The Daily Worker Newspaper, November 21, 1925, Page 3

1/7 ‘CORRESPONDENCE INITIATION T00 HIGH, BUT UNION WON'T LET WORKER PAY $79.00 FEE INPARTS EDITOR'S NOTE: This’ story shows how important are the so-called “little” incidents that happen in the every-day life of workers,—for in- stance, being forced to paint a floor with a brush “hard as a brick or with half the hairs gone”; and splashing the paint in one’s eyes, knowing all the time that this petty boss-inefficiency is part and parcel of the huge boss-inefficiency of capitalism, \against which workers are kept from fighting by labor-fakers who insist that they can’t even join a union unless they pay a $75 initiation fee, all in one lump, “Nothing that happens to the workers in unimportant,” as Comrade Wm. F. Dunne says in his pamphlet on Worker Correspondents. “It is by paying attention to all the ordinary woes of the working class that Communist journalism demonstrates its class character. It is only in the Communist press that the workers find a knowledge of their smallest grievances, understanding of the causes of these grievances and the con- nection of them with their struggles * * as a class.” poet BY A WORKER CORRESPONDENT NEW YORK, N. Y., Nov. 19.—The painting trade should be well-organized with every worker in the union. But | am sorry to say that many do not belong. The reason is that the union wants $75 cash, and in one payment, for new members. keeps many painters out. The other day a prospective union $10 a'week, but the secretary told htm *cash.” | It is claimed that they ‘FEAR OF INURY DRIVES LABOR OUT OF FOUNDRY Loss of Union Deprives Men of Protection By A Worker, Correspondent COSHOCTON, Ohio, Nov. 19. — Singe the J. B. Clow and Co., pipe foundry, succeeded in breaking up the Moulders’ Union with “the help of scabs in the 1922 strike, working con- ditions in the shop have been getting worse and worse. Some of the best moulders have had to quit because they could not stand the new speed-up Pace and because of lack of protection from hot sand dust and gas trom shake-outs in pits and moulding floor, The men are in constant danger from. big casting and from big ladles of red hot iron carried over them by electric cranes. The crane operators haye the most nerve-wrecking jobs. That member wanted to pay “Nothing doing—$75 cold may raise the fee to $150, This is a Killing Trade. This trade is an whhéllithy trade—it is a killing trade ‘aft’ gets .many workers, There showtid'‘be a six-hour day and a five-day week for all un- healthy trades so, that) we workers could live a little longer. I have been a painter for the last four years. Most of the time I am out of work. When I do work, I work mostly for small bosses who have only a few days’ work. A painter sure has to kill himself to make his’ $10.50 a day (which only union men get). Next to experience, speed is what counts most—speed, speed, speed! Three Hours Exploitation—$19,00. The bosses make from $10 to $20 a day clear profit from us workers. It took me three hours to shellac five large floors the other day on West Broadway. The boss gets from $5.00 up for a floor, material costs $3.00 and labor power costs $4.50. This boss made at least $19.00 profit from my labor of only three hours. What about the other five hours I slaved. and was exploited? The bosses are never satisfied with how much workers do. We painters must work with brushes often not fit for use. They give us brushes hard as a brick, or with half of the hairs Gas.and dust is thickest up above!sone. When you work with brushes ‘where. they operate cranes. This ag- gravates the danger of hitting some ‘ohe nnder them. * . Common laborers, dirtiest work and a¥e the poorest paid, tye. been ordered to speed up more or get. fired: When a fellow worker was, killed this fall by @ big flask fall on him, the foremen would allow men five minutes’ stoppage of to pay respects to their dead mate on the funeral day. . As the place is full of stoolpigeons, it makes it hard for the workers to united action to resist the com- ‘s. methods. But it is expected that some organization wil be formed soon, as dissatisfaction is growing by leaps and bounds. ue ” & ‘No Talking in Shop, New Studebaker Rule By A Worker Correspondent SO ‘"t BEND, Ind., Nov. 19.—No worse: ©én leave his bench to talk to 4 shop-mate, not even for a few si ‘onds, according to the new ruling just introduced at the Studebaker Auto Plant, Hvidently the rule is a pre- paration against any attempts at pro- testing recent wage-cuts and new speed-up methods, Besides, conveyor systems are being installed, making ‘conditions even worse. . There are no unions to help the ist, and hope for progress Id back by ¢he workers’ fanaticlem-— r like that, it means that you lose your efficiency. They also splash and Paint goes into your eyes. Many who have the|times we have to work in flats which are dark and all lights shut off. Nothing We Can't Do! * The time will come when all work- ers will know what the class struggle means and then great masses will get together—and then there will be noth- ing we can't do, Workers to Fight Machine Speed-Up By A Worker Correspondent MILWAUKEE, Wisc., Nov. 19. — Workers in the International Harves- ter Co, plant here are preparing to resist a new speed-up system which they fear will be installed in accord- ance with the company’s plans to in- crease their output from 75 to 150 tractors daily. An additional building is being put up for the purpose of lengthening the assembly line. Workers are not taking the news with cheer, They under- stand that when the increased output begins, the company will not hire extra men in accordance with doubl- ing of the work, but instead will drive the present force harder, When that argument begins at lunch time in your shop tomor- row—show them what the DAILY WORKER says about it THE DAILY WORKER FORD WORKERS FORCED TO AID ‘CHARITY’ FUND Collection Taken Up By Shop Foreman By A Worker Correspondent DETROIT, Mich., Nov. 19—The Forc organization (so it calls Itself) has endorsed the Detroit - “Community Fund" to show how liberal Mr. Ford is. And also to show the world that his employees are treated so well that they also feel liberal, But if you are working for the company, you can tell a different tale. ’ The Foreman Collects. In the tool room of the River Rouge plant on last pay-day, the foreman left the following note with the lead- ers under him: “Notify your men to come prepared tomorrow to donate to the Community Fund.” And the workers were warned to come pre- pared, whether they. wanted to or not. Next day the tool room foreman was sent man to man collecting. Stool-Pigeon on the Job But this wasn’t enough for the big boss, who wears the star, so on the following day he had a stool pigeon (so-called service man) to whip the men into line in front of his desk. I lined up with the rest to see how it was done, There were 6 or 7 men ahead of me, and the stool pigeon was telling the men to have their money ready; even those who had given the day before. One man ahead of me handed over 50c. The boss said, “What's the matter, can’t you give any more?” He answered, “No, I have a family and an invalid sister to support.” Boss, “Is this true?” Worker, “Yes.” Boss, “What's your name and ad. dress?; we'll investigate this” Worker, “Go ahead!” Not Compulsory. When my turn came, | asked him; “Is this compulsory?” He hummed and hawed for a while; then he said; “Nd, but we are trying to get two dollars from each man.” T answered that if it was not com- pulsory, I was not géing to give any- thing, as I had been sick for several months, and nobody had helped me. He took my number, and said, “Try to have a dollar here tomorrow.” This is the bosses’ method of inti- midating the workers and of forcing hem to pay for the evils of capital WAGE CUT LOST. SCHOOL BOARDS TRY SPEEDUP Squeeze $30,000 Out of ; Janitors By A Worker Correspondent MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 19.—An or- ganized protest supported by all head janitors in the public schools here, recently prevented the board of edu- cation from enforcing its proposed 10 to 20% wage-cut in the janitor- engineer department. Wages now run from $100 to $130,°depending on the length of service, so it is readily seen how disastrous any cut would be to these rkers. Board Uses “Business” Methods. However, the board is made up of business men and s0 egards the workers—teachers and ‘janitors—as merely sources of exploitation. The only difference it that in this case the profits go to the taxpayers; but they come from the same class as th school board. Balked in their attempt to’ cut Wages, the board is forced to practice other means of “economy,” as it has announced its intention of “saving” $30,000 in engineer service. This is despite the fact that the school en- rollment is larger than ever before and that new operatives should be required. Workers Lose Free Time. . Instead of getting new help, the school board crams 10 to 12 hours of work into the alleged eight-hour work day. In addition, the men are required to attend classes to study the “house- keeping” of public buildings. This requires a great deal of home-reading, so that the men are at work almost all their waking hours in order to keep their low-paid jobs, Tho many individual expressions of discontent ‘are heard, many of the men do not understand their class- interests sufficiently to join the Janitor-Engineers Union. New Occupational Dis GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 19.— The Kent county board of supervisors to-day declined to buy deputy sheriff James Mol a set of false teeth. Mal, official tester of the county's dry squad, claimed poison Mquor he tasted loosened his teeth and asked the coun- ty to provide him ‘with new ones. A good book on Communism will make, you. a better Com- munist, FACING ‘BABBITTS, DEBS | OVERLOOKS RUSSIAN WORKERS By A Worker Correspondent COLLINSVILLE, Ill, Nov. 19.— Tho big business and little business combined to advertize Eugene V. Debs when he came here to speak, he didn’t have much of an audience. And the audience didn’t have much In his “second child- hood” in the labor movement,—he is about a generation behind, Tho he came right in the week of tho anniversary ‘ofthe Russian revolu- tlon, not a word of it aid he men- tion, not a Word of what the Rus- sian workers and peasants have ac- complished fhe past eight years. He told, What every one knows, that capitaivém ‘breeds criminals and an army of tinemployed,—but ne uid not tell how/to change it. Also, Debé Gevoted a large part of his talk to the coal miners and the anthracite strike, but he did not refer to the*betrayal of the United Mine Workers of America by their take-leader, Votin L. Lewis. Magic Buttermilk! Inherit It, and Get Rich Over-Night By A Worker Correspondent MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 19—The other day I came across an excellent exam- ple of how “superior brains” win their way to “success.” An old man who owned a “butter- | milk” route in North Minneapolis em- ployed at the rate of $16.00 a week a young man to do the work for him. One fine morning when the lad came fo join the old fellow to start out on the route, he found that he had died, without even making arrange- ments for an heir or without leaving a list of customers, The only gné@ who had any line on these was the young understudy, who was thus stddenly elevated from a $16 a week Job to the ownership of a route bringing ah income of $65 a week, with the satisfaction of being able to hiré’some one else to do the work. NONUNIONISTS DEMAND AID OF UNION MINERS Officials Refuse Plea for Organizers By GEORGE PAPCUN, (Worker Correspondent) NANTICOKE, Pa., Nov. 19.—Faced by a committee representing 500 strik- ing non-union miners, officials of the U. M. W. A. at West Brownsville, W. Va. were forced to promise to “investigate” the strike in the Con- nellsville coke region. They tried to avoid doing anything by strikes on their hands didn't have enough organizers. It was only under strong pressuré that they promised “investigation.” Communists Help Organize. The conference between the strik- ers and union officials came about as a result of the Workers Party at- tempt to break the non-union miners’ opposition to the union, and to get the unions’ help in the present strike. Miners in the coke region oppose the union because of its officials’ betrayal in the 1922 strike. A week ago, you couldn't mention union to the miners here; but propa- ganda of the Communists has been effective in bringing the miners to realize that they couldn't afford to Stay out of the union merely on ac- count of labor-faker Lewis. Demand Admittance. “Non-union miners, demand ad- mittance into the union,” this is the slogan of the Workers Party and Young Workers League around which the miners have rallied. The party demands also that union miners fight for organization of non-union fields and for a general strike in union and non-union fields for agreements to cover the whole industry. Demands of the committee from the union officials were for financial and moral support in their strike, for organizers to be sent into the non- union field, and for a general strike. see TREE asi onscnneaarreeoha ur trio CORRESPONDENTS’ CLASS TONIGHT! STARTS AT DAILY WORKER OFFICE “The way, to learn to write is to begin,” says Wm. F. Dunne in his pam- phlet on Worker Correspondents. And it is'just for the purpose of getting workers “to begin” that the class for worker correspondents is being organized, to start tonight at The DAILY WORKER office, 1118 W. Washington Blvd. Workers-must write while they are learning how to write—this is the principle) $n jwhich the class will be well, ‘to real ize that of all the news+ which the Cgmmunist press carries, the most im: nt is that which deals with the conditions of the workers in industry. At least fifty workers from the shops and fadtories of Chicago and Pullman are ‘expected to join the class. Any Worker who is interested mey come to the first meeting tonight or may register at the Workers Party office, 19 outh' Lincoln St. The class is*to be held weekly, con- ducted by J. Louis Engdahl and Wm. F. Dunne, eiftors of The DAILY WORKER, dnd ‘Oliver Carlson, circuit lecturer for the Workers’ School in Chicago. No Workers Party in Phoenix; Labor Fakers Rest Easier By A Worker Correspondent PHOENIX, Ariz., Nov. 19—Workers in restaurants, shoe shops, barber shops and grocery stores here have to work 12 to 16 hours a day. This is the reason that there is so much sickness among the poor people. And it is very hard’ to get work. There are many caseé‘where men offer to do work just for shelter from the cold but they cannot ’get that. Here there af@ labor union fakers the game as inthe east, only they live more comfortably as there is no Communist orgdnization and they have nothing to*tear. Street car codductors and motor men get paid onty 35 cents an hour. And there is noplace in town that you can get a meal for fifty cents that will satisfy you. Not even men that Communist Strong, Says I.\W. W. Sailor LOS ANGELES} Calif., Nov. 19.— Communism grows stronger than ever in England, according to the report of a sailor, member of the I. M. T. W., just back from there and amazed to read accounts in the capitalist press that the Communist Party was de- creasing, ‘ Economic forces ate cooperating with the Communists to expand their ranks, he pointed out, He declared, however, that it is necessary for the party to issue many dues-exemption stamps, due to the terrific inroads of unemployment. Urge Balkan Conference. BUKHAREST, Roumania, Nov, 19. ~The Roumanian government is ur- ging Czecho-Slovakia and Jugoslavia to hold an early gonference of the Uttel entente at Belgrade, The date proposed 1g November 80, ‘ Pa! th \ conducted. And they must learn, as THIRTY FIRED; FAIL T0 VOTE - BOSSES’ TICKET By A Worker Correspondent YORKVILLE, O., Nov. 19.—Thirty workers employed in a plant of the Wheeling Steel corporation have been discharged, following the recent elec- tion for mayor, because they failed to campaign and vote for the corpo- ration candidate. It didn't make any difference to the bosses that their tool was elected, anyway. Another accusation against these workers js that they voted for a work- ers’ candidate! “White Collar” Boss Pays Workers at Rate of 144c Each! dy A Worker Correspondent TROY, N. Y., Nov. 19.—There are hundreds of “white collar” slaves in Troy, for Troy is the home of the white collar industry. But it isn’t the slaves who wear the collars. They just make them and press them. None of the workers are organized, tho there is great need for it, as is shown by the fact that wages in most of clothing concerns average around $20 weekly. Foreman and Clark, the clothing manufacturers, have’ a piece-work wage system, paying, for instance, from 1% to 2 cents each for collar pressing, with 3 cents for overcoat collar pressing. For handmade button- holes, the workers get on an average 4 cents. Even Steel Trust Forces Slaves to Give “First Aid” By A Worker, Correspondent GARY, Ind., Nov. 19.—Workers of the steel trust forced to give thous- ands of dollars to the Red Cross: this is the ironical situation in Gary in- dustries this week, with the annual American Red Cross roll call taking place. So labor must pay for injuries inflicted ‘by the boss system, It was curious to note the twisted smiles on the faces of the men as foremen or clerks approached them on the subject of paying the dollar enrollment fee. Not being able to ‘spare the fee, they were intimidated for one reason or another: fear of offending the boss, mostly, 4 HOW NOT TO BUILD A UNION (OR) WHY BOSSES PREFER CRAFTS By HERMAN A. WILLIAMS (Worker Correspondent) a How 825 union members became only 150 in the short sp ~ of two years is plainly shown in the history of the local House- house Circular Distributors’ Union. As agreements signed by this union with boss distributs expire at the end of this month, it is now a good time to take: ventory. Why did such a decline in membership take plac: What wrong policies were pursued that pauperized the membe ship, instead of building it into a militant body, with at leat 1,000 members in Chicago and the possibilities of 150,000 thruou COME ACROSS OR WALK OUT, SAYS ‘CHARITY’ Workers ‘Held Up’ to Compensate Robbers By A Worker Correspondent SOUTH BEND, Ind., Nov. 19.— Workers in many local shops lost their jobs this week because they re- fused to contribute to collections taken up by the Federation for So- cia] Service. This organization con- sists of the red cross, Y. M. and Y, W. C. A, the salvation army and the boy scouts. Extra pressure was brot to bear on the workers, due to the fact that husbands of its leading women members are factory owners or managers. How the “charity” is carried on at labor's expense to make up for the bosses’ robbery is illustrated in the Studebaker automobile plant. When the workers gave only $1 after being told to give at least a day’s wages, the foreman furiously called the men together again, bawled them out, and told them that the list would go around again and that this time they had better give $5 or be fired. After much deliberation, the men decided to give $2, as the very best they could do. When the foreman again saw the list, he became almost crazed. Frothing at the mouth, he called the men together again and the spit actually flew four feet! Hollering and cursing, he threatened to fire any man that refused to give the other $2 immediately. Altho the workers were forced to give, they have since denounced this hold-up with great bitterness, Take this copy of the DAILY WORKER with you to the shop tomorrow. {the country? The followin facts give answer: In the month of September, 1928 three A..F. of L. organizers appealed to local bill distributors to form @ union. By December a total of 825 members were..enrolled. But what union were they enrolled in? The answer to this question is the key to the trouble. Altho the organizers knew that bill distributors should belong to the In- ternational Alliance of Bill Posters and Billers of America, which is granted all rights to outdoor adver- tising, nevertheless they disPegarded this and secured the charter from William Quinn: of .the Flat Janitors’ Union. ‘As ‘a result the boss: distrib- utors found an excuge to say that, inasmuch as ‘the mnion was not char- tered propérly, it could not be reeng- nized. A Year Later—a New Charter. When a committee of the boss distributors called on President Gill- son of the International Bill Posters to ask for information, it was told that, in the first place, he knew nothing about the union, and that in the second place he would not grant it a charter. However, after much wrangling, a charter was finally grant- ed in December, 1924, at the national convention in St, Louis. One Scabs on Another. Notwithstanding this, however, two union bill posting concerns refused to recognize the Distributors’ Union, the Thomas Cusack Co. and the J, R, Johnson Distributing agency. Altho Johnson himself carrigs a bill posters’ union card, no effort is made to penal ize him, nor is a move made by the bill posters to force Cusack to hire union distributors. Eliminate Craft Divisions. Workers must force the American Federation of Labor to change its tactics. Craft antagonisms must be eliminated and the-interests of the workers, instead of the organizers, be served. Only when this is done can the. unions face the bosses with @ united front! That worker next door to you may not have anything to do to night. Hand him this copy of the DAILY WORKER. NUMBER FOUR The Little Red Library Worker Correspondents What? Where? When? Why? - How? By WILLIAM F. DUNNE, ITH the growth of the world Communist move- ment, new factors contrib- uting to its growth were developed. The question of worker correspondents re- ceives its first attention in America in this booklet. Here is the analysis. of its importance and a text book to guide every worker to success in this field, 10 Cents “42 Copies for One Dollar. | | ‘