The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 18, 1926, Page 5

News and Comment Labor Education Labor and Government Trade Union Politics HOSIERY UNION OPENS DRIVE T0 ORGANIZE TRADE 3,000 Join Organization in Past Year PHILADELPHIA—(FP)—The pres- ent time is favorable for the organi- zation, of the textile industry, said A. J. Muste,: Brookwood Labor college, to the ‘15th annual convention of thé Amerfcan ‘Federation’ of Full Fash- toned Hosiery Workers, affiliated with the United Textile Workers. Organization was the biggest thing before the 60 delegates from 20 cities. A atudy will be made of old age pen- sions. A scholarship for a 2-year course has been re-established at Brookwood. Durliam, N. C,, is fast becoming a union cénter for the south since the Hosiery Workers carried on two hard strikes. The federation will keep a district manager in New York and New Jersey. Three thousand workers joined the organization in the last year, West Brownsville Coal Miners Aid British Strikers WEST BROWNSVILLE, Pa., Sept. 16.—Local 2230 of the United Mine Workers of America passed a motion at its meeting assessing each member $1 of each pay for strike relief. Pat Fagan, boss of the machine here, bit- terly fought a proposal that some of this money be sent to the striking miners of Great Britain. There are a number of miners on strike, in the district and Fagan claimed the money should be used for them. So, far little money that was meant for these miners has found its way to them. The unton finally voted to send 40 per cent vo the British miners and 60 per cent to the strik- ing miners in District 5. New York Board of Education Plans to Set Teachers’ Hours NEW YORK, Sept. 16. — (FP) — Hours of labor, ranging from five and a half to eight a day will be definitely set by the Board of Education of New York if the new by-laws now under consideration are adopted, The system sets the lower or five and a half stand- ard for ordinary class room teachers, with a possible additional 40 minutes at the option of the principal, Teach- ers of industrial subjects in vocational schools have seven and a half hours and teachers of agriculture, who are few in number, have a maximum of eight hours, tho only five and a half would usually be required. New Books THE BRITISH GENERAL STRIKE “The General Strike— And the General Betrayal” By John Pepper. A brilliant booklet, most in- teresting and important for an understanding of the great Brit- ish demonstration of working class power. . On the greatest event since the Russian révolution, read this new book just off the press! 25 CENTS Postpaid, READ ALSO: The British General Strike—its Back ground, Its Lessons By William F, Dunne......0.10 Cente British Labor Bids for Power By Scott Nearing... 10 Cente Whither E ind? By Leon Trotsky ‘Clothbound $1.76 Organized Labor—Tra ri WITH THE LABOR PRESS (More than 600 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 fleld of activity about which we must of necessity have the most detailed and accurate information, The publication 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.) ss) ‘Sowing Seeds of Peace. The visit of Thomas b, Hughes, international ‘secretary-treasurer of the Teamsters’, Chauffeurs’ and Stablemen’s Union, to, Minneapolis last. week should bring benefits te organized workers and to employers as well. Mr. Hughes proved to be an energetic, Mkeable official of exceedingly good judgment. He was-far.different from the fire-eating, smash-'em-up type of an individual which the Oitizens’ Alliance seeks to picture international Officials as being. Employers who met and listened to him were impressed with his frank- ness, ability and constructiveness. Workers who heard Secretary Hughes realized his capability, his sincere devotion to the movement. and sound judgment. He won the confidence of all who heard him. Both employers and workers will not forget that Mr. Hughes gave some mighty good advice not.only as to protecting the union but in regard to preserving the industry and building up the industry which is dealing fairly with organized workers. © © Mr. Hughes was not the first international official to address a meeting of both workers and employers in Minneapolis. Nevertheless, such occurrences are far too infrequent in this city. It Is In such gatherings the seeds of industrial peace, better under- standing, and local prosperity are sown. There would be far more prosperity and far more happiness in the elty of Minneapolis if the workers and employers of every industry were . organized and meeting together to solve the problems of employes and Industry, Organized workers and employers of the Minneapolis milk industry are to be congratulated upon the efforts they are making to meet their problems by co-operating with one another. it will be to the benefit of the entire city if.this example is followed. by every industry in Minneapolis, Minneapolis Labor Review, Sept. 10. Comment. nion Activities THE DATLY WORKER Page Five IEEE ter ree NC RRS TONI NH SEPARA SE He, Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions Labor and Imperialism OPEN LINCOLN MINE ON 1917 SOALE BASIS Ruling Affects 200 Coal- ‘ diggers By GEORGE PAPCUN, (Worker Correspondent) LANSING,’ Ohio, Sept. 16, — The Lincoln mirié’ of the Lorain Coal and Dock Co. located on the National High- way near hete has reopened on the 1917 scale dfter having been shut down for thé past six months. The announcement was made by G. G. Weiss, company official. The Lincoln mine employes 200 men when it is-running full blast, After starving the} men out for a period of six months, now the coal company wants to put the finishing touches to the job by forcing the men to return to work under the 1917 conditions, DETROIT—(FP)—The Detroit re- lief conference for the Passaic textile strikers, which includes the Detroit Federation of Labor, is sending hun- dreds of dollars to the strike zone, TETRA-ETHYL GAS SUFFERER SUES STANDARD OIL Crippled Worker Seeks to Collect $200,000 NEW YORK, Sept. 16, — (FP) — Standard Oil company of New Jersey has a suit for $200,000 on its hands because a former worker at Bayonne claims he is the sufferer from his employment’ with tetra-ethyl lead. Henry Callis says that he is afflicted with a “serious disease of a nature not clearly: established by medical science” asa result of his exposure to tetra-ethyl lead-treated gasoline in September 1924, The worker says he has had to re- main in bed since that time. Standard Oil company gave no warning of dan- ger, provided no masks or gloves and did not have sufficient ventilation in the workplace, Eleven workers in all are known to have died during various firms’ ex- periments with terta-ethyl lead gaso- line. The scandalous list of dead and injured workers employed in the mak- ing of the supposedly “knock-prooft” fuel finally brot a national conference under the United States surgeon-gen- eral and the ultimate promulgation of rules governing the manufacturing process. Tetra-ethyl _lead-treated gasoline is now being made and sold generally. A Swiss scientist insists that widespread use of the fuel will mean the depositing of great quanti- ties of lead dust on public highways and the possible poisoning of not only hundreds of thousands of workers but of the general population. BUFFALO LABOR REACTIONARIES FEAR LABOR PARTY FORMATION 4 . By HERBERT BENJAMIN. On. April 22 the legislative committee of the Buffalo Central Labor Council,,. which is composed exclusively of reactionary and conservative members’ of the council, brought into the council the following resolution which was adopted without a dissenting vote: “Whereas, we believe that the fu-¢— Tor editorial above is a fair sample of the deadly dope that is being dished out to the American labor movement. The paragraphs which we have emphasized contain the fatal fal- lacies which, when subscribed to, by large sections of the working class, make them easy victims of the bosses, and their organizations mere efficiency organs of the industrial capitalists. That the well-béing of the workers is dependent upon the general pros- Perity of capitalist industry is. true only if one concedes the capitalists the right to own the natural resources ever. This was the belief of the feudal lords before the capitalist system came into being and as long as the workers conceded the right of .the feudal. baron to the land. they re- mained serfs. i Vneaeed are no problems which the Workers and the bosses have*in common, The workers want the highest possible wages, the shortest hours and control of their jobs—in a word, a high standard of living and security, i The bosses want to pay the lowest wages for the longest hours and re- and the machinery of production for-| ture advancement of the just claims of the Buffalo labor movement along political lines depends on the intelli- gent use of the ballot, the only weapon that labor has in the political field to protect the rights of men and women who toil for their daily bread; and “Whereas, we realize that up to the present time labor has failed to or- ganize on the ‘political field so that they would be ‘recognized as a mate- rial factor inthe political fabric of our city; and “Whereas, the personnel of our pres- ent city council and the fruit of their labor cannot be taken as an omen of the success of the political policy of the Central Labor Council; therefore be it “Resolved, that the legislative com- mittee of the Central Labor Council respectfully récommends that the council instruct the officers of this body to petition the various local unions affiliated with the Central La- bor Council to call a conference for the purpose of inaugurating a more co- hesive political movement.” Left. Wing Sees Thru Move. The few left wingers in the council had no illusions about the intentions crease in wages and better conditions by following such a policy does not at all refute our statements. They may be a small but strategically sec- tion of the working class which the bosses want to placate (as is gen- erally the casa) or the first conces- sions are giyen in order to weaken the loyalty of the workers to their union as a fighting organization, as quite often happens, Company unjonism, either openly by name or covertly in fact, finds a fertile field in unions where the officials advocate the policy followed by Secre- tary Hughes of, the Teamsters’ Union and which is praised so highly by the editor of the..Minneapolis Labor Re- view—very. likely after Secretary Hughes had demonstrated in company with the editor his contempt for the Volstead act, . lis no city, has the attempt to apply the theory. of “worker-employer co- operation” had more disastrous effects on the labor movement than in Min- neapolis. In preparation for this move the Communists and the left wing were attacked and many expelled. A virtual dictatorship was set up with an emissary of the executive council independent political action is gaining an ever growing host of converts among the workers and that the reac- tionaries dared not make a frontal at- tack against the proposal to organize a labor party, but pretended thai they favor the principal and are de- terred only by consideration of timeli- ness, Urge United Labor Ticket. When the conference was opened and the secretary had concluded read- ing the call, the president of the coun- cil looked around helplessly for some- one who would indicate what was to be done next. The chairman of the legislative committee which recom- mended the calling.of the conference was actually at a loss. All looked ex- pectantly in the direction of Brother Campbell. Brother Campbell did not disappoint them. After making a com- prehensive review of the developments that made clear the necessity for in- dependent political action, he then placed before the conference a written motion proposing that “this confer- ence shall proceed to name candidates on an independent ticket for the com- ing election and that only members of : {in all countries where, for one reason of the American Federation of Labor as the local Mussolini, all semblance of radicalism was banished and the Minneapolis labor movement died on its feet. Te, is still dead and it is now stated by honest conservatives that only the reinstatement of the once despised “reds” and the resumption of activity by them can revive the moribund trade unions, The same condition obtains in St. Paul where the same policy was followed. The Minneapolis Labor Review is not serving the labor movement, but the bosses, when it publishes such deadening and deceptive editorials as the one quoted. Tt might be remarked in passing that the Labor Review was a militant paper one upon a time when the Twin Cities had a militant and effective trade duce the living standard to the sub- sistence level. That this is true is Proved by the fact that this is done or another, the workers have lost the power of resistance. Negotiations of organized workers with organized employers in order to set the basis for trade union agree- ments are one thing but conferences “to solve the problems of industry” based on the theory that the workers and capitalists have a common stake in industry, are another, Sore conferences inevitably tend to weaken the will of the workers to struggle for their demands and this in fact {s the sole purpose ‘the em- ployers have in mind when they pro- pose such. conferences, “They are cheaper than the rougher methods of strike-breaking, £ of the reactionaries who are in con- trol of the Buffalo central body. The very manner in which the resolution was worded, the proposal to “petition the various local unions to call the conference” without indicating just how these were to be induced to issue the call, all showed that the resolution was to be used only as a threat by the members of the legislative com- mittee and their associa! against some group of politicians with whom they were bargaining. Progressives Fail to Join. Efforts wore made by the left wing- ers to induce the progressive members of the council.to join with them in an organized effort to initiate action, But as usual the;wnorganized “progress- ives” failed to respond to a call for action and proposed to wait a “little” longer. {6 The insincerity of the reactionary That workers sometimes get’ an in- Raise; U. S.. Got Them 1 The dispute between the Chicago and Alton railroad ahd {ts telegraph- ers, station men and téwermen has been settled by the Coolidge appoint- ed railroad mediation “board. The men asked for five cents an hour increase and various changes in the working rules. The board has en- gineered a settlement for only a cent and a half increase, with some slight adjustment of the rules, Work for Labor Party DETROIT — (FP)—The Workers Party is entering the fall elections in Michigan to encourage the formation of a mass labor party, William Rey- nolds, a Detroit union carpenter, the party’s candidate for governor, said at & mass meeting,» bE) The Detroit Federation of Labor, Mke many central labor bodies in the officially supported Gov. Alex roesbeck, republican, for a fourth te He was badly beaten by Fred en Sept. 14, Demanded Five Cents {30,000 March in porn a opened at Jack- union movement, —W. F. D, of the Central Labor Council was further manifested when, on July 22, after @ months had passed without any action being taken, a pro- posal of the Molders’ Union, Local 84, that a conference be called to name a united labor ticket was turned down and the matter referred to the legisla- tive committee. The comm stating, ‘we Labor Parade at PRINCETON, Ind; Sept. 16—In- diana miners, 7,000 strong, marched in the monster r Day parade at Princeton, 3 ‘Fétlroad and other workers 8) ‘the line to nearly two and a haifmilés in length, About 30,000 were estimated in attendance at the great mass meeting finishing the parade and 20,000 heard the speak- Ing with the aid of large loud speak- ers. e reported on Aug. 12 ‘disapprove of the call by Molders’ Union, No, 84, for a con- ference to form a labor party.” This report was concurred in by the nd sane majority of the council and would probably have ended the matter in so far as the council was concerned if it were not for the fact that Brother Campbell, delegate of the Molders’ Union, took the floor un- der good and welfare to declare that the molders would proceed with their proposed conference in spite of the decision of the council. “Leaders” Worrled, It was at this time that the “leaders” of the council held a hurried consulta- tion, which was followed by a motion that “at the next regular meeting the regular business be suspended in th interest of a conference to inaugurate @ more cohesive political movement.” The conference: of Sept, 9, which was to orgaitize a “more cohesive po- litical movement,” showed the com- bankruptey of the reactionarier, showed also that the principle of MONTREAL — (FP) — Pres. Wm. Green, American Federation of Labor, was authorized to call a conference of of Blectrical Workers 's unions to ttle jurisdictional disputes between them, by the executive council at its meeting in Montreal. The executive prepared its annual reports and made arrangements for the Detroit conven- tion, which opéns Oct. 4, awe NEW ORLBANS—(FP)—The an- nual session of the Mississipp! State the trade unions who renounce all con nections with the parties of the em- ployers—the republican and demo- cratic parties—shall be regarded as eligible for nomination on such ticket.” The reactionarTés, incapable of any positive proposals, vied with each other in an effort to convince the rank and file that “they had to be good sol- diers and follow the policy of the American Federation of Labor of re- warding friends and punishing ene- mies.” Progressives on Warpath. All these “arguments” were effect- ively answered by a surprising num- ber of delegates who took the floor to say that despite any action that the council might take “the workers will not much longer tolerate a leadership that forces thém to vote for their ene- mies. ... A labor party is the need of the workers and no one can stop them from acquiring it.” “I am tired of attending your meetings and sel- dom come,” said this delegate from one of the largest carpenters’ locals in the city, “but my local has endorsed the molders’ resolution and I am here to fight for it in the hope that we may rejuvenate the labor movement by a militant policy of action on the politi- cal field.” To Form Labor Party. Many of thé delegates who took the floor to speak in favor of a labor party, explained that they would not vote for Campbell's motion because it is too late to launch a campaign for this election, but that they would insist on the formation of such a party for the future, whether the American Federa- tion of Labor approves of It or not. After the motion to launch a ticket had been defeated the reactionaries then passed a motion to continue the policy which their own resolution de- clared ineffective. BOSTON — (FP) — Two raincoat manufacturers have accepted the Intl, Ladies Garment Worker terms for settlement of the strikes in their shops, In the American Weatherproof Raincoat Co, over 350 workers have won a minimum wage scale of $44 a week for’men,*$35 for women and a 42-hour “*week: The Cosmopolitan Mfg. Co. of Cambridge has also set- led on these terms, About 600 othe a baspnytion ine Upton Sinclair By (Copyright, 1926, by Upton Sinclair) There was always the problem of getting Eunice away from these excitements. She never wanted to go, not even when she was exhausted; he would half carry her out, and she would fall asleep on his shoulder on the way home, and it was all he could do to keep from falling asleep himself. There was a boy in their crowd who would carry a broken nose about for the rest of his life. because he had dozed at the steering-wheel on a crowded boulevard; another had spent ten days in jail because after a smash-up, the police had smelled liquor on his breath. It was the etiquette of parties that the man who had to drive must drink only gin—not because that would not make him drunk, but be- cause it left ne odor on his breath! The time came when Eunice decided that it was silly to take that long drive to Beach City after dancing. She found a hotel where you could register as Mr. and Mrs. Smith of San Francisco and no one would ask any questions; you paid in advance, because of your lack of baggage, and in the morning you slipped out sep- arately, and no one was the wiser. You told the folks at home that you had spent the night with a friend, and they did not pur- sue the matter—being afraid of what they might find out. All this made a great difference in Bunny’s life, and before long it began to show in his appearance; he was not quite so rosy, and Dad took notice, and was no longer embarrassed to speak, “You’re making a fool of yourself, son; these late hours have got to stop.” So Bunny would try to get out of going to some dance, and Eunice would fly into his arms, and sob, and cling to him, moulding her body into his in that terrible, breath- taking way she had; all Bunny’s senses would be filled with her, the delicate perfume she used, the feeling of the filmy stuffs she wore, her tumbled hair, her burning, swift, persistent kisses. He would have to stand and argue and plead, trying to keep his reason while his head went around. Sometimes there would be embarrassment mingled with his other emotions, because these scenes took place in the drawing- room of the Hoyt home, with either of the parents present. But what could they do? They had raised this wild young creature, giving her everything in the world, half a dozen servants to wait on her, to answer her every whim. She had always had what she wanted, and now she wanted her lover, and all that poor Mrs. Hoyt could say was, “Don’t be hard-hearted, Bunny’—really seeming to blame him for these tantrums in her presence! As for poor “Tommy,” when he happened in on a tantrum, there came a frightened look on his rosy, rather boyish face, and he turned and skedadded. He had troubles enough of his own making, and the next time he met Bunny he set forth his point of view in one pregnant sentence, “There’s no such thing as a nor- mal woman in the world!” vi Just before school opened, Bunny took the bit in his teeth and went to Paradise to spend a week with Dad, and found that Paul was there on a three days’ furlough. Paul was not going to get overseas, it appeared; the army had put him to work at his old job—building barracks—only now, instead of ten dollars a day he was getting thirty a month “and beans.”’ That was what it meant for a workingman to be patriotic—and it was quite a contrast with Tommy Hoyt’s three millions, and the hundred and twenty thousand a week of Dad’s oil-contracts! But no- body thought about that, because of the eloquence of the Presi- dent’s speeches, and the concentrated ardor of the four minute orators, Paul looked big and strong in his khaki uniform; and Ruth was happy, because Paul wasn’t going to be killed. Meelie was happy, because there was a baby on the way, and Sadie because there was a young rancher “keeping company” with her. Dad was happy, because he had brought in another gusher, and proved up a whole new slope of the Paradise tract; he was putting in pipe-lines and preparing a colossal development—the bankers couldn’t keep him down, he would finance himself with oil! Everybody was happy except Bunny, who could think of nothing but the fact that Eunice was angry, and he was risking the loss of her. She had warned him, she was not be left alone; if he deserted her, she would punish him. He knew that she meant it; she had had lovers before him, and would have others after him. This “petting” was a daily necessity for her, and a girl could not get it unless she was willing to “go the limit.” That was the etiquette prevailing in this smart and dashing crowd; the rich high school youths would go out hunting in couples in their fancy sport-cars, and would pick up girls and drive them, and if the girls did not play the game according to their taste, they would turn them out on the road, anywhere, a score of miles from a town. There was formula, short and snappy, “pet or walk!” Bunny took long tramps, trying to shake off his cruel fever. He would come back to sleep, but instead he would think about Hunice, and the manifold intoxication of his senses would re- turn; she would be there with all her allurements and her aban- donments. Bunny tried haltingly once or twice to tell Paul about it; Paul being a sort of god, a firm and dependable moral force, to whom one might flee. Bunny remembered the scorn with which Paul had talked about “fornications,” and Bunny had not known quite what he meant—but Bunny knew now, alas, only too well. He tried to confess, but was ashamed, and could not break down the barriers, Instead, he made some excuse to his father and drove back to Beach City, three days earlier than he had intended; and all the way as he rode he was hearing Paul’s voice, those cruel words of the strike-days: “You're soft, Bunny, you're soft.” (To be continued) GINSBERG’S Vegetarian Restaurant 2324-26 Brooklyn Avenue, LOS ANGELES, CAL. GOING TO CALIFORNIA? Room for three passengers to San Francisco by auto. To leave soon from Chicago, Ex- pense light. Address P. B, Cowdery, cjo Daily Wor! Peaceful Picketing Legal in Connecticut NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept, 16. — (FP—The City Court discharged three ladies’ garment union pickets arrested for advising non-unionists to join the organization, The pickets’ release follows the recent decision of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Er rors that “peaceful picketing” during strikes must be tolerated. The ladies’ garment union is driving on a num- ber of small shops here that are at- tempting to produce for New York M ttan rike, manufacturers whose plants are tied up by the bi We will send sample co; DAILY WORKER to your friende— eet a bi mencee aie ¥