The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 25, 1925, Page 1

Se G sant APE ce cette 2 pg we % = f NEW YORK EDITION pe atin YW { The DAILY WORKER Raises the Standard for a Workers’ and Farmers’ Government 25 }) hscription Rates: Suisiae Ghicneo, by tat, 96.00 pe ey itside Chicago, by mail, $6.00 per year. » a ROSSES TRY |Three More INSUCCESSHuc’ "5 DISCHARGE | Murdered Governn: PARADERS; STRIKcS GRIP SHOPS (Special to The Daily Worker) it NEW YORK CITY, August 23—As a result of Thursday’s stoppage of 35,000 workers in the cloak arfd dress Indie y in this city, about 40 shops discharged individual workers on Friday morning and all the other workers in the shops came out in Office at Chicago, Ilinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879. —a™ by THE DAILY WORKER farhington Bivd., Chicago, IL Vol. Il. No. 1 Published Daily except Sund: PUBLISHING CO., 1113 W. FOURTH CONVENTION OF WORKERS PARTY MEETS; ELECTS WILLIAM . FOSTER TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN The Fourth Convention of the Workers (Communist) Party | of America opened preliminary session Friday evening, August » > 21, at 7 p. m., seating all delegates, both contested and uncon- tested, as a provisional body. Altogether these numbered 63, the 12 regional districts and the agri- Price 3 Cents : Se ee apa ER Tae UA i Lien Amgr€ protest. ployers, of this stoppage to According to the Joint Committee of Action, the em- with the approval of the Joint Board, took advantage discharge soms of their higher paid workers and planned to replace them with new and lower paid people. However, 15 of these shops have already reinstated their workers and it is believed that most of the others will be adjusted by Monday night. workers a strike will be declared In those shops refusing to take back their } but little difficulty is anticipated by the Joint Committee of Action because the stoppage has —_____—_——t effectively. demonstrated that AS WE SEE IT By T. J, O'FLAHERTY. NE of the happiest men in the state of Mlinois is assistant State’s Prosecutor William McSwig- gen of Cook county. He has secured three hanging verdicts and his vic- tims are waiting for the noose in the county jail, McSwiggen is being con- gratulated by the most bloodthirsty section of the legal fraternity and by the capitalist press. It is reported that every time one of his assistants gets a hanging verdict, Robert E. Crowe does not sleep for a week with envy. ** * fey latest unfortunate to face the noose in Chicago is a moron by the name of Costello. He committed an atrocious crime but not any more so than other crimes for which the culprits went scott free. The reason Costello is on his way to the gallows is because he has no money and friends to raise the dough. If he had money, high priced alienists would be willing to testify that he was insane and lawyers would ransack criminal history for loop holes, Yet, we are all equal before the law! Bunk. 7.7, * eo a MINISTER CAILLAUX of France intends to come to the United States to negotiate over the wel Indebtedness. ‘This is interest- ing. For one thing, it proves that the capitalists don’t take their ful- minations against each other very seriously. Caillaux was branded in the columns of every paper in this country as a traitor when Clemenceau then war premier of France, was toot- ed as a hero, Now, Caillaux has some uses to which Wall Street can ‘put him, so he is welcome. Clemenceau is not even emitting a grunt. NE of our readers believes there is a difference between Sidney Hillman, “B, and O. Bill” Johnston and George L, Berry. There is, but it is one of degree. Berry is a burg- lar, along with being a scab. The other two are more polished. John- ston beat a drum in thé Salvation army, and still rolls his eyes to heaven when addressing an audience. iven when he is expelling an oppon- ent or stealing an election he looks as solemn as if he were inviting a sin- ner to hit the sawdust trail. * IDNEY HILLMAN has more brains than either Johnston or Berry. He ‘uses a few stereotyped phrases about the class struggle to cover up his company union policy. His former friendship for Soviet Russia still blinds many workers to his present treachery to the working class move- ment, Hillman and Johnston differ from Berry in much the same way that “Yellow. Kid” Weil differs from Tony Kissane or Johnny Torrio, the latter is more crude. All those leaders have turned their backs on the workers. ‘They are turning the unions into aux- illiaries of capitalism, .Of the two kinds of leaders the Hillmans and Johnstons are the more dangerous, eee HE socialist city of Vienna was not able to protect the delegates to the Zionist convention from the fury of the fascist hordes. If the congress swas held in Moscow instead of in Vienna, there would be no fascisti to disturb the peace. Despite the pre- judice of the socialists against the tse of force on the part of the work- ers, this does not prevent force from being uyvd. Even John Wheatley, wembe. of the British Labor Party (Continued on page 2) this group has the power to tie up the entire industry if it should decide to do so. Hyman Estimates 35,000 Out. “There can be no further question that we have the vast majority of the membership of our union with us in our fight against the corrupt officials,” Lovis Hyman, chairman of the Joint Committee of Action, said today. “President Sigman says that 10,900 members answered our call and stopped work. Such a statement is ridiculous. No one can issue any ab- solute figures for there was no actual count. “Originally we engaged halls to ac- commodate 20,000 people. These were filled to capacity, others were hired and also crowded, and many workers never got into any meeting at all. According to the reports we have re- ceiyed today from ali sources, we estimate at least 35,000 stopped work. ‘ “For the purpose of minimizing whatever figures we might give out: in this connectiof, President Sigman has for several days been talking of the 70,000 or 80,000 cloak and dress- makers in this city. The truth is there are only about 50,000 affiliated wi the New York joint board, and this included the workers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Brownsville, Jersey and suburbs of New. York. Whenever the expenses of ‘the joint board are. are apportioned—and they are always| - LOE OE bae oka bale the official membership is 50,000. “President Sigman’s further state- ment that we have 25,000 unemployed) in our union today would mean that one-half of the members are out work. How could this be possible this time which is considered the of the fall season in our industry Even in slack seasons we never hav such a percentage of unemployment as anyone connected with the ind try knows well. “All these misleading figures are issued in an effort to prove that the joint board still has the allegiance of the members of our union; but Presi- dent Sigman realizes, just as well as we do, that the majority of the work- ers are strongly supporting the Joint Committee of Action and stand with them in all their demands.” General Strike Move of Building Unions “ Wins Laborers Raise NEW HAVEN, Conn,, Aug. 23— (FP)—The general building trades strike called in sympathy with strik- ing building laborers and hodcarriers has led a total of 28 building trades’ employers now to sign agreements MLABOR DEFENSE calling off the strike. The fight con- tinues against die-hard bosses. The new agreement give: ers and hodcarriers 674% cents an hour, an advance of 2% cents, instead of the 75 cents per hour for which they went out. A further readjustmen; is sched+ uled for the end of the year, to be determined by coy erences. The new scale will pay o #r building trades- men as follows. Carpenters, $1 an hour; fronworkers, $1.25; electricians, $1; plumbers and steamfitters, $1.06; painters and engineers, $1.25; sheet metal workers, $1,06%; slate and tile roofers, $1.26; building laborers, plas- terers’ helpers, 67% cents; wood, wire and metal lathers, $6.50 per thousand or a straight hourly rate of $1.25. CHICOPEE, Mass.—(FP)—Dwight Manufacturing ‘Co., cotton goods, ts closing its mill for a few weeks to reorganize its machinery, leaving 400 workers unemployed. SEAMEN’S STRIKE SPREADS FROM AUSTRALIAN PORTS TO LONDON LONDON, Aug, 23.—An unofficial strike among British seamen which is holding up fifty ships in Australian ports is preading to London where 100 strikers are holding four liners in the dokes, No Atlantic liners have been affected thus far. The striking seamen are protesting against a of $5, effective August 1, which officials of the have accepted. monthly decrease In w: | to go to work, men’s Union are sald to fictats called a special meeting of The three Communists that were court-martialed and against this brutal murder and other crimes committed by the white guard government of Poland is being a The national convention of the resolution condemning the murderers and calling upon the workers of this country to protest. ranged in Chicago. DEPORT FEDERATED PRESS WRITER FROM ENGLAND 10 FRANCE The Federated Press, which,pro- tested to Secretary of State Kellogg against the deportation of its for- eign correspondent, Gertrude Haess- ler, from England, learns that the American embassy in London is making inquiries of the British gov- ernment. The correspondent had traveled round the world without governmental interference until she set foot last month on English soil. She was immediately hustled back Prahes-witndir exptanation: RNATIONAL to ‘TO AID MINERS Zeigler Coal Diggers Frame-up Victims | serie: After hearing a report of a special investigator sent to Zeigler, Ill, to eamine the facts surrounding the ar- rest of eighteen union miners for al- leged conspiracy to murder D. B. Cobb sub-district vice-president of the United Mine Workers, International Defense has decided to aid in the de- fense of the miners, and will launch a national campaign by making it a central feature at the m meeting and conference to be staged. in. all parts of the country on Labor Defense Day, Sunday, Sept. 13th. The outstanding events of the Zeig- ler mine controversy are the refusal of the men to return to work, the murder of a miner, Mike Sarovich, and finally the swearing of twenty- six warrants by Vice-President Cobb, eighteen of which have been served on members of Mine Workers’ Local 992, Zeigler. The immediate cause of the present controversy was a dispute over the weighing of coal that came to a head several weeks ago. The company re- fused to allow the union checkweigh- man to have an assistant. The cars were run over the scales so rapidly it was imposible for one man to reg- ord the weights. The checkweigh- mani reported to the president,7* ue Local, Henry Corbishley, that he could not’weigh the coal, The president no- tified the men they had no check- weighman, The men came out of the mine. The sub-district officials were called in to adjust matters. D. B. Cobb, the vice-president, directed the taking of evidence. After more than 100 men had testified out of which only four gave e& “dence favoring the company, Copb agr. ‘1 to enforce the company’s demand for the renewal of the presi- dent, vice-president, pit committee and checkweighman of Local 992. This caused much resentment among the miners and they refused The sub-district of- (Continued on page 2) j Wo rs (Communist) day condemned» to death Viadisiaw Gibner, Henry Kniewski and Henry Rutkovski, members of the Commun- ist Party of Poland. These workers were following the chief of agents provocateurs, Cech- nowski, to trace spies in the ranks of the party under Cechnowski’s direc- tion... While they were so engaged they were attacked | upon one of the main streets of Warsaw in broad day- light by police and white guards who drew guns and began to fire upon hem. Shots were exchanged and fifteen police and spies were either killed or wounded, while the three Communists were wounded and put under arrest. They then began to torture these wounded men. Finally they were dragged before the court martial, more dead than alive, and sentenced to death. But | Cechnowsk in Another attack on the Communists in Lemberg was killed by one of them named Botwin. The Communist parties of Germany and France telegraphed protests to the Grabski white guard government demanding that the lives of Comrades Hibner, Kniewski and Rutkowski be spared from the fangs of the Polish white terror which has gripped Po- land in its bloody fangs for many years. The whole labor movement of Po- land, even suppressed as’ it is under the white terror, Communist and non- Communist alike, have sworn a war to the death against the white guard spies and provacteurs in the ranks of labor, and on the bloody white guard government. MACHINISTS IN PROTEST AGAINST EXPULSION EDICT “B. & O. Bill” Wants to Oust Communists Local 199 of the International As- sociation of Machinists at its last reg- ular meeting, held Thursday night, voted unanimously to protest against a ruling made by “B. and O, Bill” Johnston, that all members of the unions who are also members of the {Workers (Communist) Party, the Young Workers League or the Trade Union Educational League must sever their connections with those organiza- tions by October 15, or else stand ex- pelled from the I. A, M ‘The resolution demanded that the ruling be reconsidered, 1) days for $30. Party, in sesion in Chicago, passed 4 SEWER CLEANERS LOSE STRIKE, MUST WORK FIVE DAYS FOR $30 The Chicago sewer cleaners, or- ganized in the Tunnel and Subway Constructors International Union, are back at work after one week on strike against a layoff of one day in si The layoff was insti- tuted by the city because the ap- propriation did not permit the fur- ther payment of the $36 weekly wage. The strike was unsuccessful and the men are now working five altho repregaeee from cultural ani of 54 accredited delegates. Chairman Foster then opened the se! delegates and visitors to rise and sing the norganized territories, provides for a maximum sion with a call for the ‘Internationale,” which was done with all present joining in this spirited song of the workers of the world. The whole provisional delegates participated in the election of a com- mittee of five, and provisional officers, chairman and secretary. William Z ster received 40 votes, C. EB. Ruth- ehberg received 23 votes for chaifman. For secretary, Rudolph Baker received 440 votes, W. W. Weinstone réceived 23 votes. Upon a motion to elect a credential /}committee of five, six nominees were entered, being elected by individual vote. Martintebern received 39, votes; Alexande: elman, ley, 38; C. EL Ballam, frve were elected. Miner Speaks on Zeigler. | A delegate from the southern: Mli- nois coal mining region was unéni- mously granted the floor to explain the recent attack made upon the min- ers of Zeigler, Ill, by the combined forces of the corrupt Farrington ma- chine of the "United Sfine Workers of America and the ku klux klan, is which Lon Fox and D. B. Cobb, sub- district satraps of Farrington, had ille- gally deposed the local union officers and tried to drive the miners back to work after they had ceased—at first because there was no checkweighman to watch their interests, and second, in spontaneous protest against the ar- bitrary removal of their local officers. During the local union meeting, to which Fox and Cobb had come guard- ed by armed K. K. K,, the klansmen began a fight. One Alex Hargis had fired a shot which mortally wounded Mike Sarovich, a rank and file-*hiner BRITAIN NEETS SHIPPING BAN WITH CAUTION Complete Isolation May Ruin Trade (Special to The Daily Worker) LONDON, Aug. 23.—Caution con- tinues to be the policy of the foreign office regarding the order issued by the South China government at Can- ton excluding British ships from Chi- nese ports. Downing Street is marking time pending further reports from the Brit- ish consul general at Canton and re- plies from the Canton and Peking gov- ernments to representations already made protesting against the closing of the ports to British ships. At Last Impressed. The revival of the spirit of nation- alism in China with its many mani- festations of potential strength during the past three months or so has con-| vinced the authorities here that they must deal with China on a somewhat more conciliatory basis than has been the case, especially during the last quarter of a century. The recognition of the new spirit in | China is reflected in the caution urged | by the non-jingo press, which empha- | sizes the importance of cool-headed- ness in the face of the proyoking dis- crimination against British shipping, which is rapidly running into losses which can only be computed in -hun- dreds of thousands“of pounds. Learning Caution. | The cutting off of British trade at Hongkong, one of the world’s greatest. transshipment centers, from all con- tact with Canton thru British ships is described by the Times as “only too distressing,” and altho the discrimt- natory order is attributed solely to “red” influences at Canton the Times editorial stresses the fact that this is another reason why “this challenge must be countered warily.” Officials at the foreign office today were frankly skeptical that any. re- dress would come from Canton as a result of the British protest against pep miata and my of the Workers Party of Comrade “Sarovich,\, whose loyal and active services to. thé~work- ers will be long remembered, died on Saturday night, Aug. 15. The meeting at which the worker was shot was held on Aug. 11. Lon Fox, sub-district official, had at the meeting tried to use a blackjack upon the members of the union. Bitter Fight Expected. Since then, Fox had sworn out war- rants.for 26 miners, members or offi- cials of the Zeigler local, charging “conspiracy to murder.” Bond has been furnished by those arrested and a bitter fight is expected to save these miners from persecution by the united forces of the corrupt union machine of Farrington, the klan and Len Small’s state governmental machine. Upon motion from the floor the meeting rose and. stood silent one minute’ in memory of the dead com- rade, Mike Sarovich of Zeigler, Ill. Following this, a collection was taken up in the hall by the International Labor Defense for aid in the defense of the Zeigler miners now arrested. The total cash collected was $129 and in addition the delegates by unan- imous vote donated a day’s pay each— which will total about $300 more. Chairman Foster announced that the next session would begin on Saturday at 11 a. m. and, the meeting was ad- journed. The last or third convention was held in Chicago in the early days of January, 1924, at which the present Central Executive Committee was elected. The first two conyentions of the party were held in New York City, (Continued on page 2) on the other plants, the exclusion of English shipping. 24; Ben Lifshitz, 23. The first} NEWSPAPER ROW PRESSMEN EAT UP DAILY WORKER BERRY ESPOSE; HOPE CHICAGO LOCALS WILL WIN (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK CITY, Aug. 23.—-The DAILY WORK its appearance in “Newspaper Row” in this city. copies of the DAILY WORKER have been distributed free to the pressmen employed by the Evening Journal and The World. Tonight starts the drive (UNIONS RALLIED TO TE CAN TO ‘MAJAR BERRY Lovernment and Bosses Saved His Neck This is the seventh of a series of articles exposing the crooked garéer of George L. Berry, president of the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants’ Union. This article deais with Berry’s looting of the old-age pension fund and the war emergency assessment to start industrial -enter- prises, alleged to be the property of the international union, but which fare really in his own name. s+ On April 12, 1919, Chicago Printing Pressmen N secured an injunction restraining “Majah” Berry from col- lecting the one day's pay and 25-cent assessment. No other local in the country, however, was protected by this order from the burglar's atten- tions, At ‘the Chicago conference of local unions miany delegates gave the re- sult of their investigation into the activities of Berry and his board of directors and particularly of the finan- cial status ofthe Presssien’s Home, The investigation showed that Clinchfield Mercantile Company, the Clinchfield Hydro-Blectrie Company and the Clinchfield Land- Lumber Com- pany were private enterprises, all in- corporated under the names of Berry, Orr and their wives in the state of Tennessee. Conference Decided to Act. Owing to the. debts incurred by Berry and his pals in the name of the international union, debts contracted for the several enterprises which Ber- ry started with union funds, there was a likelihood that.a general creditors’ bill would be filed against the organi- zation. This prompted the conference to act promptly. The following resolution, which is an effective reply to the charge that the conference was called for the pur- pose of disrupting the union was assed unanimously: “Whereas there has been for some time past a dangerous tendency on the part of the board of directors to the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants’ Union to exceed the authority vested in it, in numerous specific instances, and with apparent wilfulness to misinterpret the will of the great majority of the membership of the international union; “This tendency has been of such important cumulative effect that the constitutional democratie government of the union has been virtually de- stroyed and the most autocratic and dangerous dictatorship rules instead. Moneys paid into the international union by the membership and dedi- cated to given purposes are recklessly (Continued on page 2) on Spat made For the past two days “Hey there, buddy, give us a bundle and I'll give them to the boys.” That is how our comrades who distributed the papers were greeted by the victims of Berry. Pressmen could be seen walking around and letting the rest of | the boys have the DAILY WORKER so their fellow workers could see that the “Big Boss” was at last being exposed, The men had pityful stories to tell of how Berry betrayad them during the last strike and expressed their hope for a victory by the pressmen in the plants of Chicago. The pressmen want all the news that they can get about the strike in — Chicago, and about their boss rat, who has sold them out, A news stand 4 where the men can buy the DAILY WORKER will soon be established in ‘They are looking for relief on strictly | newspaper row. The pressmen of New York City want the pressmen of economic grounds, They pretend to]; cals 3 and 4 in Chicago to know that they are for them in the fight tor believe that commercial tion is a double-edged sword and that | cantonese are shortly bound to suffer | also. discrimina- a victory in Chicago for the pressmen they say, means a victory for the pressmen in the whole United States and above all the firing of Berry, the strikebreaker. x . — i | |