The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 31, 1926, Page 5

\ 18 THE DAILM WORKER Page Five eee Organized Labor—Trade Union Activities News and Comment Labor Education Labor and Government Trade Union Politics MILL WORKERS “LINING UP FAST IN THE A.F.OF L To Stage Big Meeting to Launch New Union (Special to The Dally Worker) PASSAIC, N. J., Aug. 27. — The transfer of members from the United Front Committee of Textile Strikers, built up out of the strike of the Pas- saic mill hands under the leadership of Albert Weisbord, into th: nited Textile Workers Union affiliated to the American Federation of Labor was proceeding at such a rapid rate yester- day that there were scarcely enough application blanks, The committee under the leadership of W. Jett Lauck that is supervising the organization of the A. F. of L. union announces that a mass meet- ing will be held at an early date to officially launch the United Textile Workers’ Union in Passaic. President William Green of the Federation is to be invited to speak, The day, to be arranged by local sympathetic organizations, including the Committee of Associated Parishes and Societies, will be given over “to rejoicing over the coming of indus- trial liberty and democracy to Pas- saic.” The force of the American Federa- tion of Labor, the committée declared, will be thrown behind the new union, and the Federation will continue and intensify its support of strike relief. To Make it National issue. “Preparations are being made: to make this question a national one,” said members of the Lauck committee after a conference with Thomas F. McMahon, president, and Mrs, Sarah Conboy, secretary-treasurer of the United Textile Workers. A national committee will be formed with organ- izations in the principal states and | ities. Funds will be raised to sup- port the new Passaic union. Mass meetings will be held throughout the country to protest against the auto- cratic attitude of Mr. Forstmann and other mill owners, and congress will be memorialized with requests for a withdrawal of tariff favors from the Passaic mills unless their owners agree to the fundamental standards of American democracy.” McMahon Scores Mill Bosses. President McMahon, said: “The declaration of the mill owners, that their employes may not affiliate with any organization without consulting the mifl owners is feudalism and makes peons of the workers, “Was the high protective tariff cre- ated to give Mr. Forstmann and those who think with him the right to take from the American consuming public large profits while they are keeping the workers who produce for them in a state of pauperism?” Must Rush Rellef To Passaic, Alfred Wagenknecht, strike relief chairman, expressed himself as favor- ably impressed with the way the work has proceeding of organizing the strik- ers into the United Textile Workers, the A. F. of L. union in the textile industry, but stressed the urgent need of relief being rushed to Passaic at once to enable the striking textile workers to hold out and carry on the fight against the autocratic and arro- gant mill bosses. Strikers’ children and families are in grave danger of suffering from lack of milk and food unless organized labor and labor sym- pathizers again come to the aid of the beleaguered strikers with money for milk for the strikers’ children and food for their families. Send contributions to General Relief Committee, 743 Main Avenue; Passaic, N, J. oS. 2 WEISBORD'S STATEMENT. PASSAIC, N. J., Aug. 29. — Albert Weisbord, strike organizer, issued the following statement to-day in connec- tion with the recent police attacks on “strike, pickets: “Continuing his Cossack tactics, Chief r ordered his police to club in the heads of innocent strikers and their sym izers who were peace- fully walking from the hall at 25 Day- ton Ave. going atout their business. Nobody knew whether the lines of twelve that were being ed were going to picket the gates of, the Bo- tany, nor did anyone know what gates were going to be picketed, but with- out making a single inquiry or desir- ing to find out anything the police be- gan their brutish attacks. It seems that again Zober has displayed his anxiety to send the Constitution of the United States to hell. To Continue Fight, “The picket lines that were broken up were going to picket several gates of the Botany mill where before police had refused to allow picket lines to picket, These gates were only recently opened, Never having been opened WITH THE LABOR PRESS (More than 500 trade union papers—official organs of national and international unions, state federations of labor, district councils, central labor bodies and local unions—advocate correct, partially correct, or in- correct policies, voice poorly or well, represent or misrepresent, the opinions of the rank and file of the trade union movement, This is the field in which our party must conduct most of its work and it is a field of activity about which we must of necessity have the most detailed and accurate information. The publivation in this department of editorial comment from the trade union press does not mean necessarily that we are in agreement with it. We publish this material to inform our readers of the trend of thought expressed in the labor press and when necessary such editorial expressions will be accompanied by our own comment.—Editor’s Note.) How To Prevent Next War. This is the 12th anniversary of the beginning of the “war to end war.” Do you remember that slogan? Do you remember the millions who gladly laid down their lives in the faith that that great aim might be accomplished? How can the statesmen of the world sleep o’ nights, if they remember that unredeemed pledge to the boys of Flanders’ fields? The war clouds are ‘hanging heavy over Europe. Frederic Palmer, noted war correspondent, predicts European war in the noar future. Hector By- water, noted naval althority, forecasts war between the United States and Japan in 1931. How do you like the prospects? Will we be involved in the next world war? We will. Those who now control the United States government now have more than $10,000,000,000 invested in foreign countries, scattered in every quarter of the globe, Will these investors fight to protect these $10,000,000,000? They will not. Have you ever heard of an international banker’ fighting in any war? Who will fight to protect these investments? You will or your children will—unless you wake up to the fact that your representatives in congress must be made responsive to you and not to selfish interests, Remember this on election day. But the statesmen say: “How can we prevent was? All our peace pro- grams have gone awry.” . Nothing could be simpler. Merely provide that in the event of war the first troops sent into the front line trenches shall be composed of the fol- lowing: The diplomatic corps, the international bankers, all jingoistic pub- lishers whose newspapers yelp for war, all munition makers, and all generals and admirals who make militaristic speeches and denounce every honest effort to promote peace. The regulations should also provide that the regular army will march in immediately behind these gentlemen to see that they do not run away or hoist the white flag. If those who make wars were compelled to fight them, we would soon see the dawn of universal peace. —The Minnesota Union Advocate, METAL POLISHERS HOLD SERIES OF MASS MEETINGS IN CHICAGO TO WIN FORTY-FOUR HOUR WEEK In a series of mass meetings held in different parts of Chicago Local No 6, of the Metal Polishers’ International Union ds rousing the workers in that trade to organize into the union and take part in a campaign for the forty-four hour week and a higher rate of pay: Metal polishers at present work forty-eight: or forty-six hours per week, and get $1 per hour. "Those who do piece work can make as much as $1.10 or $1.30 per hour. These wages, ag: compared with those of other trades demanding the same amount. of skill, are quite low. The reason the build- ing trades have been able to get their dollar and a half an hour is because of organization, says Business Agent John Werlik of Local No. 6 of the Metal Polishers, and the same’ thing can be done by the polishers. Werlik stated in an interview with & representative of The DAILY WORKER that ‘his unipn was pretty well organized in and around Chicago, but that a still more complete solidar- ity should be obtained at the pres- ent time when fairly steady employ- ment makes a favorable condition for growth, Makes a Man of You. The Metal Polishers’ International Onion has much to offer the workers. It has already demonstrated its use- fulness by changing the entire s‘atus of its members. Formerly a worker in this trade was regarded by his employer as unskilled labor. Ho was paid starvation wages; he worked a ten or twelve-hour day; he was al- lowed no washing-up time; there were no blowers installed to carry away the dust that results from his opera- tions and that cuts his lungs to pieces if it is breathed for long. He was also at the mercy of arbitrary dis- missal by the boss. 600% Raise in Wages. Now the metal polisher gets, not such a wage as he should, but about four times what he did get in the days before the union, and puts in an eight-hour day at the most, Polishing rooms are no longer dark holes any- where out of the road, but must be open to the sunlight and must have at least some arrangements for carry- ing away the dangerous dust. There are grievance committees which the boss has to consider, — One of the most Important fights of the union at present is to force the Illinois state factory inspection to function in this matter of blowors, eee ed to picket them. Now, however, quite a number of scabs come out of these gates and the denial by the police of the right to picket here means that the mill owners can send all of their scabs thru these gates, Under Sheriff Morgan the prac- tice was established of having a pick- ot Mine of twelve, not at three gates only, but at every gate that was open, These things Chief Zober conveniently overlooks but we shall not permit him to overlook them for long. The tests are going on. We shall try to get the most prominent people we can from New York City to continue the tests. Legal action will be taken and we shall again prove to the entire country that industrial despots ensconsed in Passaic will do anything in their pow- er to become political despots and kaisers unless the union can defeat "sm The state law provides that In all Places where metal is polished, there shall be blowers which consist of a fan and tubes for carrying the flying refuse out of doors, or boxes in which it gan be confined. The employers gladly avoid the small cost of install- ing tsuch apparatus, preferring to hire new polishers when the old ones die of silicosis. Force Law Enforcement. But the officials of the union are always busy pushing the investigators on to their work, and forcing the fac- tory owners to comply with the law. Metal polishing is dangerous work anyway. Not only dust, but poison- ous fumes from plating operations, al- so performed by members of this un- jon, make life miserable and require organized effort in the way of secur- ing shorter hours and a high enough wage to enable proper hygienic mea- sures and proper food to build resist- ance in the bodies of the workers. All workers who are employed in metal polishing, buffing, or plating any kind of metal work are invited by Business Agent Werlik to come around to the headquarters of Local No. 6 of the Metal Polishers’ Inter- national Union, at 119 South Throop St., and talk the situation over. ‘The next mass meeting for work- ers in the trade will be on Sept. 2, at 8 p. m., in Stefanik’s Hall, 1401 W. Superior, Chicago, On account of the number of Polish speaking workers among the metal polishers, one of the speakers, B. K. Gebert, editor of the Tribuna Rabotnicza, of Chicago, will speak in Polish. There will also be speeches in Bnglish. Nobody Loves a Scab Except the Boss When ° * * He’s Fighting Strikes By ART SHIEDS, Federated Press, DUBOIS, Pa., Aug. 29.—Smiles for the scab when the boss needs him. A ride in the boss’ da big cigar, Jim Caseley, p) ent of the Buf- ralo & Susquehanna Coal Co., wanted to start up shaft No, 2 at DuBois on the 1917 scal The old employes wouldn't scab, so Jim went several miles down the line to the little vil- lage dy old shaft No, 1—now aban- doned—and loaded up his car with scabs, five of them, All smiles for the scabs up to then, Jim drove them to shaft No. 2 and they started on the job. But the didn’t get very far, Several carpe ters who had been making repairs in the shaft saw the scabs coming. “Take ‘em out or we quit,” the saw and hammer men told Caseley, The boss grumbled, but he gave in at last. No work for the scabs, no more usc for.them. ‘So no more love for them. ey had # long walk home. its { Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions Labor and Imperialism MEN DISPLACED BY NEW FOUNDRY MACHINE UNIT Much _ Unemployment About New Castle, Pa. NEW CASTLE, Pa., Aug. 29.—The Boggs Foundry and Machinery Com- pany has installed a new moulding machine unit and where they formerly employed 160 skilled moulders they now employ 50 laborers at laborers’ wages. They employ many boys in the work. The skilled workers re- ceived $8 per day on the average. The moulding machines turn out about 78 per cent perfect castings, The superintendent was highly Pleased with the work of the ma- chines, and as he chortingly said: “No need to worry as in the old days whether the moulders come out to work in the morning or not. Let the machine do the work.” The machines press the sand into form much the same as the machines in a tableware factory presses the glass into form in a steel mold. N. Y. C. Is Government. The New York Central Railroad has taken over the powers of govern- ment in the Hocking Valley coal dis- trict. They now have 50 private po- lice, who police the entire valley. They can thus protect their scabs and pay strict attention to any at- tempt on the part of organized labor leaders who have a desire to organize the workers of the valley, Much Unemployment. There is mych unemployment in this part of the country. The machin- ery is being taken out of a large rail- road car building plant here and being taken to some other city—either Sharon or Butler, Pa, The large Standard Steel Railroad Car Building Works at Butler, Pa., is shutting down on the 21st of the present month. This will throw out’ ‘of work hundreds of workers, as itis one of the biggest railroad car building plants of the country. 34 SHOE WORKERS OF LYNN MAKE WAGE DEMANDS Boot and’ Shoe Locals Compelling Action LYNN, Mass., ‘Aug. 29.—Both the lasters’ local and the stitchers’ local of the Boot and Shoe Workers’ Union have appointed committees to confer with the manufacturers for a 25 per cent wage increase, after first re- ferring it to the executive board of the crafts, as provided in the boot and shoe workers’ constitution, The stitchers’ local voted unanimously for -the increase. Other Crafts Join Move, The niggerhead operators have had their increase confirmed by the state board, and the wage demands of the lasters and stitchers is expected to be followed by similar demands from other crafts. The stitchers also voted to call a mass meeting of all stitchers in Lynn, to include both the unionized and the unorganized workers of the craft, to get united action in support of the wage demand. Reactionary Element Opposes. Meanwhile, both the making room local of the Boot and Shoe Union and the packers’ and finishers’ local have called for meetings and it is expected similar wage demands will be brought forward In both meetings. The reac- tionary element in the union is bit- terly opposing the wage movement. The stitchers’ local also sent a com- munication to Governor Fuller, de- manding a new trial for Sacco and Vanzetti, and appointed a committee to gather strike relief for the Brifish miners, > Typographical Union Convention Sept. 13, at Colorado Springs * COLORADO SPRINGS, Col., Aug. 29.—The 71st convention of the Inter- national Typographical Union opens in Colorado Springs for a six-day period Sept. 13. Bentleyville, Pa. Has Rousing I. L. D. Picnic PITTSBURGH, Pa, Aug, 29,~-Inter- national Labor Defense of Bentley. ville, Pa., held a plenic on Aug, J which was very successful, The at- tendance was n 300 and 400, despite a rainy ve} Defense of the Pittsburgh district, COURT THROWS OUT PETITION OF FAKE BODY Designers’ Mutual Aid Injunction Vacated NEW YORK CITY, Aug. 29— Su- preme Court Justice Crain’s decision to vacate a temporary injunction against the Designers’ Union of the Cloakmakers’ Joint Board was yester- day hailed by Louis Hyman, chairman of the general strike committee, as confirmation of the union’s contention that the Designers’ Mutual Aid So- | ciety, in whose name the injunction was sought, “is simply a fictitious thing invented by the Industrial Coun- cil of the manufacturers’ association for the purpose of having an excuse not to recognize the union designers’ local,” Mutual Moonshine, Hyman declared: “It is our con- tention, and has always been, that the Mutual Designers’ Association is non- existent and has no membership of real designers.” The injunction will have the effect, Morris Rothenberg, of counsel for the union, declared, of a limitation upon attempts of corporations to obtain al wholesale injunction in labor disputes. The Lawyer's View, “Justice Crain’s decision in denying the application for an ‘njunction sought by the association against the cloakmakers is of considerable legal importance,” Rothenberg stated, “in that it upholds the point made by counsel for the defendants that a membership corporation cannot sue for an injunction on behalf of its members. In other words, a corpora- tion suing for an injunction must pro- duce satisfactory evidence that its cor- porate rights, as distinguished from the rights of its members, are being violated. The decision will have the effect of a limitation upon attempts by corporations to obtain a wholesale injunction in labor disputes.” Eight more settlements with inde- pendent manufacturers were made by the union, bringing the total settle- ments to date up to 168. A non-union shop employing 300 workers and op- erated by the Mayer Cloak Company at Woodside, Long Island, was closed yesterday when the workers walked out to join the strfke. This was one of the largest non-union shops in the industry. Wholesale Arrests Continue. Seventy-five striking pickets were discharged in Jefferson Market court by Magistrate Frederick Marsh when he found charges against them of dis- orderly conduct were not substan- tiated. It was the second day of wholesale arrests at the express order of Captain Cornelius Carmody of the West 30th street station, since Magis- trate Marsh has been sitting. Marsh freed 300 pickets Monday when they were brought before him. Industrial Survey of N. Y. State Only a Capitalist Trick NEW YORK, Aug. 29.—First hear- ings by the state industrial survey commission appointed when the state legislature refused practically all la- bor bills in the last session have be- gun in New York City. The commis- sion is investigating industrial and labor conditions thruout the state, par- ticularly in trades affected by pro- posed legislation. Over 100 bills relating to labor were presented at the legislature, which re- fused to act without what it called an expert investigation. Organized labor is inclined to call the act of the legislature a dodge. Evade 48-Hour Bill. Amendments to the state workmen's compensation act were included in the bills. The present act allows appeals to the courts, which often delays awards months or years while the in- jured worker, or dead worker’s de- pendents, wait in need. The Women’s Trade Union League, Consumers’ League, and other bodies interested in the enactment of a 48- hour bill for women workers are par- ticularly bitter against the appoint- ment of the survey commission, The bill has been twice passed in the sen- ate, only to meet defeat in the as- sembly, Chicago Painters 637 Send $300 to British Miners’ Strike Relief At the last meeting of Chicago Painters’ Local 637 the mattey of do- nation to the strike relief of the Brit- ish miners was taken up by the report of Delegate Olson of the action taken at the last meeting of the Chicago Federation of Labor. A motion was made and carried to donate $300, which was sent at once thru the A. F. of L. Suspend Coppers Who Beat Up Shackled Boy SAN FRANCISCO—(FP)—A San Francisco police corporal and two po- licemen have been suspended for beat- ing up a boy without provocation and then atresting three bystanders who objected to the manhandling of the handeuffed boy, John Haley, the patrolman who started the rumpus, was Intoxicated. All ped gr ted of- Acers wore in uniform and’ on duty, 4 Upton Sinclair — (Copyright, 1926, by Upton Sinciair) By WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE, When “Bunny” Ross, son of J. Arnold Ross, California ol! operator, Is thite teen years old, he goes with Dad to Beach City to sign an oil lease. There he meets Paul Watkins, near his own age who had run away from his father’s poor ranch in the San Elido Valley because the family were “holy rollers.” His brother Eli is a cripple who has fits and ‘heals’ people. From time to time Bunny hears from Paul and sends money to his family. In the meantime Bunny Is learning the oil business with his Dad who, along with other oi! operators is Profiting by the war that had broken out in Europe. Bunny persuades his Dad to go for a quail hunting trip to San Elido Valley. There they meet the Wat family and Bunny becomes acquainted with Paul's sister, Ruth, whom he likes. While hunting, they locate oi! on the ranch and Dad wheedies it out of o Watkins and also buys adjacent property secretly. in the meantime Bunny starts to high school at Beach City and falls in love with a fellow student, Rose Taintor. When they are ready to drill Bunny and Dad go back to the ranch to direct the work. They persuade Paul to come to live with them and work as a carpenter, Paul had been living with a jawyer who took an interest in him and left him a legacy of books when died. Paul and Ruth live in a shack near the well sight. Eventually the well is begun and Eli, mow turned prophet and the pet of wealthy adherents to the faith, makes a blessing as the drilling be+ gins. Bunny goes back to school and finds himself tiring of Rose Taintor, But Soon the glad news comes that Bunny’s well in the Son Elido Valley has struck oll lands. A new field is started. As Bunny and Dat watch the drilling the oll suddenly pours out in a great Jet—and it catches fire. Everyone runs for their lives. Dad drives in great haste to town—for dynamite. He returns and the blast is quickly gotten ready. When the charge is set off, the blaze is snuffed out and the well saved. Bunny is a millionaire ten times over. The boy is now eighteen years old and begins to worry about the administration of his field, now grown to 14 derricks. He begins also to wonder about the relations be- tween capital and labor and asks his Dad some emburrassing questions con- cerning his relationship to his workers. in the meantime war with Germany looms and at the the same time the men in the oil field \nder the inspiration of an organizer for the Oil Workers’ Union, named Tom Axton, prepare to strike for an eight-hour day and a raise In wages. Dad attends a meeting of the federation and realizes he has no chance to buck up against the huge combi he faces there in attempting to advance the interests of the men. The strike is called and Dad, along with the rest of the operators, takes the thugs and guards supplied by the association to “protect property.” en cae, eee) VI Back in school, Bunny had to get his news about the strike from the papers, and these did not give him much comfort. The papers thought the strike was a crime against the country in this crisis, and they punished the strikers, not merely by denouncing them in long editorials, but by printing lurid accounts of the strikers’ bad behavior. On Tuesday morning you read how sev- eral truck-loads of oil workers—the despatches did not call them strike-breakers—had been brought in to the Excelsior Petroleum Company’s tract, and how at the entrances, they were met by howling mobs, which cursed them, and called them vile names, and even threw bricks at them. The Employers’ Federation is- sued a statement denouncing this rule of a peaceful community by riot and the statement was published in full, Next day it was the turn of the Victor Oil Company, which concern had brought a train-load of men to Roseville, and from there to Paradise by automobiles, with armed, guards to defend them, There had been more mob scenes; and also fights between the depyties and strikers at various other places. It was not long before several strikers were wounded, and a couple of deputies badly beaten. The Federation issued an, appeal to the governor to send in militia to protect them in their rights, which were being jeopardized by lawless criminals, organized to defy the State of* California, and cripple the country gn the eve of war. Nine people out of ten read these things in the papers and believed them, Practically everyone Bunny knew believed them, and thought he was some kind of freak because he hesitated and doubted. Aunt Emma, for example; she just knew the strik- ers were born criminals, and German agents besides, or at any rate in league with German agents, and what difference did it make? The ladies in the clubs had inside information, right from headquarters, for many of them were the wives of influential men, who learned what was going on, and told their wives, and the wives told Aunt Emma, who was thrilled to be the inside as her brother-in-law’s social position entitled her. And Berties who was still worse, the very princess of all the tight little snobs you ever knew! Berties went around with the younger set, and these likewise knew everything, but with- oyt having to wait for anyone to tell them. Berties had con- descended to visit one of her father’s oil wells now and then, and there she had noted a race of lower beings at their appointed tasks—creatures smudged with black, who tipped their caps to her, or forgot to, but in either case stared with dumb awe, and beneath their lowering brows showed signs of intelligence that was almost human, and filled Berties with uneasiness. She had visited Paradise once, and spent a night at the cabin, and patron- ized Paul and Ruth while they waited upon her, and both of them, sensing this, had been frozen to silence, and Bertie had condescended to admit that they were yery decent working peo- ple, but she couldn’t comprehend why her brother persisted fn making intimates of such. “My God,” stormed Bunny in a rage, “what are we?” And that, of course, was disgusting of him— to remind his sister that their father had been driving mule- team in a construction camp once upon a not very long time, and why was it any better to drive mules than to build houses? Bertie said with dignity that her father had raised himself by in- nate superiority; she knew he had “good blood,” even though she could not prove it. Bunny answered that Paul and Ruth might have “good blood” too, and they were certainly in. the way to raising themselves, It was a subject about which the two would never cease to quarrel. Bertie insisted that Paul patronized her brother, and presumed upon his good nature, taking towards him an intol- erable attitude of superiority. Paul had taken to calling him “son,” as he heard Dad doing, and such impudence was that! Bertie referred to her brother’s friend as “your old Paul’; and, said Bertie, “your old Paul has gone and turned traitor to Dad, and it’s just what I told you all along, you can’t trust such peo- ple.” And when Bertie found that Bunny was half-heartedly sympathizing with Paul, and yearning towards the “mob” him- self, she called him a perfect little wretch, an ingrate, and what not. Their father was risking his life, staying up there among those outlaw mobs, something which none of the other operators did—they remained in their offices in Angel City, and let their agents break the strike for them. But Dad, of course, was in- fluenced by Bunny, with his silly, sentimental notions; and if anything were to happen to him up there, Bunny would carry the responsibility all his life. (To be continued) LENIN ON ORGANIZATION The most important publication for workers issued in many years. Writings and speeches of a great leader on the fundamental question of organization. No work- er’s library Can be complete without this invaluable work, ‘ Cloth, $1.50