The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 21, 1926, Page 3

Page views left: 0

You have reached the hourly page view limit. Unlock higher limit to our entire archive!

Subscribers enjoy higher page view limit, downloads, and exclusive features.

Text content (automatically generated)

ve , only seasonal employment, BOSSES QUOTE | sicoMMUN BIBLE AGAINST 40-HOUR WEEK Painters Insist on Union Demands (Special to The Dally Worker) CLEVELAND, March 19 — The painter bosses are not satisfied to bombastically state that they do not intend to grant the painters an In- orease In wages and the 40-hour week, and that they are supported by the banks, but they are now resorting to religious bunk and quote scripture to Support thelr demands for lowered conditions-fer the workers, Quotes Bible Against Strikers, ‘Thus. under the date of January 26, a realtor of Cleveland sent the fol- lowing letter to O. P. Hoehringer, sec- retary of the Painters’ District Coun- weil: “Dear Sir: “As a loyal supporter of unionism for many years, I am indeed disap- pointed in learning that your council has determined upon such a radical change in working conditions, “Public sentiment is against the torty-hour working week and the ac- tion is going to prove of vast value to the open shop proponents. “We meet with many, many people during the course of each business day and we find that public sentiment is likewise opposed to further in- creases of wages in the building trades because of the fact that most of the employes can no longer claim “Personally we cannot understand why the council would risk the chances of another period of dull years in which employment might be ecarce, because while the public re- fuses to buy there is no need of em- ployes. God and the Bosses. “The open shop division need only quote what we have heard so many claim lately that the lord, in creating the» world, determined six days for labor and the “seventh for rest, and that the forty-hour week would be made the cause of unrest and dissatis- faction amongst those other workers in, industries where -better pay and not less hours is the mooted question of the: day, “For the sake of unionism let well enough alone. People are just com- mencing to look at home-owning with @ degree.of confidence. and. we fear for the future. “Loyally yours, “Joseph A. Spitzig.”. To this wonderful epistle, inter- preting the “will of god,” the secre- tary of the Painters’ District Council No. 6 of Cleveland sent a proper reply. After explaining that the painters suf- fer a higher mortality than all other trades, and that the Painters’ Union takes precautions to protect its mem- bers from disease, he declares that despite it all, the painters believe that they are entitled to a five-day week in order in the two days to throw off the effects of lead poisoning. Refuse Industrial Suicide. “We who are face to face with this problem every day in the year do not believe that it is a radical step to ask the painting public of Cleveland to allow some of our members to live @ little longer, to be a bit more free from sickness and ill health. Neither do we think that the creator, to whom you refer, could condemn any man or body of men for declining to commit industrial suicide if it were in their power to prevent it..... “You quote, ‘For the sake of union- ism let well enough alone.’ Mr. Spitzig, for the sake of unionism we will never let Well enuf alone until the conditions of our members cannot be improved, ‘We’ have had to fight for every con- cession we have ever gained and if this matter means a fight we are ready. The vote of our membership was twenty to one in favor of our two ‘major propositions and when our membership speaks in a voice such as that, it cannot be denied. “The right to bargain collectively, the eight-hour day, the half holiday Saturday, and a great many other improved conditions were never given voluntarily to the worker, and after their adoption we found that the in- dustry was not wrecked, Weck in fact bettered. Painters Fight For abltaiite, The Cleveland painters are not bothering much about god and the reports about his opinions in the bible. They intend to get the forty-hour week and $1.50 an hour, When they get it, the employers will be allowed to select another chapter of the lord’s. sayings to soothe their feelings and their pocketbooks, All Our Work Guaranteed, SEMINARY CLEANERS & DYERS Pressing—Repairing—Remodeling Hats Cleaned and Blocked—Also Laundry 812-14 Fullerton Ave., Chicago, Ill. Phone Lincoln $141 eee THE DAILY WORKER Children Aid Striking Parents — | demanding more food and more clothes. : This photo shows the children of the Passalc strikers carrying placards These children are known as “out- side” agitators and are aiding their mothers and fathers to the best of their ability tn the present textile strike to win better conditions, CHILDREN AND YOUNG WORKERS IN FOREFRONT OF PASSAIC STRIKE By THELMA KAHN. ORKERS all over the world are being oppressed by the master class. This reached a white heat point in Passaic, In Passaic the textile industry employs about 16,000 workers. The con- ditions under which they work are the most miserable that can possibly exist even in a capitalist society, The workers recelve from $8 to $24 a week. Such a measly amount can’t buy food, clothing and shelter, The workers, realizing thelr miserable conditions, realizing there was no way In which to buy their children clothing, tried to find a solution. In addition to this the bosses, not satisfied with their profits from the sweat of the workers, affected a 10% decrease of wages. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The workers, headed by the United Front Commit- tee, by the children and women, went on strike, walked out. 12,000 men and women. - ‘Their demands are: Recognition of the union, 10% increase, time and a half for overtime, sanitary conditions, no discrimination agalyst union men, and the 44-hour week, These are the Just demands of the Passaic textile strikers. The strikers are without money, but they will never submit to the con- tinuation of the wrongs heaped upon them by the master class. In New York City there Is a campaign golng on to help raise money for the strikers. The Ploneers, children up to 14 years of age, walk along the Streets, subways, elevated lines, private homes, with tin boxes asking for help for the strikers, These little children realize the conditions of the strikers, and already are willing to help the strikers’ cause. ioneers is an organization of children of the working class. They are or- In Passaic this also Is true. The ganized in every large clty in the world, because every city meets with the same problems that the workers in Passaic meet with. The Pioneers are taught why their fathers go on strike, are saan what the child of a worker should know. This is why all children should join the Pioneers. The Pioneers’ slogan is “ALWAYS READY!” And they are ready to help the Passaic strikers. The Pioneers greet and congratulate the Passaic strikers. SCABBY SHOPMAN|CUBAN WORKERS MUST HANG, IS) PLAN TO FIGHT COURT VERDICT) COMPANY UNIONS Strikebreaker Loses in|Railroad Magnates Take Fight to Dodge Noose Steps to Crush Labor WASHINGTON, March 19—By up-| WASHINGTON, March 19 — In a holding the double conviction on mur-| letter to President Green of the Pan- der charges of Joseph Valetta, a shop-|American Federation of Labor, the man who scabbed during the 1922/Railroad Brotherhood of Cuban walkout in the Pittsburgh railway | Workers has reported the decision of shops, the supreme court has deter-| Milton S. Hershey, general manager mined that Valetta must hang. Valetta, when called a “scab” strikers, shot Thomas Hopkins, one of the pickets. Hopkins fell dead. Valetta was pursued by Police Officer Couch, whom he mortally wounded. He was indicted for murder in both cases, was tried on both charges at the same time, and convicted of first degree murder ih the case of the, policeman and of second degree mur- der in that of the picket. He appealed in vain to the higher and co-owner of important rail lines, by to introduce the “company union” system, Hershey's railroads carry much of the sugar crop of Cuba. Rail strikes in recent years have interrupted the sugar industry. Hershey has pro- claimed the “open shop” and “com- pany union,” copied from the Penn- sylvania Railroad’s plan. The organ- ized workers have replied with a Promise of general strike if the com- panies break off relations. In view of the American 6wnership State courts, but secured a writ of/of most of the Cuban railways and habeas corpus in the federal district} sugar plantations, the Cuban rail court. His appeal was based on the | brotherhood appeals to Green to use claim that he could not be tried con-]his influence in behalf of mediation currently for two crimes. Justice Holmes, rendering the opin-| American governments, and conciliation thru the Cuban and This is a ion of the supreme court, vigorously | hint that Ambassador Crowder can upheld the right of the trial court to| settle the dispute if he cares to do so. punish murder, and brushed aside the|Green has promised to co-operate in technicality under which the con-|a peace move, victed man hoped to cheat both ver- dicts. We Call for and Deliver, | post Character of Fascist Dictatorship to Be Discussed in Senate WASHINGTON, March 19 — Sen, Reed of Missouri promises to make the character of the Mussolini dicta- torship in Italy one of the main issues in his fight against ratification of the Italiap debt settlement. He takes the mn that to ratify this vast can- cellation of Italian debt is to stamp |with American approval the acts of the fascisti in crushing Italian Mb- erty. COLUMN |U. S. AGENTS IN 2p | EUROPE DEPICT GLOOMY FUTURE Declare Nations Refuse to Disarm (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, March 19 — A pic: ture of European conditions so gloomy as to appear almost\startling has been presented to Pre: it Coolidge, by his chief advisors on foreign affairs, it was learned itoday. With it has gone the well-nigh; complete evapora- tion of any and all plans for promot- ing a new disarmament conference, either thru the agency of the league of nations, or thru Independent action by the United States. Ambassador Alanson B, Houghton and Minister Hugh 8, Gibson, sum- moned home from Europe for consul- tation with the administration con- cerning foreign policy, are both un- derstood to have informed President Coolidge and Setretary of State Kel- loge that it is utterly futile to expect any real constructive step toward dis- armament in Europe at this time, or in the near future. . An Empty Gesture. The league council, it is understood, will this week go thru the motions of postponing the already much post- poned meeting of the preliminary com- mission on disarmament until next September, when Germany supposedly will become a member of the league. However, the president has been ad- vised that even should this prepara- tory commission get together in Sep- tember, which ts by no means assured, there is little prospect of any real accomplishment because the view- points of the leaders, particularly France and Great Britain, are so far apart as to make agreement well-nigh impossible. 4 Disagree Upon Basis, As a result of recent developments abroad, incltding Mussolini's fist- brandishing toward Germany, the re- velations of intrigues at Locarno, and the break-up of the league council at Geneva, it is now considered a hope- less task to get the various European powers togethér’on any basis of dis- armament. The principal difficulty, is a fundamental difference of opinion between Britain’ and France as to what should d6nstitute the basis of disarmament, Briti \Viewpoint. It is the British viewpoint that any further disarmament on land or se: should bé in acdprd with the formul: followed by thé Washington éonfer ence, i, e@., exi Strength and vis ible weapons of-warfare. Fre Attitude. Still smarting-under what she con- siders was unfair treatment at Wash- ington, French )statesmen positively reject this theoty, and insist, instead, that any further disarmament be made on a basis of the ultimate po- tential war strength of any power. This would include population, wealth, industrial development, in fact any- thing that adds‘strength to a nation in war time. Under such an arrange- ment, of cours’, Britain and the United States would do most of the disarming because ‘they -are the wealthiest powers and also the most thoroly organized industrially, The poorer Latin countries, like France and Italy, would do very little disarm- ing. Fear Another Smashup. These two attitudes will inevitably clash when the league’s preparatory } commission meets to lay the plans for a new conference next September, if it actually meets at all. The only possible result, as viewed by the Washington government, will be an acrimonious wrangle, charges and counter-charges, mutual recrimination —and nothing accomplished, League Splitting Apart. Administration officials view with gravest concern the present trend of events in Europe, which has just cul- minated in the smashup at Geneva. As viewed here, the league is slowly splitting up into factions, a process which can only result eventually in Europe's return to,the old balance of power idea. It wag pointed out that the clearest division thus far seen was presented at.Geneva, with the Latin countries ranged on one side and Germany, the Scandinavian coun- tries and to some extent Great Brit- ain ranged on the other, May Withdraw U, S. Acceptance, The question is being seriously dis- cussed in the confe¥ences which have been going on sifige the arrival of Houghton and Gibson as to whether America’s acceptance of the league disarmament invitation is to be con- sidered so elastic that it will cover the many postponements, President Coolidge is exceedingly anxious, according to reports, to pro- mote American participation in any disarmament conference that gives promise of accomplishing something, but he is represented as being stauchly opposed to participating in any ‘bickering, quarreling and gouging under the guise of discussing disarm- ament. If future developments strengthen the now ¢rystallizing opin- jon that the league can and will ac- complish nothing, t is within the range of possib that American participation in Jeague disarma- ment conference be withdrawn. NR Es sete atl A Rd, pn SLE A nthe te At in RE A ARCHEOLOGISTS DIG UP AN ANCIENT CITY IN MOSCOW SUBURBS (Special to The Dally Worker) MOSCOW, U. 8S. 8. R., March, 19. —Archeologists of the Soviet gov- ernment have discovered on the out- skirts of this city the remains of an ancient town, which: it is bellev- ed, existed about the fifth century before Christ. Metal implements were then just beginning to replace stone. A large number of iron arrows and knives, glass bracelets, bone combs and jewelry of gold and sil- ver have been unearthed. Some primitive pottery, adorned with tex- tile designs, has also been dug up. Traces of an ancient Kremlin have ben found. The Investigators state that the chlef occupation of the Inhabitants, judging from these remains, must have been the raising of cattle. Hunting, the stage of development indicates, had already been relegat- ed to a minor pursuit, GOVERNMENT IS READY 10 DROP MORSE TRIALS N. Y. Financier Pleads Continued Illness (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, March 19 — It is re- ported that the government will quash the indictment against Charles W. Morse and some 20 more defendants charged in 1922 with having used the mails to defraud investors in the stock of the United States Steamship company, of which he was head. The case has a most mysterious background in the evident unwilling- ness of the government to press it to trial. It is evident that pressure from very high financial circles has been exerted all along to keep the matter from coming to an issue. Unseen Hands Hold Back. A special assistant to the attorney general worked on the case for months and then suddenly disap- peared. Then United States Attorney Buckner assigned his chief assistant, Robert E, Manley, to handle the mat- ter. About a year ago two special assistants to the attorney general, Harvey H. Hinman and Roger P. Clark, who had been assigned to serve 18 trial counsel, resigned because they ould get no action. Claimed “Seriously III, The excuse given in all cases has een that Morse was too seriously ill or trial. This was generally disbe- leved in view of the flagrant circum stances under which Morse was par. joned for a prior conviction’ of mis- ‘plying funds and making false en- tries in the books of a national bank Faked Sickness. President Taft granted him the par- don in January, 1912, while Morse was in Atlanta penitentiary serving a fifteen-year sentence. The grounds ‘or the president’s act was Morse’s illness, which his physicians claimed, endangered his life. Later develop- ments showed that the whole affair had no basis of fact and that the par- don came becausé of tremendously powerful influences brot to bear in the convicted man’s behalf, Pittsburgh Workers to Hear Bimba on April 1 PITTSBURGH, Pa., March 19—An- thony Bimba, editor of the Lithuanian Communist Daily Laisne, who was tried for “blasphemy” and convicted of sedition in Brockton will speak on “The Role of the Church in the Class Struggle” Thursday evening, April 1, at 8 o’clock at the Walton Hall, 220 Stanwix St. U. S. Orders Planes for Next Slaughter NEW YORK, March 19—The Unit- ed States government has ordered 35 pursuit planes and pontoons from the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor corpora- tion of Garden City, Long Island. The amount involved is about $600,000. The company is now working on gov- ernment orders. Make your slogan—“A auh week. This is a good issue to give to your fellow worker. “THE JAIL’ T0 BE REPEATED AT THE WORKERS’ HOUSE TOMORROW NIGHT \ “The Jail,” a Russian drama in 4 acts by Svirsky, will be repeated at the Workers’ House, 1902 W. Divi- sion St., this Sunday, March 21, The play was presented a few weeks ago and drew such a crowd that many could not get in. At the request of these disappointed friends and also of many of those who have been present and who want to see It again, the play will be repeated. It is staged under the leadership of the well known Russian actor Anatoly Pokotilov. Admission 60 cents, Beginning at WITH THE Y CONDUCTED - BY Thi Page Three WORKEDS UNG WORKERS LEAGUE Exchange of Experiences of Shop Nactei and Concentration Groups Concentration Group “D” of Section No. 5 of the Y. W. L., District No. 2. Report of the organizer: He was present at the last meeting of the section executive. The executive de- cided to send a special letter to the group and also to call a meeting of all group and nucleus organizers of the section as suggested by the group. They also assigned to each group a member of the executive to be present at one group meeting. Comrade R. was assigned to our group, but he did not show up. Young Worker; Eyery comrade had to account with the Young Workers he received at the last meeting, K. has no permanent place of work, being a painter, distributes his Young Workers wherever he happens to work, R. distributed in 37th street. not sold yet. Subs 8, distributel Young Workers in 37th street before her shop. Gave away 2 subs, G. distributed Young Workers tn 37th street before her shop (same shop where 8. is), Sold one and away 2 subs, B, distributed Young Workers in 87th street once, second time he was out of work already, Gave away 2 subs, still has one left, 18 Young Workers sold at this meeting and 10 Lenin, Liebknecht, Luxemburg pamphlets, Dues: Motion to pay 50 cents @ month out of which 10 cents shall re- main in the group's treasury. Motion accepted, Attendance: Comrade R. had a very important T. U. EB. L. meeting lest Wednesday and that’s the reason of her absence last week. We don’t know anything yet about Comrade 8. School Boy Writes on Passaic Strike To Whom It May Concern: I have read about this Passaic tex- tile strike and think the workers and organizers are right. If the bosses cut the wages how can we live? They do not realize that rent, food and cloth- ing is getting higher. The bosses only care for the profits they are getting out of the wage cuts. Now listen. In order to settle this strike we ought to throw Mayor Mc Guire out of office so he cannot help the bosses by sicking the police onto the strikers and have them throw bombs and have the fire department squirt water on them. He does not care whether we have $18 or $10 a week. He only cares that his salary is paid. Also, we ought to have more offi- cers arrested. If I had any power with the government I would have all those arrested who have been beating the strikers and cracking their heads. And I would give them some sentence, too, If the people who sing while picket- ing are arrested in the daytime, then why do they not arrest the drivers of the patrol wagons who go out sing- ing in the night when they are on a drunk? This is the ninth week.of the strike and it ought to.be settled quickly, It would be, but the bosses are afraid to have a union in the mills. But the strikers are not dumb. They-do want and will have a union. I am 11 years old but know’ this much, Mike Timochko, School 12, Grade 7B, Passaic. IRVING GOLDSTEIN Irving Goldstein, 18-year-old Com- munist, after being an invalid for five years with severe heart at- tacks, has passed away. Tho he was not a member of the party he did his best to keep informed on Communist movement and read whatever literature he could, This silent com » who was un- able to participate in the active life of the party that he so much desired to join, in his last wish asked that whatever savings he may have had be turned over to the DAILY WORKER, which was his close companion, ! ! Young Workers of Other Lands YOUNG WORKER LETTER TO TEXTILE ORGANIZER, Passaic, N. J., March 9 Mr. H. Weisbord: We all are about ready to walk ont, We are treated like slaves and forced to work nine and a half hours and then if we refuse to work at night we will be told to get out. Is # right to make us slave all day and then force us to work until 10 o’elock for the same pay? The employment man was run out of Pennsylvania for being so mean, I have to work to support my family and you see how much I make at 40 cents an hour. The state of New’ Jersey should be ashamed to allow the big corporations to work people like slaves.—Signed (name witheld). LOS ANGELES NOTES. Please announce the following in your columns: March 27, fourth an- niversary celebration of the Young Worker; program will include a living newpaper. Saturday night, March 37, Co-operative Center. March 29, Mon- day night, Co-operative Center, On the night of the Jewish holiday passover, an anti-religious meeting will be held. Chairman, Comrade Dave Rappaport; Jewish speaker, Comrade Wm. Baum; English speaker, Comrade William Schneiderman. Sunday night, March 28, Musie-Arts - Hall: The Young Workers League will present the “Lat Daye of the Commune,” at a Paris Commune celebration. May 2: The fifth annual outing and hay-ride, given by the Young Workers League. The first big outdoor affair of the year, for the benefit of the D. EB, C, and the youth press, Students Win Strike for Self-Government ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NW, Y., (FP)—March 19—Striking Episcopal divinity students at St. Stephens Ool- lege won their demand for student government after a three day walk . out. Students resented faculty control strictly limiting their activities. Miners’ Jobs Disappear BELLEVILLE, Il!.— (FP) — About 4000 of the 9000 coal miners in the Belleville district are idle, due to the closing down of mines. Many of the employed miners are working but two days a week. There are 99 mines in this district, and only 67 in operation. The Y. C. L. in the Manchuria of Chang Tso-Lin The leadership of the Chine#é coun- ter-revolutionary movement in Man-| police. Communist League was terrorized by In the same ranks with the churia organized holdups of the Rus-| police go the Ohristian League of sian citizens, children and young Com- munists on the Chinese Eastern rail- road. Some Russian counter-revolu- tionaries are in the army of Chang Tso-Lin. The Young Communist League in this country, under the dic- tatorship of the arch reactionary Ohang never was legal. The league has 2,000 members, but conferences, congress, etc., are forced to be held illegally. The Chinese police arrest every young Communist caught at meetings in the unions and in other workers’ gatherings, On the first of May last year the demonstration of the Young|among the workers, AUSTRALIAN SOCIALIST YOUTH |W. C. Y. congress on the question eaten a JOIN YOUNG COMMUNIST INT. /fusion contains the page VIENNA, Austria.—In January “the national ‘congresses of the Young Communist League and of the Inde- pendent Socialist Working Class Youth, were held simultaneously in Vienna. The league congress of the I. 8. W. C. Y, adopted on the very first day a unanimous decision to af- fillate to the Young Communist In- ternational and its Austrian section, This decision was enthusiastically greeted by the delegates of the con- gress of the Y, O, L. @ unity The resolution adopted at the L S. vee Jan. 17, 1936.) Youth, the Boy Scouts, ete. The coun- ter-revolutionary newspapers which are in Charbine try to write all kinds of lies ‘about the Young Communists and Young Pioneers. But all these things can’t help the capitalist class ” to destroy the Y. C. L. The league ts growing in membership, ab Some members of the ¥. ©, now sitting in jail, Some have = murdered by the white ‘coe have now in the : branches of the youth. a You Communist League on the , Eastern railroad have @ ‘big influence: ment: “Our entry into the Y, ©, nothing more than our duty to revolutionary working class It has nothing in common with mandate hunt which characterizes social-democratic party and the democratic youth league of i On the contrary, we consider it o task to work among the masses therefore as a protest and proof the assertion of the commit social-democratic league is a cones 4s to decline all congress.” (“Rote

Other pages from this issue: