The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 14, 1926, Page 3

THIS PAGE Is Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the Trade Union Educational League (7. U. North American Section of the RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS (R. LL. U.) Represents the Left Wing Organs of Revolutionary C of Capitalism and the Estab! ers’ Government. aA UVAAAUUUNOOAHUOEGUOUIVOGOGGOOUAUOOOOOQUNOOGQTOOOOOOQQOOUOUNOOGOOUUNOQUOUUNOONI FURRIERS’ UNION "REACTIONARIES SLUG MILITANTS Fear Any Discussion of Many Discriminations By a Worker Correspondent The reactionaries in control of Fur- riers Union Local No. 45 have at last run out of arguments and have started guerilla warfare, using fists and the iron heel to crush their opposition, At the last meeting of the local held at 180 West Washington St., when the left wingers in the union protested against the continual discrimination against union members by the labor hureau in handing out jobs and against the exoneration of one of the members of the conference committee caught for the second time violating union rules, the machine began to use fists on the militants. The slugging of militants stopped only when police ar- rived in the hall. Fear Discussion. The meeting started with the read- ing of the minutes of the previous meeting as well as those of the ex- ecutive board meeting of April 1. A discussion arose over the recommen- dation of. the executive committee, giving the one man who runs the labor board a lump sum of $100 for his. “good. service.”. As: he was only staying at the office and enjoying him- self playing pinocle and for “this good work” money was needed, the left wing protested. The machine refused to allow a discussion on the question, fearing an exposure of the situation. They railroaded the matter thru. When it came to the minutes of the executive board of April 8, the ma- chine found it not so easy to railroad thru their recommendations. Tho the chairman tried to force their adop- tion the left wingers succeeded in having them acted on point by point. The question of one of thé conference members violating the union agree- ment was then prot to light. The members of the executive board re- ported that not enough evidence was disclosed to declare this lackey of the machine “guilty.”~ They admitted that he had worked for the second time as a salesman and declared he “had @ special privilege to do 80,” altho he did not ask for permission from the union. He was to be given another chance declared machine supporters as the committee that testified seeing him on the job had not been author- ized by the union and that he, as a conference committee member was entitled to violate the agreement made with the fur manufacturers. f Assault Left Wingers. ‘When the left wing began to/expose the protection this conference com- mittee member was receiving the ma- chine went wild, Fists began to fly in different parts of the hall, A riot call was sent to the police. When the police arrived, the fighting subsided and peace and quiet reigned for the time being. The macliine found no way out, so they agreed to discuss the matter at the coming meeting of the union two weeks away. 7 Discuss Discriminations. ..The tactics and methods of the la r bureau were then taken up, The Los Angeles Calls — Labor Conference to Celebrate May Day LOS ANGELES, April 12 — The Workers (Communist) Party is call- ing a united front conference of labor organizations to arrange a huge May Day mass meeting and demonstration, Plumbers Helpers’ Club of Brooklyn, New York calls on all helpers to join | the club. Meetings every | FRIDAY night, 8:30 p. m., at 7 Thatford Avenue, ite: Brooklyn, N. Y. The T. U. E. L. Purpose Is to Strengthen the Labor Unions by Amalgamation of Existing Unions, Organization of the Unorganized, and by Replacing Reactionary and Class Collaboration Policies. with a Unified Program for the Transformation of the Unions Into B. L.) of the Labor Movement. its Struggle for the Overthrowal iment of a Workers’ and Farm- Hil Unemployed Millions, But Germany to Have Surplus for Colonies BERLIN—Germany will soon have a surplus of accumulated capital avail- able for investment in foreign coun- tries, said Dr. Schacht, the president of the reichsbank, in an address to the German Colonial Society. Dr. Schacht proposed that this eapi- tal should be mobilized for use thru the agency of chartered companies, to which certain territories might be as- signed, and thus Germany would re- sume her colonial activities. The di- rectors of these companies should, he proposed, be politically independent of the governments of the reich or the states, Unemployed Millions. Meanwhile the unemployed still run over 2,000,000 and industrial condi- tions are very bad. Conflicts are con- tinually breaking out between the police and the starving workers. In Dortmund in the Rhineland area, such a battle occurred when the Police tried to break up a demonstra- tion of the unemployed, The workers stoned the police who were forced to give ground until reinforcements ar- rived. The police then fired blank cartridges. As this had no effect on the crowds a charge was ordered, and the unemployed scattered by the lib- eral use of sabers and truncheons. This was the fourth conflict in a ten day period. A considerdble number were injured on both sides, ———— chairman felt that he could no longer cope with the situation, so the vice- chairman took the gavel. The busi- ness representative had to admit that under present circumstances and pol- icies that this labor bureau could not work, The left wingers pointed out that as long as class collaboration, guerilla warfare and favoritism were shown and as long as politics were the basis of distribution of jobs, so 1ong would the labor bureau fail to work, A sentiment crystallized against the labor bureau.’ It was pointed out in individual cases that the labor bureau was nothing but a blind and that great injustice was being done to some to favor others. Defeat Reactionaries’ Reforms, An amendment attempting to remo- del the labor bureau so as to “fix the past mistakes” was proposed by the meeting. This was voted down. An- other melee started. The meeting broke up after midnight with ma- chine supporters slugging left wing- ers. Members of both sides came away with blackened eyes and broken noses. Some were kicked downstairs, others were pushed outside.. Again the police came on the scene to stop the slug- ging. . The police arrested four members of the union, Three of the machine men were arrested while beating a number of left wingers with black- jacks and fists. One of the left wing- ers. was arrested while trying to de- fend himself from an assault on him by the reactionaries. . Danville Carpenters. in Wage ge Controversy DANVILLE, Ill, April 12—Despite the fact that the carpenters’ union here had voted unanimously against going out while the present wage in- crease negotiations were on, more than 100 members of the craft have left their work, The demand of the carpenters for an increase of 25 cents an hour from April 1 has been reduced to 12% cents. The employing con- tractors @ffer only 5 cents an hour increase, Machinists Leave System Federation CINCINNATI—(FP)—The machin- ists district organization on the Balti- more & Ohio railroad withdrew from the system federation because of juris- dictional disputes with the other shop- crafts, While the machinists will set up their own grievance committees, they are expected to participate with the other crafts in the cooperative meetings with the management, as heretofore, The American Worker Correspond- ent is out. Did you get your copy? Hurry up! Send in your sub! it's only 60 cents, THE DAILY WORKER SHOE WORKERS SEE NEED OF STRONG UNION] Amalgamation Needed to Solidify Forces NEW YORK, April 12—The reorgan- ization committee of the American Shoe Workers’ Union has Issued a statement pointing out the need for the establishment of one union in each industry and the need to carry on unity work to enforce union conditions in the shoe industry. The report points out the need for this unity and pledges the reorganiza- tion committee to bend its every ef- fort toward reopening negotiations with the Shoe Workers’ Protective Union to establish the desired unity of action. The committee report follows: COMMITTEE REPORT. History and experience teaches us that human society is composed of two classes. One class which owns the raw materials and the means of production and produces nothing and the working class which owns nothing and produces everything. Between these two classes a con- stant struggle goes on for the prod- uct of the working class which must continue .until one or the other of the classes is eliminated. The owning class continually de- mand more and ever more of the product of labor in the form of pro- fits and the working class demands more of their product in the form of wages. Need For Organization, Out of this struggle develops the need for organization. The employers on the one hand organize to protect their interests and to suppress the workers, thereby forcing the workers to organize to protect themselves against the encroachments of the bosses. Recognizing that there are no geo- graphical lines dividing the classes and that the interests of all capital- ists in their relation to the working class are identical, the bosses organ- ize in trade associations, employers’ associations and chambers of com- merce both local, national and inter- national. One Union in Each Industry. Therefore the workers should see the necessity of organizing to protect their interests in the same manner: One union in each industry, local, na- tional and international. Therefore, we, the reorganization committee of the American Shoe Workers’ Union, pledge ourselves to the following program: 1. Realizing that the growing pow- er of the capitalists, due to the con- solidation of industry and capital makés it continually harder to win strikes and improve conditions by the workers divided into many small un- ions we pledge ourselves to use every effort to reopen negotiations with the Shoe Workers’ Protective Union for the purpose of establishing one union in the Shoe and Leather industry. Against Class Collaboration, 2. Relying on the goodwill and mercy of the shoe manufacturers in- stead of the power of the union has tied our hands with the class collabor- ation clause known as clause 21 in the agreement with the Manufactur- ers’ Association; therefore, we pro- pose to eliminate paragraph 21 from all future agreements with the bosses: Paragraph 21, “In all cases work shall be as equally divided as practicable. The meaning of this clause is clearly that there shall be no favoritism ‘shown by the manufacturer in dis- tribution of work, and it is not in- tended to mean»that there should be as large a crew employed in slack seasons 4s in the busiest time, and, it is not intended to change the new prevailing practice of the last man engaged to be the first man laid off.” =~ 3. For the purpose of giving great- er initiative and more responsibility to the members by making the organ- ization more democratic, we propose GRAFTING ENGINEER SENTENCED 10 DEATH BY SOVIET REPUBLIC GROSNAYA, Ciscaucasia, U. S. S. R., Aprit 12—Boris Belsky, an engi- neer confiected with the govern- ment’s naphtha trust in this dis- trict, has been sentenced to death. He was charged with forging docu- ments involving $2,500, intoxication atment of workers at the decided by a majority vote instead of a two-thirds vote as is now necessary. Equal Division of Work. 4, For the purpose of decreasing the power. of the bosses due to the lay- ing off or discharge of workers we de- mand that there shall be an equal di- vision of work between the members at all times. 5. We declare for one system of work in a department, either all week work or all piece work, not both. But we pledge ourselves to work for the ultimate elimination of the piece work system as a measure for the improve- ment of the conditions of the workers. 6. We demand that a minimum wage in every line of work shall be es- tablished. Five-Day Week. 7. Owing to the development of machinery which has made it possible to produce many times the product formerly produced without the aid of machinery and realizing that this la- bor saving machinery is also the prod- uct of labor, we pledge ourselves to work for the establishment of the five-day week of eight hours each, thereby gaining for the workers some of the benefits of this labor saving machinery. & We demand the elimination of the arbitration machinery from all fu- ture agreoments. 9. We propose that the constitution shall be amended so as to state speci- fically that any official of the organ- ization shall be recalled by a major- ity vote. When that argument begins at lunch time in your shop~-tomor- that the constitution be so amended,| row—show them what the DAILY that the question of strike shall be! WORKER says about it. THE YELLOW FORWARD LIES AGAIN IN DEFENSE OF SLUGGING TACTICS The yellow socialist Chicago Jewish dally, “Forward,” has entirely misrepresented the story of the fight in the furriers’ union. This Journal of re-action, ever on th in their slugging activities lert to protect the needle trades union machines jainst the left wing, has gone so far in this instance as to say that it was the left-wingers who came to the furriers’ meeting armed with black-jacks. The Vorwaertz knows this is not so, The record of the Furriers’ Union manager, Millstein, replete with in- stances of hired sluggers, oi out to the contrary. The fact is that at the last meetirig of the union where the fight oc- curred Brother Skoinick, a left-winger, saw a right-wing slugger, Lieber- man, swing @ black-jack on a member of the progressive group, Grossman. ‘Skolnick rushed to Grossman's aid and pulled the black-jack from Lieber- man’s hand. This was at the top of the stairs that lead to the union hall, and in grabbing the black-jack from Lieberman Skolnick fell down stairs, He broke his back, but managed to get out onto the street. Milistein and some of his aids came down and were stopped from beating Skamick only by the arrival of the police, The “Forward” also tried to make it appear that Millstein, that is the union official, gave ball for all those arrested, including Skoinick, who was picked up by the police along with four of the union sluggers. This is not 80. Skolnick was forced to get his ball, $2,000, from an outsider, Skolnick Is now In bed. The union supplied not for imi” déétors for the others, but ‘ Page Three THE BOYCOTT Evening World (New York) OLD BEN COAL — {MINNEAPOLIS TO COMPANY OPENS | HELP PASSAIC NON-UNION MINES) TEXTILE STRIKE MilitantOrganization|Arrange 2-Day Movie Drive Is Needed for April 14 and 15 By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press.| MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., April 12 — Nonunion coal undersold Illinois ana |", ® conferenc® held to aid the Pas: Indiana coal at every turf. It was pe se Bao tg eee ree being introduced to the trade in larger |WOBS were Ln aga ina Apion Mikitties than ever before because |Cirele No. 167 and No. 572, Independ- jof the extensive operations of leading bases vem pe seen dpe > Sete union operators in the nonunion fields, |°TS (Communist) Party, Young ‘Work- {So runs the Chicago Journal of Com- |S (Communist) League, Jewish merce report of the Chicago coal mar- Workers’ Club, Ladies Auriliary of |ket on the last day of the 1925-26 coal |‘te Workmen's Circle, Poale Zion, lyear, Young Poale Zion and the National Verband. Only three “organizations,” the Jewish Socialist Local, Workmen’s Circle No. 571, known as the Forward branch, and its Ladies’ Auxiliary, re- fused to participate. Hold Tag Day. The result of this conference was the formation of a joint relief com- mittee for Passaic strikers, A tag day was arranged and despite a heavy April snow collected $170. To Hold Two-Day Movie. The committee has arranged a two- day movie show at the Liberty Thea- ter, Sixth avenue and Dupont, which will be shown on April 14 and 15. Tickais to this movie may be secured either thru the Liberal Book Store, 210 South Third street, or at the La- bor Lyceum, Sixth avenue, north, and Irving. utions on the subscription y be sent to Lee G. Walewitz, 1 secretary, 1010 Logan ave- nue, north, Minneapolis, The joint relief committee for Pas- saic strikers are working very hard to make their movie project a huge finan- cial success, and we urge everyone in Minneapolis to buy a ticket for this worthy cause. Old Ben Goes Open-Shop Old Ben Coal corporation is the lat- jest union operator to strike against the Jacksonville wage scale in viola- |tion of the agreement. It is one of the jlargest producers of coal in the United States. It has followed the Peabody Coal -Co, in securing the output of non- union mines in Kentucky. It has gone a step further by purchasing nonunion mines with large production of smoke- less coal in West Virginia. This move of Old Ben follows the closing of 10 of its 12 large mines in Franklin and Williamson counties, Illi- nois. The 12 mines when working em- ploy about 8,000 union miners. An- nouncing its new policy the company says in part: “To meet all competi- tive market conditions, and to reduce strike interruptions to a minimum, Old Ben Coal corporation has secured control of ample tonnage from the most desirable nonunion fields.” Move to Non-Union Field. Says the Journal of Commerce: “In noving onto the nonunion territory the (Concern aims at keeping its large cap- ital active. Other operators in Illinois are making identical moves. A few are still in process of negotiation. In the switches the producers are looking ahead more than a year, Next spring Boston Cigarmakers on the union coal fields are expected to | ° be tied up in a protracted strike as a Strike for Higher Wage result of failure of the operators and ies eg United Mine Workers of America to] BOSTON, April 12—(FP)—About 150 men and women union cigarma- kers are striking for $2.31 a thousand wage increase. The workers are de- manding the increase out of the $3 to $4 a thousand saving of their employ- ers by the removal of the special cigar tax. Independent shops employing 150 cigarmakers have signed the new scale with the union. There are over 200 tobacco stripers ‘and 125 packers striking with cigarmakers, House Wreckers Win Strike for Increase NEW YORK, April 12—The one- week strike of 2,700 New York union house wreckers is settled, Barmen who got $1.06 and asked $1.20 will get $1.17% an hour. Laborers who got 95 cents, asked $1.10 and will receive $1.05. Forty-five big wrecking jobs preliminary to new construction were tied up by the strike, Independent contractors employing a third of the men granted full demands, agree on a new wage scale. Since the nonunion mines will directly benefit from the controversial suspensions the operators are eager and anxious to tie up and control as much nonunion ton- nage as possible in order to have coal for their regular customers and con- tracts when the wage dispute is on,” Here the operator strategy stands revealed. The Jacksonville agreezrent has covered a period in which capital temporarily shifted to the nonunion fields. This shift was first noted in the spring of 1923, when the big open- shop manufacturing interests were urged to make their purchases from nonunion mines. The conspiracy against union miners continued with the manipulation of railroad rates in favor of nonunion coal. It has now reached its last stage, when the mer- gers, which were expected to elimmate overproduction, are seen to combine nonunion with union production, It is planned to keep the union properties idle until the miners accept the opera- tors’ terms, while the nonunion mines keep these same operators in ready money, The future of the United Mine Work- ers depends upon rank and file morale to stand the pressure of temporary de- feat, Pitan If you want to thoroughly un- derstand Communism—study it. Send for a catalogue of all Com- munist literature | CONFERENCE OF ACTION RALLIES BRITISH WORKERS 957,000 Represented at Battersea By GEORGE HARDY, Agting General Secretary National Minority Movement of Great Britain. LONDON, March 12 —(By Mail)— The special conference of action held last March at Battersea is another milestone in the progress of the Na- tional Minority Movement. It testi- files to our organization’s correct an- alysis of the industrial situation, and the tactical measures proposed. At the last annual conference of the Na- tional Minority Movement, in Au- gust, 1925, we sounded the slogan, “Prepare for the Coming Fight!” The period intervening between that conference and the conference of ac- tion has amply vindicated the sound- ness of our judgment, and the con- ference of action has yet further con- firmed it. 957,000 Represented. In spite of the organized boycott by the newspaper proprietors, who endeavored, by means of a conspir- acy of silence, to keep from the workers the news that the confer ence was to take place, there were 883 delegates present, from 547 om ganizations. Fifty-two trades coun- cils, including important centers like Manchester, Sheffield, Coventry and Leeds, were represented by 84 debe gates. There were 275 provincial delegates. The number of workers represented was 957,000. Progress Made, It is interesting to compare the above figures with those of previous conferences. At our first conference in August, 1924, there were 271 dele gates, representing 200,000 trade unionists and co-operators. At our first annual conference in August, 1925, there were 883 delegates repre- senting 997,000 workers. The above shows striking progress for our young movement. This splendid advance can only be attributed to the devoted and untiring efforts of our adherents and members thruout the country, Press Attitude. The correctness of the tactics ad- vocated by the Minority Movement is nowhere more forcibly demonstrated than by the attitude of the capitalist press. One may roughly divide the press’ attitude towards the National Minority Movement, into three pe- riods, namely: firstly, contempt and ridicule; secondly, sheer lying; and, thirdly, silence. It may here be men- tioned that the method of silence is one which the capitalist press likes least—they much prefer slander or lies. Their resort to this last weapon, therefore, is a tribute to the growth of our movement, and to the fact that our tactics against the employers are the right tactics, inasmuch as the em- ployers’ press shows it. Workers’ Defense. The resolutions passed at the con- ference, as will be seen, were defi- nitely practical—as is fitting at a con- ference of action. The first, dealing with the defense and maintenance of trade union rights, comes most fit- tingly at this period, when the govern- ment, in a more or less open alliance with the fascist O. M. S., is perfecting a nation-wide strikebreaking appara- tus, and when some of the most active militant leaders of British labor are lying in prison. When we come to the economic at- tack of the capitalist class, as dis- tinguished from the attack upon our Itberties—altho the two are only dif- ferent aspects of one great onslaught —we see this well defined in the resolution on the capitalist offens- ive. There we have measures out- lined which can, and must, be immedi- ately undertaken by labor organiza tions, In the midst of the crisis im the engineering trades, which may, at any moment, precipitate a national strike or lockout, and the crisis in the mining industry, this resolution is most timely. It is essential that our members and supporters everywhere proceed to secure the adopton of the measures described, by their local om ganizations, World Unity. The resolution on International Trade Union Unity seeks to speed up the somewhat dilatory advance to wards unity. While not ignoring or deprecating the splendid work done by the Anglo-Russian joint advisory committee, the resolution seeks to pre+ vent any apathy creeping in, among our trade union leaders, and to urge them to pursue the path towards unity with increasing vigor, The resolution contains several pra tical proposals which will bring us yet nearer to unity. There is the demand that the general council take the workers more into its confidence, and inform them of the various steps it takes towards unity, by means of @ bulletin and by sending speakers. There is the recommendation that fraternal delegates be sent to the continential unions to explain Trades Union Congress’ position unity, All these are steps to the main objective which the v tion calls for; the calling of a wide trade union conference of 2