The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 17, 1926, Page 3

THIS Trade UnionEd (RL ers’ Government, fs Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the (T, U. B. 1.) , North American Section of the RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS THE T.U.E.L. Represents the Left Wing of the Labor Movement. Purpose le 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 Class Struggle for the Overthrowal of Capitalism and the Establishment of a Workers’ and Farm- THE DAILY WORKER PAGE ucational League L, U.) ‘ i | TRAIN SERVICE WORKERS SUFFER SEVERE WAGE CUTS SINCE 1920; UNIONS DEMAND HIGHER SCALES By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press. The attempt of the railroad management to prove to the public that the demands of the train service brotherhoods for better wages are without Justification falls to the ground before interstate commerce commission fig- ures. Analysis of the commission's wage reports shows that the great ma- jority of these workers have suffered severe wage cuts since 1920. Compared with pre-war their increases are generally less than those secured by or- ganized labor in other industries. The average 1925 earnings of yard brakemen and helpers, the largest single group in the train service de- partment, amounted to $1,856. This is less than 60 per cent over 1914, The cost of living now stands 78 per cent above the pre-war level, At the top, so far as wages are concerned, are the passenger conductors averaging $2,948 in 1925. This is only 62 per cent over pre-war, The increases over pre-war in the case of the other groups are, freight conductors 75 per cent, yard conduc- tors 76 per cent, passenger brakemen 97 per cent, freight brakemen 101 per cent and baggagemen 114 per cent. Thus only 3 groups, including less than half the train service forces, have had increases exceeding the in- crease in living costs since 1914. These 3 classes started the periad with miserable wages, their 1914-15 earnings averaging abuot $1,000. Earnings for 1925. The 1925 earnings of the various groups now seeking increases, placed side by side with their earnings in 1928, 1920 and 1914-15, were: The 1920 averages represent the wartime wage peak only to the extent of 8 months of the year. In the first 4 months lower rates were in effect. A full 12 months at the peak wages established by the labor board in its |’ first big decision meant earnings from 5 per cent to 9 per cent higher than those shown in the table. Compared with the peak establish- ed by the board’s 1920 decision the wages of certain groups have been cut as follows: Freight brakemen 16 per cent; freight conductors 13 per cent; yard conductors 194% per cent and yard brakemen 23 per cent. These groups, with present wages more than 10 per cent under the peak, include over 80 per cent of the entire train service forces. In fact nearly 60 per cent of the train service employes are freight and yard brakemen with from 16 per cent to 23 per cent lopped off the wages established by the labor board in 1920. Ask Higher Wages. The new basic day rates reported asked by the brotherhoods include: Passenger conductors $7.75, passen- ger brakemen $6, baggagemen $6.16, local freight conductors $7.74, thru- freight conductors $7.34, local freight brakemen $6.24, thru-freight brake- men $5.84, yard conductors $7.64, yard brakemen $7.16. The increases in- volved will raise the wages of the large number of brakemen to no more than a minimum health and decency level. Your Union Meeting Third Tuesday, Feb, 16, 1926, Name of, Hag ll cong erm Bejgktavers, 912 W. Monroe Bore Ca 4 snatay lester pins ae ree . Chicago 2b eM a ne ion aoe ie, Great je tn eee orkers’ Joint para 1710 are praca: Gort Painters: N. &. cor Galifornia and A RN Ww cor, tate and ih, rinters al $0 We: nanan armen, eae hain Bridge Structural iron arpenters, 1038 7th “9 8h inchester Ay: &, "Shite 6 tise Hal ‘a, Trumbull and 6 lon Ave, ‘Bie “stampersy 19 W oie to ee 30 Ama be ver eae ‘Kedute a ‘and = ye Roar Sane jis alt meetings aro at 8 p m.) y . SO-CALLED PROGS MEET DEFEAT IN WAITERS’ UNION Militants Poll Big Vote in Elections NEW YORK, Feb. 15. — Waiters’ Union Local No, 1, in New York, is the mainstay of the conservative in- ternational in that city. For years it has been ruled by a conservative clique led by William Lehman, who is the secretary of the organization. Three years ago a group of men succeeded in defeating the ‘machine and electing their own candidate, This group however proved much more des- tructive to the welfare of the organi- zation than the old machine... Those “would be” progressives only dis- guised their own corrupt and, selfish aims under empty phraseology. The best proof of the lack of sincerity on the part of these progressives is the fact that ‘they have split within thetr own ranks over the division of spoils. Forsake Reactionary Mathines. The militant elements in the, argani- zation having realized the mistake of supporting one corrupt machine against another, undertook immediate- ly a determined fight against both and especially those who profess: liberal- ism because it helps them to hold on to a job. In the recent election of officers in the union, the progressive rank and file succeeded thru continuous agita- tion to break up the solidarity of the machine, so that a business agent who has been in office for a number of years/was defeated by a candidate endorsed by the progressive rank and file. Progressives Poll Big Vote, On the whole, the progressive rank and file polled a strong vote altho their activity in the union as an oppo- sition group dates only a few months back, The hope is expressed by the leaders of the militant movement that the days of Waiters’ Union Local No. 1 as ‘a stronghold of conservativism belongs to the past, and that the future will witness the growth of the union as a militant organization in the food industry. Investigate Peonage on Turpentine Farm NEW ORLBANS—(FP)—The man- ner in which 4 Negroes are alleged to have been held in slavery on the tur- pentine farm of Mood Davis, at Farm- dale, Fla., was described by attor- neys in the U. S, circuit court of ap- peals, Davis is also alleged to have caught the 4 as they attempted to leave the farm and to have compelled one at the point of a pistol to beat the others for running away. The men at the trial in Florida testified they did not receive any money for | working on the Davis place and re- “|mained on the Davis farm under threats of prosecution until they were taken away by U. S. marshals, Sevy- eral planters in the vicinity of the Davis farm have served sentences for *| holding Negroes in peonage, $1 An Hour Minimum, CLEVELAND—(FP)— A dollar an hour is the minimum a man with a family should be obliged to accept in ‘the opinion of the Cleveland building trades council. New contracts be- tween contractors and the Building Laborers’ union will advance wages from 87% cents to that figure, if the council wins its point. The Painters and Glass Workers’ unions have voted to demand the 5- faeh-| day week and an increase from $1.25 an hour to $1,87%. Marble setters will demand. $1.50, ere eae me tween 800 and 1,000 since. COMPANY UNIONS ORGANIZED IN MANY INDUSTRIES Over Million Workers in Boss Organizations By ROBERT W. DUNN (Federated Press) Company unions or employer con- trolled shop committees, works coun- cils and employe representation plans are among the most significant dé- velopments in American industry. Company union devices started short- ly before the war, gained a long stride in the period of labor shortage and so- called reconstruction, subsided some- what in 1921 and have fluctuated be- The num- ber of workers involved totals well over a million. The American Federation of Labor company-union-questionnaire to its 2,000 volunteer organizers brings re- plies indicating the toll company un- ions take among regular trade unions. The few pages of organizers’ reports in the January American Federation- ist show almost every state and in- dustry included in the company union circle. Added to the general manu- facturing and public utility companies, note particularly railroads reported af- flicted: Southern Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Chicago Bur- lington & Quincy, Union Pacific, Rock Island, Achison, Topeka & Santa Fe, Pennsylvania, Great Northern, Erie, New York Central, Lehigh Valley, Delaware Lackawanna & Western, Kansas City Southern. These are but samples, for a rail- road labor board survey shows some 300 separate company vest-pocket as- sociations now functioning on some 65 railroads. None are affiliated with either the American Federation of La- bor or Big Four brotherhoods. Some are insignificant local bodies but others ramify whole railway systems, throwing across the country a net- work of committees, councils and, lodges, sometimes modelled closely af- ter regular rail unions, Others are mere committees func- tioning from company headquarters and using the check-off arrangement for collecting dues. A letter to the operating department or personnel di- vision of the railroad brings a reply enclosing copies of rule books and by- laws of associations, with assurance that the “arrangement is proving very satisfactory to both contracting par- ties.” There is no attempt to dis- guise that both parties are run from the managements’ front offices, Practically every class and craft of railroad worker falls within the do- main of company unionism, altho by far the greatest strength hag been reached among shop crafts, clerical forces and maintenance of way men. Among the last mentioned we find company unions represented in 1924 on some 25 roads. The extent of company unionism stands in inverse ratio to the power of the regular union, DELEGATION TO. SOVIET RUSSIA IS WORKERS’ AIM High Salaries Not High Wa “sre Cause of Heavy Phone Charges NEW YORK, Feb. 15.— High sal- aries, but not high’ wages, are a heavy charge on the American Telegraph & Telephone Co, and are partly respon- sible for the subsidiary New York Telephone Co.’s fight to raise rates 85 per cent. Oross-examination of A. T. & T. controller Charles A, Heiss at the public service commission hear-| ing brot out that fifteen officials are | paid a total of $616,000 yearly, aver- aging about $40,000 each. Heiss is one of the lucky ones. A. T, & T. 4s divided into three branches, Heiss testified; a holding company of $900,000,000 worth of per- manent securities, a second furnish- ing service to license contract com- panies like thé N: Y. Telephone Co., which pay 4% per cent for service and the third ‘the long distance sec- tion. With all the juggling of inter- company finance and charges, the phone company can make itself ap- pear poor andjask for more money. PORTERS LEAVE COMPANY UNION: FORM OWN BODY Wage Increase Means Little to Workers NEW YORK, Feb, 15.—Not a single change in the agreement between the Pullman Co. and its company union for porters resulted from the so-call- ed wage conference held to forestall bona fide union organization among the workers. So report organizers for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. No Change in Basic Pay. The Pullman Co, did offer the por- ters an 8 per cent increase in the basic wage, now $67.50 per month. But wage arrangements are not writ- ten into the company union agree- ments. The Pullman Co. also chang- ed the hourly mileage basis for ex- cess mileage payment and succeeded in making the hand-picked company union delegates think they were get- ting a further increase. Actually the change wipes out any gain the por- ters might make by the 8 per cent basic wage increase. The porters are so disgusted that they are join- ing the real union faster than ever. Two delegates refused to sign the company union agreement despite the prayer sessions with Perry Parker, grand chairman of Pullman Porters’ Benefit Association, the Pullman com- pany union, “Bluffs and threats also failed to moxe'them. Three men sign- ed under protest. The Brotherhood urged the delegates to fight for $155 per month basic pay; 240 hours maxi- mum regular;work; conductor's pay for conductor's work; time and a half for overtime; {pay for porters report- ing for duty whether sent out or not; elimination of Filipinos put on club cars as a threat to ‘the real union; right of porters and maids to join a union without interference or discrim- ination against them by the company. Company Union Meets. Seventeen company union delegates Were those recommended by company agents, as ballots from 16 districts marked according to recommendation proved. Most of the delegates repre- sented districts with few porters. The conference had to be postponed for lack of a quorum and met with six delegates missing from insufficient Hold Conference in Pittsburgh District PITTSBURGH, Feb. 15. — Trade unionists of the Western Pennsyl- vania are determined to learn the truth about Soviet Russia even if President Green of the American Federation of Labor, is opposed to a delegation visiting that country, A conference of trade unions to send an American trade union delegation to Russia was organized recently with activé unfonists as officers, The re. actionary business agents and paid officers are doing everything pos- sible to prevent their membership from learning the truth. A few meetings ago the . Pitts- burgh Central Labor Union with a packed delegation concurred in Green's letter. For a time this threat- ened the possibility of sending a dele- gate to Russia from Pittsburgh, The membership is not of the same opin- ion as their paid officials, The last meeting of the conference received a number of additional dele- gates from locals and central labor bodies from nearby towns as well as many locals from Pittsburgh. Now in place of one delegate the conference is proceeding to prepare to send two or more, Chinese Seamen Hold Convention at Canton (By Mail to The DAILY WORKER.) CANTON, Feb. 15.—The First All China congress of seamen was con- vened here January 5. It was attend- ed by over a hundred delegates and lasted for three days. Resolutions passed included support to the na- tionalist movement, insistence upon an eight-hour day and other econo- mic improvemnets, and a policy of aggressive class struggle. The dele gates pledged themselves to work for the destruction of the provincial spir- it which has tiade national unity votes. New York Police Help Taxi Owners Speed Up Drivers NEW YORK, Feb. 15.—New York taxi drivers are now required by po- “Peace” Page Three —————————E——————————— EEE in the Needle Trade SIGMAN: “Now We Can Proceed to Peaceful Work.” CONDITIONS OF BRITISH LABOR GROWS WORSE Millions af Warkers Walk Streets By TOM MANN. (Special London Letter.) LONDON, Feb, 15.—As the British parliament opens its sessions, once more the stream of tedious talk com- mences, and fresh efforts made to show that the British Empire is the highest form of civilization and sets the example to the rest of the world. The United States undoubtedly goes thru a similar experience of spell- binding and with you as with us there are millions ready to accept the hog- wash as veritable nectar. How glorious conditions are in this happy land may be realized when a few facts are stated. There are more than 1,500,000 in enforced idleness out of a total population of 48,000,000. There are hundreds of thousands of families living in one room ohly, using this room for all purposes. There is an area in London extending from Whitechapel to Old Ford and West Ham, an area of over a dozen square miles, that can only be classified as a huge slum area and this has its exact counterpart on the south side of the Thames. No Recreation Space. In many areas there are 50,000 chil- dren and young persons with hardly a playground other than a converted churchyard. There is a population in this metropolis of over 7,500,000 and the struggle to get a conveyance to get to work in the mornings and to return in the evenings is of a charac- ter that young women positively dread it, and a stoppage on a railway or the upsetting of a tram-car or bus throws tens of thousands out of gear result- ing in complaints, fines, dismissals and heartbreaks! This is capitalist lice regulatiom to present on demand of the license department a full ree- ord of all trips made for 60 days past, giving name and address of driver, time of beginning and termin- ation of each trip, and location for first and last stop of each trip, Employ- ers by scanning these records can tell at once if the, driver is busy every second and fire him if he isn’t. John Daly, second deputy police commis- sioner appointed by the former police head Enright, still heads the licens- ing bureau altho the city administra- tion has changed. Taxi drivers are further incensed by the appearance of what they term # stool-pigeon « ization headed by an ex-city offi This is the Taxi Patron’s Prot e Co, which offers to prosecute | taxi riders’ cases against drivers;> The patron is regis- tered, sends i card for every ride with drivers’ ni r and cab license number and if he has any complaint or loses anything in the cab, the or- Banization carries. the case for him. ‘Paxi drivers complain that this gives further support to the falsehood that they are dishonest and that the or- ganization can edsily frame them when they try to organize workers, Unions Fight Against Incoming Plant. NEW BRUNSWICK, N, J., Feb. 16. ~—New Brunswick unions are combat- ting the removal of Wolf & Abrahams Clothing Co. here from Bridgeport, Conn, because! | firm refuses to it with the Amal- Workers’ Union. + |to know that there civilization! With all this terrible inefficiency, positively tragical in its daily results —we have in labor's ranks—classed as leaders at that—persons of appar- ent intelligence in some departments of life, who actually join with the cap- italist forces and declare they are en- tirely opposed to a change of the system! Thomas Aids Capitalists. Such a one is the Hon. J, H. Thomas, M. P., privy councillor. Last week he used his utmost influence to prevent any rupture between the rail- way companies and the employes. A year ago as the secretary of the Na- ional Union of Railwaymen he with his colleagues submitted claims on be- half of the men to the companies. From time to time discussions have taken place and as soon as the matter was up for final decision, Mr. Thomas and his colleagues declared emphat- ieally against attempting to force any change and when the delegates re- fuse to take such a view the confer ence is adjourned and the matter rais gain and again until a major. ity of the men vote as the officials de- sire, These officials, particularly Thomas, declare they are not out for a change of the system. A sequel to this is that many branches of the National Union of Railwaymen have passed resolutions expressing serious dissatisfaction with the conference decisions and calling upon Mr, Thomas to resign. While the workers are seriously mis- led by thelr officers it is of interest rapidly growing movement an up in the trade Hartford Salesgirls Work Long Hours; Get Small Pay; Need Union HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 15.—(FP) Hartford, Connecticut, boasts of its open-shop tendencies and is now try- ing to tell its working girls that without any union they are not so poor as working girls once were. Charlotte Molyneaux Holloway, state department of labor industrial investi- gator, finds from her survey of Hart- ford, stores that cash girls and be- ginners who would have gotten $2.50 a week 10 to 12 years ago now get $8 to $10 weekly. Clerks, or saleswomen and sales- men, make $20 to $30 instead of $10 to $15 and may receive 1 to 2% com- missions on sales. But the average wage in Hartford stores is only $16 to $20 and hours are 47 to 53 weekly. Side street stores stay open nights and work their clerks up to 58 hours weekly. Fruit, grocery, confectionary and drug stores likewise work em- ployes longer hours. Holloway does not quote ¢ost- of-liv- ing figures but tries to tell Hartford working girls that their wages have increased faster than living costs. She states that store office workers and salespersons have had wages in- creased 60 to 112% from 1914-15. Cost of living figures ususally esti- mate a much greater rise in the same period. Meanwhile six-sevenths of Hartford's stores report good busi- ness for 1925 and prospects for more profits in 1926, Sasiahiinaepimenitentiateineiminnesepciap esi, ever growing number of clean-minded class conscious members, Minority Movement Conference. Recently, a conference of the Na- tional iMnority Movement for the London area was held at which some very straight talking took place. Reso- lutions were passed bearing on the every day life of the workers and showing unmistakably that those who were present were clear-cut militant men and women aiming at a 100 per cent class conscious spirit in the trade unions, at the elimination of all sectionalism, at one union only for an industry, and at complete workers’ control of all industry and its results. The same Mr. Thomas has consid- ered it to be his duty to attack A. J. Cook, the active and militant secre- tary of the Miners’ Federation. Cook has shown a capacity to keep in close touch with the rank and file and his methods have been of a militant char- acter, resisting the outrageous claims of the owners and fighting for the six- hour day for the workers. Here we touch a matter that ought to receive at once international atten- tion. America turns out a larger amount of coal per man than do the miners of any other country. Britain produces a slightly larger output than the other countries of Europe. The miners here have been and at present are working on seven-hour shifts, The | coal is not so easy to get in England as in America, the character of the seams makes it more difficult and the extent to which machinery is used is very much larger in the states than in Britain, For Six-hour Day. It should not be too difficult a mat- ter to arrive at an international un- derstanding as to what should be the hours of toil in mines and for that matter in all other industries, Allow- ing for the nature of the work of min- ing, and for the extension in the ap- plication of machine methods of pro- duction, we of the minority movement in Britain, guided in this matter by ac- tual coal miners now working at the coal face, declare emphatically in fa- vor of the six-hour day and the five- day week, TOLEDO BOSSES FEAR UNION OF NEGRO WORKERS Stir Race Hatred in Con- fidential Letter (Special to The Dally Worker} TOLEDO, Ohio, Feb. 15,—The meet- ing held in Toledo recently at whieh Lovett Fort-Whiteman spoke created quite a stir in the executive committee of the Merchants-Manufacturers’ As- sociation as can be seen from a letter they sent to each of their members, Fear Unity of Workers, The bosses association was unable to restrain its fright at the thought that white workers end Negro work- ers were uniting in this section of the that they sent out the following ¢on- fidential letter which fell into the hands of a worker with the intention of stirring up race prejudice among their members and to point out the grave danger that was ménacing them thru the American Negro Labor Con gress: “To Our Members: “The enclosed report speaks for it- self and is sent for your confidential information, “Very truly yours, E. J, Miller, Manager. “Confidential, “Circulars are being distributed by the Workers (Communist) Party Tol- edo branch, announcing a meeting to be held at the Banquet Hall of the Labor Temple tonight at 8 p. m. under the auspices of the American Negro Labor Congress, The speaker of the evening will be Lovett Fort- Whiteman of Chicago, who is said to be a famous Negro labor organiser and orator. ‘The leaflet states the purpose of the meeting is as follows: “To unite all existing Negro organ- izations, social, economic and political equality between Negroes and whites, “Equal pay for equal service. “Admission into all labor unions of colored men. “For a labor party. “Abolition of Jim-Crowism, black- beltism, segregation and lynching, Fear Unionism. “Another purpose of the meeting, however, we are told is to build up the Hod Carriers and Building Trades Local of which Jackson is business agent. He it is said will advise the colored men that if they belong to the local they will have an opportum ity of earning not less than 80 cent per hour and possibly $1, and that only colored men will be permitted to work as hod carriers or building trades laborers, Stir Race Hatred. “In this connection, we call your attention to a statement made today | by an applicant (a white man), saying that he applied for a job as a hod carrier or mason tender and was told by a foreman that it would be neces- sary for him to have a card. He then applied to the business agent, Jack- son, (a colored man) who informed him that he must have a job before he could obtain a card and that prac tically all jobs were now filled by union members, mostly colored, Applicant further stated that col ored men are being brought here and given jobs with the understanding that their dues shall be taken out of their wages when paid and that 20 hod carrier or laborer will be allowed to work for less than 80 cents per hour, Take this copy of the DAILY -| WORKEP with you to the shop om . country to fight for better conditions —