The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 21, 1926, Page 5

} } i THE DAILY WORKER Page Five News and Comment Labor Education Labor and Government Trade Union Politics DELEGATES FROM PASSAIC ATTEND N.Y, CONVENTION U. T. W. Greets Strikers from New Local By ART SHIELDS, (Federated Press Staff Correspondent) NEW YORK, Sept. 19. — Hope for the organization of the textile indus- try with its million members glim- mered into the twenty-fifth annual convention of the United Textile Workers of America with the entrance of five credentialled members from the Passaic strike zone. The five members who took their seat among their 126 brothers and sisters repre- sent the ten thousand new members in the new Passaic local Union No. 1603, From Basio Section, The significance of the new Passaic local is that it has come from the basic part of the industry in which the union has been weakest. Before the Passaic strikers were welcomed into the international the general or- ganization consisted mainly of skilled workers in the highly specialized tex- tiles but had comparatively few mem- bers in the basic cloth making divi- sions of woolens and worsteds and cottons—comparatively few, that is, as compared with the unorganized. The hope now is that with Passaic as a starter a vigorous union drive may in the coming years clinch the woolen and worsted workers of Mass- achusetts and Rhode Island. Fifty thousand more of these would give the union a powerful grip on this divi- sion of the industry. And if success can be gained in a large way in wool- ens and worsteds then why not the numerically larger division of cotton manufacturing. Full Fashioned Hosiery Workers; Uphostery Weavers, and other skilled craftsmen who have been in the un- fon for years welcomed Gustay Deak, chairman of the Passaic strike com- mittee, and his fellows warmly. And they listed with interest to speakers who told of the human and industrial necessity of bringing the vast masses of cotton and woolen workers inte the union fold. Window Cleaners Deny ‘Soviet’ Charge; Only Fight the Open Shop NEW YORK, Sept. 19.—Paul Krat, business agent of Local 8 of the Win- dow Cleaners’ Protective Union, at 217 Bast 6th street, denies charges that the window cleaning company run by his organization is on a Soviet basis or that it has any connection with Moscow. This concern, the Min- eola Window Cleaning Company, was chartered by the state as a corpora- tion. It was organized to be used as a weapon against the open shop by taking business from such shops/and thus compelling them to employ/union labor. Mr. Fink, manager of the Amalga- mated Window Cleaning Employers’ Association, was a former business agent of the Window Cleaners’ Pro- tective Union, In 1919 he betrayed the workers in a strike called at that time and became manager of the em- ployers’ association, The union is not disturbed by the charges and it is expected that about 1,500 window cleaners of New York and Brooklyn will go out on strike October 1 unless the employers meet, the demands of the workers, Boston Waitresses Get Starvation Wage BOSTON — (FP) — Waltress condi- tions in Boston are among the worst in the country, reports Bee Tumber, international organizer for the hotel and restaurant employes union, There are 3,000 waitresses in Boston, sh said, and the average get only $8 a week in wages and have to depend on tips, Where wages are better the rules sometimes forbid tips and girls are compelled to pay for their own meals, Tn contrast, said the organizer, “in Los Angeles, waitresses get on the average $17 for an 8-hour day; in San Francisco $20 a week; in Chicago $18; Cleveland $18; St, Louis $18; Detroit $16; New York $15 in union restaurants and $12 on the average in others.” All in addition to tips, ond We will send sample coples of The DAILY WORKER to your friende— send us name and address, GINSBERG’S — 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 fleld of activity about.which we must of necessity have the most detailed and oh coda ites eS Pete Be Pas Pe Be See aly aie tne wuld aie os VETS 8 Sm ian tie li A ETO ER i 0 Pe RE SR Ta A ES accurate information, with it, President Coolidge, apparently, has gone over to the rubber interests which want to hold the Philippines as a Tubber plantation. His special com- missioner, Carmi \Thompson, member of the infamous Ohio gang, from the beginning has been trying to prove @ case and not conduct a fair investi- gation, The young Firestone, accord- ing to the newspapers, has been tell- ing the president that the rubber cor- poration should be allowed to control as much as 500,000 acres—well over 700 sqaure miles instead of the 2,500 acres to which. holdings are now lim- ited. Nothing of the sort is necessary for the successful growing of rubber; 2,500 acres is a lot of land and it would be far better for the Philippines to see a slower development of rubber plantations, perhaps on the co-opera- tive principle, than to see them de- livered over to foreign capitalists. Anyway, we cannot get a bit excited about our dependence on British rub- ber growers. Short of a war with New Jersey Labor Elects New State Federation Heads (Special to The Dally Worker) WILDWOOD, N. J., Sept. 19.—After 17 years’ service as secretary of the New Jersey State Federation of Labor, Henry F. Hilfers was defeated here for re-election by Hugh Reilly. Both men live in Newark. Opposition to Hilfers grew from criticism by union men of his directing of a two-day strike of brewers in Newark last spring, it was reported. Other officers elected were: Arthur A, Quinn of Sewaren, president; B. J. Reld of Newark, first. vice-president; Thomas E. Ames, Millville, second vice-president; J. J. Buckley, Jersey City, treasurer. Camden will be the scene of the federation’s 1927 conven- tion, SAN FRANCISCO—(FP)—Members of the cloth, hat, cap and millinery workers’ union in San Francisco will share in a raise of $2 to $3 a week under new national agreement. The workers also secured a 40-hour week, beginning July 1927, i The publivation in this department of editorial comment from the trade union press does not mean necessarily that we are in agreement 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.) Honor vs. Rubber. Great Britain which is unthinkable, we shall usually be able to buy British or Dutch rubber as cheap as American interests will permit us to buy Amer- ican owned rubber. There is no short- age in the production of rubber and in the long run overdevelopment of rub ber plantations will send prices of rubber. up, not down. If the rub- ber interests get their way, it’s a safe bet that within a few years, they will be forming a kind of international trust to control the price of rubber to- gether with the very people against whom they ara now arousing the American consumer. This has been the history of the steel trade. Anyway, the facts show that British rubber growers are not nearly as responsible for American prices as our American producers. If we sell our honor in the Philippines for the sake of rubber plantations we will not even collect our thirty pieces of silver, —Vermilion County (IIllnois) Star, Aug. 26. Judge Tyranny Is Stimulus to Canadian Labor (Special to The Daily Worker) MONTREAL — (FP) — Iterim in- junctions restraining Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America from picketing Society Brand Clothes Itd., Intl. Tailoring Co., ltd. and Samuel Hart & Co., firms still fighting strikes, haye been granted by Montreal courts. Damage suits against the union have been, instituted, the Society Brand claiming they have suffered a loss of $15,000, the Hart Co. $10,000, the Intl. Tailoring Co. $3,000. The Amalgamated, after a brief strike, signed up firms doing about 90% of the trade. The Montreal Daily World has been publishing stories de- nouneing the three firms holding out for miserable treatment of employes before the strike, This is the first time a union in eastern Canada has faced an action for damages on account of picketing. Why not. a smal! bundle of The DAILY WORKER sent to you regular- ly to take to your trade union meeting? Eight Workers Die as Explosion Closes Kansas City Tunnel ir Organized Labor—Trade Union Activities Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions | Labor and Imperialism PORTERS’ UNION PAYS DIVIDENDS ON UNION DUES Pullman Profits Show More Wages Justified (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Sept. 19.—Pullman porters received 200% dividends on their union dues in the first year’s existence of the Brotherhood of Sleep- ing Car Porters, says a circular issued by that organization, The wage increase of 8% a year adds $64.80 to’ the annal income, or a net total of $42.80 after deducting $22 for the $10 initiation fee and the $12 annual dues. The wage increase was granted by the company for the purpose of allay- ing discontent the Brotherhood was mobilizing. But the Brotherhood tells the workers that much more is due them. In the 11 months ending June the Pullman company net income was $10,143,500 as against $8,347,636 the year before, “ee NEW YORK, Sept. 19.—The Moving Picture Operators’ Union notifies theaters in the Negro section of Har- lem that Negro union operators must receive the union scale. Some houses were attempting to pay less to the black operators, Dixie Typos Compel Proprietor to Crawl DURHAM, N. C.— (FP) — Union workers on the Durham Morning Her- ald gave E. T. Rollins, its president, an object lesson in shop control the other day. Rollins, strolling thru the composing room, removed from the linotype ma- chines, stones and cases the union cards of the workers, who were told to keep their cards out of sight. Notice was served Rollins that un- less the cards were allowed to stay where they could be seen the printers would walk out. In a few minutes he yielded. The Herald employs union workers, but has never made a con- tract with the union, Its policy has all along been hostile to organized labor. A strike of union workers on the Herald looms, following the action of Rolling in employing a nephew who is not a union member. Send The DAILY WORKER for one month to your shop-mate. A NEWS AND Co-operative Section | Comment This department will appear In every Monday's Issue of the The DAILY WORKER, Origin and Growth of the Co- Wholesale Society operative W. 8S. Pioneer was the first merchant Buildings, etc. . 10,568,992 N our last chapter we noted the|vessel to reach the port of Manches-|Stock in Trade .... 8,034,493 Steady expansion of the distribu-|ter from overseas, at the opening of |Reserve, Depreciation, and tive store movement from 1844-62,|the Manchester ship canal in 1894.The | Insurance Funds 6,100,000 This, with the difficulties created by|C. W. S. took up shares to the amount | Total Liabilities . 47,777,211 private wholesalers and the desire for unadulterated foods, led to the need for a wholesale agency. First at- tempts—including that by the Roch- dale Society—met with failure. The federal form, which alone could be successful, had to await the sanction of the law. This was obtained by the act of 1862, which allowed one society to hold shares in another, Early Attempts at Federation. Amongst the early attempts was that of the Owenite societies which started a wholesale society in 1831; it went out of existence in 1833. A cen- tral’ co-operative agency was com- menced by the Christian Socialists, in 1850 in London. Its decease occurred in 1856. The Rochdale Society ex- periment was the commencement of a wholesale departure in 1855, main cause of its failure was the jealousy of neighboring societies, who such a department, After several preliminary informal The | meetings and conferences, including also a considerable amount of pub- Neity, such as the article in the Co- operator by its editor, Henry Pitman, stating, “Sooner or later we shall be compelled to import articles for con- sumption, as well as for manufacture, and a union of the various societies in existence will best enable it to be done,” a conference held at Oldham at Christmas, 1862, decided to estab- lish a wholesale agency on the follow- ing plan:— “An office to be opened at Liverpool or Manchester; none but co- operative societies to be allowed to be- come shareholders or purchasers; the business to be conducted for ready money; goods to be bought only to or- der, and to be invoiced at cost price, @ small commission to be charged to defray the working expenses; socie- ties to pay their own carriage; the capital to be raised by every society taking up shares in proportion to the of £20,000 in this project. The pres- ent strength of the C, W. 8S. fleet is four steam vessels and ten lighters. C. W. S. Banking and Land Ownership, Until 1876 co-operative banking was blocked by the law. The loan and de- posit department opened in 1872, was transformed into the bank department by this 1876 amendment of the law. In 1924, the number of current accounts is as follows: Co-operative societies, 1,026; trade unions and friendly socie- ties, 8,533; clubs and other mutual or- ganizations, 3,264; individuals 4,646— total, 17,469. In addition to the fore- going there are 332 deposit accounts of trade unions and friendly societies who do not require current accounts. There are 51 distributive co-operative societies not banking with the C. W. 8. From purchase of produce to the production of foodstuffs was a logical acres of tea plantations in Southern India, Ceylon, and Assam, estates have been acquired in England, commenc- ing with the purchase of the Roden estate, Salop, in 1896. The following diagram compares the total acreage owned, with the total acreage of Great Britain and the “cultivable” acreage. On a circular diagram not here re- produced the central dot represent- ing the co-op, estates has been en- larged 2.5 per cent to make it visible. This illustration gives some idea of the immensity of the task of winning the land for the people by this co-op- erative method. To give another il- lustration; the biggest cereal growing farm in Coldham, averaging about 4,000 quarters a year—thereby produc- ing 5,000 sacks of flour in a total C. W. S. output of over 3,006,000 sacks ayear, That is out of every 600 sacks of C. W. S. flour, the biggest C W. S. wheat farm provides only one sack. Total acreage 56,000,000 The C. W. S. is continually reiter- ating the need for more trade and loyalty from its membership, and that this is no new problem, is shown by an extract from the report of 1864: “By referring to the accompanying balance sheet it will be seen that 50 societies have joined our federation; these societies represent a constitu- ency of 17,545 members, and are do- ing an aggregate weekly business of £9,500. At least £5,000 of this sum is expended in the purchase of com- modities in which we deal, yet we have only been favored with a busi- ness of £5,900 in seven weeks. How is this? Is it because the members of the various societies are opposed or indifferent to our new enterprise? That cannot be, as it is the creation of their own delegates, and they hava also found the capital to enable it ta 7 . Is it the fault of the com- development. Up to 1871 societies | °PeTate could not see why the Rochdale So- were barred from holding and dealing mittees? By no means, as they can ciety should have the monopoly of freely in land but now, besides 50,000 have no interest in allowing their capital to be frittered away in making good the deficiency in our working ex- penses. Where the chief obstacle lies, * therefore, is plain, and it is for the members of societies to say how long success shall be postponed. Many societies have already testified to the advantage they have derived from our operations. Still greater benefits are: in store, if we are only true to our selves, and are determined that the general interests of co-operation shall not be sacrificed to the prejudice or antagonism of individuals.” The English and Scottish Whole- sales, in 1922, together had 1,465 s0- ciety members, £31,658,677 im share. and loan capital (£2,935,148) besides in reserve fund), employed 40,574( persons, paying £5,766,529 in wages and salaries for the year, This aver- ages out at a little under 55 shillings! per week, taking all employes, manag- erial as well as manual, into account, There are 32 directors of the C, W. 8, hg Cultivable .. 33,000,000 | Who receive as salaries £722 10s. each ) number of its members. Coop estates 25,000 |Per annum. An allowance ts alsa” ’ The name of the new organization, : made for expenses.* “ § enrolled in August, 1863, was the Fifty Years’ Growth, : é North of England Co-operative Whole- sale Industrial and Provident Society (name changed to the Co-operative The growth of the C, W. S. is most strikingly illustrated by a contrast of the following balance sheets: Quarterly meetings of the share- holding societies’ delegates are held: * at the branches and at Balloon street, Wholesale Society in 1873), and busi-| First C. W. S. Balance sheet, Manchester. In a supposedly demo- ness was commenced in 1864, in Man-|. April 30th, 1864: & cratic organization this question chester. : Share Capital (50 soc, members) 999 picncereges de sip Pees Pstidcas Sales (Seven weeks’ working) 5,962|™¢@mber of a shareho! s 8. is constituted like other societies, aes ta ee sins ha De Con NE He ae — but its members are not individuals | Reserve funds Epa me " SA, “Over tie Comes ae cand but societies, Twelve “original, mem- | T°tal Liabilities 1Oa1 | BtRIOT Ae S mestior of tact eee bers” were, however, enrolled, who 120th Balance Sheet, cratic control of the wholesales ig a; each took up one five-shilling share.|__ December 22nd, 1928: ee When the amending act of 1867 an-|5%are Capital (1,192 So- eit ene: esieatatonl ot & saad a nulled the limitation of investment by|_ clety Members) .... +» 5,673,245 lin the press a year or two that the; jsocieties—the act of 1862 imposed the Sales (26 weeks’ working) 34,504,861 | late Mr. Robert Holt, Rochdale, form~ same limit of investment on societies (£200) as the act of 1852 had im- posed on individual co-operators—no further individuals were admitted. The new rule of 1868 definitely re- stricted membership to registered so- cieties and similar corporate bodies. The original intention of selling only at cost price, merely charging a small commission, was abandoned af.- ter six months’ working. The ordin- ary system of buying at one price and selling at another was then adopted, the net profits being divided among shareholding societies in proportion to the amount of their purchases, The Rochdale group bore the brunt of the arduous initial work of estab- lishing the Wholesale Society, Wil- Mam Cooper, regarded by Holyoake “as the drudge of co-operations,” re- ceived £8 in 1867 for four years’ strenuous work. He died in harness in 1868. Conferences were held in Glasgow, between 1864-68, to discuss the advisability of starting either a separate Wholesale Society for Scot- land or a branch of the English Whole- sale, The suggestion to establish a branch was negatived by the English society, with the result that the S. C. W. 8. was founded in 1868, on similar lines to the ©, W. 8. C. W. S. Production, As capital and members increased, inevitably the Wholesale Socteti }were driven into production. The first venture was a biscuit and confection- ery works at Crumpsall, Manchester, purchased in 1873. This was followed by ‘boot manufacture at Leicester, in 1873, soap-making at Durham in 1874, and since then an extension to A great diversity of goods. Losses have been sustained by both Wholesale Socleties by inv: ment in shares or loans with co-op ‘ative productive associations or with working-class joint stock compan- ios. In 1874, an investment was made in a co-operative iron works at Glas- gow. It collapsed with a loss to the 8. 0. W. S. of £10,000. The losses of the C, W, 8. in various ventures amounted to $66,000, these being final- Nominal value of Land, By J. O. RANKIN, CLEVELAND, 0.—On June 15 my wife, baby and myself started for camp. After a ride of two hours east from Cleveland we reached one of na- ture’s beauty spots on Lake Erie and here a sign told us that we were at the much talked of place called Red Beach. Here I headed the flivver right into the woods from which thra a cluster of trees the sandy beach was visible for miles. Here were a lot of people in bathing and enjoying them- selves as if they never had any worry of any kind. I started to make a wooden floor and screen door when one of the comrades in a tent near by asked us if we wanted a little help because he was a carpenter by trade. With his help it didn’t take long be- fore we had everything in order. Next morning about six a neighbor and I went fishing to take in some lines he had put out the night before. In forty-five minutes we returned with a half bushel basket full of nice, fresh jumping fish, After taking all we can use for ourselves we always give the rest away to other comrades. Thru this system everybody always has all the fish that they can eat. This cuts down the grocery bill every week. The grocer, baker and milkman come to the camp every day. We have installed city water; built two bath houses and one rowboat for common use, Secure Lea This year we secured a three-year lease at $200 per season which we con- sider cheap for such a large and beau- tiful piece of lake frontage. This season we had about forty tents with lots of room to spare. Both bath houses are heated every day thruout the season, The chopping of wood and other communal work is done on cer- tain days decided on by the campers themselves, That day the men all go to work together until it is Mnished. This promotes the spirit of coopera- erly a W. S. director, lett £25,182. Shades of the Pioneerst % ' RED BEACH—A CO-OPERATIVE CAMP washboiler, tubs, washboards, tern and a dozen pails. The rules of the camp are made at a meeting of at least one delegate from every tent. } After dividing all expenses they/ amount to six dollars per tent per} season, Just a mile away business men rent cottages for $250 and up per! season, @ lan-! Picnics, About every two weeks some section of the Finnish Federation holds a pic- nic on our grounds. Then we sure, have a good time. Of course all the campers help the city comrades all | they can. On picnic days the campers | don't do any cooking for themselves because we can get food eo cheap at the picnic. Help To Party, These picnics are usually run toge- - ther with a Saturday night dance at a near-by town, All proceeds are used + for party activity. These picnics are ;, not only socially successful but some- |; times we make as high as two hundred” dollars on a picnic and dance. Thru this system we do only help the party financially but keep it intact during the summer months, About September the fifteenth, we pack up our tents and store them at @ near-by farm ready again for the next campaign season, Send us the name and address: of @ progressive worker to whom we can send a sample copy of The DAILY WORKER, Room for three passengers to TO CALIFORNIA? |; An cspiosion of dynamite during the construction of a new water tunnel under the Missdllri River at Kansas Clty trapped eight men In a central section of the tunnel, all of whom died from asphyxiation. Photos show two views of the helpless crowd at the mouth o; th” !> tho upper photo George Creek, a volunteer rescue -|worker,.ig seen stretched out resover, ginen Je dmpesoible to reach angot the view ova watits San Francisco by auto. To leave soon from Chicago. Ex- pense light. Address P. Cowdery, clo Daily Worke iit. Vegetarian Restaurant ty 2324-26 Brooklyn Avenue, ly written off in 1876, tion, working together for a common _ The acquisition of a transport fleet | cause. need with the chartering of Own Peele. 8, Plover, in 1876, to run be-| This commune owne all the neces-