you want to, thoroughly un derstand Communism—study it. THE DAILY"WORKER © —-~—— —<-teeete 18,000 MELONS BRING FARMERS SEVEN DOLLARS Hear Story of the Chi- nese Struggle FALLON, Nevada, August 19.—The California Tin-Lizzie Rattlers rattled into town on schedule and held a suc- cessful “Hands-off-China” meeting. After the address on China a number of Workers Monthlies were sold, and much interest manifested in the Com- munist position towards the struggle of the Chinese workers and peasants for freedom: from foreign exploitation. There are excellent prospects for center of a government reclamatio The settlers are largely ojd- time radicals, A good exaniple of the economic conditions which have forced these farmers to give ear to the Communist program is the follow- ing: Last year one of the farmers ship- ped 900 crates of the finest melons to the Chicago Market and for the net project, fresults of the Seasons’ labor spent by himself and his family in cultivation, they received the magnificent sum of $7.00. As there were 20 melons to the erate, these 18,000 melons thus returned the farmer an average of one twenty-fifth of a cent each. This year,}jin ‘ell gave you permission to quit ' the farmer planted no melons. - SOCIALIST BOSS « WITH COMMUNIST. WORKERS-T, NT Petty Bourgeois to Core Is Abe Suall (From a Worker Correspondent.) NEW YORK CITY, Aug. 19—“Who anyway? Just for that I won't pay’ The farmers here seem to realize | you!” that the Communist position regard- For a year Sam Watsky had been ing an alliance of the working farmers | working for Abe Suall, as a sales» and the industrial workers for the|man and general utility man in his overthrow of the capitalist system] store at 93 Orchard street, this city. is the only way out for them. The political prisoners had been on a hunger strike for three days, when Build the DAILY, WORKER. eign trade. Send for a catalogue of all Com He was accompanied by Lamar !munist literature. RUSSIA TODAY | (Continued from Y esterday’s Daily Worker ) Political Activities——Although the Russian Trade Unions as organizations are now no longer part of the Soviet Govern- ment, yet it would be a great mistake to suppose that their posi- tion in Russia is no more important and influential than else- where. In Russia the workers are the ultimate owners and rulers of industry, and though they have given the conduct of it to business managements, yet they retain the control. Represen- tatives of the unions sit, not only on all the Councils that con- trol industry, but on all the Councils of the Soviet Government. For example, on the Presidium of the All-Russian Centra] Ex- ecutive Committee, which is one of the chief organs of the Gov- ernment, there are five Trade Union representatives out of 13 members. There is one such representative on the Council of People’s Commissaries, and on the Lesser. Council of People’s Commissaries, which deals with the drafting of legislation, there is another. There is also one on the very important Council of Labor and Defense and another. on the principal committee of the Foreign Trade Commissariat. On the State Planning Commission (Gosplan), there are three and others in the Special Sections. There is also a Trade Union. representa- tive on the Presidium of/the Supreme Economic Council, the Industrial Planning Commission, the Building Planning Com- mission, the Electrification Commission, the Fuel Commission, the Concessions Committee, etc. In fact, the Trade Unions are entrusted with carrying out one of the safeguards against any undue surrender of the right of the workers to rule. This safe- guard is the setting of a worker to keep an eye from the inside on the way that any enterprise or establishment, public or pri- vate, is being carried on. The object of this is, not only t6 train the worker in technicalities, but also to check any use of the enterprise against the new ruling class. Thus'a Trade Union representative will in future be attached to every Foreign Mis- sion, and another is assigned to every bank. When it is pointed out that a man taken out of a factory cannot be any possible use in discovering or discomfiting the operations of a financier, the answer is somewhat as follows: We do not put an expert into the bank because, in the first place, we haven’t enough. In the second place, if we did, one of two things would happen, either the expert would be bought up, or he would run. the bank. The worker won’t interfere ane the banker who never worries about him. But if he is capa! of catching on at all, which we soon find out, he will, if the is anything wrong, in the end catch out the banker in some small point, and call in an expert. (c) Social Activities—The object of the Soviet system, and of the Trade Unions as a social organ within it, is to secure the fullest possible liberty and the fullest possible life to the individ- ual worker, and to equip him by education and environment for the full enjoyment of his new advantages. It is noticeable, and indeed natural, that the Soviet system attains its objects in this respect most completely when it works through the Trade Union organization and least where the Trade Unions are weakest, as in the villages. To the 5,500,000 members of the Russian Trade Unions and their families, the Soviet system has brought a new life and a new liberty. Thus a Sovietist worker is not only free to follow any trade he may select, but he is better able than anywhere else to train himself for rising in his own job from one category to another, right up to the class of highly-paid specialists. Should he have been pitchforked by circumstances into a trade for which he has no taste, he has no difficulty in getting train- ing for another. In either case as member of a ruling class he can get training in the technicalities of Government and become. a public man, subject to being returned to his trade if found not good enough. The Delegation interviewed many workers who, by taking advantage of these opportunities, had risen in the of three years from a low category of worker to one far higher. For example, a factory sweeper who had become a scene painter, and a foundry laborer who was planning model dwellings and garden cities. and had won first prize in open competition. Again, in Leningrad and many provincial capitals visited there were local workers’ theatres, of which both management and actors were factory hands on special leave from their trades. The best of them would become permanently professional ac- tors. The samé process is at work in other professions; while the precaution above-mentioned of detailing workers to super- vise industrial, commercial, and financial enterprises gives al- most endless opportunities for workers to enter public employ- ment or make themselves experts. For these opportunities they are prepared in the Trade Union Schools and “Rabfacs”; and this process of constantly providing new blood to give fresh life to the State and society is supervised and supported by the Trade Unions. Communists claim ‘that the possibilities of a larger life thus opened to the worker prevent the discontent and demoraliza- tion otherwise caused by the drudgery. of factory life; that the slave of the industrial machine, bound to its wheels by family ties, has been changed into a worker either happy in his own trade or with good hopes of rising out of it; and that in either case his prodvetion is better both in quality and quantity. The Delegation certainly found no discontent among the workers and employes, but plenty of it among those who had been unwilling or unable to fit into the new methods. Workers’ Clubs (a) Activities—The Workers’ Clubs in the factories are the chief organization through which the Trade Unions carry out their educational and social ae These clubs were one of the results of the Revolution Thru Courtesy of the International Pub- lishers Co. and their work has gradually been organized by the unions along definite lines. One of the most important functions is teaching the worker and, peasant to read and write, this being the first step towards any training.of his civic conscience or his class consciousness. That done»-he can be further equipped either for enjoying his life, his trade, or for being employed on more important work. The clubs are also very influential in the campaigns of Communism for cleanliness and clean living. In fact, ¢he clubs play the same part for the adult worker as the schools do for the children. ; Lectures and discussions in the clubs deal with the politi- cal, industrial, economic and social life of the worker. During March, 1923, the last month for which statistics were obtaina- ble, 4,624 lectures were given throughout Soviet Russia and at- tended by 861,120 people; during that month, 5,962 plays were arranged and 1,921 concerts and social evenings which included mass choirs and physical culture displays, at which the total attendance reached over 3,000,000 workers and their families. Since that date, nearly two years ago, the number of:clubs has more than doubled; in 1924, they had already reached'the figure of 2,400 with a membership of over 1,000,000. > The club privileges are one of the main inducements for Trade Union membership. Thus a certain number of free tick- ets to State theatres and picture houses are allotted to these clubs each week. In Moscow and Leningrad alone, .these free tickets amount to from 200,000 to 300,000 a month. , Moreover, during 1928, 2,575 excursions into the country to visit places of interest and museums were made by 240,375 members of the Moscow Trade Union Club alone. All clubs are run, staffed and decorated by the members themselves. Club activities are arranged by'the committee who elect sub-committees for each circle, as’ft°is called. For in- stance, there are dramatic, musical, art, literary, sport, chess and study circles, each having its own committees and arrang- ing competitions with other clubs. a Swedish drill is a special featuré of all clubs. In Moscow alone there are now 39,000 physical culture circles and it is reckoned that there are over 100,000 such, circles in the whole organization. These circles include-in their program all mat- ters dealing with body culture and hygiene. There are special refreshment rooms, rest and reading rooms, in most clubs. All clubs have a good library. Portable libraries issued from the large centers are in constant circula- tion to smaller factories and-villages which have no club. In 1923, it was reckoned that these Trade Union liibraries already Possessed over 3,000,000 volumes. (b) ql) Finance.—These clubs are supported by:— Membership fees and contributions. (The fee for mem- bership varies from 10 kopecks to 50 kopecks a month according to the income or category of the member.) (2) Ten per cent. of the total membership r of the (3) Trade Union to which the club belongs. ** One per cent. of the total sum paid in wages by the factory or group of factories to which the club is at- tached. a ae Three-fourths per cent. of the turnover total of the factory or district co-operatives. State subsidy, if required, through the A. R. C. T. U. from the Commissariat of Education. (c) Membership.—Trade Union clubs are divided into two categories—Central or regional clubs and factory clubs. The central or regional clubs are to be found generally in the towns. Any worker in the district may join by paying a subscription, irrespective of the Trade Union to which he belongs. The fac- tory clubs are for the use of the workers of that particular fac- (4) (5) tory or Trade Union and any member of the union may use the’ club, though only subscribers have a vote and other privileges. (d) Red Corners.—In small factories where the funds do not allow of a separate club the workers may join a neighboring club, but in such cases there is always a “Lenin” or “Red Cor- ner.” These “Lenin Corners” are found in almost every factory or its club and usually consist of a small room decorated in red, where pictures of Lenin and books of his numerous writings are displayed. These rooms are used as reading rooms, for quiet study and, where no club exists, for purposes’ of elementary education and political propaganda, In 1924, there were 2,000 such “Red Corners” established in villages and workshops which had no clubs. (e) Industrial Exhibitions.—In order to promote technical industrial education, exhibitions of manufactures and machin- ery, with explanations of power, plant and finance are being arranged in such large works as are suitably equipped. Thirty such exhibitions are already running and it is hoped to organize another 112 this year.” Thus a worker in a smalb or out-of-date workshop may learn how his work will be done under up-to- date conditions and with the best machinery. (f) Work among Women and Youths.—Special arrange- ments are made for women and youths, and, in cases where no State school is yet available, children. The education of these women and youths of both sexes begins with questions of health hygiene and cleanliness in the home, and is continued by various stages to general and political questions. Both wom- en and men are encouraged to look upon illiteracy as a sign of inferiority. t fi (g) Young Pioneers.—Girls and boys over;the age of 12 and up to 17 years are organized in what are called Young Pioneer detachments. This movement, based.on that of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, seems in every way admirable. It has no militarist element but aims at creating aeivic conscience and class. consciousness on Collectivist lines». The ¢hildren brought np’under it might be considered by usyprecocious; but they - to be extremely happy, are well cared for, are care- ful Sf tnae persons and proud of their corps traditions. Their THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH TRADE UNION DELEGATION TO SOVIET RUSSIA the organization soon of a good Com- munist group here. The town is the Build the DAILY WORKER with subs. . Copyright in the United States by the International Publishers Co, All Rights Reserved. Copyright by the Trades Union Congress General Council in Great Britain. | Violent boss Abe would grow until a moral tone is high, and their influence among other school chil- dren is all for the good. This “Young Pioneer” movement is considered by the Communist Party to be of the greatest polit- ical importance. It was organized at the end of 1922 when 4,000 Salary, $12. til he advanced to’all of $16 per week. Hours? All hours, with the eleven hours from 9:30 a..m. to 8:30 p. m., during the slow season and no defi- nite hours during the holidays or Sat- urdays and no extra pay for over- time and Sundays. One of Sam's duties was bowing his head and taking “hell” silently from boss Abe and his family such as the wife and father-in-law when ever anything went wrong in the business. The less Sam was at fault the more common scold was a cooing dove by comparison. The thing that most provoked the wrath of his petty bourgeoisie social- ist soul was the fact of Sam’s being children were enrolled; by the end of 1923, over 200,000 had|a member of the Young Workers’ enlisted. On outgrowing the corps, both youths and girls can|League. And never did he miss a become Young Communists, and then Communist candidates, |chance to expose the young rebel be- and eventually, if found worthy, full-blown Communists. (h) Trade Union Press.—The Trade Union Press is of con- siderable importance, and its newspapers have a considerable influence among the workers. fore salesmen and fellow tradesmen. Of late he grew particularly obnoxious in his practice, as the struggle was sharpening between the needle trades The whole organization is run|unions and the “Forward” and Inter- by the workers themselves, although it stands apart from the|national machine. State Press. It is, however, bound by the same rules and regu- lations, and is under the authority of the Ministry of Education, | boo in the store. It deals mostly with industrial and local problems. Daily and weekly newspapers and journals are issued by the larger Provincial Trade Union Councils and by the Central Executive Committee. In all, there are 69 such newspapers, The DAILY WORKER became ta- Sam mustn’t bring ‘that Communist paper” into a social- ist store. Things become unbearable. Sam refused to be the butt of boss Abe's persecutions any longer and he just quit. With the result that the with an aggregate daily circulation of 1,267,000. Apart from| boss refuses to pay him his salary for these there are 33 monthly journals and 34 periodicals issued | the last week's labor. by the Central Executive trom time to'time. The above described is typical of The Trade Unions have lately established their own book- | ©nditions prevailing in most petty publishing departments in various centers. Books on the Trade |>¥siness. There the bosses are them- Union movement are published in Russian and in the languages of the Republics. One hundred and forty-two books of a total of over 1,000,000 copies have thus been published. selves often members of the 8. P. |and ruthlessly exploit and abuse their one or two employes. These workers are completely at the mercy of their Journalists for the Trade UnionPress are drawn from the| bosses, since there is no organiza- clubs on their contributions to the “Wall Papers,” mentioned in| tion, nor an attempt at any among the first section of the report. Thése ““Wall Papers” now num-| ‘hese lowly paid wage slaves. ber over 4,000. a (i) Higher ‘Educational Facilities and Art Classes.—B: means of special classes and lectures. If you want to see the Com- the minor Trade Union | ™unist movement grow—get a sub officials are trained for more responsible posts. There is a four | for the DAILY WORKER. months’ course of evening classes,and also a permanent course of two years to prepare students for the higher Trade Union courses at the Sverdlov State University. The Education Department of the. Trade Unions has lately acquired at the cost of 83,000 roubles many objects of art, such in as pictures, statues, etc., for their Club Art Schools, which pre- pare students for higher courses °at'the Universities or else- where. During 1923, 175,751 pupils were drafted into the higher courses at various universities, technical colleges and institu- tions. The percentage of industrial workers in these Trade Union clubs and their schools is 64; agricultural workers 28, and ap- prentices, 8. ~ In order to spread this movement among the agricultural | ,°64 | Your Union Meeting Third Thursday, August 20, 1925, Name of Local aha Place Allied Printing “Rrades. Co ie rinting Trades unell, 68 E. Van Buren St., 6:30 p.m.’ Clothing Workers, 408s, Halsted St. wut 227 Boiler Makers, 2040 W. North Ave, 98 Boot and Shoe, 1939 Milwaukee 14 Brick and Shermanvilte, Il. 186 Brick and ‘Glenview, me? 13 Carpente Ashiand Bivd. 62 Carpenters, 0416 S. sted St. 341 Carpenters, 1440 Em: St. 434 ba yn South Cl 1037 Mich. gan Ave. Carpenters, xs and Kedzie. W. North Ave. workers these clubs have now orgahized what are termed pa-| 180 Brae alse 431 S. Dearborn St, tronage committees. The club then becomes the patron of a} 134 Eick aaT eo? Osten Ava. certain district or village. FE #2478, Dante ‘Ave, Excursions are organized to visit the peasants; newspapers| *” 4, Enginamen, Sach and and books are sent to them and, where possible, a village club} 2 "gq. rs, South Chi, S701 E. organized, of which the members correspond with and visit the parent club when possible. By the beginning of 1924, 2,500 of these Trade Union clubs had been established in 62 out of 100 Provinces in the Union, of which 525 were central or regional clubs. The total mem- bership was over 1,000,000. General Conclusion The Delegation were much impressed by the position and| 371 activities of Trade Unions under the Soviet system. Being largely freed from their main function elsewhere of protecting 281 PI the workers against exploitation by the wealthy, and of pre- yenting the public service of the workers from being prejudiced for private profit, the Trade Unions have been able to engage pe in educating the workers as citizens and rulers. CHAPTER II Labor Regulation Conscription——Compulsory labor was introduced in the constitution of 1918, and was at first only partly enforced in practice. But the flight of the town workers to the villages from food scarcity in the towns and from recruiting for the “war fronts,” caused a general mobilization of labor in a decree of Jan. 29, 1920. Thereafter labor was for a short time con- scripted. The Commissariat of Labor distributed it without any more regard to individual capacity or wishes of the worker than if he were a soldier. Indeed, sections of the Army were used for production. These measures were cau by the cry- ing need of food, fuel and fighting men, but the results were very bad. The work of the Labor Army was largely wasted and their strength exhausted in useless enterprises. Great dis- ) tress and many deaths were caused by bad organization. In- deed, the absurdities and abuses of the experiment which have been exposed in Russian official publications were one of the main causes of the conflict with the peasantry and the intro- duction of the New Economic Policy a year later in March, 1921. The New Economic Policy soon effected a complete change in the conditions of labor. At the height of Communism in 1920 the worker was practically a conscript in an industrial army. He received his rations irrespective of his services. He was giv- en his job without respect to his own wishes or capabilities. He was not allowed to do anything else, and he did in/consequence as little as he could. Labor was a matter partly of nes, rtly of coercion. Now it is again as elsewhere a commodity | of which the valué is ruled by supply and demand and regiilated by social legislation. rad " 9 To be continued in next issue.) |”... id Si 60 Janitresses, City Hall, Hearing Room. 8 Li " Garment Workers, 828 W. Buren St. Ld net Workers,’ 1214 N. ve. 100 Garment Worke: w. 12 Wokers, 810 Wr Harrieas 233 rs, 119 S. Throop St. Van Buren St. Painters’ District Council, 1448 W. Adams St. Hall, Chicago Painters, Dutt’s 2 Piano and Organ Wkrs. 180 W. Washington. {Raltway)s Monroe and armen, 75th and Drexet iway Clerks, 8138 Commercial angers, 810 W. Tile Rooters, tad Mitwaateen- age, ployee, Masonic Temple, Stone Cutters, 180 W. Washington 742 Teamsters, 9206 H, Ave. 784 Teamaters’ (Dalry), 2208. Avhia olete 1". Weenie 0. rers, 180 W, Note—Uni méstings are at ap % oe ee SICK AND DEATH BENEFIT SOCIETIES Peauen:Wrenken-— ptareecunee Verein Meets every ist & 3rd Thursday, Wicker Park Hall, 2040 W. North Avenue. PITTSBURGH, PA. To those who work hard for thelr money, | will cave 50 per cent on all their dental work. DR. RASNICK DENTIS* 645 Smithfield Street. E, W. RIECK LUNCH ROOMS Six Places Hogan 118 S. Clark 169 N. Clark 66 W. Washington | 167 N. State 42 W. Harrison 234 8. Halsted PHONES, HARIMSON 8616-7 * Specialties: E. W. Kieck Boston Saked Beans and Brown B ; Fina Soups and Fresh Made Comimiceary and Bakery: 1612 Fulton ot. Phone West 2649 He started with $12 un-~