The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 19, 1926, Page 3

mm ‘POLICE CLUB PASSAIC STRIKERS _ Brutal Assault on Women and Children by Police STRIKERS REFUSE THE ,DAILY WORKER of Clifton, N. J. TO FALL INTO ARBITRATION TRAP SET BY THE MAYOR AND OTHERS IN PASSAIC By J. 0. BENTALL. (Special to The Datly Worker) PASSAIC, N. J., Feb. 17.—Hoots and jeers by the strikers greeted the announcement that the mayor would ask the striking textile workers to return to their jobs pending a settlement of the strike by the bosses and the chamber of commerce with the mayor as the tool and go-between, at meetings that jammed the halls here yesterday. “Shall we go back before the bosses settle?” asked Organ- izer Weisbord, and the surging mass of strikers cried with one voice that shook the building, “Never!” That word “Never” pointed with its business end right to- ward the bosses and the whole crew of officials, both of the mills and of the city and of the chamber of commerce and the mer- chants’ association. fo “They want us to go back first and settle afterward. Shall we do that? ‘What is your answer?” And before he could finish his sentence the hall fang again and again with: “NO! NO! NEVER!” “Tt is an old trick,” continued: Weis- bord. “The bosses will try to get you ack with the promise that they will give you something, but they are simply trying to fool you. Do not believe them. After you are once back they will have committees meet and discuss matters. Then there will be delays. Someone will be sick and not able to attend the conferences. The chamber of commerce will have the bellyache and make that an excuse. The bosses will be on vacation and Col. Johnson will be in Florida and nothing can be done till he returns. The mayor will be shot in his hip Joint or in a joint in New York, Weeks and months will pass and there will be delay after delay and no settle- ment, and at the end you will get nothing.” The mayor said in reply to the in- vitation by the business associations that “I do not wish to be an ar- biter, but an apostle of peace. I know men, women and children are suffer- ing in the dead of winter and that the general welfare of our community tis at stake.” Mayor Wakes Up. The strikers are asking how the mayor has gotten so wise as all that since he knew practically nothing be- fore the strike about the poverty and distress in the hovels of workers with families of five to ven children and the head of the family getting $12, $15, $18 a week. This unexpected inflow ‘of knowledge into the mayor's noodle appears a bit belated, and somebody is surely to blame. Who has been so wicked as to withhold this wonderful knowledge from the otherwise quite wide awake mayor? No one will be sinful-enough to blame the members of the picket line. These individuals are doing their best to spread knowl- edge and-they seem to be highly suc- cessful, since even the mayor himself is hit by bits of it, President Weinberg of the Wast- side Merchants’ Association is also seeing new light and haying new feelings and his heart is bubbling over with sympathy for the strikers, “Al- ready the workers have lost a great Atlantic Coast Line Pays Bonus to Scabs SAVANNAH, Ga.—(FP)—The At- lantic Coast line, whose communica- tion employes are on strike, is paying @ $50 bonus to scab telegraphers and signalmen to remain in the company union it has formed. More than seven hundred telegraphers struck, Green men in a number of cases have caused serious wrecks and the loss of several lives, the most recent case being a headon collision between two passen- eer trains travelling at more than 60 miles an hour in which two firemen and two engineers were killed and more than 35 passengers and crew were injured. The serious delay in train service caused by the strike has driven much of the road's passenger and freight business to its main competitor the Seaboard Air Line,” which ring full dong ‘the Coast Line taking the leay- CHICAGO |. L. D, 10 WELCOME TRUMBULL ON FRIDAY, MARCH 5 Workers are urged to reserve March 5 so they can hear and wel- come Walter Trumbull at the Inter- national Labor Defense rally at the North. Side. Turner..Hall... The other speakers are: Professor Robert Morss Lovett, Ralph CWaplin and Max Shachtman, : et pee PARIS COMMUNE CELEBRATION All working class organizations are asked not to arrange any con- flicting meeting on March 19 as the International Labor Defense, Chica- go local, is arranging a Paris Com- mune pageant and drama. Moving pictures of labor defense, in the United States and in Europe will be shown. Bishop William Mont- gomery Brown is to be one of the speaters. amount of wages,” he observes, “and unless something is done to settle the strike the losses. will be much greater.” 4 Correct! May the strikers inform Weinberg and the mayor and the whole bunch of “sympathizers” that, the strikers are very willing to settle the minute the bosses will grant the demands. It is loss in wages that started the strike. The strikers do not want any further losses. They feel that when they lost the ten per cent in. form of s cut‘\they lost ag much as they could stand, They will not lose that any more. Give them the decent wages that they ask for and thé rest of the demands and the strike is settled just like that. Bosses Pity Themselves. The: strikers and all intelligent peo- ple know that fit is not the loss that the workers suffer that pinches the} toe of the businessmen and the mayor. It is the loss that the bosses suffer that seems such a pity. The strikers see @learly the hypocrisy of the weep- ing’ buginessmen. Their tears will do no good until they begin to call for justige for the workers, The advice to the strikers that ‘they go back to work before the agree- ment is reached will not down. It is eating them up and they are good and sore abdut it. They want to know, why the bosses need so long a time to make; yp their minds since they see so clearly the “poverty and suffering of the strikers,” The strikers have a leadership this time that is entirely acquainted with the tricks of the bosses. This leader- ship is schooling the strikers every day and exposing the attempt to fool them, No false promises are accepted and no oily sympathy is wanted. Seek War-Time Ra’ BOSTON—(FP)—Increases of 7 to 13¢ an hour, to bring rates to wartime peaks, are sought by the Boston & Maine railroad clerks, members of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, Wages are now $18 to $40 a week. The clerks protest paying by. check, charging that 5 to 10% fees are demanded for eash- ing checks, H : Are you going to give? Make it'a book on Communismt *° Burns Appeals to Supreme Court to Test Syndicalism Law WASHINGTON-—-(FP) — William Burns of the Industrial Workers of the World, has filed a brief in the federal supreme court in appeal from the decision of the federal district court for northern California, on the validity of the criminal syndicalism law of that state. This is the first case in which one of the I. W. W.— hundreds of whom have been tried for the crime of membership in that or- ganization—has appealed to the high- est federal tribunal on the issue, Attorney Walter H. Pollak of New York, for Burns, points out in the brief that this state law sets up stand- ards and provides punishments for certain acts when performed by those who advocate industrial or political changes, which standards do net ap- ply to persons supporting the main- tenance of existing conditions. This, he holds, is in violation of the fed- eral constitution, which guarantees equal application of general laws to all citizens alike. ‘ SOLIDARITY OF WORKERS MAKES JUDGE SQUIRM |Dismaiscs Striker with Patriotic Bunk (Special to The Daily Worker) PASSAIC, N, J., Feb. 17 — Joseph Lesa, striker and charged with blas- phemy and the use of bad language had his day before Judge Baker in the Garfield police court this morning, and declared guilty of the offense as charged but dismissed after the judge had gotteh a nice little speech on patriotism mixed with sob stuff about “law and order?’ off his chest. Lesa, who deHies that he ever utter- ed the words charged to him, was held to the court by the police who said that he had ‘ed@lled one of the imma- culates a “goddam: cop.” Only the word of the Gop was used in support- ing the chargé, and tho Lesa had three good witnessés’who wére close to him at the time testifying that he did not call the cop a thing the judge still said, “You are guilty of having made this remark, There is no doubt about 16 Judge Is Balled ‘Up. Yet this same judge set the defend- ant free and told him he could not punish him for the crime he was so sure he was guilty of. The judge tried to hide behind a technicality of the law which Attorney Joseph Feder of the defense presented very clearly, but it was evident all thru the hearing that the picket line of 3,000 and the strikers’ power that is backed by 10,000 put the fear of somebody into the patriotic bosom of the judge. Fact is that the entire policy of the government, superim- posed by the bosses, has been changed in face of the solidarity and the morale of the strikers. Held to Grand Jury. Three other cases came up and each charge of disorderly conduct was changed to assault and battery. Those strikers thus charged were held over to the grand jury. One case came before the court which the strikers’ attorneys would not touch. A man was charged with | Woman Beaten to Snow-Covered Ground ‘Uniformed Thugs Assault Defenseless Striker with Clubs. Trotsky Assails United States (Continued from page 1). we shall hear more and more. Step by step, America concentrates in her hands humanity’s fate and resources, and Baldwin, proud Britain’s premier, is today no more than America’s tax collector. There is little wonder that the United States thinks today in terms of continents, not countries, “With a war expenditure of $25,- 000,000,000 America participated in Europe's destruction, and now Eu- rope pays her interest for being de- stroyed, She pays for new maze of frontiers, for the necessity to main- tain new armies, and other post-war ills.” Trotzky then launched into an at- tack on the officialdom of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor and the ele- ments supporting them in their polic- jes of class collaboration, exposing them as tools in the hands of the imperialists to enslave European workers and accused them of pulling secret strings in Amsterdam in the same manner-as the ruling class does in the league of nations to put over imperialist designs. “With respect to the world’s labor movement, the American labor federa- tion has adopted a modern version of the Monroe Doctrine, calling for America for Americans, and Europe as well. “The United States interferes with the destinies of three-fourths of the globe. The American labor federation is outside of Amsterdam like Amer- ica is outside of the league of nations, but this does not prevent America from pulling strings of the league, and the labor federation pulls strings at Amsterdam, “This co-ordination between Ameri- can imperialism and American labor assumes a broad American swing. The question of how such co-ordina- tion is possible has.an' answer in the might of American, capital, plus the makéup of its population, The colos- sal and steady development has made America the most standardized coun- try in the world. Americans produce standardized coffins and standardized cradles. I don’t know whether such coffins are more convenient, but they certainly are 40 per cent cheaper.” Trotsky pointed out that America is the greatest enemy of the Soviet Union and is bending all its efforts to crushing the union if it can. He also pointed out that the secret role of the United States in the league of nations and the hostile attitude of the British empire towards the Soviet Union are in accord and) that the forth-coming conference on disarmament is noth- ing but a screen behind which they will hide their, intentions to get Rus- sia to reduce her military power and then these poWers wlil launch an of- fensive against.the Soviet Union, Trotsky took great pains to point out that the Soviet Union did not want war and:that it would much rather have a ‘period of peace to de velop its internal economy, but that it war became! inevitable and these powers warred’on the Soviet Union, the Union would resist and that an at, tack on the Soviet Union would result in revolts in the home lands and as a result, the imperialists would lose their strangle-hold on Europe and other continents. Lovett Fort-Whiteman Speaks in New Haven Wednesday, Feb. 24 NEW HAVEN, Conn, Feb, 17 — Lovett Fort-Whiteman, Negro labag organizer, will speak at the Masonic Hall, 76 Webster Ave., at 8 o'clock, Wednesday evening, Feb, 24, under the auspices ofthe American Negro Labor Congress,on the “Emancipation of the Negro worker.” Take this copy of the DAILY WORKER with you to the shop tomorrow. sence cep ences ear recite nf asm neste nents ns nk ores gtcgieiamaens acon ccna paionneininet Page Three Strikers Smash Police Lines PASSAIC, N, J., Feb. 17. — The striking textile workers of Jersey won a signal victory today when they abolished the police cor- don the textile barons had placed around Clifton, Yesterday, the scene of battle on the Garfield- Clifton boundary line, hundreds of men, women and children were clubbed, stunned, and then clubbed New from again as they lay in the gutter. The _ strike headquarters filled quickly with wounded - strikers. Many were taken to the hospitals. Police Repudiated, Today the textile czars know that sentiment in Passaic, Clifton, Gar- field has taken a decided swing in favor of the strikers. City councils are calling meetings in protest against this police brutality; merch- ants are organizing relief associa- tions to help the strikers; churches are asking to be allowed to take up collections; free bread. Today again, fearless and with a determination to back up‘ their right to peacefully picket, the almost endless picket line again moved against the police line guard- ing the boundary line, but in real- ity guarding the big Forstam Hoff- man mill, where 4,500 workers are bakeries are offering still on the job, having momentar | ily given heed to the false promises of their employers. Strange as it may seem, the po- lice line opened up at the advance of the picket line and: the strikers | were “permitted” to carry the mes- sage of solidarity and organization to the Fostman Hoffman workers. This is a strikers’ victory, won by them in battle. Many in Need. The third week of the strike finds many families without a morsel of food In the house. Strikers are re- | | porting ~the most needy cases | daily. An investigation comm visits the homes and renders a Pe+ port to the relief committee. Today | a family of eight children were dls | covered, liivng in one room, all hud= | dled around a luk-ewarm stove, tey« | ing to get warm. The children were without shoes or stockings. The mother was down at the dump, plek- ing up coke out of the ashes dumped there. This is no exceptional case, | Dozens of families with six and more children have been reported in need. The low wages of the strikers, $6 to $18 a week, kept all workers underfed and babies with out milk even when they had full | time work. Today they strike. | Today they need help. Send In your dollars without delay. Ade | dress all remittances to the Gen | eral Relief Committee, Textile | Strikers, 743 Main avenue, Pas | saic, N. J. assault and battery, but the cop testi- fying against him weakened as soon as he heard that he was not a striker, and admitted that he may have stumb- led and been pushed from behind and that he may have meant nierely to keep from falling instead of swinging out his arm to pummel the cop into pulp. So the judge apologized pro- fusely and was overwhelmingly pleas- ed to set free so fine a citizen as this one seemed to be who was not out on strike, but was law abiding and will- ing to produce profits for the bosses and be loyal and all that. Fooled the Judge, In the seats behind some girls were subduing to the limit of their strength fits of laughter, the cause of which I did not dare to ferret out till court had adjourned. “Wasn't that a cork- er?” they all burst out. “That man is working in a shop where there is a union and he gets good wages, but his wife is out on strike and he was in the picket line helping her and is more anxious to win the strike than most of the strikers.” Victoria Lebida was held together with Frank Lasek and George Syentko and bound over to the grand jury on a charge of assault and battery. Vic- toria was accused of having tossed a loose snowball at one of the cops. He was not sure that she did it but some- one out of the two thousand pickets did toss snow at him, he testified. Police Are Sued. The bosses having realized what a blunder they made in ordering the joint police force of Passaic; Clifton and Garfield to attack the pickets, several suits being started by non- strikers against the city of Clifton for aplit -heads- and -broken backs and other injuries inflicted by the cops, caused a very scathing editorial to be printed in the Passaic Daily News condemning the police for their inter- ference and in a chesty manner de- laring that the people have a right to walk on the streets if and when they want to. . The News is said to belong to the Forstmann crew and it takes very little gray matter to discover the motive for this editorial. The bosses simply want to hide their brutality behind the police after it was dis- covered that the strikers were so well organized that the entire force of the bosses was but a weak reed in a hur- ricane, Now the bosses are crying to the mayor for a proclamation to settle the strike, Bulgars Counterfeit American Currency SOFIA, Feb. 17—The Bulgarian gov- ernment has notified the United States consulate of the discovery of a plot here to circulate counterfeit Amer- ican dollars. Two Bulgarian peds- ants, who recently returned from the United States, have been arrested after trying to cash $6,000 in alleged American dollars. They stated they had purchased the dollars from an itallan in Chicago for $2,000. The goy- ernment announces that it has also discovered the presence of an Ame- rican counterfeiting ring operating in Bulgaria, Why not? Ask your neighbor to subscribe! rand each had Robed Klansmen Terrorize Negroes in Tampa, Florida TAMPA, Fla.—-City and county offi- cials of Tampa have been ordered to round up hooded bands of nightriders who have been throwing the Negro population of Tampa and surroundings into fear for their lives.. It is believ- ed by officials to be a plan of real estate dealers to drive out the Negro population and secure their land at bargain prices. BESSARABIANS MAKE APPEAL T0 RUSSIA FOR AID Ask Soviets to Protest Roumanian Occupation (Special to The Daily Worker) MOSCOW, U. 8. S. R., Feb, 17— Bessarabian refugees in Soviet Russia urge the Soviet Union to renew its protests against the illegal occupation of Bessarabia by the Roumanian boyars. In a petition to the govern- ment, drawn up at a meeting ‘of Bessarabian refugees, who had to leave their farms fearing the attacks and persecutions of the boyars, they declare: “If the Roumanian govern- ment believes its repeated declaration that Bessarabians want to continue as part of that kingdom, let Rowmania withdraw the gendarmerie and sol- diers and permit a plebiscite to be held. In such case we are convinced that Bessarabia’s voice will be for re- uniting with Russia.” In the petition it is pointed out that the. Bessarabian peasants are on the verge of starvation as a result of the military oppression and the heavy taxation. In the past eight years over 105. peasant revolts have taken place been suppressed by bloody reprisals. Over 32,000 Bessa- rabians were shot, tortured or im- prisoned and over 40,000 had emigrat- ed to the United States. Grafting Secretary Fall and Doheny Must Stand Trial, Justice Rules (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 — Ex-sec’y. of the interior, Albert B. Fall, and the E, L. Dohenys, senior and junior, must stand trial under the criminal indict- ments charging them with bribery and conspiracy to defraud the government, Justice Stafford in district supreme court ruled in effect when he over- ruled the Demurrers filed against the indictments, Not Interfering, Claims Pope in League Fight ROME, Feb. 17—the vatican today issued a denial of Berlin reports that Cardinal Gasparri and sir Eric Drum- mond are working to establish a cath- olic bloc in the league of nations, BACK OF THE POLICE LINE (LABOR DEFENSE “AFFAIR IN NY. "DRAWS WORKERS l'Union Co-operation | Helps to Make Success By ESTHER LOWELL, (Federated Press) NEW YORK, Feb. 17 — Splendid union co-operation is responsible for the great success of the New York section of the International Labor Defense bazaar which concluded its |four-day run with nearly $10,000 gained to help fight cases of workers taken by the courts for working class activities. Re Barron, director of the local sec and manager of the bazaar, expr her appreciation of the union contributions and aid. Hats from the millinery workers’ union, caps from the capmakers, dresses and cloaks from ladies’ gar- ment workers’ locals, shoes from the |shoe workers’ unions, pocketbooks and vanity and brief cases from the {pocketbook and fancy leather goods’ |workers, furs from the fur workers’ union—all products of workers’ over- time for the cause of labor defense— were sold by the union workers them- selves in various booths, Donations from All Over the World, Dried and pickled mushrooms were sent by Russian workers over the sea. |Finnish workers in Superior, Wis., sent canned goods, groceries, ete. from their co-operatives, Other | workers sent donations of their hand- jiwork, embroidery, sewing, art, books autographed, or other goods to be sold or auctioned for labor defense funds, |German workers had a booth of fine ;brassware. Czecho-Slovak workers had theirs full of pott nd sewing. Another booth was a kitchen full of aluminum pots and pans and cooking necessities. Welcome Passaic Strikers. Trade union night saw a thrilling march of unionists. A delegation of | woolen workers from the Passafe jstrike was loudly cheered and a col- jlection of several hundred dollars itaken for them. The Amalgamated Food Workers’ union fed them at their restaurant in the hall. Finnish night brot a program of music by the Harlem Finnish clwb, soprano solos by Aino Saari, and ea brass band of 40. The athletic clubs Vesa and Kisatovereit performed. Slavic night presented the Ukrainian chorus of men and women in full cos- tume, singing spirited folk sons and classical music. The Russian work- ers’ dramatic club gave an anti-fas- cist play and Tilda Shocket gave orig- inal interpretive dances of the work- ers’ struggle for freedom. Children Have Special Day. The Hungarian workers’ orchestra played one night and Hungarian folk dances were given as well as folk songs by the Hungarian chorus. The children had Saturday afternoon with Kassel’s Childrens’ Orchestra entertaining them and danbes and Plays by groups of youngsters, The finale of the bazaar was the Interna- tional Costume Ball which packed the hall. | |