The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 8, 1926, Page 4

Page Four Workers (Communist) Party A Survey of Party Work in a Big Plant The following article appeals to us as one of the best we have seen dealing with the field of preparatory work In a fairly large-sized shop. We have eliminated the name of the concern for obvious reasons, We believe that comrades prepar- ing to engage in nucleus work can read this article with considerable benefit to themselves and the party as an example of the care necessary to secure the proper approach to the practical problems which con- front every nucleus, (Editor’s Note.) ee By L. M. - plant of the ———— com: ty HE - pany in A Ohinees is employing at the present time around 3,400 work- ers. The plant is operating at the present time at full capacity fulfilling orders for agricultural machinery for the coming season, and, significantly, an order for Australia. Plant in Bad Condition. The plant is divided into 37 depart- ments covering practically every de- partment necessary for the production of a finished product, and, being the original plant, is old, unsanitary, and in a dilapidated condition. Its ap- pearance is in strange contrast with the up to date and efficient condition of more modern institutions, as for instance, electrical plants. Neverthe- less it has functioned sufficiently well to produce a part of the total net prof- its of $64,357,938 the company has ineaped since its organization, this after all dividends paid have been de- ducted. Company Union Exists. 1919, after much resistance upon the part of the men, a company union was installed. This proceeds upon the usual basis of such bodies and acts as a servile and helpless go- between for the company, It is at the same time tragic and amusing to read the minutes of the monthly meeting of the Works Council, the committee appointed by the workers and the management for the purpose of running the bluff. Some attempts are plainly seen, especially in the minutes of the May meeting by some of the men’s representatives, to get somewhere, At this meeting a question was asked by one of the latter relating to an increase in wages. He stated that there were murmers upon the part of the men objecting to their low wages, while the company was able to coin $19,000,000 gross profits in 1925. A lengthy and sauve reply was forth- coming from a company official that side-tracked the question. The ap- parent functions of the council is to listen to educational talks by the management, act as inspectors of they Sanitary and productive conditions of TTT TTT LLL Order Now! JULY10 SATURDAY A Special Anti-Injunction Issue of great interest to every worker in and out of the organized labor movement. HOW TO FIGHT THE IN- JUNCTION MENACE? READ what prominent figures in all sections of the labor movement have to say about it, statements by trade union leaders, and a “Short History of the Injunction in America” The bitter fight on this is- sue in the present struggles of the I. L. G. W. will be a feature. Order a Bundle at 31% cents a copy. MOLL the plant and generally increase the efficiency of the works all around. Majority of Workers Foreign-Born. HE majority of the men, including the petty foremen, are foreign-born workers. The regulations governing election to the Works Council are such that many are barred from ac- tive participation in its work, and only those employes of lengthy serv- ice, and, generally, thoroughly reac- tionary make-up are eligible for elec- tion, These regulations include the possession of American citizenship, and at least a year’s employment with the company. Nevertheless a great amount of keen interest is felt in the doings of the council by many of the men and elections are generally en- tered into in a real campaign spirit. This is in spite of a feeling of sullen skepticism as to the efficiency of the Company Union, and rather seems to evince a desire, as yet not fully ex- pressed, for real organization, Piece-Work System. OR the conditions of labor are rot- ten, Gradually the whole plant is being placed upon a piece-work basis. This seems to be favorably received by the employes, for most new hands demand to be placed upon a piece- work basis immediately. This can be explained in two ways: 1. Because the gay work rates are too low to admit of the earning of a decent wage. 2. Because a respectable percent- age of the employes are “floaters,” that is, composed of men who work there for a few days in order to re- lieve their economic position tempor- arily, and who can stand for this short time the tremendous strain of piece-work. As it is, the plant, particularly three departments of it, are working two hours a day, in addition to the regular nine, and oftimes work at full capacity Saturdays and Sundays. oe men have to conform to this demand for increased production while the same man-power is main- tained, otherwise discrimination takes Place. While working the 64-hour overtime week, the men make fairly high wages, comparable to that of a skilled worker. But, as in every other piece-work case, immediately a fast worker is able to exceed the av- erage earnings of previous workers, the rates are retimed and cut, Militant Record There. The company union is the most im- Dortant feature in the plant for our party as it offers a basis for work, The campaigns of “safety,” “cleanli- ness” and the rest of the red herrings can be substituted by other’ of vital interest to the men if a leadership was gradually built up. Before now the workers have evinced mili- tancy, and they will undoubtedly do so again. Difficulties of Work. iers among the employes therein is confronted with tremendous dif- ficulties. In the first place it is para- mount that our members working there shall endeavor to remain there; this is reasonable, as can be easily seen ‘by those who have worked in large plants, Unless a worker remains there for some length of time, that personal contact with his comrades that is so necessary cannot be gained. Any work POEMS For Workers Edited by Manuel Gomez. A collection of choice working class poetry in a handy pocket volume. Should be included in every worker’s library— and indispensible for re- citation and all working class affairs, No. 5 in THE LITTLE RED LIBRARY 10 CENTS Twelve Copies for One Dollar Daily Workers Publishing Co. 1113 W. Washington Blvd. YOU CAN EAT WELL IN LOS ANGELES at GINSBERG'S VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT 2324-26 BROOKLYN AVENUE, LOS ANGELES, CAL. BROOKLYN, N. Y., ATTENTION! CO-OPERATIVE BAKERY Meat Market 4301 8th Avenue Restaurant IN THE SERVICE OF THE CONSUMER, i Bakery deliveries made to your home, FINNISH CO-OPERATIVE TRADING ASSOCIATION, Inc, (Workers organized as consumers) Brooklyn, N. Y. done will be only’as a result of long and active participation in the life of the plant. Other work will be only of a sensational character, In the first place it would be sui- cidal to indulge in the usual mass dis- tribution of shop bulletins, Careful Work Necessafy, The bulletins will have to be writ- ten carefully, and distributed with twice as much care to those very few workers who will read and pass on the news. This is not done in a con- spiratory manner, but merely in order to assure efficiency and results. A small group of sympathizers will have to be worked upon and gradually drawn closer together. This can be done only through personal contdtt and knowlédge of individuals, and through a careful distribution of a carefully prepared paper. All sensa- tional shop-gate advertising will per- haps result in the smashing of the group, and will accomplish nothing, Difficulty of Contact, TREMENDOUS dfficulty is that the plant is so large and depart- mentalized that very little contact be- tween members of the group can be had or maintained. Even at the pres- ent time, due partly to the 30-minute dinner period, they rarely see one an- other. So that the organization of a factory nucleus will be but tie first step towards building the ideal or- ganization in and elsewhere; {real department shop nuclei that can really act as a group upon such a cen- tralized body of workers. In the first instance or reorganiza- tion, the group must work care- fully and individually, with the assis- tance of a shop paper distributed in the above manner, and with the end in view of remaining there at work in order to become eligible for Works Council activity and to obtain that confidence of their fellow workers without which no Communist work is Possible, BRITISH SEAMEN RAP SELL-OUT OF GENERAL STRIKE Repudiate Strikebreak- ing Moves of Wilson NOVOROSSISK, U. S. S. R., Mail.)—The International Seamen’: Club, composed of British seamen that are now in Novorossisk, unani mously adopted the following resolu- tion condemning and repudiating the strike breaking tactics of Havelock Wilson and condemning the calling off of the general strike by the re- formist leaders: “We, the seamen of British ships assembled in the International Sea- men's Club at the port of Novorossisk having heard the address on the sit. uation in Britain, wish to lodge our protest against the reactionary pol- icy of Havelock Wilson in bringing forward to the government the scheme whereby the strike would be declared illegal, and to withhold the payments of trade union funds by the banks for strike benefits. “This is, in our opinion the worst type of blackguardly strike breaking, and therefore we call for his immedi- ate resignation on the grounds that he is unworthy of the confidence of our N.S. F. U. “Furthermore, we wish to place on record our disgust of the action of the cowardly reformist leaders in call ing off the strike, thus deserting the miners when victory was in sight. We further wish to express our admira- tion of the part that the miners have ; Played fhruout the strike. . “Long live the unity of the world working class! “Long live the struggle for eman- cipation!” (By Cambridge Women Teachers Lose Fight for Equal Pay ‘Raises CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 6.—Cam- bridge women teachers lost their fight |}for equal pay increases, altho their |}annual rates have been raised. Men and women elementary teachers get the same $100 increase, but their pay rates are already different. Women high school teachers get $100 to $150 more, while men high school teachers are raised $344, Added to the present disproportionate advantage of meén’s rates over women’s, this gives men high school teachers $746 more a year than the women. Elementary principals get $250 more pay than now if men, $120 or $200 if women, Bos- ton women teachers were also re- buffed in their fight for equal pay. Cleveland Plumbers Help Passaic Strikers CLEVELAND, Ohio, July 6. — Local N. 53, Plumbers’ Union, bought $20 worth of the pictorial “Hell in New Jersey” for distribution among its members. The same local also do nated $50 to Pastafe strike relief. SEND IN A SUBI START A DRIVE FOR MEMBERSHIP See Need for Lowering Initiation Fees By ESTHER LOWELL, Federated Press. e BOSTON, July 26. —(FP)— Metal trades workers among the men and garment workers among the women are the two main targets at present of the Boston union organization drive which is part of the national campaign of the American Federation of Labor. Frank H. McCarthy; A. F. of L. or- ganizer for New England, is in charge of the drive. McCarthy says that there is a general committee, of 150 union- ists and an executive of 35 conduct- ing the work. oA Puts Out Declaration Cards. Half a million unton declaration cards are being distributed among non-union workers by unionists. These cards have a statement printed on them that the signer rwishes to be- come a union member.; The non-un- ion worker is supposed to give his name, address and trade and return the card for assignment;to the proper organizer.. It is too early to predict the results of this method of organiz- ing, says McCarthy. Metal trades workers all over Bos- ton are being approached by the trades unionists. The Fore River shipyard workers at Quincy who are not already union men are being pressed to join as well as those navy yard workers who are not organized yet. Blacksmiths, boilermakers, ma- chinists, metal polishe: are going after the non-union workers. The, or- ganization of automobile mechanics is not yet being pushed, however, says McCarthy. Asks Union Women to Organize. Members of the Women’s Trade Un- ion League are aiding the drive to or- ganize women workers into the Inter- national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, says Mrs, Mary G. Thompson, league president. The white good and children’s dress workers are particu- larly sought, .s There are about 1,000 workers in this group. One of the Jargest shops came out in the dressmakers’ strike, altho the union had to, tell the work- ers that it could not mise assis- tance. The workers y m a 42-hour week, where most of the white goods shops continue at 44. Must Have Lowerl Fees, Because the Massaghusetts mini- mum wage law is not;mandatory, a 300d deal of its effecti ess is lost, says Mrs. Thompson. A big firm whose customers protest when- its name is published as an offender against the law will act, but smaller, concerns are not affected so readily. For this reason the women’s organization éommittee tried first to unionize candy workers, one of the poorest paid groups in Bostor. This drive may be continued later after the International Bakery & Con- fectionary Workers convention takes action to reduce initiation and dues fees for these girl workers. Cream men in candy plants and dough men in the cracker and cookie factories are the key workers, says Mrs. Thompson, They work for $17 to $30_a week, half or less than the union seale. Pullman Company, One of America’s Richest, Fights Investigation (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, July 6.—Congressman Emanuel Celler, sponsor of a resolu tion in the house of representatives for the investigation of the Pullman Co, and the conditions of its porters and maids, promised a large gather- ing of this newly organized group of workers a further fight for their cause. Celler is trying to dislodge his resolution from the committee on rules and have it transferred to the labor committee. Pullman Co. influ- ence is making every effort to bury the proposition in committee, The richest familiegin America are represented in the Pullman Co, board of directors, Celler reminded the port- ers and maids. He,mentioned the George F, Bakers, senior and junior; J, Pierpont Morgan; @ representative of the Marshal Field family; one of the Vanderbilt clan and Robert T. Lincoln, The latter, Celler told the workers, is doing all,he can to en- father |braham Lin¢oln’s proclama- tion of (mancipation which was sup- posed to free Negro slaves in Ameri- ca. Porters average less than $125 a month including tips, Celler said, while the average estimated living wage is $2,200 a year for an American family. Porters besides have to en- dure hardships of uncertain hours, too short sleeping periods, a fake company union, ete, slave a porters, in spite of his Earthquakes in Sumatra, LONDON, July 6, — Barthquakes have recurred in Sumatra, according to dispatches trom Padding today, New shocks were felt in Sumatra today and many houses are on the verge of collapse, the dispatches stated, Earth tremors jast Sunday and Monday caused widespread damage and a fairly rex | toll im Centra! Sjmatra, THE DAILY. WORKER ‘BOSTON UNIONS anit Eee The Machine and the Pennsylvania Election By BERTRAM 0 D. WOLFE. OLITICAL machines all over the country are about the same. The Tammany machine in New York City, which has so often been in the lime- light, functions’ exactly like the Phila- delphia machine of Boss Vare or the Pittsburgh machine of the Melion fam- ily, which have had the spotlight of publicity focused on them during the last week or so. The paid “watchers,” the purchase of votes, the purchase of support by political appointments ranging all the way from dog catcher to cabinet secretary, the raising of enormous “slush” funds to “win public opinion,” the trading in municipal con- tracts, the “bread and butter” pressure on city employes—all these are fa- miliar features of every machine and of every machine election. Democrats Seek Issue. The only difference that the Penn- sylvania election presents from the normal machine election is that there were two powerful rival machines competing for control of the state, and that the democrats, looking fer an issue to differentiate themselves from the republicans in the forthcoming congressional eleotions—after they had voted with them on every measure of interest to big business—now seized upon this dispute between the Vare and Mellon machines as a good chance to raise such an issue. If the democrats in congress, how- ever, chose to turn the spotlight a little and focus it on democratic New York City or on the democratic ma- chine in Berton, or in other cities where their party is dominant, they would reveal exactly the same phe- nomena in more or less the same pro- portions. Mellon Ambition. ‘What happened in Pennsylvania? The Mellon machine decided to extend its control from western Pennsylvania over the rest of the state. Its center is Pittsburgh. The symbol of that con- trol was to be the renomination of Senator Pepper, who had been first by appointment on the death of his predecessor in office, Senator Penrose, had been in a sort of political chaos, with Pinchot, Vare and Mellon com- peting for control of the state ma- chine, Pepper Mellon Lackey. ~ Senator Pepper was a most obedient and faithful servant of Mellon and the Mellon-Coolidge administration, Im- mediately on being seated (January 10, 1922), only two days before the final vote on Newberry—when thé least he could have done would have been to plead ignorance as to the question—he voted to whitewash Sen- ator Newberry, convicted and sen- tenced to Leavenworth for having pur- chased his’ election to the United States senate. ‘ Before entering the ‘upper house league and the world court, but when Mellon commanded Pepper obeyed and became a world court senator. He voted for the Mellon tax reduction measure, which shifted the burden of taxation almost completely off of big business. He yoted for the gift of millions of dollars to Mussolini so that private bankers might make a new loan to Italy at a substantial rate of interest. He supported all of the debt funding agreements, opposed farmers’ relief, voted for the Watson-Parker bill—in short, was a 100 per cent ma- chine senator under the control of the powerful Mr, Mellon, Obstacles to Mellon. But two obstacles stood in the way B. & O. WORKERS GET LOWER WAGES THAN ON NON-UNION RAILROADS By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press That the Baltimore & Ohio is not entering wholeheartedly into the co- operative enterprise is becoming more evident. While the unions are going the whole way, helping the road to economize millions for the stockholders, the management stands in the way of unionizing its leading shop and it will not grant wage increases. given by many open-shop roads. A Baltimore & Ohio shopman in+- whom The Federated Press has con- fidence comments on the Mount Clare shop: Against Union Organization. “This_ railroad shop,” he says, “always had a bad reputation in un- ion circles and has ‘been considered difficult to organize. It was reason- able to expect that in view of the co- operative spirit the company would at least put no obstacles in the way of organization. Up to this time, how- ever, the local management consis- tently refuses to admit union organ- izers into the shop. This particular plant is of strategic importance to the railroad and under special tutelage of high officers of the company. The local committeemen state that the local management has been consist- tently antagonistic and declare that there has been no change in their at- titude since co-operation has been in- augurated. When the central office is appealed to, the buck is passed to the local management.” Favor Scabs. This correspondent also notes that at a number of points the Baltimore & Ohio management has favored men who scabbed in the 1922 strike. He notes the road’s refusal to grant the requested 2 cents an hour increase and time and a half for Sunday and holiday work *though its 1925 profits were among the largest in history. $49,271,888 Profit in 1925, The Baltimore & Ohio 1925 profit amounted to $49,271,888 giving com- mon stockholders a return of $12.14 on each $100 share. After paying all dividends there was $10,841,711 left over, more than enough to pay. its preferred and common dividends over again, This Snszsihd profits are runnirg Hci 12% per cent ahead of 1925 due largely to a reduction in the cost of maintenance work. Here is certainly the financial capacity to give its work- lers a return for their hearty co-opera- tion. Low Wages. But the Baltimore & Ohio is paying its shopmen only 3 cents.an hour more than the low point set by the labor board 1922 decision which pre- cipitated the shop strike by cutting 7 cents to 9 cents-from the hourly rates. That 3 cents increase dates back to May, 1923: In the 3 years in which so-called co-operation was be- ceived nothing. On other roads, not- ably the Atlantic Coast Line, Sea- board Air Line, Southern, Louisville & Nashville, Norfolk & Western and Chesapeake & Ohio, there have been later increases establishing rates 5 cents above the labor board decision. Many of these roads which have, ac- corded shopmen better treatment than the Baltimore & Ohio are nonunion, never having settled with the railway employes’ department of the A. F. of L. With the exception of the C. & O. none of them has professed co-op- eration with the unions in shop man- agement. President Willard of the Baltimore & Ohio, supposed foster father of co- operation, is also president of one nonunion railroad company and direc- tor of another, both of which are pay- ing shopmen 2 cents an hour more than the union and co-operating Bal- timore & Ohio, These are the Wash- ington Terminal company and the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac railroad, which pay 5 cents an hour more than. the labor ‘board rate, ene INTERNALIONAL POLICE TORTURE — NATIVES OF TANGIER TO EXTORT CONFESSIONS USED AGAINST THEM (Special to The Dally Worker) LONDON, July 6.—Tortures and cruelties are the lot of the natives of the present French and Spanish mili- tary police, a civil police force com- posed of Europeans or natives con- trolled by these Europeans, and sup- posed to be controlled by the inter- national administration.” Get Confessions By Torture. “The duty of such civil police is, when they make arrests, to hand over any Europeans arrested to the so- called ‘mixed courts,’ and any arrested natives to the ‘mendubs,’ or native courts, “For some time it is common knowl- edge among the natives that any na- tive accused and arrested is Hable to not only be flogged, but that also a cruel form of torture has been applied within the precincts of the interna- tional police station. The course of procedure is as follows: To the “Goldfish Room” “If an Buropean police official should find himself ble to procure evidence or get a confession, the ac- aged native {s handéd oveP to two Morrish policemen, whose, identity Tangier at the hands of European police officials in that region which is under international control, say dispatches, “In the international government of Tangier,” says a correspondent, “there exists, in addition to the gendarmerie which should ventually supplant and names are known. These police- men are said to flog the victim or ap- ply the instruments of torture to him in a locked room, The confession thus obtained is sent with the pris- oner to the ‘mendubs’ court, where it ig used against him. “The victims of these excesses may or may not be guilty of crimes where- of they are accused, but that, under an international administration intro- duced by the powers of Europe, a system of illegal cruelty should be practiced, is a very serious matter.” ‘The correspondent, in arguing for an official inquiry, adds: “Even in that case it may be difi- cult to persuade~the natives to come forward, as the police have instituted a sort of reign of terror among the peaceable native population.” The American Worker Correspond- ent Is out. Did you get your copy? Hurry up! Send in your subi It's Only BO COMES, mm are ere ttl wa Feet made a senator, not by election but ; Pepper had been an opponent of the chairman; Mine Workers, secretary, and Organ- ing developed the shopmen have re-|, on. the progress of Soviet Rus: Trotsky ‘presents FACTS on the developments your library, CLOTH Cloth Literature of his renomination, and these two ob- stacles were the attempt of Mr, Pin- chot, while governor of the state, to build up his own political machine, and the attempt of Boss Vare of Phila- delphia to extend his machine to the rest of the state. Back of these rival bosses were powerful minority indus- trial interests in Pennsylvania op- Since the death of Penrose the state}posed to the domination of Mellon. The result of the general scramble was that all three tried to buy the elec. tion and that the “cheapest skate” of the three, Mr. Pinchot, spent more than Newberry on his campaign. The “swell” Mr. Mellon spent over $1,500,- 000 that is acknowledged because it cannot be concealed. Perhaps again as much as that can and has been con- cealed. Boss Vare gave out jobs in the city administration of Philadelphia and brought in people from all over the state to work on his Sesqui-Cen- tennial and as he spent many millions belonging to the state of Pennsylvania he had to spend only from $600,000 to a million in extra vash. So that the net result of the scramble was that practically every “regular” party voter in the state received anywhere from $5 to $10, up to a Sesqui-Centennial, a city, a state or a national job, Vare Buys Nomination. Boss Vare won the nomination be- cause his Philadelphia city machine and with his little Sesqui-Centennial had more jobs to give away than Mel- lon with only federal appointments and the lesser number of o#ty jobs in Pittsburgh at his disposal. Just as Teapot Dome was typical of countless brazen thefts of national resources, but was the only one to come to light on account of a conflict of interests within capitalist forces, so the Pepper-Vare-Pinchot scandal can be produced in every big machine con- test in the country. BROWNSVILLE LABOR BEHIND PASSAIC STRIKE (Special to The Daily Worker) BROWNSVILLE, Pa., July 6. — A Passaic strike reliet conference was held here in Miners’ Hall. John Di Santo, textile striker, and Mother Bloor, field organizer, General Relief Committee of Textile Strikers, reported on the strike and relief ac- tivities. A permanent relief conference was organized. Brother Bevens of the United Mine Workers was elected John Sessesky, United izer Zimmermann, general organizer for the American Federation of La- bor, was elected treasurer. ‘An exe- cutive committee was elected, com- Posed mostly of members of the Cen- tral Labor Council of Brownsville, From all the delegates came high praise for the ‘way the textile strike has been conducted and on its fine leadership. The conference will convene again on July 1fat 9 a. m. and brilliantly answers nemies of Soviet add this book to’ |) By all mea BOUND By the same Author phate BUTS Revolution i By ALBERT RHYS WILLIAMS If you still don’t own this beautiful book on the Russian revolution, be sure to Riot before it is out of print. Cloth, Industrial Revival in Soviet Russia By A. A. HELLER, ‘d of the great achievements tn fter the introduction by Lenin in 1921, Cloth, $1.00, . Ten Days That Shook the World “Spy JOHN REED, * _ With an Introduction by LENIN, Th test book on th : rot # the Fussian revolute fe Bap should surely be part — library, Cloth, % ‘a0. ane ore meen nworker ee *