The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 9, 1926, Page 5

\ 1 - other sign has it, “Put your savings MACEY’S DEPT, » STORE WORKERS GET SMALL PAY Must Work Overtime Without Pay By a Worker Correspondent NEW YORK, March 7.—In all mod- ern department stores wages and hours are pretty nearly the same. The hours are long and the wages range close to the point of a mere subsis- tence ration. Many stick it out and prefer an indoor shop existence to that of any other calling; the younger people being assisted by their par- ents providing a cheaper room and board than they would otherwise get by living elsewhere. One of the methods used by the de- partment store owners in treating their employes is that of patriotism, a kind of fatherly, feudalistic, social aid type accompanied with low wages. The employe is made to believe that the employer is a benefactor. His mind is continuously worked on by legends painted beautifully upon the ‘wall. He is warned by pictures of old men stopping youth on pleasure bent, bes- ging for a thin dime, and bearing the caption, “Don’t spend it all” while an- | in the bank.” That big store, taking a whole block 34th to 35th street and Broadway, New York, called ‘“Maceys,” and em- Ploying, together with their factory hands, nearly 10,000 workers, young and old, use these methods of hypoc- risy and chicanery, When you seek employment at Maceys you must give a strict account | of yourself giving the date of enter- ing your last three jobs and the rea- ‘sons for leaving, your whole history, three references and a list of all the property and money you may possess. | You must then pass a doctor’s ex- amination and promise if accepted, tg! join the Mutual Aid Association, which is the company union. | If employed as a salesman’ your wages are about $25 a week for ma- ture men and less for younger people, plus a small commission, han The lesser lights such as porters | and collectors are rated at $20 a week, | Mechanics, who look after the upkeop | of the building, such as electricians, painters, window cleaners, engineers, | get from $30 to $35—way below the} union. scale in like trades clsewhiord| Work Overtime Without Pay. The hours of employment offtci | ally are set at eight a day including Saturday tho many must work more than that, especially at Christmas without overtime pay. A supper is pro- vided them on the premises to pre- vent them from going out for it and not returning. ; Dances are arranged, cheap theater tickets sold to keep the clerks con- tented. Five doctors and four nurses are supposed to aid the employes when they are sick. If unable to work | the workers are advised to “rest at | home and report for work when Well.” | All this is provided for out of a fund which all workers are compelled to contribute to after six months’ sery- ice, by paying monthly a sum of $1.25. There is nothing the employe gets that he does not pay for. There are rest rooms for males and females, where they may retire for 15 minutes by “permission” when cus- tomers are not crowding the store. Vacations are given to employes after one year’s service. A cafeteria is run to supply a lunch between the hours of 11 and 2:30, the prices being about the same as out- side restaurants and the food less pal- atable, three-quarters of an hour be- ing allowed for meals. There are many old employés, 10, 15 and 20 years in the service. The firm frequently mentions them in their monthly journal “Sparks,” but fails to say how many are still occu pying their old positions at little in- crease in wages. The majority come and go, new faces appear and disappear. A crowd apply for work ‘at the employment office glad to take anything for the winter months to keep out of the cold. Arouse Class Solidarity. Rt is up to thé few class conscious workers among them to arouse these clerks to understand their class posi- tion and show ub the bosses’ plans of collaboration and prevent them be- ing caught like “flies with molasses.” King’s Bellicoseness a Patriotic Virtue, Explains Publishers By a Worker Correspondent LONDON, March 7—~Col. EB, M./ with a House's letter to President Wilson de-|and tow scribing King George as “bellicose”| only. the and “the most pugnacious rhonarch loosein these parts” does not appear in the two volume collection of Col. House's papers which appeared today simultaneously with its publication in the United States. i Altho this letter had been pub- lished previously in a newspaper, the publishers explain they had decided to omit it from the book as “it con- tains nothing but the exnression of King’s intense patriotism ,hothing to our historical knowi- ’ Editorial Board of the Russian Communist Daily Pravda. Ulianova (sister of \Lenin and editor of the Worker-Peasant Correspondent), E. Skvorzov-Stephanov, V. Popov-Dubovsky. Standing: N,. Bukharin (chief editor of the Pravda), W, Sokolov, W. Sarabrianov. : THE DAILY WORKER Sitting: M. |. NOT BOSS LEGISLATION BUT CLASS ORGANIZATION IS HOPE OF WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRIES By SYLVIA BLECKER (Worker Correspondent) NEW YORK, March 7.—A women’s industrial conference was held in Washington, D. C., under the auspices of the Women’s Bureau of U. S. De- partment of Labor, The main object of calling this conference was “to bring health and happiness to the woman worker,” according to Mary Anderson, director of the women’s bureau. Masters Officiate. The women who called this conference cannot apparently imagine the attainment of woman’s happiness without the presence of an employer, There- fore in addition to the women's’ or-+ ganizations, the employers and busi- ness men were invited to present their of the manufacturer, ‘ standpoint of management and em-| worker has nothing in common with ployment policies. The one to pre- sent this standpoint was James Ed- gerton, president of the National As- sociation of Manufacturers. He presented his standpoint ‘in a sneering speech warning the delega- tidn against all, protection laws for women and Children. His sneering was very well taken by the majority of these good, benevolent women who came together to bring freedom: to the working women. The kind of free- dom was not specified. Freedom to starve, freedom to work loug hours, or fréedom to be exploited without any interference! But what freedom was really meant tion is because it plays into the hand The woman the N. W. P. as far as her social and economic life ig concerned. The woman worker belongs to the working class as separate and dis- tinct from the clasg of exploiters. Tho the legislative canhot bring the sal- vation to the worker, the Trade Uniong can use it as a means of prop- aganda. Let the worker in general and the woman in particular see that the best conditions are obtained thru the militant trade unions and not ‘thru legislation. The Minimum Wage Decree for the millinery trade in Massachusetts, in effect July 1, 1925, will ‘testify once more that in the legislation the at that conference where the National} woman does not find her protector. Women's Party was the leading’ fig- ure? Who ig the National Women’s Party? If we gét closer acquainted with it we will either select one of the tiree types of freedom mentioned above or take ail of them together. The National Wonten’s Party is in- The decree is as follows: $13 per week for girls and women ‘who were in the trade two years. $6 per week for learners, The millinery trade with its ex treme fluctuations is very well known strumental in the hands of the Manu-|to every millinery worker. Can you facturers’ interests. Under @ camou-| jive on $6 or $13 a week? Remember flage of equal rights for men ‘and | that $13 you get if you have two women the National Women’s Party | years’ experience. This is one very presented a plea to President Coolidgé | opyious phenomenon in this capital- to- defeat all protective laws for | ist system of society. women jn industry. In 44 states the dt remains for tie unions to awaken hours of work were festricted thru} towards the problem: of organizing iegislative measures to 10, 9 and 8| women. houns per day. In some of these states a minimum wage was enacted. But our benevolent women oppose even such meagre legislation. They want the woman to be free to work at night, and as many. hours a day as the boss would keep her in the shop, for as low a wage as tht boss would please. Freedom, yes. Freedom for the manu- facturer to ikeep up the source of cheap labor supply, which the Women unfortunately constitute. It is certain that no legislation un- der the present form of government will considerably improve the stand- ard of living for women workers. But @ reason for opposing the action of the National Women's Party which aims to defeat all protective: legisla- | “The pen is mightier than the sword,” provided you know’ how to use it. Come down and learn how in the worker correspondent’s classes. Gibson. Third Prize—China’s Awakeni every militant worker will want to This Week’s Prizes! —_———_—~ _ First Prize—An original DAILY WORKER cartoon by one of the noted American Communist artists, Robert Minor, Fred Ellis or Lydia Second Prize.—Marx Capital, Volume I. HOTEL WORKERS SHOW WAY 10 FIGHT BOSSES Cabaret Bosses Forced to Recognize Union By a Worker Correspondent NEW YORK, March 1.—The Hotel and Restaurant,Workers’ Branch of he Amalgamated Food Workers is on the job not only, in words but also in deeds. This was proven by the strike Jagainst the stubborn boss of the Blue {Hour cabaret, This boss tried to get | rid of the radical element by firing the | delegate of the ghop who tried to or- ganize the kitchen workers into the union. ij As soon as the union learned that the most active Members of the union were in danger, the union officials went to see the’ boss, who refused to listen to the titilon secretary. He de- clared to the’ union head sarcastical- lly: “You know“that this is a family house and the union is not wanted. What's more thé fellow is not a good waiter and | dove want him.” Recggnize Union. “That is cn if the funniest state- ments I ever,,beard,” answered the secretary. “The! man you fired has been working for you a good number of years and you never found out that he was not a good waiter until he joined a union and began to ask for what is coming to’the workers. If you really do not want trouble, I think you had better recognize our union.” The boss was deaf to us when we talked about recognition of the union and finally declared: “Well if you think you can fight me, go ahead and do so!” We then decided to walk out. When the owner saw that the boys were lining up and were going on strike, he called the union secretary back and said: “Listen, you don’t have to calla strike. I think we can settle this matter between us two.” The union, secretary refused to listen to this proposal to sell out the union workers,and established a pick- et in front of,the cabaret. As soon as the picket ling, was established the boss began to,feel the pinch of the strike. > Workers Win Strike. He then brought in a bunch of gang- sters to tergprige the strikers. But the gangsters welg soon convinced that the union was iim the right and refused to slug the pickets for the boss, Whenat “tite end of the day, the boss saw thatihtis expenses were great- er than his income and that his busi- ness was falling off, he came to the union headquarters the next morning and settled, ‘The boys all went back to work in a 100% union shop. Better conditions can only be gain- ed by organizing and fighting the bos Restaurant and°hotel workers, org ize! . By SARAH PERLIN (Worker Correspondent) DEMONSTRATION that will never be forgotten by the workers of Chicago took place at the new Union Depot when Chicago workers greeted their long awaited comrade, who had been sentenced to 26 years at hard labor by a court-martial at Schofield Barracks, Honolulu, Hawati, for being a Communist. A world-wide » ng by James A. Dolson, a book that read. Page Five WORKER CORRESPONDENTS IN THE SOVIET UNION NUMBER 220,000 Reprinted from the Worker-Peasant Correspondents’ Magazine. (From a report by Comrade W. M. Molotov, Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union given at the last congress of the Party.) The worker and village correspondents’ movement lately achieved co- lossal influence. grown from 48,000 to 220,000. members among them. In the 45 newspapers of the Central Executive Committee we have 40 per cent of party members among the worker correspondents and 26 per cent among the village correspondents. Of course, the question is not how to raise the percentage of party mem- bers among them. The main thing is to help develop the initiative of the workers and active peasant masses, to ‘ get from among them new thousands and tens of thousands of active work- ers for the Soviet power and our party, Army, of the Press. We should not look upon the worker and village correspondents as merely workers of the press. It is an army of over 200,000. It is not an army of just newspaper workers, it is an army of public proletarian and village workers, with the initiative of public workers, in which every one in his own way, in his own surroundings, is trying to participate in the buiiding ot Communism. Thus this army of worker and vil- lage correspondents is an army of our builders, coming from below and which is participating in all our many fold work of the party and the Soviet power. Work Hard and Save; Here’s What You Get By M. PERLIN. (Worker Correspondont) Mr. Smith,—and he js really one of thousands of workers in the same situation —is 48, years old. For 83 years he has worked at the trade .of making cigars, starting as a mere boy. Last year he became very ill.. For eight months he lay in a hospital. How Chicago Workers Met Trumbull Then he was taken care of at home for many more months. A worker’s resources, however, are very limited. He had to look for work again as soon as he was able to get around. A paralyzed arm, the result of ‘his sickness, made it impossible ‘to, get anything but a job in a poolroom, taking care of the tables and making himself generally useful. For this tie was to receive $20 a week. On the third day ‘he was told to wash the windows. He could not com- plete the task because of his paralyzed arm. The boss told him he could no longer use him. He must have a mah for all-round work. So Smith ‘was again jobless, a man forty-eight years old, with a paralyzed arm, and un- able to work at the trade on which he had spent thirty-three years of his life. protest shortened the vicious tence to one year in prison. At seven o'clock in thé evening the depot was crowded with hundreds of enthusiastic workers. They were anxious to greet Walter Trumbull. Every minute they waited, seemed like an hour. At last the train came. The great mass of workers lined up near the tracks bearing banners demanding the release of all class. war prisoners and greeting Trumbull on his return to active work in the fight against the enemies of the working class. As the passengers were getting off the trains, the mass began to sing the International. The singing of the In- ternational could be heard thruout the station. When Trumbull stepped: off the train he was eagerly seized and borne.on the shoulders of the assem: bled workers out of the station. sen- Since the last congress of the party It is difficult to state the percentage of party + aeeien the movement has | W. M. MOLOTOV. | Youngstown Lawmakers Pass Blasphemy Law at Behest of Bosses By a Worker Correspondent YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, March 7. — The case of Anthony Bimba is likely to be repeated in Youngstown in the near future, for the ku klux klan of- ficials have surreptitiously put on the ordinance books of the city a law which can be used by the capitalists and their defenders against the work- ers at any time they see fit to use it. Section 6, chapter 11 of the revised ordinance says: “No person shall act, exhibit, show or perform or be in any manner concerned in the acting, ex- hibiting or performance of any inde* cent or blasphemous play, operetta, public exhibition, show or entertain- ment.” Not only Will the ku klux klan offi- cials use this law at any time to per- secute workers, but so will-the cham- ber of commerce, the rotarians, kiwa- nis.clubs and the open shoppers. They will use this law as one of. their weapons against the workers. One of Youngstown’s papers the other day stated that Bimba would be subject to prosecution under this or- dinance. If the light of publicity is thrown on the actions of city law- makers, like ordinances will be found to have been passed at the suggestion of the chamber of commerce, which is behind the campaign for the suppres- sion and persecution of the workers, Worker Tells How His Nucleus Aids Daily By a Worker Correspondent. NEW YORK, March 7.—I want to tell about how my shop nucleus is boosting The DAILY WORKER. At our first meeting we decided that every member must be a subscriber, and must try to get at least one worker in his shop to read The DAILY WORKBR. We gave the nearest news dealer in the district an order for seven papers daily. These we distributed among the workers in one shop every day. We did this for two weeks in suc- cession. The result was that three workers in that shop subscribed for the paper. The others are deeply in- terested and read it every day. The whole shop is now ready to support us in the fight against the boss and are beginning to understand the Com- munist movement, “Say it with your pen in the worker correspondent page of The DAILY WORKER.” _A Novel Way of Spreading Bolshevism ‘ By MATILDA SCHNEIDER, (Worker Correspondent) A, dressmaker living in+ the: eity, working for unsteady wages not suf- ficient to support her, is often*forced to change her occupation. That is what I did, having been broken not only financially but also spiritually. With a fixed determination to get some money, I took a position as cook in a typical American bourgeois home It beautiful country estate, ion nestling midst shrubs ig trees, an estate such as althiest can possess, The occupants of this exquisite mansion we ther, a daughter and a son who is the owner of a “house furnish- ing store” in New York City, a‘cham- pion of card ganfes, and possesses 160 Police dogs. On my first working day, I was called into the dining room by the old lady to take the orders for the day, “My daughter is going to a card party, and my son is going to and the.horse races and will not return tor a few days, so you will have very little work,” smilingly explained the - old mother, and then added: “For the help anything is good enough, they are very easy to please. I have al- ready called up the butcher and ordered five lbs, of meat—which you can cook any, old way with potatoes. As long as their stomachs are filled they aye satisfled. That which is left from my dinner you shall have, The butter and eggs which they shall bring are for the helps’ hall, and the eggs from our chickens you use for the dining room, We also have thre cows, so when the milk man brings the milk, leave it stand until night and take off the cream, all of which we don’t use on our table and from this you are to make butter every other day, The skimmed milk use for coffee and cereals in the helps’ hall.” She ended her little talk ‘with: “And you won't forget to make those coffee cakes which I relish 80 much, will you dear?” ‘The next morning, I baked some cakes and sent in four pieces, putting most of them on the help’s table, also the cream which I took off the other night. I helped myself to a few flowers from the hot house which I put on our Atable, At 7:30 they all came for break- fast walking thru the kitchen which was spick and span, first the gardner who was a tall lean man; his hands and body told of hard labor. Then the groom came, a staunch “enemy of bolshevism.” Next the tender over the cattle and his helper a boy of 14, smiling and lifting their hats. Follow- ing the dogterder the chambermaid, the waitress, the chatffeur, and law dress, They were all happy to see their table so cheery and laden with appetizing food but at each sound ‘they had their eyes on the entrance until I convinced them that I was boss over the kitchen. Saturday morning the old lady look- ed thru my order and asked me why I had ordered sweet butter as her son wanted butter made only from their cream. But I have no cream, I told her. t “What, are you not skimming the milk every night,” she shouted. “There is not’ tnuch cream lately and the little bitethere is we are us- ing for our coffee, and cereal “My lord,” she exclaimed and near- ly swooned, 1 was called before her daughter who asked the same question. I told her as long as they want me as their cook they would have to give me per- mission to give the Iselp cream be- cause they needed to be healthy in order to work. After no compromise was accepted on my part they gave in as they did not want me to go; they were fond of Hungarian cooking, My time was up and I notified my employers that I was leaving. They urged me to stay. I was raised from $65 to $75 and then to $90 but noth- ing could induce me to stay. All my friends were sorry to see me go. They parted with “we were all very fond of you and even tho you did not go to church with us, you were sent by our lord to see that our lady gives us good food, Then the groom came and said, “You are an angel and you deserve our respect.” T looked at him and said, “Do you know what a bolshevik is and what he represents?” . “Oh, please do not speak of such terrible people,” he replied, But I continued: ,“A real bolshevik is broadminded, intelligent, goodheart- ed and above all honest to his own class, the working class, He believe: that every worker is entitled to the full product of his labor. I was fight- ing for your rights and gave you the cream of the milk and the best eggs. Let them get sick from bad food, they have plenty of time for it. When I left they all came to shake hands with me to show me_ their respect, One day, in New York, I received a letter in an unfamiliar hand-writing. It read as follows: “Dear friend: You will no doubt be surprised to hear from us. We are ab ways thinking of you, and saying what a wonderful cook you were in comparison to the one we have now. She is only taking good care of her- icago, HI, Hy self as much as she can, We are |Chcade Mt ! getting old stew nearly everyday. 5 For breakfast no more fruit but | ‘ Enclosed .... 2 FOR. ’ skimmed milk to our coffee and cere- als and eggs scarcely at all. “If that was bolshevism what you were doing out here, then we will preach it-on the soap boxes on all the corners when we come to New York, Delighted to have your ad- dress so we can write once in a vhile, With best wishes, your friends, nu B \ _ March ISSUE OF THE Workers Monthly | OUT NOW! CONTAINING: MARX, ENGELS and : LENIN on The Paris C ommane Asplendid historical re- view of a great event in workingclass history, by A. Trachtenberg Imperialism and the Amer- ican Working Class A view of the develop- ment of American im- perialism and its effect on American labor by Jay Lovestone LENIN— The Mountain Eagle A brilliant appreciation of our great leader by a close co-worker I. Stalin The Raisins in the Filipino Cake Facts and figures of one phase of American imperialist domination by Harry Gannes ARTICLES by T. J. O'Flaherty Sam Darcy Alfred Knutson H. M. Wicks ' Bertram D. Wolfe ; Gregory Zinoviev Manuel Gomez PHOTOGRAPHS AND CARTOONS by Maurice Becker A. De Champs Subscription: $1.25 Six Months $2 a Year WORKERS MONTHLY, 1113 W. Wathington Bivd., months subscription. Street . City .. | state .