The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 17, 1926, Page 2

. 2 ¥ y a 44 Page Two _- ne 433 THE DAILY WORKER a *ARMER-LABOR PARTY CREATED IN WASHINGTON Plan Second Convention on August First (Special to The Daily Worker) SEATTLE, Wash., July 5. (By Mail.) ~—On Sunday, July 4, a new farmer- labor party was created here by a mass convention of workers and farm- ors from all over the state of Wash- ington, assembled in the Labor Tem- ple. The former farmer-labor party, at one time the second political party in strength in this state, went out of existence completely during the La- Follette campaign. The convention was a representative political assembly of producers, free of old party pol- iticans and professionals. They Know What They Want, Within one of the briefest sessions, perhaps, in the history of political as- semblies, this convention of workers and farmers, created a new party, de- cided its platform, its form and struc- ture of organization, adopted resolu. tions, elected committees and tem- porary officers and decided on another convention inviting all workers’ or- ganfzations, trade unions, farmers and co-operative organizations to send delegates. ‘There was no squabbling over parliamentary procedure or trifimg. Every one of those present knew what they wanted and why and what kind of a political organization, and why they oame to this convention. The convention adopted a tentative constitution defining the structure of the farmer-labor party of the state of Washington, to be a composite of af- filiatde workers’ organizations, trade unions, farmers and co-operative or- ganizations and clubs of unorganized workers and farmers not to exceed 25 members each. The platform adoptde demands that the government give loans to all cit- izens on equal terms as provided in the federal constitution. It demands a system of land tenure to secure the land for the users. It calls for the nationalization of all natural resources, industrial mon- opolies, public utilities and means of communication. The organization of workers in the industries for partici- pation in the management of the in- dustries, It calls for the abolition of injunc- tions, the use of militia and army in labor disputes, abolishing of military training in all public schools. It favors occupational representation in all legislative bodies and public institu- tions. Pacification of child labor amendments, release of a political semovers, immediate recognition of Soviet Russia. Immediate granting of freedom to the Filipinos. Resolutions protesting the incarcera- tion of Sacco and Vanzetti, against the criminal syndicalism law, etc., were adopted. Hit LaFollette Movement, The convention was opened by a number of speeches by W. J. Fortson, Elihu Bowles, Aaron Fislerman, J. H. Anderson, F. B. West, H. G. Price and others. W. J. Fortson emphasized the neces- sity of a farmer-labor party and went into the record of the La Follette movement condemning it. Elihu Bowles regretted the side tracking of the farmer-labor party by the LaFollette party. Aaron Fislerman said that the work- ers and farmers, in order to wrest the powers of state from the ruling class, must organize economically and polit- itically. The farmer-labor party must be build on economic grounds to rep- resent the interests of the producers. Its structure must be a composite of workers’ and farmers’ organizations and its membership of the producing class. Speeches, militant in character, were delivered during the progress of the convention by John Weppler, Archie Young, A. F, Meisner, F. Bostrom and others. Meet August 1 at Yakima, A call for the next convention to be held on Angust 1, at Yakima, Wash., the farming region, has been issued to all workers’ organizations, farmers, trade unions and co-operative organizations. At this convention the ratification of the work of the conven- tion held on July 4 will take place. Also election of committees, nomina- tion of candidates for public offices and such other business as it may come before the convention, Officers elected will hold over and serve until the Yakima convention. J. B, Kelleher of Sedro-Woolley is chairman, and A. F. Meisner of Tacoma,’ secretary, The latter urges that anyone interested in the conven- tion or anything else concerning the activities of the body to get in touch with him at 553 Broadway, Tacoma, Messages of greetings were read to the assembly from William Bouck, publisher of the Western Progressive Farmer, and from Elmer Smith, Cen- tralla, both of whom were unable to attend the gathering. The subscription price to the Amer- loan Worker Correspondent is only 50 ey per year. Are you a subseriber? ESTHONIAN DIPLOMAT FINDS NO CAPITALIST COUNTRY SAFE AND SEEKS REFUGE IN SOVIET UNION July 15.—How a diplomat from capitalist Esthonia is forced to seek his life’s safety in a refuge within Soviet Russia, is shown in a letter from A, A. Birk, former Esthonian ambassador to the Soviet Union, follow- moscow, ing his mysterious disappearance. The letter, written to and published by the editor of the Izvestia, is accompanied with a copy of Birk’s letter of resignation sent on June 18 to the Esthonian government. + Discovered His Life In Danger. After his resignation, made on ac- count of a fundamental disagreement of policy with the Esthonian govern- ment, Birk said he went to visit rela- tives in the Ukraine. Then he started to France to mend his failing health, but, says his letter: “I learned by chance that the Esthonian general staff instructed its men to carry out an attempt on my life.” Finnish White in on Plot. He changed his plang and set out for Finland, with the idea of going home to Dsthonta, but on arrival at Leningrad read an extremely hostile interview given out by the Finnish foreign minister, M. Setel, which caused him to abandon his trip and remain for his safety within the bor- ders of the Soviet Union, ‘In the letter of resignation, a copy of which Birk also sends to the Iz- vestia, the former ambassador stated to his government that he could not agree with the government's policy of opposition to the proposal of Soviet Russia that Esthonia and the Soviet Union should sign a treaty of mutual non-aggression, M. Plip, the Esthonian foreign min- ister and the Bsthonian general staff, declares Birk, rejected the proposed Russo-Esthonian non-aggression com- pact in collusion with a third coun- try, and are guiding Esthonia along a route foreign to her interests and even leading to her ruin.” It is known here that the “third country” refers to England, and the attempt to assassinate the former Esthonian ambassador was ordered by those who are angered at what they termed his “betrayal” of the scheme being engineered by Britain for an anti-Soviet Baltic bloc to make war upon the Soviet Union, , British Plot War on Russia, It is wel authenticated that the British have been dickering with Esthonia to make Reval a British naval base, preparatory to a new war upon Soviet Russia, and the fact that the Esthonian foreign minister, M. Piip, spends much time in London and is known as an Anglophile, strengthens the belief that the at- tempt to kill Ambassador Birk when he urged a peace treaty between his country and Soviet Russia, was a real thing and was based on British in- trigue. (Continued from page 1) managers, have announced that they will hold the wages due the strikers, for damages because of breaking the fake company union “agreement” un- til the courts decide upon what dis- position to make of the suit against the strikers. This is the most vicious move yet made by the company. To Stop Men Voting. Frank L. Hedley’s traction thugs and Mayor “Jimmy” Walker's Tam- many Hall police have begun in earn- est their campaign to try to smash the strike of Interboro workers, The first arrests of the strikers occurred on Monday evening when William Bollbach, a striking electrician and Richard Lopez; a worker for the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit concern were arrested by uniformed policemen of the city of New York on orders from Albert Price and Mirris Borte- son, stool pigeons for the “law de- partment” of the Interboro, and lock- ed up on charges of disorderly con- duct because they were said to be distributing copies of the “referendum ballot” to be voted upon by all the workers on the subway and elevated lines. Hedley, president and general man- ager of the Interboro and his pliant tool, Patrick Connolly, head of the compary union that was wrécked by the action of the motormen and switchmen revolting and going on strike, have forbade the other units of the company union holding meet- ings to discuss the grievances of the men. In an effort to break thru the barriers erected by Hedley and his gang the leaders of the strike prepar- ed ballots and issued a call for those workers remaining at work to vote on demands for higher wages and shorter hours. It is well known that the workers almost unanimously stand ready to vote against present conditions, and the company with the assistance of the Tammany city ad- ministration is frying to’ prevent the vote being taken. Hedley Weakens. After Hedley has issued his famous “ultimatum” that unless the strikers return to work by Monday noon they would lose their seniority rights and after Monday noon arrived and the men stood as a unit against return- ing, he “reconsidered” his threat and extended the “dead-line” to Tuesday noon, All the reptile press, for the most part openly and viciously taking the side of the company against the strikers, announced the “twenty-four hour extension of the ultimatum of Hedley.” But when Tuesday noon arrived the men on strike were at the Manhattan Casino, where they have held their meetings since the strike and again, amidst tumultous and defiant scenes proclaimed the fact that the ranks are holding firmly. Never has there been a mere wide- spread and concerted effort on the part of the capitalist press to twist the facts to suit the strikebreaking purpose of the bosses. Every issue of almost every paper proclaims in big headlines the fairy tale that the work- ers are going back in large numbers, but thus far, according to official ree- ords of the strike leaders, but six men have returned to work in spite of all the threats and these six were un- questionably sent out on strike by the company and were spies paid for their work in order, at a given moment, to try to break the ranks of the strikers. Crash Injures Many. Smash-ups on the subway lines are becoming more frequent and only the most foolhardy venture upon the lines. The third serious wreck of the strike occurred last night when a ten var Van Courtlandt Park subway train, piloted by ab, sixty years of age, who has spent most of his life as an Seize Wages of New York Strikers MORE POWER HOUSE MEN JOIN SUBWAY STRIKERS AND LEAVE FAKE UNION BULLETIN. NEW YORK, July 15.—Sixty-two Power house men from one Inter borough plant today walked into strike headquarters and signed up with the motormen and switchmen who walked out more than a week ago. This addition to the men’s ranks brings the number of strikers from one plant to 105. The strikers claim- ed that forty-two of their comrades would not report for work on the midnight shift. — elevator operator in apartment houses, crashed into the terminal bumper at 242nd street. The ancient elevator operator could start the thing but could not stop it. Thirteen passengers were injured, five of them seriously and had to be taken to hospitals. Thirty or more others were attended by physicians for minor injuries, according to re- ports from the district attorney's of- fice. In pfirsuance of its set policy to prevent reporters for newspapers obtaining first hand information, the company and city policy prevented correspondents from entering the premises to view the wreck. The scab motorman was William Odell, 328 West 29th street, He was arrested on orders from the Bronx district attorney’s office and charged with criminal negligence. Quacken- busch, the legal apologist for the com- pany, gave out a statement that Odell was once employed as a motorman on the elevated lines. Records show that one William Odell was employed in that capacity 22 years ago, but has not worked since. Old timers say that this Odell is not even the same man, but that the company is trying to avoid heavy damage suits for employ- ing incompentent motormen by con- necting the present Odell with the former motorman who is sald to be now dead. Look for Other Jobs. Since there is no immediate pros- pects of settlement of the strike, many of the men are striving to ob- tain other employment thru the me- dium of an employment department opened by the Consolidated Ratlroad Workers’ Union, which is conducting the strike. Meanwhile the rest of the labor movement in New York is beginning to get in action in behalf of the strik ers, A number of unions have signi- fled their intention of giving financial aid to the strikers, The units of the old company union were prevented by devious schemes from building up a treasury that would enable the men to defy the company and the secretaries of all units were always selected because they were faithful flunkeys of the company in order to steal the treas- ury from the men in case they dared defy the traction trust of the city. Four Masked Bandits Steal $8,000 in Silks (Special to The Dally Worker) PATTERSON, N, J,, July 15.—Four masked bandits beat, bound and gagged the watchman of the famour Piece Dyeing and Finishing Company and escaped with silk worth betweer $8,000 and $10,000. SEND INAS! a PALMER CLOAK SHOP SIGNS UP ON UNION TERMS Agreement Is Victory for Chicago I. L. G. W. The Percival B, Palmer shop, 367 West Adams St., the biggest cloak- making shop in Chicago has signed an agreement with the International La- dies’ Garment Workers’ Union grant- ing the demands of the union. This shop employs between 125 to 150 workers, Much of its work is sent out to contractors. Between 150 to 200 workers are employed in the out- side shops on work for the Palmer concern, 100% Union Shops. The bosses of this shop have agreed to a 100% organized shop. Workers that are now working in the shop will have their choice of joining the union or leaving the shop. Union Demands, The demands of the union were the recognition of the shop chairman, that the shop chairman be allowed to take a hand in the division of time among workers during the slow seasons, all workers employed in the cloak shop to either join the union or leave the shop and the discharge of all non- union contractors, No Concessions, Former administrations of the union in dealing with this concern have always given concessions to the bosses. This time the left-wing ad- ministration of the union decided not to give any concessions and if need be tie-up production in the shop as a step towards completely unionizing the plant. Shop Meetings. Shop meetings were held three to four times a week in the headquarters of the union. At these shop meetings the workers were told of the progress that had been made in the negotia- tions and prepared for a walk-out. Blow to Right Wing. The signing-up of this shop with the union comes ag a blow to the right wing. The see thruout the en- tire negotiationg have attempted to hinder the present administration and sought to destroy the confidence of the workers in shop in the left- wingers. Their purpose was not ac- complished, Thp/signing-up of this shop on the te of the union is a victory for the inion and shows that the militancy ingpired in the union by the left wing ed the bosses to SEVERAL SHOPS SIGN UP WITH FUR WORKERS Several shops have signed up with Local 45, Chicago Fur Workers’ Union, granting the demands of the workers on strike. Up to the present date 60 shops have settled with the union. More than 250 of the workers that went on strike are now back at work under the new agreement. More shops are expected to settle before the end of this week. A clash has occurred in the Fur Manufacturers’ Association. One group in the association demands that the association sign an agreement with the union. The other insists on car- rying on the fight and searching for non-union workers to break the strike. The president of the association {is doing everything in his power to fore- stall any attempt on the part of the membership to sign up with the union. The signing up of Walzer & ¢om- pany with the union was like a bomb- shell thrown into the ranks of the members of the association. The Walzer shop had ‘been with the asso- ciation since its inception twelve years ago. The other members were stirred into action, If the present pol- icy of the president is continued it is declared that more will leave the association and sign up individual agreements with ‘the union, New York Holds Open Air Meeting on Subway Strike Saturday NEW YORK, July 15.—The first open-air meeting- in behalf of the striking subway and “L” workers will be held Saturday evening, July 17 at the corner of 148th street and Wills Ave. Louis A, Baum, president of the Photograph Workers union, Local 17830, will speak. Other prominent speakers will also participate, The meeting will be held under the aus- pices of the Workers (Communist) Party. ‘Made in U.S. A.’ Radioto Keep Filipinos Enslaved Beaskody By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. nd IG business, through its agents in the Far East is urging, inci- dental to the visit of Colonel Carmi Thompson, Coolidge’s “eye,” to the Philippines, that the Filipinos be given a radio to play with, to make them happy and forget all about their struggle for liberation, The suggestion is probably born of the belief that the American worker will not become rebellious because he is allotted an occasional flivver or radio, and that therefore he will remain contented. So why not the Filipinos! Ce ae Perhaps the biggest hitch comes in the fact that big business will control the radio broadcasting and send out only its own stuff. One theory advanced is that the 12,000,000 Filipinos ought to wait until their numbers increase to 40,- 000,000 before seeking emancipa- tion, There is a disputed point. The Filipinos would not be given much chance to point out over the radio that the American colonists numbered not many more than one million when they waged their successful revolutionary struggle against Great Britain. Another American big business The Filipinos argue they want to develop the islands themselves, It may take a little longer but, they claim, the development will be car- ried on in the interest of the island- ers and not for the benefit of for- eign American profiteers. What would the American-controlled ra- dio say to that? Thus the whole gamut of disputed points between American imperial- ism and the islanders might be run showing that the radio would be a very excellent weapon in the hands of invaders who have failed to keep a quarter century old pledge to lib- erate the islands, eo It is under this false cover of giving the Filipinos something for nothing that American “kultur” urges its radio scheme. In place of the 87 dialects used by the 12,000, 000 natives thruout the 3,000 islands, English is to become the universal language, a sort of an Ido or Esper- anto for the entire archipelago. It is argued that natives listening to the luring propaganda of American imperialism will develop a desire to read English-language newspa- pers, especially the comics and the LABOR DEPARTMENT pa! TO PROBE GARY BLAST; BUT TO PRAISE TRUST WASHINGTON— (FiP)— Discus- sion of the explosion in the by- products plant of the steel trust work at Gary, Ind., where 15 work- ers were killed and 60 injured, is not on the program of the Industrial Accident Prevention Conference, summoned in Washington by the Department of Labor. However, L. W. Chaney of the department staff will talk on The Statistical Factor in the Accident Experience of the Iron and Steel Industry, showing that the steel trust has reduced its average of killings by 85 per cent’ in 20 years, General Motors Buys Flint Plant of Flint Motor Co. FLINT, Mich., July ‘15.—Stockhold- ers of the Flint Motor Company ap- proved the sale of the Flint ‘plant to the General Motors Corporation for approximately $4,000,000. W. C. Durant, president of the Flint company announced that the opera- tions of the company would be trans- ferred to the Blizabeth, N. J., plant, FOREIGN EXCHANGE. Demand Cables Pound sterling 4.85 15-16 4.86 7.16 French francs 2.46% 247 Belgium francs 2.29 2.29% Swiss franc 19.35% 1.87 Italian lira 8.87% 3.38 Swedish krone 26,79 26.80 Norway krone 21.89 21,90 Danish krone 26.49 26.50 Greek drachma 1.28 1.23 Spanish peseta 15.81% 15.83 Holland florin 40.16 40,18 Shanghai taels 72.00 NEW YORK NOMINATING CONVENTION POSTPONED TO SUNDAY, JULY 25 NEW YORK, July 15—-The Workers (Communist) Party nominating convention. has been postponed from Sunday, July 18, to Sunday, July 25. ‘t will be held In the Labor Temple on 84th Street. The convention was postponed as upstate de! slected. are just being theory is that the Filipinos need American capitalism to help inten- sify the exploitation of the islands, sport pages, and then discontented Filipinos, who have been dissatis- fied with American rule since the Spaniards were driven out of the islands, would be quickly converted and remain happily enslaved to the Wall Street tyranny forever, **¢ © This use of the radio is peculiarly an American idea, The British have never thought of it to soothe the restless revolutionary masses in India and in Egypt. France and Spain never brought it into play as a weapon against the warring Riffs. The French army hurled wholesale death into Damascus instead of speeches on ether waves. This would indicate that other imperialist nations haven’t much faith in this use of the radio. The diplomats of London, Paris, Rome and Madrid will frown at the radio’ idea as just another Yankee bluff. — There is no move, for instance, to | recall the military tyrant, Governor: General Leonard Wood; States; or to disband the native constabulary sworn to kill for and under the stars and stripes. The radio, therefore, if it serves at all, will only be another weapon in the growing armory of Wall Street im- Perialism. oe ae ae The common use of the English language in the Philippines, even if it could be accomplished, would be a thin thread on which to develop unity and harmony in the islands. The red solidarity in the islands” that is growing stronger daily, un- der the lash of the foreign oppressor seeking rubber, sugar, oil, hemp, tobacco and other valuable articles of trade, will snap such a thread at the first opportunity and with the slightest effort. Probably one of the star perform- ers on the proposed radio will be General Emilio Aguinaldo, who led the Filipino insurrection against the United States 25 years ago, but who is today the invited guest of Gov- ’ ernor-General Wood at the recep- tion given in Colonel Thompson's honor. Imperialism finds similar traitors to do its bidding in all sub- ject nations. But the clarion call to rise and struggle for liberation needs no radio to carry its voice to the most isolated slave. The va- rious methods being offered to keep the Filipinos in chains is clear in- dication that the islanders are rest- less and eager to speak and fight for themselves. U, $. LABOR AGENT IN PASSAIC SIDES WITH MILL BOSSES Neglects Wage Issue; Attacks Weisbord (Special to The Daily Worker) PASSAIC, July 15—-John A. Mof- fat, federal conciliator from the de- partment of Jabor has joined with the chamber of commerce, the so-called citizens’ committee and the execu. tive council of the American Federa- tion of Labor in the campaign to show that the strike here is a Communist undertaking and therefore not en- titled to support from organized labor and sympathetic citizens. He charges, without . mentioning Weisbord by name, that he went to Chicago to consult “leaders of the Communsit Party before starting the strike.” The citizens’ committee has issued another statement, encouraged appar- ently by the attitude of the depart- ment of labor representative, charg- ing the strike committee with dishonest purposes and with bring- ing “misery, hatred and loss” to the peaceful textile baron-owned city of Passaic, Weisbord has stated publicly that he is willing and ready to debate the issues of the strike with Robert Rein- hold of the Forstmann-Hoffmann mills, No cessation of strike activity is reported. Seek Surgeon foe Death of Young Woman BOSTON, July 15.—Spurred by the discovery of a blood-stained bundle at Lincoln, R. L, conthining female wear- ing apparel and towels soaked with blood, police redoubled their efforts to learn the identity of the young wo- man whose dismembered body, neatly carved into four parts, was found in a pair of cardboard boxes and a bur- lap sack near a cemetery at Matta- pan, a Boston suburb, “Say it with your pen in the worker correspondent page of The DAILY WORKER.” PEC REDD RATER: It Will Take More than |J0BBERS MUST « jto the union. to return » the American army and naval forces » now in the Philippines to the United YIELD, HYMAN. TELLS 1.L.6, We Making Money Except Workers A series of mass meetings ushered in the third week of the strike of, 40,000 cloakmakers who are holding out for a 40-hour week, a guarantee of 86 weeks work each year and tho forcing of jobbers to be responsible thruout the city, leaders of the strik- ers, including Louis Hyman, chalir- man of the strike cof™M:ittee, Morris Sigman, president of the Internation- al, and prominent leaders from other unions urged the strikers to renewed’ efforts to keep the industry at a standstill until the demands are met. Mr. Hyman, speaking at the Man- hattan Lyceum, 66 Hast 4th street, assured a cheering assemblage that the jobbers, who control 75 per cent of the industry, will “soon come off their high horses.” “They inform us that they are not manufacturers and that, therefore, ‘they have nothing to do with either the union or its members. I insist that they are manufacturers who merely do not have’ factories on their own premises. They have lowered Standards in the industry by making contractors compete against each other for work, which in turn forces workers to accept less than the usual Scale if they want to work.” All Make Money, But the Workers, He pointed out that everybody seems to be able to make a living out of the industry, save the work- ers. One jobber lets out work to an- other, he observed, the other to an- other who in turn lets it to a cone tractor and then, often, the work is done in a non-union shop. He pointed out that one of the most important demands of the union fs for the 40-hour week, since the increase of leisure time for the worker is tha only real improvement in his condi- tions. For, inevitably, he added, a higher cost of living made necessary increased wages, but this did not mean a greater advantage. “To show you the advantage of unionized power, I ask you to com- pare our standards with the until recently unorganized subway work- ers. We think a five day week only reasonable, while motormen upon whose steady nerve thousands of lives depend must work seven days a week.” Other speakers included Ben Git- low, D. Dubinsky, I, Antonini and L, Frisina, CURRENT EVENTS By T. J. O'Flaherty. —— (Continued from page 1) President Coolidge caught six pam- pered fish in the preserves formerly owned by William Rockefeller. This is six more than he caught in the half a dozen states where primary senatorial elections recently took Place. According to a predictiog made by Senator Cummins of Iowa, who was handed the raspberry by Senator Brookhart recently, Calvin will be ag dead politically, as an ancient had- dock, within a comparatively short time. If the old slogan: “Keep Cool With Coolidge” will ever again be of any use it will be only to the manu- facturers of those remarkable ma- chines that keep cheese from walking out of the ice chest in hot weather. T must be nice to live in Italy. The latest edict of Mussolini is that girls must not bob their hair, Per- haps Benito, in the fullness of his heart shuddered at the thought of the girls getting trimmed, though our daily papers would strengthen the theory that the females are at least as deadly as the males. In the Unit- ed States, girls now put their money in the bank, while their masculine contemporaries reSort to the stock- ing. Taxi drivers do not carry pock- etbooks any longer, They park their money in the old garter, on the as- sumption that girl bandits don’t lack courage to hold up but are tod proud to bend down, ING ALBERT of Belgium may be granted dictatorial powers it is reported. Belgium, another of those unfortunate countries that won the war, is in a pretty pickle and its franc is in even a more precarious condition than its French half-brother, Europe is pretty groggy at that. Eng- land is patently on the decline, with a commercially disastrous strike on its hands; France “is on the verge of financial panic; ditto for Belgium; Spain's only asset is a king that can tango better than Ab Jolson; Italy is« governed by a lunatic and Wall Street, peat ugab is running a political burlesque show which a dally change of cast; Germany is wrestling with unemployment and the other cap- italist countries, Hungary, Roumania, Poland, Bulgaria, Jugo-Slavia, etc., are not even worthy of honorable men- tion, Yet our capitalist hack writers have the colossal nerve to repeatedly say that Soviet economy has proved a failure and that capitalism is gol- vent. As the bible might have said: “Lies repeated maketh the heart sick.” ASE NSE TRIS 0 ROO aa At a half dozen halls { ee Cd SPN EE OTT