The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 16, 1925, Page 3

‘ $ , THE DAILY WORKER PLEDGES SUPPORT AVERAGE OF EMPLOYMENT LOWER BECAUSE IT 1S BUILT THAN IN 1923, THOUGH SLIGHT OF INT'L, UNION) =" INCREASE OVER 1924 REPORTED | ~ gy iNOUSTRIAL LINES T0 N. Y, FURRIERS, , By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press. Small increases thankfully received is the prevailing note in the monthly Page Three CAP MAKERS PUT UP BATTLE OVER OFFICIAL ‘WORK’ JUDGE ENJOINS U, M. W. THIS PAGE {s Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the Trade Union Edacational League WHEELING, W. Va., Dec. 14. — (T. U. BL) North American Section of the RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS (RL me Represents the Left Wing HE T. L, U.) U.E.L. of the Labor Movement. Ite Purpose Is to Strengthen the Labor Unions by Amalgamation of Existing Unions, Organization of the Unorganized, and by Replacing Reactionary and Class Collaboration Policies with a Unified Program for the Transformation of the Unions Into Organs of Revolutionary Cl s Struggle for the Overthrowal of Capitalism and the Establishment of a Workers’ and Farm: ers’ Government. MARINE WORKERS’ UNITED FRONT CONFERENCE AT MONTEVIDEO MAY LEAD TO ONE SEA INTERNATIONAL (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Dec. 14.—(FP)—Years of American marine rule in Haiti and Santo Domingo are why no delegates from the twin republics will be found at the international marine union conference in Montevideo, March 15, say members of the Marine Transport Workers’ Union which issued the summons, The Am- erican protectorate has scotched organized movements of the workers, they state. Cuba is expected to send men from Camaguey, Havana and Santiago, though government opposition caused the original plan to ola the conterence in ‘that? island to be given up. than such American concerns as the Montevideo was selected because it; Munson line where wages are today is the freeest port in the western being reduced as boats are purchased hemisphere. There is said to be less | from the U. S. Shipping Board. interference there hig the a“ aa ‘Already some co-operative action is ef f unionists than anywhere else Si pitinobare, Also ‘Montevideo being taken, Since the last confer- has the advantage of proximity to|ence there have been a number of Buenos Aires and other La Plata ports and is conveniently situated towards Brazil Chile. Reactionarles Oppose. The conference will be the second of its kind. The first was held last| March at New Orleans when a pre- liminary coming together of the inde- pendent unions of the hemisphere was made and a tentative program was mapped out. The M. T. W. was given power to issue the next call, or- iginally set for next January but post- poned to March. The movement does not have the support of the A, F. of L. marine unions in the U. 8. A. or the Mexican Federation of Labor. But from the latter country delegates are expected from the independent unions in Tam- pico and’ Vera Cruz and in South America the lines between the federa- tion and independent unions are less sharply drawn. Foresee One International. The purpose of the conference is to lay the ground work for united action, the M. T. W. announces—a general strike eventually to force standard | wage scales and conditions of labor. There is no standard today and it is cases where struck ships from Amer- ica were boycotted in Latin-American ports. The general feeling of the M. .T. W. is that these conference under- standings are only a first step, that a marine international, enrolling the |union seamen of all nations of both eastern and western hemispheres is the desired goal. G.E. B. Sub Coumsittes Adopts Resolution NEW YORK CITY, Dec, 14. — Ac- cording to a statement by Isaac Wohl. general sec’y.treasurer of the Fur- riers’ International, the sub-committee of the general executive board of the International Fur Workers’ Union of U. S. and Canada, at its session held Tuesday evening, Dec. 1, 1925, adopt- ed.a resolution to co-operate with the joint board of Locals 1, 5, 10 and 15 of New York in its efforts to obtain the conditions for the fur workers of New York, as outlined in the new de- mands embodied in the new agree- ment with the New York fur manu- facturers. Shachtman to Represent International. The sub-committee of the central executive board elected General Pres- ident: Brother O. Shachtman to repre- sent the International Fur Workers’ Union at the conferences to be held soon between representatives of the joint board and the manufacturers’ as- sociation. The first conference was scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8, to take up the de- mands contained in the new agree- ment for preliminary discussion. The new agreement is to replace the pres- ent one, which expires on February 1, 1925. Items of Agreement. The main features of the new agree- ment are: Forty hours a week, spread over five work days; equal div- ision of work; no overtime to be per- mitted at any time. The establishment of an unemploy- ment fund, to which the manufactur- ers shall contribute, and which is to be supervised by the union. The agreement contains 18 demands of the workers. President Shachtman, who is tour- ing thru Canada, to review the strike of the fur workers, which is going on for over nine months, and other or- } ganization matters in Canada and Detroit, will be back in time to parti- cipate in the conferences. | Put a copy of the DAILY WORKER in your pocket when you go to your union meeting. THE GHOST With blackjack hai And ready gun. And here, We know him yet To be the same. said that the highest paying Mexican boats offer far more attractive wages LABOR IN THE FAR EAST (JAPAN) EDITOR'S NOTE:—Yesterday we told of the split forced by the re- formists in the Japanese General Federation of Labor and of the program of action of the left wing body, the Japan Labor Union Coun- cil or, Nihon Radokumia Hyogikal, whose general policy is one of class struggle instead of class collabora- tion, such as the leaders advise in the reformist federation, Today we “read of the manner the Japanese left wing handles the pressing pro- blem of unemployment. o 8 6 ARTICLE IL National League of Unemployed. MAX Must not be judged by his words, but by his deeds. So we are more concerned with the actual deeds of the Japanese left wingers than with what they say in their dec- larations, Among the activities of the Nihon Rodokumiai Hyogikai, since its With blackjack an and aggravated by laber disputes, the present period is saié to be the worst nation-wide depression that this coun- try has yet experienced, according to a statement issued by the social work bureau of the depaPtment of home af- fairs yesterday. A radical movement such as has never before been felt in Japan is expected to result from the constant wrangling betwen labor and capital and the prolonged unemploy- ment.” HIS is rather a bold admittance of fact on the part of the bourgeois organ, Under such circumstances the leaders of the trade unions were for some time feeling the necessity of organizing the unemployed on a na- tional scale, but owing to the so- called “internal trouble,” which ‘finally split the General Federation of Labor, they .were not able to take con- certed action on even such a grave and common problem as ufemploy- ment. The initiative for organizing the unemployed on a national scale, formation, there are two which are | however, was taken by the left wing * most worthy of close attention, They are the activities aiming at the or- ganization of the National League of Unemployed and the organization of the Proletarian Party. leaders in July, soon after the con- clusion of the “internal trouble.” On July 7, the eastern section of the aforementioned Hyogikai (Tokio) elected a “Commitee of Aétion Against (Dedicated to Sidney Hillman). By a Tailor Shop Worker. The ghost of Rickert now draws near, These highest symbols of his rule— Though newly clad, Though different name, And as his tyranny of yore We fought until we won; So now, O brothers! Let us fight All those who rob us of our right, The terrible state of unemployment | Unemployment” and started to work in Japan is alarming even the moss! out a wide-scale project for agitation indifferent sections of society and/and organization against unemploy- hysterical cries are heard everywhere, |ment. At the mass meeting held on For instance, the Japan Advertiser |July 18 in Tokio under the auspices (June 22, 1925), which is a, semi-of-|of the Hyogikai a resolution to organ- ficial organ of the Japanese bour- a “Ni League of Unemploy- geoils government for foreign propa-|ed” was imously passed, wanda, is forced to admit the critical} Following this first successful meet- condition of the country in an article |ing on the problem of unemployment, entitled “Japan's Depression Worst in| 12 similar mass meetings were held in History.” | ' various quarters of Tokio and its vi- In part it says: “With an army of|cinity within three weeks, all under _ unemployed of considerably more |the auspices of the Hyogikal, . than 2,000,000 during the last year in| ]/[BANWHILE, at the executive _ Japan, swelled constantly by numbers Meeting of\the said Hyogikai held been thrown out of July 27, the mittee of Action : foatnes Unem: “was made a pt OF RICKERT nd employment reports of the Illinois and New York state*ldbor departments. But in neither state have employers put enough men back to work to bring ;tween October and November reach- ;|tirely possiblé'that the growth re- the average for the year up to 1924. in 1923 are still out of work. Employment in Illinois factories increased seven-tenths of one per cent between October and November, accord makes the highest level since Febru-+—— ary. There are about 4 per cent more workers on the payrolls than in No- vember, 1924, but 8% per cent less than November, 1923. The average for the first 11 months of 1925 is near- ly 4 per cent below 1924, “Industry. continues on the up- grade,” say ‘the Illinois report. “Since July the factories of this state have | increased their working forces by| about 4.2 p ; cent, 31,500 securing po- sitions thereby.” This is the optimis- tic view. re are still at least 85,- 000 fewer jobs in Mlinois factories than there were in November, 1923. 122 For Every 100 Jobs. | Free employment officers thrnout | the state repdotted 126 applicants for | each 100 jobs''compared with 122 in| October, A ‘yéar ago there were 140 persons applying for every 100 jobs. A week’s ‘york in November brot an average Wage of $28.46 to Illinois factory workers. In October the aver- age was $28.49, the highest point since the depattment began its record in 1922. In Névember, 1924, the work- ers averaged $27.61 a week. Employment in New York factories gained about’ 7-10 of 1 per cent be- ing the highest level of the year. It now stands 4 per cent over Novem- ber, 1924. But it is 6% per cent un- der 1923, For the 11 months ended Nov. 30, employment in New York} factories averaged 1 per cent below| the same period a year ago, Only Two to Brag Over. } The importance of sustained activ- ity in the butflding industry and of high production in the automobile in- dustry is stressed by the New York labor commissioner. Employment in the coming: :months will probably hinge on tifese: industries. ua * * 1 The uncertainties of the building situation are ‘Summed up by T. 8. Holden, stati§tician for the F. W. Dodge corporation; important finan- ciers of the if@ustry. Holden says: “The stimulis' of the building short- age has been Temoved, but it is en- quirements of ’the country may be-| come larger than. we now conceive. The situation stems unusually diffi- cult, to an: mn the whole it looks as if there is #real reaction on the way, a flattenitg out of the boom. It seems likely to ‘develop fairly gradu- ally but unlikely to drop to extreme levels. It appbars to me that the; building total of 1926 will be less! than that this*¥ear, but probably not | a great deal léss.” | Automobile production is being cut) down and no’®ne seems to know, whether 1926 production can be held| up to this year’s record. Employment in Detroit is’ still about 60,000 above a year ago. But the oversupply of used cars, the increase in the num- ber of cars, sold on time, which are being taken back because of non- payments, and the possibility that price cuts and liberal selling terms in 1925 have anticipated the normal 1926 market are recognized as unfavorable da gun. | permanent organ and at the same; time the execution of actual work on jthe organization of unemployed, such jas the registration of unemployed, ne- | Soitation with other labor organiza- | tions, etc., were started. || The unemployment movement in | Osaka (Osaka is the largest industrial center of Japan, while Tokio is the | political center), under the auspices |of the Hyogikai, strated on July 10 j with the broadcasting of leaflets and | placarding. On the 12th a mass meet- | ing was held in the city park. On| | the following day the Osaka branch of | the -Hyogikai invited all the local trade unions as well as the Japan Peasant Union for a “conference \on unemployment problems.” On July} 20,,answering the cv! of the Hyogikai, 71 delegates representing 27 different labor organizations met and agreed | unanimously to carry on the move-! ment against unemployment and to establish a permanent organ for the) purpose. ‘ 'T is significant that to this memor- able conference the Japanese Fed- eration of Labor did not send its rep- resentatives. Since the recent split, the federation has entirely been sub-| jected under the control of the reform- istic bureaucrats, who, from their ha- tred of left wingers, have been ob- structing all the attempts in which the latter are active. At the conference, great indigna- tion was expressed by sothe of the delegates at the non-attendance of the Japa Federation of Labor, but at the suggestion of the Hyogikai and peasant representatives a delegation was elected to induce the federation to co-operate. The delegation suc- ceeded and at the second meeting of the committee on July 26, the repre- sentatives of the federation were present. : At that meeting 6 of action were elected “committees actual work | k symptoms. TANI i Japanese Delegate to the Executive Bureau of the R. I, Lb. U for agitation and organization among the unemployed wete assigned to each, Thus the movement against un- employment in the great industrial centers of Japan initiated by the lett wingers has sucessfully united all the local labor organizations regardless of their political tendencies. , 'N another industrial center in west- ern Japan, Kobe, the unemploy- ment moyement, initiated by the Nihon dokumiai Hyogikai, was started July 22. On that day the city In both states thousands who had jobs ing to Statistician Cahn’s report. This HOW TO BREAK STRIKES, TOLD BY U. $. GOV'T Department of Labor Proud of Itself Some workers may think that the United States government is a sort ot “fair and impartial” arbitrator of their troubles and struggles with the | bosses. But just what the govern- ment’s department of labor does in such cases can be well shown by the labor department’s own words, given out in the department’s news letter the first day of December. Here is what they report on three strikes: Weavers, Providence, R. I. “A conciliator from the department of labor reports that after a two days’ | conference with the B. B, and R. Knight company officials and striking employes, an agreement has been brot about. The trouble grew out of a demand by the company that the number of looms per weaver be in- creased. In the adjustment which was reached the employes accepted a ten per cent wage reduction as a substi- tute for the increased number of looms. Weavers, Biddeford, Maine. { “A wire has been received from the department's representative that at a conference the threatened strike of 3,100 operatives of the Pepperell Man- ufacturing company was averted. In| Few workers among the ones outside those immediately engaged in the i the battle against the non-union op- | erators of West Virginia realize the significance of the recent injunction of Judge McClintic against the Unit- ed Mine Workers. Judge McClintic, in issuing the in- junction, said that he based his ac- tion upon the clause in the U. M. W. of A. constitution which, in his view, makes the union a monopoly. the clause is as follows: j “To unite in one organization re- | gardiess of creed, color or nationali- ty, all workmen eligible for member- ship employed in or around coal mines, washeries and coke ovens on the American continent.” This is industrial unionism, which | William Green, president of the | American Federation is set against | as an upholder of craft unionism. Green, although he has issued state- | ments of opposition to McClintic’s injunction, has no room to quarrel | with a capitalist court for forbidding industrial unionism. WORK FOR ABIG "DELEGATION T0 SOVIET RUSSIA |Kansas City Unionists Strong for Idea By E. HUGO OEHLER. KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 14.-The Trade Union Unity Committee, the enlarged former Purcell committee} has started the task of financing, se- lecting and sending a delegation from this district with the American trade union delegation that will visit So- viet Russia and report back to Amer- ican trade unionists actual conditions in the Union of Socialist Soviet Re- Left Wing Hammers At Zaritsky’s Machine NEW YORK CITY, (By Mail)*— The officials of the Cap Makers’ Un- ion called a mass meeting to demon strate their strength. The entire inr dustry was stopped for the meeting, ‘he main question really before the meeting was—whether the offielals of the union are agents of the workers or of the boss The whole member- ship was ordered into get a vote of confience from meeting. i Work For Bosses’ Interest | The situation in the union is very |serious. Instead of the officials work- ing in the interests of the workers who are members, they work more in the interest of the bosses and the con- | tractors, This was pointed out by many left wing speakers, among them H. Sazar, Cohen, Borom and 2 Shafran. Pres- ident 2 y to allow alter- ate speake: er and one of- He forced the left wing to all speak first then let the machine use all the opportunity to close the argu- ment. The atmosphere and the voting showed the mass of members oppose the machine, Many Abstain From the entire audience of 1,800 381 votes and the machine got onl; the defiant left wing 154 who openly voted against the machine, while all the rest abstained from voting, fear- ing the terror of the administration, They were afraid of voting against the machine, so they would not vote at all, If the machine would allow the de- mand of the Cap Makers’ section of the T. U. BE. L. and the desire of the workers, there is no doubt but that all those who abstained from voting would surely vote against the ma- chine. Make Left Wing Stand Clear. | The opposition made a clear and | strong attack to which the administra- lers agreed to fully co-operate in try- the interests of production and in-| publics. creased efficiency the company pro-; The committee is urging all trade posed to install the multiple weaving; unions in Greater Kansas City to system, and this plan was objected to, send delegates to the unity commit- by the operatives. At an extended con-|tee to help carry on the work and to ference held at Biddeford, attended | bring unity to the movement locally. by representatives of the workers, the | The committee urges all trade unions} company, the state labor commis-|in nearby cities to get in touch with | sioner, and two conciliators from the the officers, E. B. Eastwood, chair- U. S. department of labor, an agree-| man, and Barny McCoy, secretary, ment was reached by which the weav-| Room 2, Labor Temple. The unionists of the nearby states are urged to get into thé saddle and help direct this work to a speedy conclusion to enable Radio Workers, Bronx, N. Y. jus to have a fine delegation to go to “Employes of the F, A. D, Andra/ Russia. company, a manufacturer of radio ie) Plans were immediately launched plies, went on strike for a wage in-| to increase the representation and to crease of from 12% per cent to 15) finance them. Sub-committees were per cent. The demands were refused,|@Ppointed to call on unions for this A conciliator from the department| Purpose. The committee is arrang- took up the case and found that only | ing @ Christmas tree celebration to a small minority of the employes of distribute baskets to the needy work- the company had gone on strike. They | ers and to obtain funds for the financ- i 6 ing of the delegation. were induced to return to work at the old rates,” | The committee meets the second ing out the new system. and fourth Thursday of each month at the Labor Temple. Structural Workers Gain. BOSTON, Dec. 14.—Structural iron eg workers of Boston, who struck for a} Wrap your lunch in a copy of raise from $1.10 to $1.25 per hour,| the DAILY WORKER and give have returned to work under the old wage scale, but with an agreement it (the DAILY WORKER, not the for a bonus of 15 cents per hour, lunch) to vour shop-mate. tion speakers could not reply. Cohen said that the present leaders were out only for themselves. Sazar made a sharp attack on the “work” of the administration. He pointed out facts showing where and how the machine is the open agent of the bosses. So did Borom. Eva Shafran depicted the ideologie- al difference between the right wing administration and the left wing rank and file, Because of the lack of a class struggle policy by the officials; theré-— is a reflection on ‘the everyday work in the union. Non-union workers work in union shops. She pointed out trade evils. All left wing speakérs de- elared that they would keep on with their work for the membership’s in- terests. New York Plumbers and Gasfitters Refuse to Install Scab Ranges NEW YORK, Dec. 14—The mem- bers of the Gas Fitters and Plumbers’ Union here in answer to the appeal of the Metal Polishers’ Union, Local ” No. 6, of Chicago, refuse to install any ranges, furnaces, or heaters made by the struck Cribben-Sexton & Co, stove manufacturing plant. the 25th a permanent local committee | NOTHER point to be remembered on unemployment was elected. | is the dual purpose of the move- Similar attempts by the lett wing ele| ment, which its promoters are think- ments in the trade union have also|ing to attain. The All-Japan Federa- been made in other industrial centers! tion of Labor, that is, the national and similar results have been arrived| unity of labor, has had no opportun- at. It is erroneous to suppose, how-|ity of realization since its first abor- ever, that all these attempts have been carried on smoothly, On the contrary every forward step taken by left wing organizations ‘has met with obstacles laid by reformists and with suppression by the government. Arrests and bloodshed are usual oc- currences at mass meetings. Often the speakers are not allowed to speak more tha a few opening words before |trade union movement. they are pulled down from the plat- form by armed police. However, the brutal measures of suppression exer- cised by police and the gendarmerie are serving as ofl on fire. The revo- lutionary leaders of Japan are finding unexpected promoters of their agita- tional work in the very suppression by the police administration. O tar the writer has not received information, as to the completion of the organization of the National League of Unemployed; or the opening of the National Congress of Unem- ployed, which is the immediate aim of the unemployment movement so en- energetically started by the Hyogikai But it is simply a matter of time. There are yet two points to be re- membered in observing the future de- velopment of this unemployment movement of the left wingers, At the Oska conference held July 26, it was decided that “the movement shall not concern itself with the work bearing a character of mutual aid, but it shall be a protest movement against the government and other sources on the was placarded with various posters bearing slogans against unemployment offensiv: apital, On the ‘question of unemployment.” | This statement clearly indie the char- acter of the movement as a political movement, fundamentally differing from the movement of reformists, | |tlon in 1922. The failure was partly |due to the failure on the part of the jleaders to base the unity movement }on concrete and practical problems, | This mistake has lately been ac- | ktlowledged by the left wing leaders } and the unemployment movement has | at once been grasped by them for the | basis for the national unity of the This is why the present unemployment movement started by the Hyogikai is so im- portant and needs close attention. Proletarian Party. if N Japan there is no “workers’ par- ty" nor any party legally represent- ing the classes at the present. interests of non-propertied was written The Proletarian or Labor (Since this Pary has been formed early in Decem- ber.—Editor DAILY WORKER.) The ery for a “Proletarian Party”, how- ever, has become loud since a year before last, when the extention of franchise became evident. This year in May the so-called “universal suf- frage” (a manhood suffrage with many limitations) was passed through the diet and the number of voters for parliamentary elections was increas- ed from 3,000,000 to 12,000,000, The new political factor thus creat- ed is already becoming the object of exploitation by bourgeois politicians on the one hand and on the other has become the basis of a new political force of the oppressed class. The bourgeoisie, who have still to fight against feudalistic aristocracy and landlordism, want to exploit’the new political factor for the warfare against their internal enemies, For this purpose they are giving or By TANI ders to their reformist lackeys to or- ganize the new voters into an illusion- ary social-democratic party. Against such a danger and betrayal, the left wing leaders in the trade union move- ment are striving to organize the new political elements into a “proletarian party” on the basis of clags distine- tion, | Bp last year preliminary work for the practical organization of a “Workers’ and Peasants’ Party” _ were started by Communist elements within the labor organizations. Parti- cularly in the Japanese Federation of Labor the work was going on with definite results, until the so-called “in- ternal trouble” put a temporary check upon it, During and after the split, the.cen- j ter of the oganizational work of the political party has shifted from the Federation to the Japan Peasante’y Union and to the newly organized Nihon Rodokumiai Hyogikai, The reformistic leaders of the fed- eration, now being free to exercise — their will after the expulsion of com- munists, have consciously attemted to lead the party movement into chaos, — thereby to a sabotage of the interests of the working masses, Instead of _ one national party of workers and as peasants, which up to recently they advocated, they have begun to author — ize the formation of local independent parties, %, Thus, under the tacit guidance of the political committee of the Japan- ese Federation of Labor, several small local parties have already sprung up in different parts of the country. Ag a matter of course, these mush i parties are of no great force, their appearance at the critical mo ment of the founding of a national party is certainly an obstacle active sabotage on the part of formists against the coming letarian Party.” (To be continued in 43 nae a