The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 3, 1926, Page 5

1000 WORKER vce cect PONDENTS BY JANUARY 13 THE DATLY WORKER ruge Five INTHE LAND OF PLENTY WORKERS REMAIN IN DEBT Whole Families Slave for Masters’ Gain By a Worker Correspondent. MT. VERNON, Wash., Feb, 1.—Ac- cording to a speech by a local rotarian broadcasted over the radio we have the finest soil to be found anywhere with the world record for oat produc- tion, and one of the greatest dairy in- dustries in the United States. It is interesting to consider how much the poor farmers and workers here share in this prosperity: Oats are $30 per ton, just about the cost of production. Sugar beets brought only $6 per ton, a price which will not cover the cost of the crop. The dairy- men receive an average of $2.00 per hundred and at this price they'll tell you there’s nothing in it. In a land flowing with milk and honey land rent is $20 and $30 per acre with the number of renters on the increase. All Enslaved. Every member of the family is “gainfully” employed. The number of women operating farms while their husbands work out is ever on the in- crease. Where the men do the farming wives and daughters must go out to work in order to make ends meet. Wages for women are twenty and thirty cents an hour and some of the Piece workers in the canneries make as low as $1.50 per day. Wages for men are, in the mills $3.60 per day, logging camps $4.00 to $6, canneries and condensers $3.20 and road and construction work $4.00. There is a chronic unemployment situation here, one never gets enough work or makes enough on the farm to quite catch up with expenses, and there is always an unpaid bill at the stores or for rent. Prolet-Tribune’s Satire on Yellows Delights Workers By a Worker Correspondent, Proléet-Tribune, the Russian living newspaper published by the Chicago Worker Correspondents of the Novy Mir, is getting under the skin of the white guards who share the editorial ‘control of the Russian counter-revolu- sheet, Russky Viestnik, very issue Prolet-Tribune ex- jes these fake liberals showing them up for what they really are. Its Political articles,biting satire and car- toons pillories these fakers, to the great delight of the Russian workers who crowd the Workers’ House, where the paper is issued. A few times the white guard Russky Viestnik murmured its disapproval of the Prolet-Tribune, but this week it came out with a broadside against the Communists in three articles. This attack is amusing to the Rus- sian workers coming directly upon the heels of that paper’s propaganda campaign for a counter-revolutionary moving picture, the property of the czarist colonel Lisovoy. It 1s expected that this attack will help bring a bigger crowd to the next issue of Prolet-Tribune on Saturday, Feb. 20th at the Workers’ House, 1902 W. Division street. Is it worth while to write It up? Of course it is. Write it up and send it in, and then watch it In the paper. Notice the corrections that have been made by the editors. You will profit “The Story of the Earth” and pit of bie A a eines jal, pied uestions an ‘Alacuse sion’ from the floor. sy Copies Are Left! The historic reports of the 5th CONGRESS of the Communist In ternational Should be in every worker’s hands — no Communist can be without them. Price, 70 Cents Prizes for Contributions Every week valuable books are offered as prizes for the best worker correspondents’ contributions. These prizes go to the worker whose work shows an effort to produce an article that will interest other workers. The article should of labor in factory, mill or mine, preferably point out the conditions The winners’ articles appear in the Friday issue every week. Read them. They will give you ideas as well as show you what splendid articles are written by workers. This Week’s Prizes! FIRST PRIZE: by Nikolat Bukharin, SECOND PRIZE: THIRD PRIZE: Union Delegation. “Historical Materiallsm—A System of Sociology” In this valuable book all the social sciences are closely scrutinized and interpreted from the materia’ “Capital,” by Karl Marx, ist volume, “Russia Today,” Report of the British Trade ist viewpoint, All three are valuable books for every worker’s library. Letter from Siberian Village By AL KERDOD, Village Correspondent. ATCHAIR, Omsk Region, Siberia, (By Mail.)—At the end of October in our Siberian village of Atchair, in the Omsk district, we held an agricultural exhibition. The peasants presented about 1,000 exhibits. There were spe- cial departments for land cultivation and market gardening, agriculture, cattle breeding amd: for agricultural implements and machinery. This year there were many kinds of cultures at the exhibition. There was “noe” wheat, and others which give a yield of 100 poods per dessiatine. We ex- hibited American wheat grasses and other cultivated grasses. We also showed thorobred cattle and similar exhibits. Altogether the exhibition was visit- ed by 1,500 peasants from the whole district, who ‘studied the entire exhi- bition so that everyone of them might acquire good experience and learn to run his farm in a scientific manner. After a while a tractor arrived which gave a tillage demonstration. It is true our district suffered very seri- ously during the revolution from Kol- chak’s white generals and others. But altho we have only two tractors, agri- culture has already caught up to the pre-war level. After the exhibition, 51 peasants were awarded prizes in the form of various seeds, cattle and money. The peasants stated that at next year's exhibition they will exhibit the crops produced from these cultures. Some of the peasants went to the Siberial Agricultural Academy, where they were well received and given further awards. And how are things with you, do you have agricultural exhibitions, are the peasants awarded prizes and how is agriculture developed in your coun- try? NEW YORK BARBERS’ UNION DONATES $10 FOR STRIKING MINERS By G. KONOVALOV, (Worker © Correspondent) NEW YORK, Feb. 1.—Local 752 of the Barbers’ Union of New York at its last business meeting donated $10 to the aid of the striking coal miners, Upon President Grimwald’s report that the executive board of the local recommends that $5 be sent to the miners, a rank atid filer took the floor and gave a talk’on the miners’ situation, pointing out thelr strug- gle with the coal barons and the sufferings of their wives and chil- dren. He urged the members to vote a larger sum anti amended the motion to read $20. A debate fol- lowed with the result*that $10 was voted for the Striking miners, Gangsters Outslugged By Building Trades Workers in Passaic By a Worker Correspondent. PASSAIC, N. J., Feb. 1 — Heavy handed union painters and plumbers of Passaic turned the tables on a bunch of gangsters who rushed into Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ head quarters to beat up Organizer Werthei- mer and an associate. The building tradesmen, who were meeting in an- other hall in the sathe building, rush- ed into the fray and sent the gangs- ters out on their ears, very much the worse for wear, say observers. The gang was organized by a cer- tain Cooper, & boss truckman, whe fetches scab clothing ‘from New York for finishing “in: Passaic contract shops, The Amalgamated is now seek- ing to organize these open shop nests. One plant has been signed up, with 75 workers, two more are on strike, The Passaic labor movement has gotten behind the Amalgamated well. After the police had rounded up a group of pickets'and Police Judge Davidson had sentenced four with the. warning that “labor agitators will not be tolerated’ in Passaic” a committee of building trades men waited on Chief Priescal and said that would not do at all, And a group of rank and file carpenters went on the picket line. Priescal took the tip and pickets for the time being are not being molested by the police and after a thug attacked a picket Judge Davidson with an ear to the political wind, took a turn about and sentenced him to 30 days. Hear All Bad iced and Good Music RADIO We build, repair and remodel radio ‘oote of all kinds at reasonable rates. JOHN VARGA 1327 W. 18th St., Chicago, Ill. All Work: Guaranteed. Call or phone your jobs, PROSPERITY TALK GROTESQUE JOKE TO BAG WORKERS By a Worker Correspondent. DENVER, Colo., Feb, 1,—Prosperity is Calvin Coolidge’s slogan for the year of 1926. Prosperity is the song the whole capitalist press sings and they tell the workers and farmers it will be their's for the year of 1926. I would like to tell the workers of other industries how the workers in the bag factories are prospering. To cite a few facts about the con- ditions in the bag factory of the Great Western Sugar Company I am em- ployed: Men in this factory, mostly between the ages of 17 and 24, some a little older, but none over forty, receive a wage of from $14,00 to $18.00 a week. For this they slave nine hours a day during which time they are forbidden to speak to each other. Because they come cheaper the com- pany employs girls wherever possible. The wages are on piecework basis and earnings come between $11.00 to $15.00 a week with only those who have been there for a number of years reaching the $15.00 mark. In January we were given a two week’s lay off without pay to spend the “savings” from our bountiful earn- ings of the previous year. Prosperity is Calvin Coolidge’s slo- gan for the year of 1926. I ask you, fellow workers: whose prosperity with strikebreaker Coolidge and his kind in control of the government? How Garment Boss Bulldozes Workers (By R. D., Worker Correspondent) PITTSBURGH, Pa., Feb. 1—A year ago when the boss introduced a Hne of children’s pants into the shop where we work, the boss declared that we would have to accept a 10 per cent reduction since he was unable to make anything in children’s pants as he had to sell them “cheaper.” The girls protested saying that it took more time to make a pair of chil- dren's pants than men’s pants and that they did not want to accept the 10 per cent reduction. In the end the boss got the best of the girls. Last week I overheard a conversa- tion of this boss with one of the busi- nessmen who buy men’s pants. The businessmen wanted to know how the garment shop boss had made out on the children’s pants that were being made in his shop. “There was such a big demand for them,” declared the boss, “That a pair of children’s pants sold for $1.25 while 4 pair of men’s pants only brot in 65 cents.” LAUNDRIES IN SEATTLE FOR THE OPEN SHOP Bosses’ Move Will Be Met by Strike (By a Workers;Correspondent) SEATTLE, Wash, Feb. 1 —Laundry bosses here haye again declared for the open shop and the smashing of the unions in the laundry business of this city, by notifying the unions that their agreement has ‘heen terminated and that hereafter they. will not deal with the unions. Nearly two thousand work- ers are involved, most of whom are women. 1,200 inside laundry workers, mostly girls, nearly 500 laundry driv- ers and about 40,stationiry engineers are affected by the ukase of the laun- dry owners’ association who in the last few months,haye been endeavor- ing to put into, execution the open shop, and hiring scabs to take the places of the unign members. At the same time a committee con- sisting of Mayor Edwin J. Brown, Rev. Mark A. Mathews, preacher of the largest business .church in this city and Wm. Short, president of the Wash- ington State Federation of Labor, who, in the last several months have been endeavoring to have the laundry own- ers’ association sign up a class colla- boration agreement, The bosses re- fused this and laid their plans for a complete open shop. Challenge Workers. The bosses have hired scabs, regis- tered their names, telephone and are ready to fire every union member at once if necessaty, at a moment's notice, altho apparently they prefer to do it gradually, from the notices posted as follows; , From this date this, and all other plants similarly, ected, will operate upon the following sis: 1. There will be no reduction of any kind in the scale of wages now. 2. There willbe no change in the working conditions except for the better. 3. From this date we will directly hire our own employes, and union af- filiation will not affect your employ- ment here. 4, This plant wijhoffer no objection to any or all of employes contin- uing their » hip. in. with .or joining a union, Ggut will not permit undue influence to be brought to bear upon any employe Who does not desire to join, nor permitiany such employe to be abused. ot We trust you will,appreciate our po- sition and will understand that we have no quarrel with organized labor. Your membership of failure to join the union will not affegt. your employment here, It is, and. will be our desire by our conduct in operation, to continue to hold your confidence and build up more happy and prosperous operating conditions both for.our employes and ourselves, The laundry Bo are ready to strike and tie up the laundries of this city, having decided several months ago to strike, but holding same in abeyance while the arbitration com- mittee interceeds for “industrial peace” in the city, A fight to a finish ig predicted, the laundry workers hav- ing demonstrated several years ago as being good fighters.and good progres- sives, The auto freight drivers, have de- cided to strike on February 15, the bosses having violated the agreement by employing non-union drivers in violation of the existing working agreement, Ail together about 2,000 members will go on.strike composing the four unions, St. Louis Corporation Divides : Blood Money “(By a ditbliec, Bo Correspondent) LOUIS, Mo., Feb. 1—The Lig- gett Meyers Tobacco company, which has its ieee | here and is capi- ed at many millions of dollars, hag announced that it will divide among its shareholders the huge pro- fits it has squeezed out of its slaves this year. The divtdends which the capitalist press calls, a mellon cutting “amounts to seventeen per’ cent, There will be no, mellon cutting for its thousands of oygrworked and un- derpaid slaves, nor for the hundreds of ragged and shivering unemployed who roam the streets of St. Louis in search of a thin bowl of soup for their starving bodies. The Liggett Meyers company also paid the largest federal income tax of any firm in the St. Louis district. This amounted to neamy two million Wollars. It is a notoriously scab con- cern, FORD MOTOR CAR WORKERS MILKED IN DIVERS WAYS Boss’ Wife Plays Trick on Low-Paid Men By a Worker Correspondent. HIGHLAND PARK, Mich., Feb. 1. —It is a common occurrence in the tool room of the Ford Motor company to be asked to contribute towards the support of the children and wives left behind by Ford workers who die while in the employ of the “flivver” magnate, Not long ago a foreman in the tool- room died of natural causes. A list was circulated and tidy sum realized. A welder? soon after died, leaving several children. Again the lists went around to help the needy family who didn’t have enuf to live on under the Ford system. Another recent case was a tool lathe hand whose legs “gave out” on him, perhaps from standing continuously in front of his lathe day in and day out, year in and year out. A little tin can was provided with a slot to receive the stray dimes. A small amount was realized. Union Cares For Dead, A few weeks ago a Ford worker out of the machine construction depart- ment of the toolroom was killed in an accident in front of the factory. After he had been buried not a word was said, no one inquired about the “left behinds.” The man was single and was well taken care of by the International Association of Machin- ists and the benefits amounted to $900, The begging system works well in Ford’s plant. A yearly “frisk” is al- ways conducted by the Ford Motor Co. for the benefit of the Detroit com- munity fund, Boss’ Wife Fools Workers. One'pretty game was worked by the wife of a deceased foreman. He left a Buick auto behind besides his family. She had tickets printed and sold them at 50 cents a piece. The raffle of the auto was to be announced thru the Highland Park papers. Weeks and months passed by but no raffle. Finally the widow traded her Buick for a new car, Communist Reinstated By Action of Workers In Long Island Shop By a Worker Correspondent. NEW YORK, Feb. 1—A well func- tioning shop nucleus in one of Long Island’s largest shoe factories forced the bosses to re-instate a Communist worker whom they had fired for his militant activity. Of the 2,000 workers in the shoe factory only 14 are members of the nucleus, one of whom is the shop chairman. This small group, how- ever, has considerable influence over the majority of workers in the fac- tory. The influence of this nucleus was shown when one comrade was discharged. They called a meeting of all the workers on the floor where he worked, and it was unanimously decided that he must be taken back. The bosses refused to listen to the demands of the workers on this floor. Then the nucleus put the matter be- fore another group of workers in the lasting department with the result that they unanimously decided that their Communist brother must be tak- en back. The bosses were so com- pletely taken back by this unanimity of the workers, in demanding the re- instatement of their comrade, that they unwillingly agreed to take him back. This support of the workers signi- fles a great victory for the nucleus. It shows that the nucleus has been entering into the daily problems of the shop, assuming responsibilities, fighting for the immediate demands of all the workers, making itself so ef- fective, that when one of the group is discharged the entire shop realizes that a blow against one of the most militant workers in their shop is a blow against them all. Not only are our comrades in this shoe factory proving themselves thoro Leninists by winning the support of their fellow workers, but they also recognize the need for Leninist ac- tivity in thé trade unions. built up a functioning fraction in the shoe workers’ union and exert a pow- erful influence over thousands of workers in the shoe industry. correspondent page of The DAILY WORKER.” “Say it with your pen in thevy “If You Don’t Like It, Get Out!” (By a Worker Correspondent.) LOS ANGELES, Ca ditions are unbearab! the cost of living Feb, 1.—The Angelus Furniture company, where | am employed, is a hell hole for the workers. and wages—only $2.50 a day. it's above the clouds, imagine a worker supporting a The working con- In this city where family on $2.50 a,day. When a half-starved worker says to the boss: “1 cannot support my family on such a small wage,” the boss answers ers waiting for the job.” categorically: “if you don't like this ars get out, we have better’ work- ILLINOIS EMPLOYMENT IN 1925 IS 3 PER CENT UNDER 1924 AND 11 PER CENT UNDER 1923 By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press, Slight employment gains reported by factories in Illinois and New York in December failed to pull the year’s average in either state abreast of 1924. This is admitted by statistician Cahn of Illinois. But the general tone of the reports is optimistic because the year ended with an upward trend. “The end of the year,” says Cahn, “found the industries of Illinois operat- ing near the peak of the year. Not only did the volume of employment in the state fail to decline during December+ ‘They have | as is usually the case, but there was @ general tendency to stabilize indus- try with the gains that have been made since expansion began almost 6 months ago.” Employment Average Below 1924, Since July employment in Mlinois factories has moved up 4.7 per cent, providing jobs for about 35,000 addi- tional workers, The gain from Novem- ber to December was less than % of 1 per cent. But in December there were some 16,500 more workers on the payrolls than in December, 1924. The average of employment thruout 1925 remains 3 per cent short of 1924 and 11 per cent below 1923. This means that Illinois factories furnish- ed between 90,000 and 100,000 fewer workers with jobs in 1925 than in 1923. Metal Industry Steady. Cahn finds the steady gains in the metal industries encouraging with iron and steel, tools and cutlery, ma- chinery, and agricultural implements all reporting gains. The agricultural implement industry reached the high- est level since the department began gathering statistics in 1921, Car build- ing furnished the only serious check on metal trades optimism; it conti- nued downhill with a drop of 8 per cent in the month. The men’s clothing industry also proves an exception to the general optimism. In spite of a seasonal gain of 6.3 per cent the industry is 34.5 per cent below the 1922 average, The em- ployment gain in this industry in De- LENIN Boston, Philadelphia, Nearly two thousand days. Te = fer Fite Thousand New die to THE DAILY WORKER Omaha, San Francisco and. other cities from coast to coast have asked for an extension of time on the Lenin Drive until FEBRUARY 15 ready been sent in—in ( wpmaer pire | eighteen By February 15 the goal of 5 scriptions can be reached. THE DRIVE IS ON! cember 1924 amounted to 26.5 per cent. Average Wage $28.75. The Ilinois labor market was dull with 146 applicants for every 100 jobs available at the free employment of- fices. This compared with 126 per 100 jobs in November 1925, 149 in December 1924 and 146 in December 1923, Average weekly wages in December amounted to $28.75, the highest figure since the Illinois department of labor began its record. Same Trend in New York. The December gain in employment in New York state factories was also under % of 1 per cent giving jobs to a little more than 5,000 additional workers. It established a year-end level about 3 per cent above last year. But taking 1925 as a whole, employ- ment averaged slightly below 1924 and 9 per cent under 1923. This means a reduction of about 133,000 in the average number on factory payrolls in New York state as compared with 1923, Shinning Bo Board Turns Down Stanley Dollar WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.—The §$3,- 4,000, 000 bid of Stanley Dollar, owner of a number of Trans-Pacific steam- ship lines, for the five ships of the Admiral-Orient line was turned down by the shipping board as being too far below what the board members thought was a “fair price” for the ships. DRIVE Washington, Chicago, subscriptions have al- ,000 sub- Join Us, Comrade, Readers by the End 1926. DAILY WORKER, 1113 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Ill. Enclosed $......0006 for Name: Street: ROUEN 2: vstedsodiuadban toes Are You Still in It? Make Five Thousand Subs in the LENIN DRIVE and 50,000 to put over THE LENIN DRIVE. to Rates: In Chicago: Per year $8.00 Six months 4.50 Three months 2.50 Outside of Chicago: Per year Six months of @ we MOnth subscription eseccceree SUBURBS casssstonstonsse