The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 22, 1925, Page 5

MESSINGER MEN KEPT DIVIDED BY -DISCRIMINATIONS Co. Magazine Mum on Workers’ Conditions By RUFUS P. HEATH. (Worker Correspondent) A recent issue of the Monthly Messenger, the magazine issued by the Messinger Lunch Rooms’ com- pany, tells of the decorative and artistic atmosphere of its lunch Tooms, the courtesy of its employes, the low cost of food, Not,a word is mentioned of the twelve-hour day or the low wages paid to workers. The outstanding ‘purpose of this. issue seems to be to boost their new house at 3 West Grand Ave., calling it a Palace of art, etc. The company knows how to boost its own business. It stdps at nothing to get the public’s interest, to arouse people to take favorable notice of them, But what do the employes of Messinger lunch rooms do to tell the People about the conditions under which they work. Do they ever try to show up these lies?) Do they ever bring to the attention of other work- ers facts concerning the miserable conditions of work they have to put up with while in the employ of this company? ‘ How Unions Are Kept Out. Now I will tell you fellow workers something about the new house that the Monthly Messenger failed to mention and incidentarly about the working conditions in all Messinger lunch rooms. The manager of the new house is a notorious slave driver by‘the name of C. B. Emery. It is impossible to do enough work for him. The more you do the more he wants you to do. To keep the workers divided he con- ducts a systematic campaign of dis- criminations, treating the workers on some jobs better than those on others, thus creating an aristocracy of jobs. This division is plainly seen in his treatment of the porters and dish- washers. He submits them to all Manner of humiliations while he plays trivial favoritisms to the cooks and countermen. The porters and dish- washers must eat their meals in the cold concrete basement while the cooks and countermen are permitted to eat out in the dining room. The colored ‘workers he treats worse than the white workers. This is one of the most successful methods of keep- ing workers from organizing into a union and that is the purpose behind it. As I stated in a previous article the wages in Messinger’s range from $14.00 to $22.00 a week. The day erew works ten hours daily, six and @ half days a week, while the night crew works twelve hours daily, seven days a week for the same pay. Simple Thing to Get New Workers. The least little thing is cause for a Worker to loose his job. And why not? There are several thousand un- employed workers in the food in- @ustry in Chicago. At the present time it is easy enuf to get new work- ers. The only remedy for these con- ditions is for the food workers to form an industrial union in the city and take up the fight for the eight-hour day. Organized into a union the Messinger lunch room food workers could do much to improve their standard of living, lower their work- ing hours, raise their wages, do away with artificial discriminations, and all the evils that are keeping the food » workers in the position of the most badly treated and enslaved workers. | $ ' Workers Write Ahout ‘the Workers PRIZES FOR CORRESPONDENTS! VERY week The DAILY WORKER is presenting three prizes for the best stories sent in during the week by its This week's prize winners will be announced, and their respondents, worker cor- contributions published on the Worker Correspondents’ Page in Thure- day's issue, since there will be no paper on Friday, Christmas Day. The prizes offered are as follows: FIRST PRIZE—“Flying Osip,” stories of New Russia, some of which are now appearing in the New Magazine Section of The DAILY WORKER. SECOND PRIZE—Leon Trotsky’s “My Flight from Siberia,” in which is told the story of Trotsky’s escape from exile, THIRD PRIZE—An original cartoon framed, a reproduction of which will appear on the Worker Correspondents’ Page, «Send.in. your contributions immediately. The DAILY WORKER, partment, Chicago;-1l. Address, Editorial De- 1113 West Washington Blvd., WESTERN ELECTRIC EMPLOYE TELLS OF SPY SYSTEM AT CHICAGO PLANT By WM. MASON, a Worker Correspondent. For a number of months I've been reading your excellent paper, and I must say it; is the clearest. paper expressing the vital problems of the work- ers that I have ever read. The Worker Correspondents’ page is truly inspiring and gives substantial proof of ‘two ‘things, i. e., that there is much latent ability in the working —— class and that you ate destined to develop that, ability. * Speed System Defined. It is not to sing your praises, how- ever, that I now undertake to write, but to give the readers of The DAILY WORKER an insight into the work- ing conditions in the Western Electric company plant on the southwest side of Chicago. The Hawthorne works, as this plant is called, is 100 per cent an open shop. I have worked in various de- partments of this plant. The same specialized system prevails in all de- partments «which compels each em- ploye to ‘produce a specified amount in the eight»and three-fourths-hour day. The speed-up system is in force and the less efficient slavés are weed- ed out—except in the so-called “gaqod times”” when °they are transferred to different «sdepartments. Very little mechanical-skill is required since, as I stated above, the work is special- ized. As is to be expected, the spy sys- tem is in foree... The lockers are mys- teriously searched in some depart- ments and tf anyone is caught read- ing anything“ except the ‘reptile press, sensational novels or religious litera- ture, some subterfuge is found to dis- charge him.’ When hired, one has to fill out a long application’ blank, give four city references and“undergo a physical ex- amination. After the examination, if accepted, he “is handed a little book- let and a pass’ and’told to report next morning: Pension—A Form of Exploitation. The booklet.contains the company’s rules and an explanation of the pen- sion system, one of their methods to keep workers @nslaved. Clauses stat- ing that the’ company reserves the right to abrogate said pension at any and all times are prominently dis- played. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this institution is its system of publicity with which it poisons the minds of its slaves. It publishes a weekly paper, the “Hawthorne Micro- phone” and a monthly magazine, “The Western Electric News” besides a host of leaflets announcing its social ac- tivities consisting of baseball clubs, basket ball teams, bobbed hair con- tests, etc. all saturated with ruling class ideas. To back all this up this huge combination has its hosts of ** NOTICE TO NEW YORK WORKER CORRESPONDENTS OMRADE H. M. WICKS will be in New York City, Saturday, Dec. 26th, and will hold a meeting of worker correspondents and those interested in taking up this work at the party headquarters, 108 East 14th St. All comrades who want to know the details of this work and to get practical ‘suggestions that will aid them in becoming efficient worker correspondents should at- tend. The meeting will start at 2 o’clock sharp in the afternoon. stool pigeons and uniformed police. After working here for a while one can fully appreciate what Lénin meant When he said “The bourgeois countries are being turned into huge military prisons for the workers.” I would suggest systematic distribu- tion of leaflets exposing this despot- ism and urging organization by work- ers who are not employed at the plant. _ This can be done on the streets when the employes go home at night. On the inside, a few intel- ligent workers can carry on a skillful agitation for organization but they cannot distribute leaflets. Los Angeles Central Labor Council Turns Down World Court Idea By R. BELLIT, (Worker Correspondent) LOS ANGELES, Dec, 20.—At its last meeting the Los Angeles Central Labor Council turned down the inyita- tion of the chamber of commerce to participate in a conference in behalf of the world court. The secretary of the council made a motion that the executive should go there to investi- gate the conference, but one of the delegates made a motion to table the entire matter. After a lengthy dis- cussion the council gave the chamber of commerce a cold shoulder en this proposition as it did when an invita- tion to participate in a preparedness parade on Labor Day was extended by the chamber of commerce, The Russian ‘Living Newspaper’ By NANCY MARKOFF, ‘HE Russian “living newspaper” in Chicago, What is it? How did it come to be organized? The revolutionary Russian workers in this country have a daily news- paper, the Novy Mir, which has been published in New York City for about 13 years. It has Rabcors, (worker correspondents) thruout the country, Chicago alone having over twenty. But their big problem has been and still 1s to a certain extent to get the Russian workers to read the Novy Mir, There was the additional need to counteract the influence of the anti- revolutionary white guard Russian “newspaper in Chicago which every day wove its nets of lying anti-soviet ‘and capitalist aganda around the uninformed Russian worker. How to wet these workers to read the Novy Mir and to counteract this anti-revo- lutionary influence was their problem, and they decided to meet it ih the way wt as ‘ << 4 the workers of Soviet Russia met such problems, thrii the medium of the “liv- ‘ng newspaper.” To be sure there had xeen worker correspondents before sve Bolshevik revolution. But the 1eeds of the revolution spurred them 0 greater. activity. (ee Rabcors of the Novy Mir set to work. .They organized the “liv- ng newspaper.” Articles for Nov~ Mir were first discussed and edite~ ut neetings.of the Chicago Novy Mir worker correspondents. Then a hall was secured, for the “living news- paper and. anpouncements sent out ‘nviting the.Ruyssian workers to at- tend the “publication.” On the night of the publication the writers arrived bringing with them their revised and edited articles. The The subscribers and readers arrived and took their places in the hall. An editor in the chair. The writers were called upon in their turn to read their articles (the subjects being divided newspaper was read the audience had its chance and the afticles were dis- cussed and criticized. The worker correspondents class of Chicago instructed its secretary to attend the publication of the Chicago Russian “living newspaper” known as the Prolet-Tribune, at 1902 W. Divi- sion St. on Saturday, Dec, 19. Sitting thru the publication of the paper one could readily understand why the idea has been so effective and brot such splendid results. The articles took up questions of interest to workers. They showed up the farce at work to keep capitalist society in power and the workers en- slaved. There were humorous articles at which the audience rocked with laughter, There were articles which the audience felt so keenly, they sat nodding their approval so expressivly that you knew the writer expressed something that they had thought THE DAILY WORKER Progressives Urge Organization Drive in Pittsburgh Area By A Worker Correspondent PITTSBURGH, Dec, 20—Following the report of the committee to arrange the showing of the movie film “La- bor’s Reward,” Progressive Delegate Otis took the floorand demanded that the showing of the picture be made the beginning of a drive for member- ship in the steel center here, Organize Andustrially. He pointed out;that in this organ- ization campaign we must not leave it to each separate craft to attempt organization, but .that it should be done on the bagia of organizing the entire industry, into an industrial union, 339) Following Otis, another left wing delegate took the floor and pointed out that in hig,trade—the bakery trade—there is.one branch of the industry that ig completely unorgan- ized—that is the ,confectionery work- ers, He then told of how a delega- tion of young workers had come to him and asked for assistance and he had helped then to start an organiza- tion in Pittsburgh, and that the work- ers want to joim unions and will join if a drive is made at organization. For usement. The stand-pattérs declared that a picture is for the purpose of enter- taining and amusing the looker-on and not to be used as a means of organ- izing the workers, Wake-Up! Many of the so-called progressives that attend these meetings don’t say a word and think that all the Central Labor Union members have to do is listen to a lot of letters and as soon as they are read, to go home and forget that organization work must be done, Lack of Organ ization Brings Many Insults to Boston Jewelry Workers OF By SAUL WHITE, Worker..Correspondent. BOSTON, Mass,,.Dec. 20.—The im- Dudence of bosseg.in taking advantage of unorganized. workers was clearly demonstrated recently in a jewelry manufacturing shop here. The boss did not like a piece of work produced by one of the workers and he told him to make a;mew one on his own time, a thing upheard of in the the trade. 1 fOr The boss knew from past experiénce that when a mamchas to choose be- tween losing his gob and swallowing humiliation he: is; more likely than not to: choose, the latter. Especially when he has a family to support. This worker happened to be a man of principle andsindependence so he picked up the chailenge. He quit and demanded his wages. The firm refused to let him have;tis money. He de- cided to demand shis rights. He took a chance in the capitalist courts. The trial: came on and the miracle happened; The worker col- lected his wages, « The need for organization is grow-| ing as the appetite of the bosses for Sreater profits becomes more and more pronounced. Some workers do not realize this fact until they get hit mighty hard by the economic club. This same thing will happen again, Perhaps, to another. worker who will not be in a position to put up an in- dividual fight. Wrap your lunch in a copy of the DAILY WORKER and give it (the DAILY WORKER, not the lunch) to your’shop-mate. nf “% in Chicago all humorous, showihg up some indivi- dual or incidepge gave a real zest to the evening. There were let- ters to the editor and his reply and at the end the advertisements and an- nouncements. “"* At twelve o’cloék! tho I did not un- derstand one word 6f the language, | left as reluctantly as the Test of the workers in the atidience and thoroly refreshed, they with the intellectual and spiritual treat they had received, { imbued with the' spirit of the atmo sphere, and with # warm appreciation of every one of those workers who came up to the platform, The Movement for World Trade Union By TOM BELL. UNITED FRONT T0 FIGHT BOSSES IS NEED OF CANADA Canadian Labor Defense Calls for Unity TORONTO, Ontario, Dec, 20.—The Canadian Defense Labor League which is defending the 24 Drumheller coal miners, who are now on trial before Canadian class justice, has sent out the following appeal calling for & un- ited front of all labor organizations to combat the attempt of the capitalist powers to deny the right of strikers to. peaceably picket: Five workers have been sentenced to imprisonment for one year and a boy of fifteen has received a suspend- ed sentence of six months. The crime they were charged with was “unlawful assembly.” The truth of the matter is they were “pickets.” The “right to picket” has been established by law. Organized labor has suffered much for this right. Under pretexts of one kind or an- other, employers and courts use other names for this right. The imprisonment of these five workers is a challenge to the entire trade union movement. It is the chal- lenge of destruction. The right of picketing must be main- tained as an “international right.” It is bound up with the “right to live.” Workers who picket must be protect- ed against misinterpretation. It is the duty of organized labor to protest vigorously against the impris- onment of the four men and one wo- man who are to be deprived of their liberty for one year because they were “pickets.” These workers who strug- gled to maintain a decent living wage must be supported. The Canadian Labor Defense League urges a united labor front for the protection, support and defense of our fighters. You are urged to build up your La- bor Defense branches. Bring your lo- cal unions into activities. Help the workers who have helped! the labor movement to maintain its wage standard. Help the families of the men who have gone to prison for the right of the workers to live. Issued by the Executive Committee Canadian Labor Defense League. John Young, Chairman, Florence Custance, Secretary. Nine Millionaire Cops Will “Retire” NEW YORK—(FP)—Dec. 20.—Nine millionaire honorary police commis- sioners of New York and eight special deputy commissioners are going “off the cops” with the first of the year on the retirement of Commissioner Enright who appointed them, But while they wore their badges the rich special deputies had offices at head- quarters and considerable to say in the running of the job: and the honorary commissioners swanked at polite parades and broke what speed laws they chose with the magic aid of the Police Department signs on their cars. Here is the list of police aristocrats —you will spot some open shop mag- nates if you look closely and perhaps guess the side policemen’s clubs would swing for during disputes be- tween labor and the employers: Honorary Commissioners: John F. Birmingham, pres. Delaware, Lacka- wanna and Western Coal Co.—now fighting the anthracite workers; Mat- thew Scott Sloan, president, Brooklyn Edison Co.; William A. Todd, ship- builder; Herman A. Metz, chemical manufacturer; R. A. C. emith, steam- ship manufacturer; George A, Mac- Donald, officer and director of many public utilities’ companies; Daniel B. Freedman, real estate magnate; Ed- ward Sykes, “broker; Walter Scott, merchant, Now come the financial blue bloods on the list of specia: a@eputy com- missioners: Rodman Wanamaker, multi-millionaire department store owner is in charge of police reserves; T. Coleman duPont of the huge du- Pont interests, and also a United States senator from Delaware, is su- pervisor of the New York police hos- pital; Edward A. Guggenheim, metal mine baron, is director of the pension fund; Barron G, Collier, of the bureau of safety; Dr. John A, Harris, in charge of traffic; John M. Sgaw, supervisor of Richmond; Dr, Carlton Simon, head of the narcotic bureau and Heury Fragaut completes the list. UNITY about too, There was poetry read by workers with fervor and spirit. There was the youthful Rabcor who told about youth activities. And cartoons, | drawn on a very large sheet of paper, '|SICK AND DEATH BENEFI in departments), After the whole SOCIETIES Frauen-Kranken-Unterstuetzungs Verein Meets ist und ‘bed Thursday, vi rs Park Hal M 2040 Ws" North: Aven . fenue. ‘ ; Secretary, say ehdign ‘ No pamphlet more timely and important has been issued. The question of trade union unity— the facts presented in this pam- phlet and the history of the steps already taken—make this an ideal book for every workers’ library and the book to take to your trade union, Take a few to your next meeting. =" French Airplanes in Syria Drop Dynamite on Druse Villages (Special to The Dally Worker) JERUSALEM, Dec. 20.—French air- Plane squadrons have started a cam- paign of aerial bombardment of the Druse strongholds near the Pales- tine borders. No attention is being given to whether bombs fall on wo- men and children or armed men, in fact, a well-placed bomb in a village full of women and children earns the aviator a croix de querre. | to The DAILY WORKER and Its Readers. Mr. and Mrs. Fred. Williams and Children, Mr. and Mrs, Waino Williams and children, Mr. and Mrs. Vie Vanne, Mr. and Mrs. Jno Lekti-and children Mr. and Mrs. Santer Mertola and children, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Alto and children Mr, and Mrs, Peter Kreger and children, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Luoto and children, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. E, Hill and children, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Lohti and children, Mr. and Mrs. Elias Kumpula and children, Mrs, Jno Mattila, Alvin, William, Mary, and Jno Paul- etich, Sam Pauletich, Joe Marinado. Joe Kefos. Mike Yerbich, Albin Mikolin, Jno Luoma. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Waisanin nad children, Mr. and Mrs. Jno Leino and euild- ren, Mr. and children, Mr. and children, Mr. and children, Mr. and children, Matt Mathila. Alex Raiha. Arvid Salmi Aug. Lappala. Leonard Leivo. Jack Kunutila Hanna Wyo. Mr. and Mrs. William Nordwah, Mr. and Mrs, Waltér Rookola and children, Mr. and Mrs. Jdoe Soarin and child- ren, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Pakoloni and children, Mr. and Mrs, Sam Bisignono and children. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Posanen and children. Mr. and Mrs, Herman Hoopamoki. Mr. and Mrs, Jack Glod and child- ren. Nestor Nurmi, Jack Soberg. Mrs, Ida Kivisto and children. Mr. and Mrs, Albért Koutto and children, Mr. and Mrs. Waino Lynn and child- ren, Mr. and Chas. Kotila, Frank Viitaaho. Matt Saxbug. Andrew Nnvonen, Geo Malmberg, Gust Malmberg. Andrew Aho, Elizabeth Johnson. Mrs. Lillie West and children. Mr, and Mrs. Oscar Kandoliin and children, Mr, and Mrs, Emil Solé and child- ren, Mr, and Mrs. Peter Sipponen and children, Mr. and Mrs. Jno Kivi and children. Mr. and Mrs, Matt Wakkuni and children, Mr. and Mrs, and children, Anselin Hakola and children. Mr. and Mrs. Jno Huhtala. Arthur, Bertha, Hanna, Hulda and Peter Puro. Mrs. Frank Klobos and Mrs, JJno Parkkeo and Mrs. Nestor White and N°s, Oscar Annola and Hjalmar Kandollin You do the job twice ag well— when you distribute a bundle of The DAILY WORKER with your story in it. Admission 75 Cents. Chicago Readers, Attention! GRAND CONCERT —— AND DANCE ——. for the benefit of Delnik will be given by the F. D. T. J. OMLADINA and Czechoslovak Fractions FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1925 at C. S. P. S. Hall, 1126 W. 18th Street, Chicago. Freiheit Singing Society—Symbolic and Folk Dances by the members of F. D, T. J. Omladina—Musical Selections—Piano, Violin and Vocal Solos—Recitations—DANCING DURING EVENING. Principal Speakere—Robert Minor and Lovett Fort-Whiteman, Page Five [MONTANA WORKER FARMERS FORMING i it i LOCAL COUNCILS Demand for Political Weapon Spreads PLENTYWOOD, Mont., Dec, 20.— Wiliam Bouck, militant leader of the working farmers of the northwest, has organized e number of local coun- cils in Montana of the Progressive Farmers. Following his meetings in Plentywood, Outlook, Dagmar, Dooley, Quitmeyer, Reserve, Homestead, and other farming communities, local councils were formed of the work- ing farmers, who are enthusiastic for creating a new political party in this country to represent workers and farmers. The local councils that are now be- ing formed are to organize district councils, the district councils will in turn organize county councils, which will in turn organize state councils. Working Farmers’ Organization, The organization is pledge-bound, its business is to be kept in secrecy and i will admit only working farm- ers. Bankers and large landholders will be able to enter this organiza- tion as easily as a camel can pass thru the eye of a ten<ent store needle. Wiiliam Bouck in an address at the Farmer-Labor Temple ¢raced the his- tory of farmers’ movements and point- ed out the insufficiency of many ot the present organizations and urged the farmers to organize @ new politt- cal weapon which they will be able to wield in conjunction with the work- ers in the towns and cities, Gives History of Movement, | “Many farmers’ organizations have come, hed their day and passed away,” declared Bouck. “The old Grange was probably the first farmers’ organization of any strength in the country—organized first as a co-operative and political expression of the farmers, it grew un- til in 1872 in Iowa it. formed-a poli- tical party and nearly captured the state, Soon, thereafter, the national Grange met and passed a law that hereafter no Grange or Granger as a Granger should enter politics, That killed the interest in the Grange, The Farmers’ Union, “Then later came the Farmers’ Union and several others whose his- tory is more or less a copy of the Grange. Along about 1880-85 the far- mere of the west organized a virile semi-political movement called the Farmers’ Alliance which was after- werd merged into the populist party. This party carried several western states, put the initiative principle in the constitution of several states, se- cured many economic edvances for the farmer and passed away. ’ Non-partisan League, aes epnethjnapemenesetsreniiaoeeessita nnn SSAA “Later came the non-partisan league which secured: many progressive eco- nomic advantages, some of which are becoming of great advantage to the farmer. Other etates also took it up. Some secured great advantages thru its work—it too passed away, having repaid the farmers in money and training a million times its cost, Need New Organization. “Now we are in a time of chaos. Old organizations have passed away. Farmers and progressives everywhere are turning to a newer, more progres- sive, strongly organized and better disciplined organization—as the fore- es of plutocracy are more strongly in- trenched today, than ever bfore, The national chamber of commerce is the strongest, most centralized organize- tion of predatory interests ever known. Always on the job at Wash- ington, D. C., when there is any in- terest in progressive laws for the producer at Washington and always thwarting the producers’ interest. 80 we have in this movement the om- bryo machine that we propose to build and equip for the fight that we see just ahead for the producers of the country—to keep the farmer from descending until he becomes a poorer edition of the European peas- ant.” Doors Open 2 P. M,