The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 28, 1926, Page 2

oa se Mee 4] Page Two ) THE DAILY WORKER EEE EEeeeeSeESeESSEeSeeeeSeeeEs ‘THERE IS NO GOD, DEFY OF BIMBA (Continued from page 1.) ceived by the settlers from the May- flower nearly three centuries ago. These two important admissions by EBudaco put a decided crimp in the state’s case. Prosecutor I, Manuel Rubin refused to ask his star witness a single question with regard to these revelations, Instead the prosecutor held himself in reserve for an attack on the de- fense witnesses, charging that if they didn’t believe in god, that injured their credibility. There is another old Massachusetts’ law that says that a disbelief in god affects the competency of a witness, After considerable haggling over this question the wit- ness was allowed to proceed. Prosecutor Desperate. Prosecutor Rubin exerted himself in an effort to show that the Lithuanian workers’ literary society was affillated with the Communist Party. The wit- nesses repeated what Bimba-had said about industrial conditions in the mill towns of Massachusetts. “Such a bloody government as Lithuania has at the present time cannot exist long,” Bimba was quoted by the witnesses and having told his ‘@udience. The prosecutor wanted to know if the literary society had received any communications from the Communist Party. “No,” replied the witness, August Barones, to this question. “If the prosecutor has any such Jetters, I wish he would produce them,” declared Attoriey Hoffman to the court. The prosecutor refused to accept the challenge. Then the prosecutor proceeded to show his ignorance of existing Communist organizations in this country. He asked the next wit- ness, Stanley Smith, if he belonged fo the Communist Party. Smith had to reply he didn’t know of any such party. Asks About Moscow. The prosecutor then went thru his papers for several moments produc- fing another question as follows: “Are you a member of the Communist- Labor Party?” “No,” replied Smith. “What are the principles of the Third International of Moscow” was the next question, but the judge seem- ed to think that it’s too far from Brockton and ordered the question stricken, “How does that affect,in any way what this man, Bimba said in his speech?” declared the judge in stop- ping this line of questioning. Then the prosecutor tried to get the witness, Smith, to analyze the re- ligious make-up of the neighborhood fim-which the speech was made. The - Rally to the Young Workers UNITY YOUNG AND court thought the witness incapable of examining into the hearts, the minds and the hidden thoughts of the people, and also stopped this line of questioning. Nine shoe workers, nearly all of them admittedly in fear of their jobs in the big shoe factories, were the on- ly witnesses offered by the prosecu- tors of Anthony Bimba. After these workers had been drear- ily dragged thru tedious questioning, the state rested its case, admittedly one of the flimsiest compilations of allegations ever presented in a cap- italist court against a spokesman of labor, An inkling of the manner in which the government witnesses were all coached to tell the same story was revealed in the testimony of the state’s last witness, Mike Uzdavinis, also employed by the William L. Douglas Shoe Co, factory. “We were all together in the same room when we went over the testimo- ny with the prosecutor,” said Uzda- vinis, telling of the coaching class con- ducted by prosecutor, I Manuel Rubin, to teach his witnesses to mechanically tell the same story. “The police officer brought the sum- mons to my house,” said Uzdavinis at another point. “My wife and children were very much frightened.” Uzdavinis told in greater detail how Bimba had pictured the industrial conditions in New England to ‘his Brockton audience, Jan. 26. Talk Was Against Capitalists. “Bimba said that he had asked a shoe worker in a factory at Haverhill why he worked so fast,” declared Uzdavinis, “Bimba said the worker answered that unless I keep my eyes always on my machine and work hard I can’t make a living. Bimba said that in the mills at Lawrence the workers were now getting less pay for 1,000 yards than they used to get for turn- ing out 300 yards of textiles. .Bimba also said that at Wilmington the Lithuanian women workers complain- ed they were beaten in the factories there.” Uzdavinis admitted that it was against these conditions that Bimba had urged the workers to organize and struggle. : John David, another witness, admit- ted he had once been a membef of the socialist party, He said he did not go to church, Bimba’s , lawyer, attorney Harry Hoffman, asked another witness, Karl Pigago, “Do you think that St, Peter is going to let you into heaven for coming here to testify in this case?” Pigago replied, “Yes, because I am a Roman catholic and have sworn to tell the truth.” ADULT WORKERS IS KEYNOTE OF YOUTH CONFERENCE The Conference Must Get the Young Workers Interested in the Activities of the Union. It Must Bring Pressure to Bear on the Unions for the Discussion of Young Workers’ Problems. By GEORGE PAPCUN, Secretary Youth Conference Arrangements Committee. The working’ youth conference of East Ohio convenes this Sunday, Feb. 28, in Bellaire. From all reports at least thirty delegates will be present. ing lived up to. } PAPCUN .as far as safety devices are concerned. Just because of little things such ‘as timbering the accident occurred and nine miners gave their lives for the ‘profits of the boss. It is this careless-¢—————______ ‘mess that the coal operators practice fwhich cost the miners hundreds of ‘lives each year. Safety Slogans the Bunk. The company has a lot of slogans put up around the ming in a style This conference will be of tremendous significance. This is true not only for the young workers—particularly the young miners, but to the workers generally. Take for example the disaster in the mine in Shadyside which cost the miners nine lives. The trade union officlals do not bother much about the immediate welfare of the miners. Operators Cause Accidents. It is im this instance and in many others, where it says in the agreement that things of this be taken care of (i. e. timbering, keeping the mine and wiring in shape, etc.) that we find the agreement not be- This mine where the disaster occurred, in particular, was supposed to be one of the “best” mines ind should participated in the activities of the miners’ union for the reason that the union did not take up the problems which interested them, The young workers’ conference workers who have not up till now Press Fake, Fails. In order to create a sensation for an edition, the visiting newspapermen from Boston framed-up a local Negro, Joe Green, an ex-slave, to approach Bimba upon leaving court and tell him that he is wrong in denying the exist- ence of God. The aged Negro and Bimba quickly became friends, however, and enjoyed their conversation on the way to lunch at the noon recess, Conviction Probable. The verdict in the Bimba case rests with the police court judge, C, Carroll King, who presides over the trial with- out jury, decked out in his black gown like a college student at graduation. He puts up a friendly attitude some- what after the fashion of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis in the Chi- cago federal court during the sedition cases that came before him during the war. The same may be said of this judge who hails from Vermont and is likened to Cal Coolidge, who is sup- posed at one time to have spent some time in the same state and imbibed some of the qualities of its Granite Hills. It is therefore not difficult to conclude that this court will uphold the 229 year old statute under which Bimba is being tried for an alleged defamation of god, as well as saying “amen” to the sedition charge which it is very evident the “open shop” mill owners hope to use as a weapon against any effort of tho workers to improve their living conditions. So, altho the case presented by the prosecution is of the flimsiest, the final decision rests with a judge, well along in years, who is bound to church and industry that rules almost undis- puted thru New England, especially. in Massachussetts, Smashes Prosecution, Smashing blows delivered in the cross-examination of the witnesses called by the commonwealth of Mas- sachussetts to prove Anthony Bimba, the Communist editor, guilty of blas- phemy and sedition, had the case for the prosecution wobbling about the court room in bad shape yesterday. “Do you believe that thé priests and preachers exploit the peoples?” asked Attorney Harry Hoffman, one of Bimba’s lawyers, in attacking the testimony of John Balones. “Sure, I do” answered Balones, quite naively, Then later came Joseph Trainowicz, also employed by the William L. Douglas Shoe company, who signed the complaint charging Bimba with blasphemy. He adthitted he had not even read the complaint before sign- ing it. Trainowicz is a good Roman catholic and appears to be the only person the The East Ohio young workers’ con- ference starts tomorrow in Bellaire, Ohio. This conference is a definite sign of the awakening of the young workers of America to’a recognition of the discriminatory conditions un- der which they labor. Jt is easily un- derstood why the young workers of this section should be amongst the first to gather together in such a con- ference to discuss their conditions, In this section, coal mining is the principal industry. A large number of the coal miners are young workers. They have been going thru a period of semi-employment, similar to the rest of the soft coal industry for many months. Poor Wages, Even when working, they receive very poor wages. The tonnage men receive only 78 cents per ton, and without receiving any additional wages, have to remove about a foot of slate. They also have to set posts and lay tracks, all of which takes a considerable time, without receiving any extra compensation, Most of the young workers are em- ployed as motormen, trip-riders, driy- ers, door tenders and other such work which requires ability to work very fast. Their work is very danger- ous and many accidents occur fre- quently. A young miner from this district sums up the situation in the follow- ing language: prosecution has been able to find who was shocked at Bimba’s deslarations against the existence of God of the New England puritans. The prosecutor, J. Manuel Rubin, came to Trainovic’s support, however, by hurriedly bringing out that the court clerk had read the complaint to him, It developed that it had fallen to Trainowicz’s lot to sign the blas- phemy charge because he was the only good church goer that could be found, A Dumb Witness. Trainowicz, however, revealed that he was not familiar with the language of thé complaint he had signed, There was considerable effort expended in trying to find out, in Lithuanian and English, what he thought he meant when he signed the charge that Bimba was guilty of “contumeliously re- proaching god.” He’ thought that to reproach meant to swear. The “Majesty’.of the Law, Judge King hears police cases every morning before thé Bimba case is called. Today a little:Negro mother, with two little children toddling at her feet, was called»before the court as the result of her inability to pay a debt of $15. Althp she is not well and out of work, she, offered to pay 50 cents per week until,the debt is paid. Tho judge haggled with her, thinking this was not enuf, that she ought to pay at least $1 per. week, He finally agreed to give her three months to pay the debt. She promised to do the best she could. Socialist Party Member, Attorney Hoffman‘ recalled Balones and directed his questioning in an ef- fort to show that the witness against Bimba had himself made speeches’ against god, Balones, however, denied this, calling them discussions. : He admitted that he was a member of the Lithuanian Federation of the Socialist Party and marched in a May Day parade in 1916, .,He didn’t feel offended, he said, when Bimba said there was ng god. Trainowicz was the first witness to admit that Bimba had declared in his speech that the workers were drinking too much bad liquor, that they ought to join organizations Jike the Lithuan- ian American Literary and Education; al Society and educate. themselves, It ts very evident that the witnesses have been schooled. to apply what Bimba said against the white terror in Lithuania to apply to the United States. Thus every’ witness mechan- ically repeats that Communists are op- posed to the use of the ballot. Bimba had merely pointed out that in Lithua- nia under the natidnalist-clerical-so- cialist terror, the Cominunists candi- dates had been thrown into prison on the eve of the electiofs and’ that it was impossible for ‘thém to use the ballot, PROPOSED DEMANDS FOR YOUNG CONFERENCE IN E. OHIO ! For All Young Workers. 1. A six-hour day, fiveday week, with no night work or over- time, Exception tp bé made only in case of emergencies in the mines, said emergency to be understood as when mine would be unable to work the next day. Overtime must be paid at time and a half rate. 2. Establishment of work school for young workers, to be financed by the bosses and‘ supervised by the unions. 8. Two weeks vacation with pay each year for all young workers WORKERS’ under 18 years of age. For All Young Miners. 1, All tracks, roadways and manholes to be kept clean; timbering and wiring to be kept in shape to avoid accidents. No loader to be responsible for this wark, but it should be done by day men. 2, Equal wages for trappers, couplers, greasers, car cleaners:or slatpickers, to correspond with adult company hands, either inside or outside. 3. Abolition’ of the tonnage system and institution of straight day wages and weekly pay. 4. A minimiln wage of $7.50 for all workers in the mines, if thru no cause of their, own, they do not receive a full day's work. 5. Wash houses and individual towels to be supplied free by the company. 6. Provision.by company of pit clothes whenever necessary. 7. Unemployment benefits to vailing union wages from special funds to be established by setting aside part of profits of coal operators, this fund to be supervised by local union of U.°M. W. A. 8 Two rooms for two miners in machine work in room and pillar, 9. Men to be transported to and from work when entry is over ’ CITY OFFICIALS AID BOSSES IN PASSAIC STRIKE Attempt to Block Relief for Textile Workers PASSAIC, N. J., Feb. 26. — The rulers of the city, worried about the success of the first tag day, are using again their obedient servant—the po- lice—to stop further relief. So far.this “interest” of the police was demonstrated in the breaking up of peaceful picketing, interfering with their meetings, but now after the suc- cess of the first tag day it is show- ing itself in a very different manner. The first tag day held last week was a real success, It clearly showed the interest of the entire population of Passaic is taking in the struggle. Over $2,100 was raised in such a quick and enthusiastic manner that the rulers of the city became frightened. Commissioner of Public Safety Preis: kel, the good servant of the textile barons, has come to the aid of the bosses, Mr, Preiskel never worried about the finances of the textile industry. He never asked the mill owners to show him their books, altho he could have found many interesting things in there. He is a “discreet” man whose business is only to look after public safety and nothing else. The discre- tion on Mr. Preiskel’s part suddenly changed after the first successful tag day. He is worried about the hundreds of dollars raised for the striking workers. At a conference held last Saturday he didn’t answer the strikers’ question about the partiality of the police, but raised instead several questions, He asked the strikers’ rep- resentatives whether the united ¢ront committee keeps regular books. “Yes,” was the answer. “And what becomes with the money taken in?” “Every cent is used for the strikers’ relief.” The lackey of the textile trust was not satisfied with the answer. In spite of the protest of the strike- leaders, he declared that unless he is given the right to look into the books whenever he pleases, he will prohibit the holding of more tag days. This provocation did not get the ex- pected results. The strikers assured him, that the books of the committee were open for an investigation. So ended the incident. The attack of the police was refuted this time. But we do not know whether the servants of the textile be paid during shutdowns at pre- | Conference in RUSSIAN COMMUNIST ORGAN CELEBRATES THIRD ANNIVERSARY | Novy Mir, the Russian Communist newspaper, celebrates Its third anniversary, On its third birthday the Workers (Communist) Party sends the following greeting to the Novy Mir, greeting the Russian ‘ Communist newspaper on its holding aloft the banner of Communism among the Russian workers and expresses its wishes that the Novy Mir will become more powerful in the coming years: “Workers (Communist) Party greets the ‘Noyy Mir,’ which for three years has held aloft the banner of Communism among the Russ- ian masses in America and under the guidance of the party and the Comintern has pointed the way to successful proletarian revolution. The splendid example of the Russian workers and peasants of the Union of Sociatist Soviet Republics will inspire greater efforts. Make Novy Mir more. powerful In coming years. “C, E, RUTHENBERG.” The DAILY WORKER, the only English Communist daily in the world sent the following greeting to the Novy Mir congratulating it on its third anniversary. “English central organ of the Workers (Communist) Party, the DAILY WORKER, congratulates our co-worker, the Novy Mir, on its third anniversary. The DAILY WORKER thru its own experiences knows the struggle and sacrifice required of Russian comrades to keep their Novy Mir during the last three years. Russian workers In Amer- ica will maintain Novy Mir as the collective organizer and spokes- man. loyally supports.! Long live Novy Mir and the cause of Communism which it so “J, Louis Engdahl, Editor DAILY WORKER.” trust will stop with that. It is very probable, that they will go still turther. What does this mean? It means that unless the workers of this country will come to the aid of our strikers, unless they. will help them morally and financially in their struggles, they will not be able to resist the combined attack of the capitalists and the gov- ernment, Every worker, every labor union and workingmen’s organization should get on thé job, A real assist- ance shall be given to the almost 10,000 workers engaged in the big struggle. Send all contributions to the Gener- al Relief Committee, Textile Strikers, 743 Main Ave., Room 4, Passaic, N. J. Sweat Shops in Pennsylvania. PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Feb. 26.— 1,200 children in 600 families were found doing factory work at home, ac- cording to an investigation by the Pennsylvania department of labor and industry. All these children were un- der 16, and half were between ‘10 and 14, ; REDDING, Cal., 26.—Indicating that the subterranean forces responsible for Tuesday’s eruption of Mount Las- sen, the only active volcano in conti- nental United States, have not sub- sided, a mild eruption of an hour's duration occurred today. It fell far short of the Tuesday's activity, how- ever. | {MET RBYHA Ycmwaa Bese fay === HO08bIN MUP == An evening of the new Russian pro- letarian poetry is arranged by the Rus- sian living newspaper, Prolet-Tribune, for this Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Workers’ House, 1902 W. Division St. The latest poetry from Soviet Rus- sia will be read by local Russian ac- tors and the Worker Correspondents of the Novy Mir, Russian Communist daily. Begins at 7 p.m, Admission 25 cents. Wi: £ osm Hheipan, 20 Landlords Responsible for Deaths. CLEVELAND— (FP) — Landlords are held responsible for Cleveland Negroes suffering a death rate twice as high as the white population. Health commissioner Rockwood de- clares the figures are a “sign that something is radically wrong in our social setup.” - Negroes, although com- posing only 6 per cent of the popula- tion, supply 12 per cent of the deaths. Get your tickets now for the Inter national concert of the T. U, E. L. Sat., March 13, at 8th St, Theater, Young Workers Rally - to the Conference — BELLAIRE, Ohio—One of the first signs of a spirited revival of the labor movement of Eastern Ohio, following upon long months of depression ,and hopelesssness, is the readiness of the young workers of the entire section to respond to the call which was issued some time ago by the Young Workers arrangements’ committee for a confer- ence of the young workers of the region, ‘ Bellaire, Ohio YOUNG WORKERS’ CONFERENCE =~ IN BELLAIRE THIS SUNDAY Three Organizers Handled Final Drive. At Least Will Be Present. The Struggle Against Rotten Conditions of Youth and Danger of New Point of Discussion and Decisions. pty Thirty Delegates ar Will Be Center BELLAIRE, Ohio.—Three organizers of the Young ‘Workers (Commun- ist) League are now in the Bastern Ohio coal mining fields in the final drive of intensive concentration upon this area for the young workers’ conference which is to take place in Bellaire tomorrow, February 28. Harvey Murphy, who has been in the field for a couple of weeks, now Teports that at least thirty delegates will be present at the conference. Joe Kobylak, well-known in the field for his work in Dillonvale, and August Valentine, who has recently returned from the anthracite strike field, are also working for the conference, $e Young Workers’ Conference takes place at Bohemian Hall, 41st and Harrison, Bellaire, O., Sunday, Feb. 28, 10 a. m. Se 7 ing the time they were out, in the face of the great obstacles that stood in their way, is a tribute to the fight- ing spirit of the young workers there. They have learned the lesson of or- ganization and will be represented at the conference tomorrow. In the Webb mine at Shadyside, the workers haye learned some bitter les- sons from capitalist society. When half mile long. 10, All tools, powder and implements necessary shall be furnished free by the company. 11. From the U. M, W. A. we want that for all young workers under 21 years of age the initiation fees and dies be one-half of the regular amount and full rights and benefits be given. Conditions in Ohio Mines, “The conditions in the union fields are much better than in the non- union. The only reason for this is the protection of the union. But despite this protection the coal op- erators have succeeded in starting a that catches the eyes of the workers but the company itself does not put the safety measures into effect. Especially right after accidents occur in and around the mines the “bene- volent” operators start, a safety cam- paign which lasts for a short time and must see that it gets the young work- ers interested in the activities of the union. Also that it brings pressure ip the union for the discussion of the youth problems, The U. M. W. A. must do these things with the idea that it is building up the future lead- the Webb mine explosion took place they also learned about the “risks of industry” which the capitalist is sup- posed to take and which the worker alone actually takes, : From Wheeling, the center of “Little Siberia,” as West Virginia is | The organizers of the conference already report that despite the difi- culties to be encountered in this sec- tion of the country, there will be dele- gates from the coal mines of Pow- hatan Point, Yorkville, Neffs, the then is completely fogotten. The Young Workers (Communist) League as the fighting organization of the young workers sees the prob- lems that face the young workers. It tries to mobilize them for the better- ing of these conditions. If the pros- pective demand No, 1 of the Young Workers’ Conference had been put in- to effect this accident would never have occurred. Young Workers Discuss Problems. The young workers have a lot of things to discuss in the conference. They must discuss what attitude they ‘will take towards the trade union bureaucracy and how they are going to help make the United Mine Work- ers a fighting organization of the coal diggers. The young miners must see in what way they can help in build- ing up the left wing in the miners’ union, It must find ways and means’ ers of the labor movement. Unite Young and Adult Workers, The ¢onterence must result in bring: ing closer relations between the young and adult workers so that the adult workers will not become part of dis- criminatory tactics against the young workers, It was to the intersets of the left wing that the local unions endorsed the call of the Y, W. L, for the youth conference, because it was the first time in the history of the working class youth, that a conference was called where the young.workers como together on an equal footing to dis- cuss the problems which face them. The Young Workers (Communist) League depends on the support of the adult Communists and the militants in the unions of East Ohio and vicin- ity for its energetic support to make this conference a rallying point for ’ of waking up the masses of the young, the masses of young workers, speed-up system in the mines that even Henry Ford would have a hard time to beat. A large percentage of the young workers are employed at hauling coal either with motors on which two men must work or with mules, The companies have gradually giv- en them more mines to haul from and still expect to get out the same amount of coal as before. In order to cut down expenses they are neglecting to keep the roads clean and are not timbering the entries. “This allows the roof to come in and then only when the track ig so dirty that it is impossible to get over it, will they clean it. This is danger- ous as the brakemen are almost al- ways running beside the trips and it\ers, on behalf of the youth demands, | 2dult workers, is very easy to slip on a piece of coal or slate and fall, throwing an arm or a leg under a moving trip. “Also where the hauling is done by ‘motors the trolley wire is usually fying the bond 12. The central labor bodies and local unions must energetically undertake the ofganization of the unorganized young workers. 13. Abolition of the automatic penalty clause, General Demands. 1, Free the Moundaville prisoners and Domenick Ventureta, 2, For a labor party. loose. A little fall from the roof will tear down 150 or 200 feet of it. To get hit by this wire means ‘instant death as there is from 250 to 600 volts in it.” For Youth Demands, The young workers’ conference will brace up the entire labor movement. The keynote of the conference must be united action by young adult work- The unions of the workers must be strengthened by the union devoting | the first of its kind in America, means the conditions|* big step froward in the awakening and thus solidi- of class consciousness among the between the young and| Young American workerm greater attention ¢ of the young work 3. For world trade union unity, This conference of young workers, famous Webb mine of Shadyside, which has been the scene of terrible disaster for the miners, the Imperial Glass concern in Bellaire which has just experienced a strike of young workers, a local union of the United Mine Workers of Avella, Pa. which is sending three delegates, one of whom is a young Negro, and a number of other mines and factories, The bad conditions of the young miners and+ other young workers in particular accounts fér the swiftness with which they are rallied to the call for the conference, despite the fact that there had not been any elaborate preparations for the meeting. ‘ For weeks, the young workers of the Imperial Glass works of Bellaire haye boen out on strike, and only because of the brutal terrorism of the officials and the kept press were most of them driven back to work, and the militants who remained out were blacklisted. brave fight that they put up known to the workers, there will be representatives of the young workers employed in the can company, a | breach in the armor of the bosses which promises much for the futare, From every other important town in the field there will be representa- tives, The desperate situation of the working class youth, there will be considered and a well-thought out plan of action will be ado; at the conference to serve as a guide to ac- tion for the fight against the prob- lems that face the young workers: the struggle against the pauperization of the youth, and the fight against the menace of new imperialist wars, — The success of this conference will be a signal for the repetition of this work in every field of any importance in the country. Young workers! to the. conference! fade your delegates, come to the in mass viene \ ake ah ee ARIF UNS eS essai