The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 30, 1926, Page 2

hectic Page Two THE DAILY WORKER INSPECTORS AD NEAT PACKERS TO VIOLATE LAW Federal “Investigation” Held in Secrecy Charges involving the United States inspection departments in the Union Stock Yards with aiding the packers to®violate the corrupt practices act are made in a letter that is now In the possession of the Secretary of Agri- ‘culture, Jardine. An investigation into charges of wiolation of the corrupt practices act ‘was threatened about three weeks ago. All details of the moves that were to be made and of the guilty parties was hushed up as the department of Jastice claimed that it did not want evidence to leak out which would “hamper the department” in the “prosecution of the trial.” Fear Investigation. Following the threat that an inves- tigation was to be made two men fled to Panama, two to Mexico and one committed suicide by taking a strong oison. Dr. Wesley N. Neil, who was in charge of the federal meat and field inspection in Chicago for the federal bureau of animal husbandry, committed suicide rather than face the publicity attendant on an expose ‘of the conspiracy on the part of the packers and the federal officials short-weighting farmers and in dis- criminating against many of the cattle breeders. At the time of the coroner’s inves- tigation into the death of this head of federal meat inspection in Chicago attempts were made to hide the fact that he had committed suicide and the jury returned an open verdict. A let- ter was later found at Dr. Neil’s “home in which names, places, dates and other intimate information on the collusion between the packers and the inspectors was shown. This letter ‘was sent to Jardine. Jardine when approached by news- paper reporters and asked what atti- tude would be taken by the govern- ment since this letter came to light tried to deny its existence and then later declared that he had “no infor- mation to impart” at this time. D, OF J, PERJURERS HIT Demand Accounting of Funds Spent in Wheeler Case WASHINGTON, Mar. 28—In a new outburst over the Wheeler case, the senate this afternoon adopted a reso- lution by a vote of 61 to 18 demand- ing an accounting from the depart- ment of justice of all funds spent in the twin prosecutions of Senator Bur- ton K. Wheeler, democrat of Mon- tana. The resolution, sponsored by Sena- tor Walsh, democrat of Montana, de- jfense counsel for Wheeler in both prosecutions, provoked an hour’s de- bate before it was adopted. It led to sharp attacks upon the department for jemploying “perjured testimony” in the prosecution of Wheeler. CHICAGO UNIONS OPEN DRIVES TO UNIONIZE SHOPS Machinists Reduce Initia- tion Fee By CARL HAESSLER, Fed. Press. The machinists’ union has reduced its imitiation fee to $5.50 and is ap- proaching workers in big and little shops to become members. While the union scale is 95 cents an hour, open shop machinists’ wages are from 50 to 80 cents. Specialists, as the semi- skilled mechanics working at a single operation like punch press or drill press are called, make even less. Some corporations like the Interna- tional Harvester Co. have organized company unions to keep wages down and discourage unionism. sre Another big organization drive in Chicago is that of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers, A commit- tee of 500 volunteer organizers is working to unionize the many open shops in the dress and cloak indus- try while union conditions are being enforced in signed shops where pre- viously the 44-hour week, prohibition of piecework and other rules had not been strictly observed. eee Even the cemetery workers, after their unsuccessful strike last autumn, are proceeding with an organized at- Carry on In Utmost Secrecy. The first stages of the investiga- tion were carried on in utmost secrecy fn an attempt to cover up the collus- ion between federal officials and the heads of the Union Stock Yards. Cattle growers point out that unfit cattle brot $1 per hundred pounds when thrown in the tank, whereas cattle fit for food would net from $60 to $80. By juggling records, unfit cat- tle ware credited to shippers whose cattle were really found fit, thereby saving the favored shippers large amounts of money. The secret preliminary hearing ended in a mild rebuke to one of the cattle concerns by the federal of- ficials. (Continued from Page 1) live have been brought to the at- tention of the labor movement in the numerous strikes that took place thruout the country in the last few years against brutal wage cuts that have been initiated by the textile interests at a time when the country was reputed to be going thru an era of unprecedented pros- perity. Unless this industry which employs almost a million workers is brought into the fold of the organ- ized labor movement it will act as a stimulus to the open shop move- ment and will threaten the better living standards enjoyed by the workers in industries that are or- ganized. “The organization of the textile workers is therefore of the most vital importance to the organized labor movement of America. It is absolutely necessary that steps be taken to organize this gigantic in- dustry. The present situation calls for the unification of all the exist- ing labor forces in the textile in- dustry to fight the campaign of wage guts, to increase wages, shorten hours, and to organize the million unorganized textile workers into a powerful textile union. Call Conference. “A step in this direction has been taken by the Federated Textile Union when it decided to send out a call for a conference of all the existing unions to consider the ad- visability of joint action in fighting wage cuts and organizing the in- dustry, The step taken by the last convention of the American Federa- tion of Labor in directing the exe- cutive council to take energetic steps to organize the textile work- ers thruout the country is most sig- nificant and important, “In appreciation of this, we call upon the executive council of the American Federation of Labor, in line with this decision to use its experience, prestige and power to establish the unity of all existing la bor organizations in the textile in- dustry in a campaign to’end wage and organize the industry, “Unionize Textile Workers!” Strikers Call tempt to obtain the 8-hour day and 75 cents an hour. They are enrolled in a federal union of the American Federation of Labor. 2 e The laundry workers’ union ig de- veloping its own co-operative laun- dries in its strike to organize big west side plants that are now paying girls $8 a week and men $12. Organize Suit Case Makers. DENVER (FP)—Twentry-three men are the charter members of the newly organized Denver Trunk, Bag & Suit- case Makers union. The charter from the United Leather Workers Intl. union is on the way. Denver em- ploys several hundred trunk makers. Textile Workers of Passaic pledges its wholehearted support to any move towards that end which will be initiated by the executive council. Time Ripe For Unionization, “We pledge ourselves that if such @ move is made we will do every- thing in our power to achieve such unity thru the American Federa- tion of Labor. Never before in the history of the textile industry were conditions so ripe for the organiza- tion of the workers. “We most sincerely and earnestly hope that the executive council con- sider this proposal in the spirit in which it is made, Not a Dual Organization, “The United Front Committee of Textile Workers is not a dual om ganization. It does not desire to set up an organization distinct and apart from the American Federa- tion of Labor. We will be the first to hail enthusiastically any proposal that the American Federation of La- bor will make to establish unity in order to combat the intolerable con- ditions that are forced upon the workers and to organize the in- dustry. “The situation is, we are sure, of such vital concern to the labor movement that we take the lberty of presenting it to the executive council of the American Federation of Labor, Ask Favorable Action, “We trust that the executive coun- cil, representative of the millions of organized workers in the Ameri- can Federation of Labor will con- sider the proposals made in this let- tre as proposals coming from work- ers who are now engaged in a strug- gle against industrial despotism and whose only desire is, together with the organized labor movement, to work for the establishment of im- Proved living conditions and a bet ter world for the workers, “We hope your reply will make possible greater and more succesd- fully efforts toward this and, as far as the ‘textile workers are con- cerned. “Fraternally yours, SARA 5. SRE A Ae ; OHIO OPERATOR CREW MEETS 10 CUT COAL WAGE Union Fights to Have Scab Field Organized By J. SMITH. (Special to The Daily Worker) BELLAIRE, Ohio, March 28—The coal operators in this district are call- ing a meeting to attempt to adjust the 1924 wage scale and effect a reduction in wages, claiming that the miners will be able to compete with the non- union field in West Virginia, The miners here are. in starvation, they have not been working for many months, while many around here have been doing very little for quite a few years. The miners across the river in West Virginia, altho working more are practically as bad off as the miners in the Ohio side of the valley. Cut Throat Competition, The nonunion miners work three and four days per week, but when pay day comes they find themselves most- ly in debt to the coal company. There is no demand for coal, on this side of the river, and very little on the West Virginia side. The miners realize that to accept a reduction in wages would not increase the market demand. The attempt to reduce the wages would only result in the worsening of the already too low wage rate, and conditions, in both sides of the river. Only a certain amount of coal can be consumed, and the production is already far over the demands. No matter if the coal miners were work- ing for fifty per cent less, that would not increase the market demands, as nobody buys coal that does not need it. Fooling Nobody. Should the miners accept a reduc- tion in this field, the nonunion op- erators would immediately reduce the miners’ wages in the nonunion field, and a campaign of wage’ cutting com- mence between the miners themselves that would practically destroy all union labor. At a time when there is no market, the operators are attempting to fool the miners, by telling them that if they do not accept a reduction, the coal ‘business in the Ohio valley will be ruined and they will have to look for new homes, An intensive drive is being made to have the miners join with operators, to ask Lewis to adjust the wage scale to save their industry. They state that should Lewis refuse to grant a reduction in wages, they will appeal direct to the men, for the reduction and attempt to put it in force, Fight Against the Plan. The miners in this valley are de- termined that no reduction will be ac- cepted. They point out, that the min- ers’ officials themselves are much to blame for the conditions in the field by not making a strenuous organizing campaign of the nonunion men. The remedy for the situation is or- ganization of the unorganized, but we do not expect to have Lewis start any campaign of this character. Lewis has had the opportunity to do this for a long time but up to the present time has failed. The miners in West Virginia want the United Mine Work- ers of American, but even éhose non- | union men themselves laugh, when jyou mention Lewis as organizer. | Many of them state that this field will never be organized under Lewis, as they state that Lewis is more concern- ed with the company’s profit than the miner’s welfare. At many of our local union meet- ings, resolutions have been adopted demanding an intensive organizing campaign, but our demands have fal- len on deaf ears. No aid can come thru wage reduc- tions so we demand that the union get busy at once, and organize the min- ers in West Virginia, and save the United Mine Workers of America, We also demand that a campaign for nationalization of the mines, with workers’ control start immediately, in line with the demands of the miners at our late conventions, Plan 50 Military Camps. WASHINGTON, March 28—Citizens’ military training camps will be held this summer at fifty posts and camps thruout the United tSates, the war department announced today. MILITARY TRAINING IN HIGH SCHOOLS 1S USELESS, SAY LEADERS AMHERST, Mass., March 28—Mil- itary training in the high schools of M. chusetts received a stagger- ing blow when the high school prin- cipals and authorities in session here went on record by a vote of 300 to 9 as opposed to its continu- way, shape or form, Army authorities are furious over the vote and are doing their best to cover up the news. They fear the action will to a widespread dropping of such courses all over the country. MEET HITS DISCRIMINATION Le) Detroit Lithuanians Will Fight Anti-Alien Bills DETROIT, Mich., March 28,—A con- ference of Lithuanian workers’ organi- zations in this city, with delegates rep- resenting 3,000 members, went on rec- ord against the anti-alien, registration, photographing and finger-printing ldqg- islation which is being proposed /in congress by Representatives Aswell, Johnson, McClintic and others. « The conference, under the chairmanship of P. Jacionis and J, Barron as secre- tary, was held in theDittiianian Hall and voted to send delggates to the Detroit provision conference for the protection of the foreign-born. STANDARD SAYS SOVIETS SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED Oil Trust Agent’ Reveals Attitude NEW YORK, March: 28 — “Poison Ivy” Lee, publicity “agent for the Standard Oil company, is an avowed exponent of American; recognition of the Soviet government. He has writ- ten former Secretary of, State Elihu Root, Secretary of Commerce Hoover and other prominent people urging recognition but has received few fa- vorable answers. He suggested that in order to get first hand facts which he believed would change their views that the New York state chamber of commerce which recently adopted re- solutions against recognition should select a representative body to inves- tigate conditions in the Soviet Union. “Mis Master’s Voice.” “Poison Ivy,” who received his nick- name from the slanderous and insult- ing articles he wrote against union la- bor and the miners in particular while he was the press agent for the Colo- rado Fuel and Iron company of Colo- rado during the big strike of their workers some years ago, always “hears his master’s voice.” Economic Determinism. The Standard Oil company is for recognition of the Soviet government now only because after having vain- ly done all in its power along with the rest of big business to destroy that government, its officials have veached the conclusion that in view of the general world situation regard- ing oil, some kind of terms must be reached with the Soviets who control such enormous oil fields, With the chances f overing its confiscated properties ii Russia grow- ing ever more remote, there is no use in “erying over spilled milk,” the Rockefeller interests have evidently concluded. The Standard Oil com- pany of New York, and the Vacuum Oil company which is a foreign sub- sidiany of the American group, have closed large contracts with the Soviet government. These ate reported to include the purchase of 190,000 tons of kerosene at a price of $3,200,000, If you want to thoroughly un- derstand Communism—study it. Send for a catalogue of all Com- munist literature. Se ee Ss ee TT Plaster. the Word ‘Lie!’ on Tribune ‘Facts’ and Get Truth About Russia By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. . HAT NEXT?” is the question that appears above a map ™ of the Union of Soviet Republics, in the Saturday, March 20th, edition of the Chicago Tribune. Accompanying the map was an article in which the Tribune makes the start- ling claims, if true, that the price of Russian money if falling, that Russia is selling her products abroad at a loss, and that Russia, as a result, is faced with economic chaos and ruin. These claims have already been denounced as cheap fabrica- tions. Study of the facts must move every reader of the Tribune to ask, ‘‘ ‘What Next?’ has this labor-baiting sheet to offer in its malicious campaign against the workers’ and peasants’ government in Russia?” . ° . e The Tribune first attacked the Soviet chervonetz. It stated that the price of the chervonetz is $10. Evidently it had to put the price high in order that it might take a tumble. The par value of the chervonetz is actually $5.14 not $10, and for over a year it has been quoted at par or even above par ($5.15), something that cannot be said of the money in any capitalist land. After glorying in the claim that the chervonetz has fallen two cents on the local bourse at Riga, Latvia, the Tribune makes the flat statement that “the Soviet valuta is not quoted abroad.” This is a brazen lie. It is being quoted in Italy, Turkey, Latvia, Esthonia, Lithuania, Persia and China. No doubt other countries will be added rapidly to this list. It is certainly ridiculous to assume, as the Tribune does, that the activities of a few private speculators could influence the status of the Soviet gold currency. ‘3 As to the “approaching economic collapse,” which the Tribune heralds under the headline, “SECRET REPORT SHOWS RUSSIA NEAR COLLAPSE,” it is sufficient to cast a glance at the latest figures of the Soviet budget for the fiscal year 1925-26, which was recently increased as com- pared with the figures adopted in the fall of 1925. According to the “Economic Life,” of March 5, 1926, the Council of People’s Commissars decided to set the total revenues of the federal budget for 1925-26 at 4,000,847,373 gold roubles, and the total expenditures at 3,900,847,373 gold roubles, thus creating a reserve fund of 100,000,000 gold roubles. Another Tribune falsehood is as follows: 4 “, , , the Bolsheviks were even obliged (last year) to purchase American grain to fill their contracts for delivery abroad.” This lie is on a par with the others. It is true that pur- chases of flour were made by the Soviet government in Am- erica in 1924, when there was a considerable grain shortage in the Soviet Union on account of the bad harvest. But no such purchases were made after the harvest of 1925. * * * * The Tribune is wrong again when it says that the Soviet Union obtained a $20,000,000 credit in Germany. The credits actually obtained were several times higher, which will not make the Tribune feel any more comfortable. After the first credit of 100,000,000 gold marks ($25,000,000) another credit of 300,000,000 gold marks ($75,000,000) was received. In keeping with all these other statements is the assertion also that “large amounts of chervonetz were issued last fall on the strength of the various lottery loans.” The two lottery loans floated wre issued in 1922 and 1924 respectively and not in 1925. The Tribune should guess again. It may come nearer the truth the next time. ~ All of the other statements in this same article, which the Tribune has presented as truth to its half million sub- scribers,*are of the same malicious order. They are not worth refuting. It is only necessary that the Tribune readers know that if they plaster the one word “LIE!” on every al- leged fact that this sheet publishes about conditions within the Union of Soviet Republics, they will be placing themselves must nearer the truth. ALLIED ARMIES CUT OFF PEKING FROM THE SOUTH Chang Tso-Lin Seeks Triumvirate Rule (Continued from Page 1) comprising the Shantung forces are also feared as they have engaged in a number of raids on inoffensive citizens already, see Refugees Pour Into Peking. (Special to The Dally Worker) PEKING, March 27 (Delayed).—It is expected that the line of commun- ications between this city and the south will be cut almost any moment. Thousands of refugees are pouring in from every direction. If the battle for possession takes place it may be fought some twenty miles outside the walls where a heavy force of national — ist troops are stationed, Foreigners are apprehensive lest the Chinese resentment at their*treacher- ous conduct turn into actual attacks, tho there has been no trouble of this sort yet. eee Wreck Japanese Consulate. CHANGSHA, Hunan Province, Mar. 28.—A crowd of several thousand en- raged Chinese stormed the Japanese consulate here, destroying the furni- ture and breaking the windows. Stu- dents led the demonstration, eee Shanghai Mass Meetings. SHANGHAI, March 28.—Great stu- dent mass meetings are being held here to protest against the powers’ ultimatum ‘to China and the massacre at Peking. The president of the na- tional students’ union is the principal speaker. The city is flooded with circulars calling for the overthrow of the Tuan Chi Jui government at Peking. The demonstrators demand the abrogation of the Boxer protocol and the repudia- tion of -the privileges granted for eigners. Police More Cautious. Attempts to enter the foreign set- tlement and parade past the consular offices were prevented by a heavy force of police with orders to prevent such entry at any cost but not to fire except as a last resource. The police are not quite so ready to provoke trouble as they used to be. re Storm American Mission, HONGKONG, March 28.—The Amer- ican mission at Welain, 600 miles to the northwest, was stormed by the Chinese last Thursday. se 8 Russ Unions Aid Chinese. MOSCOW, U. 8. 8. R., March 28.— The trade unions of the Soviet Re- public have contributed so far 47,000 rubles (about $23,000) to the strikers at Hongkong and Canton to aid their struggle against imperialism, Be a worker correspondent. It pays for the workers. It hurts the bosses, An Open Letter to Eugene V. Debs (Continued from Page 1) 100 per cent and the strike now in its fourth week has completely paralyzed the fur industry in New York. A speedy settlement seemed un- avoidable. At that moment a new fac- tor appeared in the strike against the workers. The Furriers” Union in New York, which is by the way one of the best unions in the country, is under the leadership of the left wing admin- istration which enjoys the full sup- port and confidence of the strikers. The previous administration together with the previous president of the Furriers’ International) Union, Kaut- mann, is seeking means by which they can overthrow this leadership and has on the quiet united with the bosses.’ Kaufman and Stetsky, a former vice- president of the International Union who was ousted at the last convention and a number of other henchmen still in office in the International Union came to @ secret agreement with the boss jainst the strike. Their plan was that the bosses hold their lines and not give in to a single demand of the workers, Meanwhile, these ele- ments will spread dissastisfaction among the strikers; create disturb ances in the strike halls. Gangsters were hired for this purpose. They were to demoralize the strikers and then attack the office of the Joint Board, tie-up the strike funds and drive out the legally elected represen- tatives of the New York Joint Board of the Fur Workers, This plan which was Iuckily enuf discovered at the very start before any chances were given to carry it out, had the full support of the Jew- ish Dally Forward. We say support, but the truth of the matter js that the Forward had been and is the back- bone of the entire con#piracy against the New York Joint rd. When the conspiracy’ was uncov- ered and brot to lght*the Forward threw off evory preteifwe and openly launched attacks agaist the strik- ers. In the most shameless manner the Forward spreads lies and baseless gossip with the intention of undermin- ing the confidence of the strikers in their leaders—knowing well that the police and the capitalist courts hate the Communists—the Forward con- ducts a daily agitation against the strike leaders declaring they are Com- munists and in the manner of the cap- italist class tries to represent the strike as a Bolshevist plot. The For- ward insinuates that the strike lead- ers are squandering the funds of the union. It does its utmost to poison the minds of+ the strikers against their leaders. This, at a time when thousands of furriers are on the picket line before the shops that are on strike. These insinuations, lies, and baseless gossip are being spread against the fur strikers and their leaders at a moment when the police are splitting the heads of the strikers and when the bosses are appealing to the courts for injunctions, The Forward is employing the same methods of the capitalist class in its attacks on Soviet Russia, Tho capitalist class as you well know shrieks that the Soviet government does not represent the Russian people. That the Russian masses are dissatis- fled with their Bolshevik leaders and seek to create an atmosphere which would be favorable for a counter-revo- lutionary and military intervention in Soviet Russia, The socialist Forward shrieks that the Communist strike leaders do not represent the strikers —that the furriers are dissastisfied with their leaders. Do the bosses need a better weapon in their hands? Is this not justification for the police and the courts in their use of the moat brutal methods to beat down the striking furriers? Why should the fur manufacturers give into the just de- mands of the workers when a large Jewish “workers” daily insinuates that the strikers distrust their lead- ers—-that they have no confidence in them—that they are eager to get rid of them. The bosses would indeed be mad under such circumstances to set- tle with the union, 94 The mass meet! picket lines of the mass are sufficient testimony that the pres- ent leadership of the New York goint Board of the Furriers’ Unton enjoys the full confidence of the workers and that it is able to lead it in a struggle for improvement in their conditions. Comrade Debs, we approach you with this situation because you are the chairman of the socialist party and the Forward is the official Jewish pa- per of the socialist party. You there- fore, become morally responsible for these tactics of stabbing the strikers in the back and for the open strike- breaking politics of the New York Forward. Is there so much irrespon- sibility in the ranks of the socialist party that one of its organs could sink to such low depths? Is the socialist party so loose that it can permit such unheard of crimes against 12,000 work- ers without protest? Comrade Debs, we approach you with this matter because your record in the past in the labor movement is clear of such shameful acts. We are in different political camps. This however, does not minimize your past in our eyes. The revolutionary van- guard of the working class know# well your activities. You have always attacked the misleaders of the work- ing class. You have fought heroically against the ruling class in a time when the union bureaucracy stood in the way of the fighting workers. You have just now correctly called the ac- tivities of the miners’ leaders in the anthracite strike a betrayal of the in- terests of the miners. The workers in the United States remember your struggle in the Pullman strike in 1894 —your struggle in the period of the World War and your friendly position to the Soviet revolution, You have always been in the left wing of the socialist party. Your heart, the heart. of the fighter did not allow you to support the betrayals of the official leadership ‘in the past. Will you re- main now “Indifferent when the For- ward and its contemptible machine is using all its power to break the heroic struggle of 12,000 workers? Will you remain silent when in the name of go- eae a union that is on strike is being com: . mitted? The Forward has already used your name and your record. The Forward collected a fund for you. Will you permit yourself to become the shield that covers the dirty work which the Forward now carries on? The union in New York has an able, devoted and militant leadership. Their only “fault” is that they belong to the left wing and are not the tools of the Forward machine. Is this a crime that justifies a conspiracy and opens attacks from socialist papers in time of a strike? We should like to hear your opinion on it. The present situation in the strike of the furriers and the attack of the Forward is an open scandal which cannot be hushed up. The furriers and all class conscious workers want to hear from you, want to know whether or not you can stop the strikebreaking activities of the For- ward and those that support it. They want to hear what Debs, an old fighter for the interests and solidarity of the workers has to say, The Central Executive Committee of the Workers (Communist) Party is ready to furnish you with more de- tails and facts on the whole situa tion, Fraternally yours, C. B. Ruthenberg, Executive Secre- tary, Socialists Will Send elegates to Foreign- Born Conference BOSTON, Mass,, March 28—In a letter sent to L, Gilbert, tary of the Council for the Protec! of the Foreign-born Workers, the socialist party of the New England district an- nounces that it will send two dele- gates to the conference to be held Sunday afternoon, April 4, at 8 o'clock at the American House, Present re- ports indicate that a very large and representative ee ts, i}