The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 22, 1925, Page 4

» SUPPORT BOB Page FOU > nang tar neem THE DAILY WORKER | sreen, Lacrosgef Bfotherhood of Loco- motive Firemen and Engineers; J. K. Murphy, Spoonef; lL. M. Maloney, Ste- vens Point Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and P. F. Zeimtec, Madison Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. A campaign organization has been formed with the men named chatr- man, vice chaifman, treasurer, and secretary, respectively. In a statement the officers of the railroad committee declared that La- | Follette Jr. was the best fitted to | carry on the work of his father. | R. R. UNIONS JR. IN WISC. Think He'll Save Taxes me to write a pai let on working women, I wrote i amphliet and he helped me with his) at vice, and when subsequently, he went abroad to pub- lish there the illegal) paper Iskra he took care that this pamphlet was also published. Whenever ithere was an opportunity to do) something which would help to awaken»the conscious- ness of working and peasant women Vladimir Ilyitch invariably lent a help- ing hand. Those who carried-on work among women; myself and Comrade Ines who gave up her life to the work among working and peasant women, Comrade Stahl and others always LENIN LABORED FOR FREEDOM OF WORKING WOMEN and you know that in the’ East they are even more backward and op- pressed than with us, Vladimir Ily- itch talked to these women, and then he discussed the matter with me. He sald: “Now that the lowest, the most oppressed of the oppressed have risen, everything is alright, there can be no more turning back,” Comrades begin to lead a conscioug life, study, reconstruct life in such a way that everyone may live com- fortably, Rally to the Red banner of Communism, FOREIGN EXCHANGE, Peking Government Invites Powers to Oct. 26 Confererice PEKING, Aug. 20.—Invitations to imperialist powers to attend a Chinese customs conference, beginning Oct. 26, were forwarded by the Peking govern- ment recently. Altho called in con- formity with the Washington confer- ence agreements, which contemplated merely an advance on the present flat tariff rate, China is expected to ask the powers to discuss the question of for Their Bosses! Worried for the Poor Railroads! | Activities The statement reviews the record | Sena . L, Lenroot and declares | of Senator I en By N. KRUPSKAYA.: went to Vladimir Ilyitch for advice, and we never went in vain, tariff autonomy on the grounds of a NEW YORK, Aug. 19.— Great Bri- tain, pound sterling, demand 4.85 7-16; widespread demand for it from all classes in China, MADISON, Wis., Aug. 20.—The Wis- consin railroad brotherhood endorsed the candidacy of Robert M. La Fol- lette Jr. to succeed his father in the United States senate at a meeting here and will be active in support of La Follette’s campaign, according to an announcement yesterday. The announcement came from R. F. that if there has been a tax reduction | by the federal government, railroads | | haven't noticed it. “Brothers, the eyes | of the nation will be on Wisconsin during the coming campaign. They are looking for us to continue to lead the way. We must not disappoint them. The progressive movement must go forward,” the statement declares. All his speeches and articles bear testimony to how much he was con- cerned with the liberation of working and peasant women,) with making them class conscious; and drawing them into constructive) work. There is anotherything I would like to tell you: There was a congress of Moslem working and peasant womén, MOSCOW—(By Mail) — Viadimir llyitch's mind was always occupied with the working and peasant women, trying to find ways and means of awakening their consciousness and of drawing them into the movement and into the various organizations. Whilst. still in Siberia he advised RUSSIA TODAY (Continued from Y esterday’s Daily Worker ) SYNOPSIS.—The official report of the British trade union delegation to Soviet Russia described the workings of foreign trade, transportation, industry, finance and agriculture in the Soviet Union. The trade union leaders concluded that foreign trade is increasing, and that in agriculture and industry the level of production is being raised. The finances have been placed on a sound basis, the report showed. Harm is being done to Eng- land by the absence of full diplomatic relations, the union leaders stated. Schools and universities, and literature, music and opera and the theatre were then discussed. Art collections, censorship, newspapers, wall news- papers, and freedom of the press were explained, with the conclusion that “the results of education are astounding.” The report then took up hospitals, welfare work, sanitation, birth control, abortion, cleanliness and housing, rent regulations, family life, and prisons. “The Soviet government is achieving most remarkable results in respect to public health, housing, and the prison system,” says the report. Regarding-the trade unions and labor conditions, the report states, “The Delegation were much impressed by the position and activities of Trade Unions under the Soviet system.” e * > Free Contract.—The first modification was transforming the conscription of the peasants’ labor, into a corvee; and this tax in labor became within a year u tax in money. At the same time the restoration of private employers and the reorganiza- tion of State enterprises on a business basis made compulsory labor impossible and free agreement inevitable. A decree of November 3rd, 1921, therefore, abolished extra compulsory labor in all State enterprises. But compulsion in:principle was main- teined largely from fear of a general flight from Government in.to private employment; and it was applied by the Commissa- riat of Labor so as to favor Government enterprises in their first competition with the private employer, The Trade Unions, howeyer, were determined to secure complete freedom of con- tract and the Fifth Congress, September, 1922, finally ratified “it. The Labor Code of November, 1922; ‘restricted compulsory labor to “occasions of, general crisis’—thus preserving it in . principle while abolishing it in practice. Thereafter, employment has been based on free contract subject to regulations of the usual character and the collective vr local agreement, ifany. This “voluntary agreement” (vy. par. 2 of Code) is to be effected through Emptoyment Exchanges. But so many exceptions are scheduled, that there is practically nothing to prevent a direct engagement; which must, however, be registered. The employer has, subject to the agreement, the right of discharge in the event of:— (a) Complete or partial closing down; (b) Completion of the work or of the period of engage- ment. (c) Absence from work or obvious incapacity. 3ut at least 2 fortnight’s notice of discharge js required, and the employe may appeal to the Jocal Department of Labor. Restoration of Wages The demobilization of War Corm:aunis:n under the New Eco- nomic Policy brought a gradual return to money wages. The restoration of an economic system based on money and free trade in food, made wage-rations no longer nec y. But as the industries could not support their employes, a whole series of systems for subsidizing their wage funds were tried in rapid succession. These systems, costly as they were in a time of depreciati y, served to tide over the difficult transition of demobilizing the worker and making him again dependent on what he himself carned. : ; The Fourth All-Russian Congress of Trade Unions in May, 1921, recommended that wages should again be based on col- lective agreements. . Collective Agreemonts The conclusion of collective agreements began in about April, 1922, and grew, so rapidly that the State had difficulty in fitting them into its socialist system. {t was, however, decided by the Fifth Congress of Trade Unions against the opinion of the Supreme Economic Council of Péople’s Commissaries that these agremeents should not be compulsory, as that would amount to a return*to State regulation of wages. Thus the at- ternpt of the Voronej Trade Union organizations to force an agreement ov private enterprises was stopped by Moscow. Agreements are defined as “free agreements between Trade Unions and employers for defining the contents of subsequent individual contracts of engagement.” A model agreement of 49 clauses has been drawn up by the All-Russian Council of Trade Unions and this, combined with the Labor Code, and other legislation, has reduced agreements in size from the 200 to 300 clauses they ran to at first. It has also reduced the number of disputes. The agreement can be general or local. The central authocities favored general agreements because they meant higher wages. After a controversy, it was resolved that general agreements before conclusion should be submitted to local criticism, and should in no case exclude local ogrevment. Only the Trade Union has power to conclude them on belalf of the workers, and the Joint Conciliation Committees have now no such power. There have been complaints that agreements are too often made without any reference to the workers. They are applicable to all employes, whether union- ists or not; which is opposed in principle to French and Gerrian legislation, and not always observed in’ Russian practice, Thus ot 300 collective agreements in the Ukraine only 161 were so applicable—-and 59 were specifically restrictéd to unionists, O1h- er agreements which provided priority of employment for un- ionists, or their substitution for non-unionists, or attributed administrative functions to the Joint Congiljation Committee ~ have been disallowed by the All-Russian Council of Trade Ur. ions as an interference with the management not in the gencral terests of the workers or the industry. The Council has topped attempts of the local authorities, asin Yaroslav pid ‘ © UNION Thru ‘Gotirtesy of the International Pub- fishers Co. eahameratieesiin.s: and Nijny-Novgorod, to assert their right to ratify and revise agreements. ; The Trade Unions have worked hard for thé ¢onclusion of collective agreements and on an avetage, aljout $2‘ per cent. of union members now work under such agreements—in the case of transport workers, as many as 98 per cent. Even farm work- ers are now being brought under them. Agreements must be registered with the Commissariat of Labor, which can refuse to register provisions contrary to the Labor Code and other legis- lation; though it is still in dispute whether unregistered provi- sions can be enforced. The duration of an agreement is fixed by the Comniissariat of Labor and-the All-Russian Council of Trade Unions. Breach of Agreements Under the Labor Code, the Trade Unions are not pecuniar- ily responsible for breaches of agreement. But under regula- tions of the Commissariat of Labor, employing enterprises are so liable; and it is to be noted that the economic;hasis of these agreements is somewhat different from that of similar agrev- ments elsewhere. In capitalist countries they are.the result of a conflict between the economic power at the moment of, Capi- tal on one side and Labor on the other. In Russia they are an agreement between the Trade Union and the Statesas to how much of the profits can be distributed as a dividend to the worker Owner and how much must go to reservé and re-equip- ment, etc. 16% Disputes |". on Under, “War Communism” and Labor Conséfiption, there could be no disputes either as to the rates of wages or condi- tions of work. The Trade Unions’ functions in this respect be- came, theoretically, merely disciplinary; though their informal conciliation committees did as a matter of fact, settle disputes by negotiation. But as everything came to be done,wunder agree- ments, something had to be done about disageemenfs, The Trade Union could no longer be both party and judge. Sein January, 1922, Conciliation Committees representing equally employers and employed were set up to deal only with. disputes within the factory. and Arbitration Courts. There has been and. still is much con- flict and ‘confusion between the powers of these.Courts and those of the Conciliation Committees of the Trade Union and their superior organs the Committees of the Commissariat of Labor, The Trade Unions fought hard for theirright to settle disputes in defiance of resolutions of the Fifth Trade Uniéu Congress (September, 1922), and the Labor Cod®@ (November, 1922). But the Government none the less finally’abolished the disputes.committees of the Commissariat of Lahérand set up Labor Courts for disputes on individual agreements.’ Neverthe- less the'unions still encroach on the Courts. The’ réport to the Sixth Cotigress plaintively reproaches the unidtis—especially the tanners and chemists for such proceedings. " Indeed, eveu ’ 19° apart from such encroachments the work of the “unions in set-. tling disputes by negotiation seems to be increasing. Thus 75 per cent. of the industrial disputes in 1923 were settled amicably by the unions; the remainder going to the Courts or Concilia- tion Chambers. ‘ The new Labor Code divides disputes into legal and indus- trial—that is, into individual disputes arising from contracts and general disputes arising from collective greements. Indi- vidual disputes in private enterprises go before the Labor Courts. In these disputes during 1923 central awards were given cent. they were in the workers’ favor. Local awards decided against 15 per cent. of the workers involved, compromised for 40 per cent. and favored wholly 45 per cent. Disputes dimin- ished in 1923 and again in 1924. Disputes were gaused in pro- portion of 56.2 per cent by differences in negotiations or revision of collective agreements. Interpretation and application of the agreements caused 16.6 per cent. While 25.2 pen cent., involv- ing only 4.9 per cent. of the workers, were caused by differences outside the agreements. Three-quarters of those disputes were concerned with rates of wages and regulation of payment. t Strikes i The right to strike under an industrial sygtem based on private capital is a constant protection against {he exploitation of the worker by the wealthy. The right to strike,is maintained against only 15 per cent of the 1,500,000 workers involved; in the case of 70 per cent. they were compromises, and in 15 per in Russia. But since all industry is either conducted or closely controlled by the community the strike has chifigei its func- tion. ‘The worker enjoys all profits from theJindastry after proper provision for re-equipment, reserves, etc... H¢ no longer strikes to protect himself or the community from ¢xploitation by private intcrests, but only as a protest agains ninistrative mismanagement or mal-practice, such as delay, in wage pay- ments, ete. “ (a) In State Enterprises.—The official and atUitude to strikes is that under a Soviet system sttikes sheubl not. be a normal procedure in State enterprises. They shoul! only be sanctioned in clear cases of abuse of authority aud should aim at its correction. Consequently there were during 1923 only 11 strikes involving 1,026 workers in Government e:.- terprises-—and these small ones. Strikes ¢ In 1025, ar compared with 1922, by 12 per cent. in nunbe yi14 per cent. in workers involved and by 380 per cent oe duratioa, These strikes were mainly due to de Partrents, Strikes seem with growing frequency to against the policy of the unions. (b) In Private Factories.— The policy with reratl to strikes in private establishments. as labl own bythe Fitth Coe. gress of Trade Unions, was that they were netyt) be tae oon stantly resorted to, and the unions scem on they hole to heave been moderate. When there has been a strike ithas generaty been on a dispute arising about an arbitral awards! Such strikes in private enterprises increased in 1928 to 185) volving 5,200 workers, from, 29. involving 4,800 in.1922, Thi tion also i hii, poimeleMeans's a cable, 4.85 15-16; France, franc, de- mand 4.69%; cable, 4.70; Belgium, franc, demand 4.574%; cable, 4.58; Italy, lira, demand, 3.6244; cable, 3.65; Sweden, krone, demand 26.86; cable, 26.89; Norway, krone, demand 18.60; 8.62; Denmark, krone, demand ; cable, 23,02; Germany, mark, BATTLE CREBK, Mich., Aug. 20.— Attorney Joseph L. Hooper, republi- can, was elected congressman from the Third district yesterday by 6,641 majority, it was known today. He suc- ceeds the late U. 8S. Representative coo THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH TRADE This was followed in July by, Congiliation Chambers’ no quote; Shanghai, tael, 79.25. Arthur B, Williams. DELEGATION TO SOVIET RUSSIA Copyright in the United States by. the International Publishers Co, All Rights Reserved. Copyright by the Trades Union Congress General Council In Great Britain. increased by 40 per cent. ‘They were in proportion of 64 per cent. not about wages but ‘about conditions of work, and they were settled in proportion of 76 per cent. wholly and of 11 per cent. partly in favor of the workers. (c) Labor Exchanges.—The return to free contract inade it necessary to convert the Sections for Distribution of Labor into Employment Iixchanges of the usual type. And im 1922 the unions got the management of the Exchanges reorganized as Joint Committees representing the Commissariat of Labor, the Trade Unions, and the economic authorities. The Chair- min of the Joint Committee is appointed by the local Labor Department, and there are three members representing respec- tively the Provincial Economic Council, Agricultural Depart- meut, and Transport Department, and three nominees of the Provincial Inter-Trade Union Council. The decisions of the Committee can be repealed by the local Labor Department sub- ject to appeal to Moscow: ‘When unemployment in any industry reaches a'certain figure, special technical sections .are set up by the unions for dealing with it. These technical sections work- ing with their union often succeed in ousting the Employment Exchange. hay SF et Unemployed over 16 years, whether with other means of support or no, must -besregistered; those seeking.a change of employment may be. °Sklilel workers must give proof of their capacity. An employe 'secking work is consulted when assigned to a job, and only at times of acute uneniployment is he given other work than his own.’ He must report for registration monthly, and failure to do so entails removal froin the. register, with loss of relief or relegation to the bottom of the list.. Theo- retically, all engagements were to be made through the Ex- change, but from the, beyinning the right of the employer to reject the worker offered him was recognized. The Exchanges proved, however, to be incapable’ of dealing with the rapid increase’of unemployment that followed the de- mobilization of labor.’*By 1922 unemployment was serious, and its average duration two to four months. By 1923 this had ex- tended to eight months. The registers were as much as half- filled with applicants for work in which they were not qualified; who had registered for the sake of getting the benefits belong- ing to workers. The real workers failed to get placed. The practice grew up of.direct engagement subject to formal rati- fication by the Exchange, which also gave rise to many abuses. Mlegal exchanges also sprang up. By the spring of 1923 there was a strong movement for making engagements through the Exchange voluntary;“and by the regulations of August 13th, 1923, direct engagement is recognized and need only be regis- tered. Meantime, the work of the Exchanges is still disorgan- ized by the difficulty ‘of reconciling the right, in principle, of the employed to work with the right, in practice, of the em- ployer to refuse it. Unemployment Unemployment began in the autumn of 1922, with the de- mobilization of the overgrown officialdom of War Communism, and grew with the dismissal from the industrial payroll of a whole population of what were practically State pensioners. To these have been added the victims of the “axe” in educational and other economies; these representing in 1922 nearly 70 per -cent. of the total. As these unemployed were for the most part non-proletarian, their plight did not at first cause undue dis- quiet; and as elsewhere, these unfortunates seem by now to have been somehow absorbed. But their numbers went to swell the registers of the Employment Exchanges, from which in the AUTOMOBILE BARONS GET BIG PROFIT Take from 26 to 266 Per Cent Velvet By LELAND OLDS, ' q Federated Press, A profit of $7,292,443 turned ove to the millionaire owners of the Nast Motors Co. in the first half of 1925 calls attention to the fact that the Fords are not the only employers to find a bonanza in the scientific speed- ing up of auto workers. Financial pa- pers figure this as a return of $24.79 a share. But analysis of Nash finan- cial history shows that the owners are taking at least 266 per cent return on their investment. 2 For an original investment of $100 the owners received one share each of preferred and common stock. Then in 1922 the company used some of its excess profits. to buy back the pre- course of the following year repeated efforts were made to get vid of them as unemployables. Some success in this probably partly accounts for the recent decrease in figures of unemploy- ment of brain workers. The increase in unemployment of un- skilled workers can partly be accounted for by their return to the towns now that War Communism and food scarcity are safely over. Even so, only 54 per cent. of the workers in indus- trial employ before the war have been re-employed as yet; the remainder being unemployed or having returned to the land. The total unemployment figures for 84 towns and 21° counties was on December Ast, 1923, 1,042,000, and on April 1st, 1924, 1,869,000. ’ The percentage of Trade Unionists unemployed rose from $.6 per cent on October Ist, 1923, to 11.7 per cent on January ist, 1924—a seasonal increase. It was as hy as 24 per cent among teachers. This is partly accounted for by the middle class, especially women, having Wooded the teaching profession, to obtain rations under War Communism, partly by economies in education. The proportion of Trade Unionists is 41 per cent; which is also the proportion of the total taken by the unem- ployed of Moscow and Leningrad. ut The percentage of total unemployment taken by women is very high—-no less than 40 per cent. The entage of women employed to the total employment has fallen from over half in 1922 to nearly a quarter in 1924, In view Of its results in in- creasing prostitution, special steps are being taken to restore wonien to employment. Unemployment Remedies The way of dealing: with the evils of uncayployment is very like our own. The same sort of program of public works (in- cluding general electrification) hampered in the sam Ney by the necessity of economy. The 1924 appropriation amounted to ie” roubles and 1,500,000 worker-days employment were ven. i Public works for relief of unemployment were mutt in hand, but these enterprises were on no very large scale, and had no very great effect. About 5 per cent to 7 per cent of the unem- ployed were thus relieved. "Ue Wh lie sogas FO. be continued in next issue.) ferred stock at $110. The original in- vestors thus got. their holdings in common stock for $10 less than noth- ing. The company then proceeded to give three shares of 7 per cent pre- ferred stock and 5 shares of common stock for each original share of com- mon. Thus an original investment of $100, later more than repaid, was transformed into 3 shares of pre- ferred each entitled to $3.50 half year’s dividends and 5 shares of common with half year’s profits of $24.79 a share, The owners now have an invest- ment with market value over $2,500 for each share of common stock ori- ginally received as a purchasers bonus to preferred stock. ae | General Motors, the big Morgan-Du- Dont auto combine, repurts a 6 month profit of $46,460,274. This exceeds the profits of the entire year of 1924. It means $42,460,274 for the common stockholders or about $9 a share on the no-par stock. As this stock has a book value of $50 a share the half year’s profit.is at an annual rate of 33 364 cent. General Motors has accumulated $108,889,000 in undivided profits. It holds in its treasury $139,375,062 in cash and securities, a gain of more than $100,000,000 since last year, ‘ s*# Record-breaking profits are report- ed by Dodge Brothers, the auto con- cern recently purchased by Dillon, Read and Co., leading Wall Street fi- nanciers. In 6 months it produced $16,487,891 for its owners. This means about $9,480,000 for the holders of common stock which was all issued as a bonus to the owners. Dillon, Read and their. associates kept 1,150,000 shares of this common stock. Consequently their 6 month profit will be over $5,400,000. Added to the $14,000,000 in cash which they lifted from the treasury before reor- ganizing the company and the profit trom selling to the public at $159,250,- 000 property for which they paid $146, 000,000 this ought to make the had year fairly satisfactory. dee Se Studebaker Corporation with a half year’s profit of $10,122,048 also be longs in the group. This profit mea's a gain of 33 per cent over last year. It represents a profit of $5.24 a share or 13 per-cent on common stock worth about $40. This is at an anuual rate of 26 per cent. Taken together these four automo- bile companies had combined profits of more than $80,000,000 for the 6- month period. F Railway Clerks Want Reward for Bandits Applied to Bankers CINCINNATI—(FP) — Commenting ~ on the offer of Chicago bankers of a 32,500 reward to their employes or police if they kill bank bandits (only 71,000 if the’ bandit is arrested and vonvicted), The Railway Clerk, offi- cial organ of its brotherhood, says: “How much greater would be the opportunity of annexing one of these $2,500 prizes if clerks and cops were paid for the killing of bank presidents or other inside operators in the act of getting away with the funds. 4 “In 1924 more than $7,000,000 was stolen from banks in the United States by bank officials and employes—inside workers. In the same period less than $2,000,000 was tolen in cash and se- curities from the United States banks by outside robbers, “To give the emplbyes a fair chance to make a little extra change, and for the protection of depositors, the re- ward ought to be paid for each officer bagged.” (We doubt that The Railway Clerk had Vice.Pres, Dawes in mind.—Ed.) i tee PITTSBURGH, PA, To those who work hard for thelr money, | will cave 60 per cent on all their dental work, DR. RASNICK © OENTIS, — 645 Smithfield Street. | | | Ve