The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 29, 1925, Page 3

REACTION IN CHINA NEEDS ‘ONLY MONEY Its Leader Boasts of Secret Arms Supply SHANGHAI, China, Oct, 27.—That imperialist agencies are working sec- retly in aid to the counter-revolution- ary fascists in trying to overthrow the Kuomintang republic is proven by the interview given out by the reac- tionary Chinese leader, General Chen- Chiung-min, who has found fitting shelter in the British port of Hong Kong. The interview given to the British Daily Express reveals by way of infer- ence where Chen draws his pay check from. It says: Secret Source of Arms, “T have 7,000 troops which, altho less well armed than the Reds, outnumber them. I have the moral support of the national assembly, together with a warship from the north and secret sources of arms and ammunition sup- plies, and only lack funds to prevent the early accomplishment of my task. “When the Reds are driven out I will not establish a southern govern- ment, but will strive to join the north and south for a unified China. I would welcome the assistance of a foreign legion, but lack of funds pre- vents this.” But Wants More Money. Very clearly General Chen is bidding for more money from Great Britain, in order that he may enlist the large number of Russian white guard mon- archist mercenaries to his standard for attacking the Canton government. That Canton is not wholly tranquil yet, or at pains to conceal its dislike of foreign plotters within its gates, is seen by the anti-British strike which not only continues, but which has laid down a boycott against the whole of the foreign settlement on Shameen Is- land, refusing to permit the entry of food stuffs to the island. Hsuchow Fallen to Wu. News from the north indicates that Chang Tsi-lin has thrown four divis- ions southward to Tsinan-fu, capital of Shantung province, to save it from the northern advance of troops of Wu Pei-fu who are reported to have taken Hsuchow. Wu, so it is reported from Hankow, has declared that he is not connected with Communists and Bolshevists, but wants General Feng, whose rather radical recent utternaces” are well- known, to join him against Chang and the Peking traitors. Cleveland Wade Park Residents Tax Selves in Move to Bar Negro CLEVELAND, Ohio, Oct. 27.—A number of white landowners in the Wade Park district have joined an association and are “taxing” them- selves to raise a fund to be used to fight Negroes attempting to buy property and reside in the district, To Buy Up Property. At a recent meeting the White peo- ple assessed a tax of one-half of one per cent of the value of their property, the fund to be used to buy lots that might otherwise go to Negroes. At the meeting, the white property owners fromed a permanent organ- ization. Try to Cut Off Charities. ‘The whites also attempted to put pressure on Negro charities, asking the community fund to withdraw its contributions ‘to Negro charities if Dr. C. H. Garvin, a colored yhysician, did not agree to sell his newly built house “at a reasonable figure.” This proposition was defeated, it being shown that Negroes contributed more money to the Cleveland com- munity fund than was received by Negro charities. Blame Earthquakes on Sunspots. SANTA CLARA, Cal., Oct. 27—That earthquakes may be traced back to / sunspots was the theory advanced to- day by Ricard, famous seismologist and known as “padre of the rains’ because of his monthly weather fore- casts based on observation of the sun's spots. If you want to thoroughly un- derstand Communism—study it. | shelp ! tm To Save THE DAILY WORKER ————__$—_——————————— To those who work hard for their money, | will save 50 per cent on all their dental work, i DR. RASNICK DENTIST » 645 Smithfield Street PATTSBURGH, PA. THE DAILY WORKER The A. F. of L. and the Unorganized - TWO ARTICLES—ARTICLE I, ‘O better test can be had of a labor movement than its attitude toward the workers outside its ranks. If it strives to organize them, even in un- jons that are structurally out of date and without, any social outlook other than that of the middle class, it is at least trying to strengthen itself for its daily struggles, is taking its du- ties as the organizer of the economic power of the workers seriously. The Atlantic City convention of the American Federation of Labor did not even measure up to this low standard of trade unionism. Its rec- rd on the elementary matter of or- ganization of the unorganized is enuf to make every honest trade unionist weep. EFORE we take a look at the rec- ords of the convention on this matter it will be of value to examine the numerical strength of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor and its prog- ress in the matter of organization, or lack of it, during the years 1923-25 for the reason that this period was one of great activity in industry many times approaching and once or twice exceeding the boom days of the war era, From the peak of its numerical strength of 1920, when the report of Secretary Morrison showed a mem- bership of 4,075,000, the A. F, of L. dropped to 3,200,000 in 1922 as a re- sult of the industrial depression fol lowed by the open shop drive, REVIVAL of industry began in the latter part of 1922 and by the time the 1923 convention rolled around no trace of the depression remained —except in the A, F, of L, member- ship rolls. The report of Secretary Morrison to the 1923 convention showed that, not only had the A. F. of L, failed, dur- ing a year of widespread employment, to recover its previous losses but that thé losses had continued to the ex- tent of 300,000 members, the report showing a total enrollment of but 2,900,000. (No allowances are made in this article for the padding of membership figures by the affiljated unions in order to retain their voting strength in A. F. of L. conventions— the official figures serve our purposes splendidly.—W. F. D.) HE industrial revival continued with the exception of short slumps in isolated industries. Economists have been amazed by the vitality shown by American industry and the consumption power of the population but the ‘dfficial membership chart is- sued by the A. F. of L. shows that in 1924, a further loss of 100,000 mem- bers occurred, the: enrollment being 2,800,000. 1925 finds American industry still following an upward course, A num- ber of basic industries have exceed- ed the 1923 figures and in the build- ing and automobile industry there is a real hoom. Railroad car loadings have passed all previous figures and altho an immense credit structure has been erected which is making the bankers uneasy and whose toppling will bring disaster, employment is still plentiful. 1925 takes its place with the boom years of 1923, and 1924. EC. MORRISON'S report to the At- lantic City convention shows a to- tal membership of 2,878,297, an in- crease of 78,297, over 1924. But the membership total is still, in round numbers, 322,000 below the 3,200,000 total of 1922. These are startling facts and sharp- ly visualize the effect upon the labor movement of the lack of a militant organization policy. Additionally sig- nificant is the fact that an examina- tion of the membership figures by unions shows that the increase has taken place principally in the build- ing trade unions, unions which work under the closed shop for the most part, in whose industry there is and has been abnormal activity and where the influx of membership is almost automatic with the increase in the number of jobs, TPO put it concisely: The American Federation of Labor, in three years of great industrial ac- tivity, has, according to its own fig- ures, suffered a loss of some 322,000 members besides failing to regain what might be called its normal strength in 1922. Nothing but sabotage of the ordin- ary routine of organization can ac- count for such a miserable showing. Labor officialdom is interested far more in “labor” banking, “labor” in surance companies and in war on the left wing than in organization, HE proceedings of the Atlantic City convention contain a wealth of concrete inormation revealing the mechanical processes by which organ- ization is hampered or made impos- sible. It is true that much lip-service is given to questions of organization and an impressive staff of “organ- izers” is maintained by the A. F. of L, itself and the affiliated national and international unions. In pract- ise, however, these organizérs are merely administration boosters who conduct continuous campaigns for the machine jn power, Under this system organization has come to mean every- thing but organization of the unor- ganized, By its craft divisions the A. F. of L., fosters a situation in which the unions supporting the machine are allowed to prey on its enemies, resulting in perpetual internecine strife that makes any bona fide or- ganization campaign impossible. 1O complicated is the A. F. of L, machine that. any resolution on en THIS is the second of a series of articles on the proceedings of the A. I. of L, convention, whi will deal with “The A. F. of L. and International Relations,” “The A. F. of L. and the Unorganized Workers,” “The A. F. of L, and the Class Struggle,” “The A. F. of L. and the Left Wing,” “The A. F. of L. and Militarism,” ete. The present article will appear in two instalments. organization can be referred to any one of a dozen committees or lower units and its purpose smothered. This is the constant practice. So well un- derstood is this procedure that any union desiring organizational assist- ance must ask for the absolute minim- um in order to get its resolution con- requested to have a letter written to all city central labor unions re- questing them to bring to the atten- tion of their organizing committee the possibility of establishing a lo- cal unon of laundry workers in their city. This resolution was concurred in organized in a laundry workers’ union, the Teamsters’ International Union will put in a jurisdictional de- mand for them in spite of the fact that the Laundry Workers’ Union charter is industrial, HE office workers’ resolution is an- other example of the readiness with which the A. F, of L, grants “or- ganizing” assistance when a pious wish will satisfy the petitioners: RESOLVED, by this 45th annual convention of the A. F. of L. at Atlantic City, that the affiliated unions render all moral assistance in our organizing campaign. This resolution was likewise con- ON THE BOARDWALK The Negro:—‘Whew! curred in and the minimum is gener- ally meaningless. A typical example of this is a re- solution introduced by the Laundry Workers’ International Union at Atlantic City: That the executive council of the American Federation of Labor be —Drawing by Gropper It’s Hard to Push These Leaders of Organized Labor!” unanimously. The delegate who in- troduced it can report back to his union that their resolution was adopt- ed. This will be all that will happen because the central bodies know that laundry wagon drivers are claimed by the teamsters and that, altho they are key workers, the moment they are He Knows What He Wants —Drawing by Gropper One of the Delegates:—“To Hell with the Hot Stuff About the Communists. e Want Light Wine and Beer, and That's All!” Guardian Taxi-Cab Co.|Professor Says Idea Drivers Win 5 Pct. Raise in Four-Day Strike A Worker Correspondent NEW YORK, Oct. 27.—All the drivers of the Guardian Taxi corpo- ration have returned to work follow- ing an increase in their commission. The men will receive 40% on the dollar instead of 35%. The strike lasted four days and un- til this morning not a wheel moved in any of the two garages. On the first day of the strike only 300 drivers walked out. These men were from the East 18th St. garage. When the other drivers at the 122nd street garage heard the news of their fellow work- ers on strike they also walked out Tuesday morning. 700 men were on strike. Official of the Taxi Limousine Chauffers’ Union Local 643 did noth- ing to help organize these workers. They were asked three different times, to aid in organizing the work- ers, Out to Find Murderer, SUTTON, W. Va., Oct. 27.—Search for the fiend who shot to death Mr. and Mrs, Nimrod Shingleton, both past sixty years of age, and cremated their bodies by burning their home, was startedjby Sheriff A, M. Bailey. ; ; U.S.S.R. Is Backward Country Is Erroneous MOSCOW, Oct. 27.—Professor Kru- ger, while on a visit in Moscow, said to a correspondent of Pravda: “People in Europe have a wrong conception of the U. 8. S. R. as a backward country: On the contrary, the Soviet government does not spare efforts to raise the level of education and culture in the republic. This is easily seen when on visits to schools, clubs, children's houses and libraries. “We must note especially the col- lective education of the younger seneration. ‘The rapid growth of edu- vation in such a short time is unheard of. The U. 8S. S, R. is more advanced in. this respect than even Germany.” Prof, Kruger also mentioned the especially friendly relations existing between children and teaching staff all over the Soviet Union. Tf you want to thoroughly un- derstand Communism—study i Court Considers Oil, THE HAGUE, Oct. 27.—The world court opened in the peace palace here today to hear the dispute between Great Britain and Turkey over the boundaries of Mosul. There were no counsel present to represent the ‘Turkish government, i fist ove aOR REND FE By William F. Dunne BLE and that city central bodies be requested to aid in this work. With this change your committee refers the RESOLUTION TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. (Emphasis Mine—W. F. D.) The report of the committee was adopted unanimously, HE machine wielded the club on the organizational aspirations of features of “or minated the compulsory the resolution, when it gave the ganizers” an alibi by stating “when- ever possible,” by substituting a re quest to central bodies instead of the special organizing committee “of the most influential unions,” and finally when it referred the whole matter to the executive council The banks clerks were lucky to be allowed to keep what little organiza- tion they have, 1. is very significant that even the few proposals for organization that are made come from federal labor unions, state federations and city cen- ‘tral bodies—the only rank and file representation at A. F. of L. conven- tions. Such a resolution is the one introduced by the delegate from the North Carolina State Fedétation of Labor. The wages, living and work- ing conditions of workers, particular- ly in the textile industry of this state are miserably low. Child labor is pre- valent and thousands of women are also employed. The resolution point- ed out that “tens of thousands of workers in all lines of industry are unorganized, particularly textile work- ers,” and then resolved: That the officers and the execut- ive council of the American Federa- tion of Labor use every influence and means possible to bring about the organization of these thousands of industrial workers of North Caro- lina, ERE is a resolution that any labor organization could adopt without curred in but nothing was done about) hesitation; at least so it seems to the complaint contained in a “where-| those unitiated in the mysterious as” that the international union of-| ways of A. F, of L. conventions. ‘But fices did not make their employes join} the officials do not want organizing the office Workers union. “Moral as- sistance,” however, costs nothing. instructions from conventions. If they allowed this resolution to pass some 7 Bank Clerks’ Union offered a] honest delegate might arise at the resolution that required a little} next convention and inquire why they different treatment. It contained a|had done nothing to organize these specific request that might have re-|textile slaves. So the committee re- sulted, if concurred in, in some of | ports: the “organizers” having to do a little real organizing: RESOLVED, That the A. F. of L. appoint special organizers for the year 1926 in the cities of New York, Chicago, Cleveland and Philadelphia to give their full time to organizing Your committee refers this reso- lution to the executive council. The textile workers of North Caro- lina will remain unorganized and if the delegate from its state federation protests—well, he has only one vote. So far we have seen glaring in- the bank clerks and that organiza- | stances of sabotage of organizational tion committees be organized of delegates representing the more in- fluential unions in those cities to help in the organizing campaign. Now watch what happens to this resolution in the resolution committee and the convention. The commitee reports: Your committee recommends that the resolve be changed to read that organizers be directed to give spe- cial attention to the organizing of bank clerks WHEREVER POSSI- resolutions coming from small unions and state bodies and dealing with spe- cific details of organization for these unions and localities. In the hext article we shall see to what extent the A. F. of L. convention was interested in national organizing campaigns and also how it treats even large international unions which have incurred the displeasure of the officialdom or which the bosses want to put out of business. (To be concluded) CHICAGO MACHINIST LODGE SENDS PROTEST RESOLUTION TO HORTHY EMBASSY AGAINST WHITE TERROR At the last meeting of the Freiheit Lodge No. 337, International Associa- tion of Machinists of Chicago, the Horthy persecution of the Hungarian Rakosj to the gallows was adopted: “Whereas, Mathias Rakosi and over one hundred other workers in Hun- gary, mostly members of the socialist labor party, have been arrested and submitted to the most terrible forms of torture in prison, and “Whereas, This new regin of ter- ror in the country which has in re- cent years ruthlessly suppressed the workers and murdered thousands un- der Horthy’s bloody dictatorship has been accompanied by the usual police- agent ‘frame-up’ of exposing a ‘Bol- shevik plot,’ in another attempt to crush out the trade unions and other militant workers’ organizations; and, “Whereas, Rakosi and his brother workers’ are being railroaded thru a court martial and face death sentence and execution any day now, and are denied ordinary civil court procedure, and a “Whereas, The workers of the en- tire world must show their solidarity against such an outrage and answer the Horthy dictatorship which is kept in power by foreign capitalists, and which tries to suppress and distort the facts, “Therefore, be it resolved, What Local No. 337 of Machinists’ Union vigorously condemns the torture and imprisonment “of these Hungarian workers and demands that the court martial, further torture, and prison or death sentences be stopped, and “Be it further resolved, That we rush this resolution to the Hungarian legation in Washington and the Hun- garian consul in Chicago with the request that it be sent to their gov- ernment; and to the labor press.” 1,594 Tractors Arrive in Moscow. MOSCOW—A steamer arrived from America to Novorosayisk that brot 1,594 tractors. Wrap your lunch in a copy of the DAILY WORKER and give t (the DAILY WORKER, not the unch) to your shop-mate. aan LITHUANIAN BUREAU HOLDS following resolution condemning the workers and the attempt to railroad the Bank Clerks’ Union when it eli-} Page Three SEEK TO WIDEN PASSAIC STRIKE TO MORE MILS Young Workers Strike Like Veterans By ALBERT WEISBORD | PATERSON, N. J., Oct. 27.—The |three hundred and eighty strikers of {the Passaic Worsted Spinning Co. }are conducting a heroic struggle |to wipe off the wage cuts that the | company has forced upon them. Most of the strikers are young boys and girls, some in their teens and some just out of their teens, Their fight has completely taken the company by surprise. The company did not ex pect that they would show such fine spirit and fight. The Second Wage Cut The workers of the Passaic Wom sted Spinning Co., are the most poor- ly paid woolen workers in Passaic. Only last year their wage was cut to $16.80 per week for forty-eight hourg and now that is cut to $16.10. How the company can expect people to live on that wage, nobody knows, and in sheer desperation the workers have struck. The strikers are fighting not only for themselves but they are really fighting for all of the textile workers of Passaic, The Botany Mills, Consolidated Co., employing about 6,400 workers have just cut wages, the Pitkin Spinning Co. has just cut wages, the large Forstmann and Hoffman Co. plants and the New Jersey Spinning Co, em- ploying about 5,000 more workers are planning to cut wages. In such a situation the fight of the small Passaic Worsted Spinning Co, strikes is a fight of all of the workers in Passaic. Weisbord On the Ground Albert Weisbord, secretary of the central bureau, United Front Commit- tees of Tetxile Workers has taken charge of the strike. Under his diree- tion order and discipline was esta- blished among the strikers, the les of the bosses were exposed and some organization started. Thirty of the strikers were sent to picket the Pit- kin Co. plant and get the workers out there if possible. Weisbord has stated that the United Front Committees of Textile Workers will strive to broaden and deepen this strike as much as possible. All the workers of Passaic, in the Garfield Mills, in the Botany Mills, in the Spinning Mills, all must support this strike and walk out. Workers, fight against the fifty-four hour week, fight against wage cuts, fight against the fake mill unions, fight for real mill committees and a real union in the textile industry. Mass meetings will soon be called to get all the workers in Passaic out. Italian Debt Commission Comes Up. WASHINGTON, Oct. 27. — The American and Italian debt commis- sions will meet at the treasury Mon- day to begin negotiations for funding Italy's $2,380,000 debt to the United States. Job Harriman Dies, LOS ANGEL) al., Oct. 27.—Job Harriman, 64, socialist candidate for vice-president in 1900, is dead at Ster- ra Madre, after a lingering illness. SPECIAL MEETING TO DRAW PLANS TO AID DAILY WORKER The Lithuanian bureau held a special meeting October 19, to consider the condition of The DAILY WORKER. A strong appeal is being made to all members to stand by and insure and a total of $36.50 was donated an at the session of the bureau. Join Your Loc Star B: SSS EEE EES Workers! Demand from your co-operative “Co-operators’ (Red Star, Blue Star, White Star and Yellow Distributed by the co-operative wholesale. CO-OPERATIVE CENTRAL EXCHANGE, Superior, Wis. The DAILY WORKER. Special collection was made at the bureau meeting, d collected for The DAILY WORKER al Co-operative Store. st” Products rands)