The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 29, 1926, Page 5

Page Five News and Comment Labor Education Labor and Government Trade Union Politics - COMPANY UNION FAKE CONFRONTS OMAHA WORKERS Need for Shop Papers, * Local Campaigns ] By BERTRAM D. WOLFE. OMAHA, Nebr., (By Mall.)—Com- pany unions hog-tie the workers in- dustrially while “progressive” repub- licanism keeps them bound to the po- litical chariot of the party of Coo- iidge and Mellon in this “progres- sive” state of Nebraska, The Ratl- way Clerks’ Union of Omaha, with its 1500 members, will soon find itself in 8. life and death struggle with the company union that the U. P. is form- ing to combat it, while the railway shopmen in the Ontaha shops have been blessed with company unionism since the defeat of their last strike. Armour Company Methods. The packing house of the Armour Company here publishes taffy about the workers going to work in autos, throttles all attempts at organization with a “sucker’s union” and gives its best paid workers (the skilled butch- ers) $24 a week while its other “car- owning” workers average $17 and $18 & week when times are “good” and get $1 forcibly deducted as an instal- ment on a share in the company. The, Workers Party has a shop nu- cleus in the Armour plant and I found the workers here still talking of the special packinghowse numbers of ‘The DAILY WORKER and deploring the fact that the campaign was too short. Views of Bryanism. Nebraska is the state of Norris and Howells and William Jennings Bryan. Progressivism is strong and the rem: nants of populism still persist. The records of Norris and Howells include voting against Mollon’s tax reduc- tion schemes for shifting the burden of taxation from big business to the rest of the nation, against the world court, against the Italian debt settle- ment, for income tax publicity, for the retention of, the. inheritance tax, ete. Moreover, Howells has been a consistent advocate of municipal own- ership in Omaha and the ice plant, gas plant and water supply are now municipally owned. Consequently, the bulk of the workers and farmers of the state believe in and. swear by Norris and Howells. But disillusionment is beginning, not on the score of national politics but as a result of local developments. in the municipal ownership field. The ice house of the city has paid off its indebtedness and is now running at a profit. The heroic apostles of muni- cipal ownership declare that they are in a quandry. What shall they do with the profits? The Workers Party professes that they use them to re- duce the cost of ice and sell it at cost. “But this would ruin the private ice dealers,” answer the “progressives,” The Franchise Fiasco. Another fiasco of the municipal ownership advocates in the Republi- can Party was exposed in the trac- tion franchise question, The local traction company's 40-year franchise expires in 1928. The progressives, la- bor and the Communists united in demanding that the franchise be not renewed and a referendum to renew the franchise for another 40 years was defeated. Then the traction company began to bring political pressure to bear and it soon became evident that the traction interests are much more powerful than the ice companies, The progressives who had advanced no positive program are now proposing not municipal own- ership but a 20-year franchise in place of a 40-year franchise. Some victory! These fiascos of progressivism on lo- cal issues are beginning to destroy | the political illusions of the Omaha | labor movement and the field “is be- coming more favorable for the Com- munists to agitate for independent po- litical action on the basis of these issues. WHO IS YOUR NEIGHBOR AT HOME, at work, in the mine, in the shop, on the farm, or anywhere? Is he a Slovak or Czech worker? Have him, or her, subscribe to the only Czechoslovak working ‘class daily paper in the U. 8. | THE DAILY ROVNOST LUDU 1610 W. 18th St. Chioage, III, Subscription rates; By mail, $6.00 a year, for Chicago $8.00 a year. KEEP THIS DATE OPEN! SATURDAY EVE., JANUARY 29, 1927 Concert and Ball New Harlem Casino, 116th St. and Lenox Ave. ‘Arrangod by the International Workers’ Ald, New York City. SCAB COAL SENT BRITAIN! By GORDON CASCADEN. (Special to The Daily Worker) BALTIMORE, Md., Sept, 27.—Baltimore’s record of Infamy as a strike- breaking port for shipment of scab coal to help smash the strike of British miners, Is black Indeed, when It is taken day by day and ship by ship. Yet Hampton Roads, with its twin ports of Norfolk and Newport News, can boast of a blacker record still. Long as is the list of ships carrying coal from here during the month of August, it Ig short Indeed when comparison is made with the total leaving Hampton. Roads. The Ilst of steamships given below is taken from official documents, just compiled, for use by large financial interests and civic officials bent on “sell- ing Baltimore” as an export center. One boat only in this long list flies the Stars and Stripes. It is the Moore & McCormick (Commercial) 8. S. “Commercial Pathfinder.” a United States Shipping Board steamship turned over by the United States government to this private firm at a ridiculously low figure. A majority of the ships, it will be observed, are British and many sailed from here for Queenstown, Ireland, “for orders to a British port.” Here Is the black list of steamships leaving Baltimore for foreign ports during August, with date, nationality, name, destination and total number | of tons of scab coal as cargo of each of them: | CARGO, Tons | DATE NATIONALITY NAME DESTINATION August 2—British S. S. Hounslow scomoe Alexandrie, EGypt -..wassssessenmeie 4,951 | 2—British S$, S, Emlynian » Queenstown, for orders to British’ port . 7,816 | 3—British S. S. Hemsloch Queenstown 6,819 3—British S. S. Wynburn Queenstown 3—British S. S. Everilda Buenos Aire: 3—British S. 8. Incemor Queensctown 3—British S. S. Lamington Belfast, Irelan 4—Itallan S. S. Valentin Coda Queenstown 4—German §&. S. Konsul Cari F' Birkenhead, England 4—British S. S. Lady Brenda Mumblers Road, for orders to Welsh 5—Britsih S. S. Liverpool ... Queenstown 5—Britis 8. Beckenham » Alexandria, ._ S. Grelwen Queenstown §. Ithaki ... Queenstown $. North Anglia . 8. Cape Cross . 8. Herenspool: 5—Greek S, S. George M. E' - Dublin, 6—British S. Newaster Queenstown 4,431 6— Color . Leghorn, italy . 6,29 Cork, Ireland 8,008 Queenstown Queénetown Queenstown Queenstown Queenstown 7—Norwegian 7—Italian S. 8. 7 bore Ss. 6,875 7,787 8,623 9—British Ey 8,241 9—italian . Savona, Italy tina La Plata, Arg Mers: England Rivet 11—Dutch 12—British 12—Itallan S, 12—Spanish $. 8. 12—Italian 8. S$. Vodi 3—Bi ih S. Queenstown Queenstown Alexandria, Queenstown . Queenstown Queenstown ta! 16—British 17—British Cork, Ireland Queenstown Queenst Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions Labor and Imperialism N. Y. PAPER BOX WORKERS’ UNION CHALLENGES WRIT Declares War on Anti- Union Injunction NEW YORK, Sept, 27. — At a mon- ster mase meeting in Webster Hall, final preparations were launched for general strike of paper box workers for the 44-hour week and a minimum scale of wages, thruout the five boroughs of New “York. It was an- nounced that the’response of the open shop workers tothe union's organiza- tion drive has been unexpectedly good, the chief obstacle being a sweeping in- junction against the union handed out Sept. 2nd by Judge James A. Dunne, justice of the supreme court of New York state. Dirty Injunction. The action of Judge Dunne ‘in issu- ing this injunction, which aims to stop organization work by enjoining the union from “endeavoring to persuade” body the unorganized workers of the Spe- clalty Paper Box Co., 41-63 Porter Ave., Brooklyn, to join the union, was denounced in scathing terms. The workers unanimously and en- thusiastically expressed their determi- nation to ignore this pernicious in- junction as a violation of their tunda- mental rights—to carry on the organ- 6 | ization work, and go to jail if neces- sary, to enforeé those rights. Presi- dent Al Greenberg presided and the principal speakers were Arturo Gio- vannitti and Manager Fred Caiola, Capitalist Courts Give Union Costly Victory in Boston BOSTON, Mass.—In order to keep alive the reputation for fairness and impertiality of the capitalist courts, Judge Hammond of the equity’ session S73\of the Superiok "Court of Massachu- setts made an int itory decree on petition of Local 37 of Upholsterers’ 4 | International Union of North America enjoining Payel Kuzmuk, doing busi- ness at 166 Croés street as the Kay Parlor Upholsteting company, from hiring or employing other than mem- bers in good standing in Local 37 when available. The decree also en- $| Joins the defendant from dividing the work otherwise than equally among journeymen and apprentices, from holding back any wages of the work- men for any cause and from settling eny controversy otherwise than by Sere 18—Britieh . Queenstown 7,280 18—British Dublin, Ireland .. 6,521 8 8:338 7,080 8.412 4,249 . Alexandria, Egypt ~ Bu Aires, Argentlan 6,518 wn 8,043 20—Pi *¢% 8,477 20—Britsh Marrhi 7,280 20—Itallan S$. S. Ansaldo 6,742 21d) 8. Da 6,487 a Berwindmoor 061 82 Ss. ritis! 23—Ita 3 2 Bae = 3 38% wn bucy, Argen . Savona, Italy 333 ‘ae 2 & 26—B 26—Dutch 26—British sa gatooreson Pg = $: FRAN SM z 3,509 7,784 6ia01 6,508 6,608 7,163 PAINTERS’ LOCAL VOTES $1,700 ASSESSMENT T0 ~ AID BRITISH STRIKER At the last meeting of Local 147 of the Painters’ Union of Chicago, the appeal for aid to the striking minera of Great Britain was brought up, and the local voted to assess each member $1 for relief to their British brothers, As Local 147 has _1,700 members, this bririgs in $1,700 to add to the other funds going from Chicago. | The union also voted financial support to the Chloago Federation of labor's radio station, and voted $200 to the Wage Earners’ League. 3 not a small bundie of The WORKER sent to you regular referring it to arbitration. The de- 24! cree was entered following a report of Benjamin A. Levy as master, in which Roewer & Bearak and Leo Meltzer represented the union as counsel and Samuel T, Lakson represented the defendant. ‘This decision is of considerable im- 4| portance because it wil delude num- bers of workers into believing that they can rely upon the capitalist courts for justice. Meanwhile the cap- italist class wi point to this decision and on the basis of it establish num- erous other decisions in favor of the employers. Every intelligent worker will see thru this strategy of the ex- ploiters. Union Men Strike on Company Hiring Non- Union Men ‘in West Va. STEWARTSVILLE, ©., Sept. 27.—A splendid instance of union solidarity has been shown by the miners of this place working for the Valley Camp Coal Co, A short time ago the com- pany, which also owns mines in Elm Grove, W. Va., had a dispute with the men in the Ohio, mine owing to its paying them by instead of cash. The West Virgt mines, according to report, were | the last to work under the union scale in that state, and finally, ed to the em- ployment of non-union nien, There- upon the miners at Stewartsville re- fused to go back to work unless the West Virginia mines were also re- turned to union control. It has not been stated when the mine in Stew- arteville will be re-opened. WCEL Radio Program Chicago Federation of Labor radio broadcasting station WCFL is on the air with regular programs. It is broadcasting on a 491.5 wave length from the Municipal Pier. TONIGHT. » MemChiow ition of Labor take a ine jae ean, Mt jut Workin, . 6:80—Fable, Lady—Stories for Mae The Florentine String ‘Trio Cook, contra! Warner, cas Suan ad Organized Labor—Trade Union Activities VAMERICAN LABOR’S SHAME MORGAN FIGHTS HENRY FORD FOR AUTO SUPREMACY Sales of Flivvers Are De- clining Seriously DETROIT, Mich., Sept. 27.—One of the greatest battles ever fought out on the industrial field in the United States is raging between two giant| automobile octopuses. They are the| Ford company and General Motors, backed by the House of Morgan, It should not be forgotten in con- nection with this dramatic conflict that a few years ago when Ford was squeezed for lack of funds he ap- proached Wall Street for aid and was rebuffed. He went to his dealers and within a few days he had the required sum and was never caught short since. But he is up against a real battle now. Ford ts Losing. Sales figures for the past two years show that Ford is not gaining. Fig- ures also show that the companies in the General Motors amalgamation have increased their sales tremen- dously in the same time, In the first half of 1925 Ford sales were 828,000. The first half of 1926 saw only 714,000 fil¥vers sold. A loss of over 100,000. In the first half of 1925, 418,000 General Motor machines —Chrevolet, Dodges and Essex—were sold. In the first half of 1926, the number of those cars sold was 589,000, Company Reorganized. The Ford Motor company was in- corporated in 1903 and the original capital subscribed ‘was $100,000. In 1919, the company was reorganized un- der the laws of Delaware at a capi- talization of $100,000,000. Ford owns the company and directs its polictes. There are rumors fioat- ing around here that Ford and his son Edsel are at loggerheads over pol- icy. It is said that the son wants a car with gear shifts similar to all other makes except Ford. Henry fa- vors the present gear shift. Ford's profits in 1925 are estimated at $94,560,397. While those of Gen-| eral Motors went well over $100,000,- 000. Failed to Organize Workers. The enormous profits made by Ford thru the enslavement of thousands of workers was in large degree due to By Upton Sinclair (Copyright, 1996, by Upton Sinotair) Ix The nights were growing cold in Bunny’s cantonement, and from Europe the thrilling news continued to pour in, and spread across the front pages of the newspapers, six or eight editions every day. The allied advance was turning into a march, that long talked of march to Berlin! A march also to Vienna and to Sofia and to Constantinople—for everywhere the central powers were weakening, collapsing, surrendering. President Wilson is- sued his “fourteen points,” on the basis of which the Germans were invited to quit. There were rumors of negotiations—the German leaders were suggesting a truce! There were two or three days of suspense, and then the answer, there would be no truce, only a surrender; the march to Berlin was on! And then one day an amazing report; the enemy had capitu- lated, the surrender had been signed! As a matter of fact, it was a false alarm, due to the American custom of keeping one jump ahead of events. Each paper wants to beat the others, so they get everything ready in advance—speeches that have not yet been delivered, ceremonies that have not yet taken place. Some nery- ous reporter let his finger slip on the trigger, and the message came that set all America wild. Such a spectacle had never been witnessed since the world began; every noisemaking instrument conceivable was turned loose, and men, women and children turned out on the streets, and danced and sang and yelled until they were exhausted; pistols were shot off, and autos went flying by with tin-cans bouncing behind; newsboys and stock-brokers wept on one another’s shoulders, and elderly unapproachable bank-presidents danced the can-can with typists and telephone girls. A day or two later, when the real news came, they turned out to do it all over again, but never could recapture their first fine careless rapture. After that, of course, the fun had gone out of military train- ing; all the young officers-to-be wanted to get back home, to go to college or take up their jobs, and all who had any influence quickly got furloughs that were understood to be elastic. Such a favor came to Bunny, out of the blue yoid where Dad weilded his mysterious power, and he went home to watch the movements of “Ross Consolidated,” which. had been launched at an opening price of $108 per share for the “class B stock,” and completely sold out in two days, and was now quoted in the market at 14784. They had made the stock of “no par value’’—another new device which Vernon Roscoe’s fancy lawyers had recom- mended; there were certain taxes both state and federal which could be dodged by this method, and moreover there would never be need to issue “stock dividends” to conceal the amount of the the failure of the American Federaiton of Labor to organize the Ford em- ployes, The reactionary leaders rep- resented the task as impossible, Only now, thru the activity of the Work- ers (Communist) Party is there a real start being made to instill the mes- sage of unionism into the minds of the Ford workers. ‘Thousands of shop bulletins are being sold each week de- spite the persecution of police and private thugs of the Ford company, GLEVELAND LABOR BODY TO ENDORSE N O- CANDIDATES Previously | Supported ‘Friends of Labor’ Plan CLEVELAND, 0., Sept. 27—At the last meeting of the Cleveland Federa- tion of Labor the legislative commit- tee introduced a recommendation that there be no endorsement of political | candidates. This is truly a remarkaBle recom- mendation, when one considers that the Cleveland Federation of Labor nominated {ts trade union candidates on the two major parties and now does not see fit to endorse them—if they were successful in the primaries. The federation decided that “locals may use their own discretion about admitting political speakers during the campaign, as no credentials will be given out.” The Ohio Federation of Labor de- cided at its conference in January at Columbus to put up trade union and other candidates sympathetic to or- ganized labor on the major party tick- ets. But evidently this policy does not | o work—which is something that any wideawake man might long have recognized. The employers are conducting a mil- itant open-shop campaign in this state, and as labor—particularly organized profit. Mr. Roscoe was certainly a wizard when it came to finances, jist about the smartest feller Dad had met im the oil game. It was a tremendous load taken off Dad’s shoulders, for now the enormous Roscoe machine would market the oil and collect the money. “Dad’s job was new developments—the part of the same he really liked. He was a member of the board of directors of the new concern, and also a vice-president, at a salary of a hundred thousand a year, with charge of exploring and drilling: he would travel here and there and lay out the tracts and select the drilling sites, and see that every well was brought in properly before turning it over to another executive, the superintendent of operation. It was Dad’s idea that Bunny should take a posi- tion under his father, to start with say six thousand a year, until everybody was satisfied that he knew the business; the two of them would have the time of their lives, driving all over southern California and smelling out oil, jist like at Paradise! Bunny said that sounded good, but he’d want a little time to think it over and get used to the idea that he wasn’t going to Siberia or to France. Dad said all right, of course, he mustn’t jump into things in a hurry; but Bunny could see that he was a little pained because his son and namesake did not do that very thing! x They went up to Paradise to see the developments; and one of the first developthents they saw was Ruth, who had their Junch ready in the Rascum cabin. Bunny was shocked by her appear- ance; she looked ten years older than when he had seen her last, her face was pale, and her smile was forced. She had given up all pretense of feminine cyarm, her hair was drawn back tight and tied in a knot on top of her head, and her skirts came to her ankles, which was half a leg longer than the fashion. Ruth was just setting out to be an old maid, said Meelie, and all-on account of grieving her heart out about Paul. “Oh, I know he’s dead!” Ruth declared. “Just think, ft’s been five months since he went away, and don’t you know Paul would have written me a lot of letters in that time?” It did seem strange; and Dad thought a bit and said, “Yes, we've waited long enough, and now we'll jist find out.” “Oh, Mr. Ross, how do you mean?” cried Ruth, clasping her hands together. “Well, we ain’t lost that army altogether in Siberia, and I uess there is some way to connect up with it. Ruth had gone paler than ever. “Oh, I don’t know as I'd dare find out! If I should hear he was dead—if I was really to know it—” “Look here, child,” said Dad, “the troubles you imagine is & labor—is not showing proper militancy |4!ways a lot worse than the real ones. I want to know about tho open-shoppers evidently consider |My boss-carpenter, and I'm jist a-goin’ to!” this the proper time to smash the trade union movement, Committee on Teachers’ So Dad went to the telephone and called the hay and feed store of Mr. Jake Coffey in Roseville. “Hello, Jake,” he began; “yes, we're all fine here, how’s your old man? Say, I under- stand you had the nominating—I fergit the feller’s name, but Salaries in New York | the congressman from this district, Well, I never asked him a Urge Large Pay Boost NEW YORK—(FP)—Thirteen mil- Non dollars a year more for New York teachers is urged by the Committee | there on Teachers’ Salaries, headed by Robert E. Simon. The proposed in- creases are based on the recent survey of teach salaries made by a committee under Professor J. P. Mc- favor, but I guess I got a right to one, seeing all I put up to elect him. Well, now, you send him a telegram and tell him to toddle over to the War Department and put in an inquiry about the whereabouts and health of Paul Watkins, You got a pencil o” Dad turned to Ruth, “What is it now? Company B, Forty- seventh California, Two Hundred Thirty-second Brigade. They're in Siberia, and I want the War Department to cable an inquiry and have the reply cabled; you wire the congressman twenty-five Gaughy, head of the Depattment of | dollars to cover the cost, and if there’s anything left over he can Elementary Education of Teachers'| keep the change. T'll mail you my check today. You might ex- College, Columbia University. The} plain, if you want to, a member of the family is ill, and its a «|new minimums proposed would, for| matter of life and death to get some word at once. example, raise the lowest junior high obliged, Jake, school teachers’ pay from $1,900 to $1,980 a year and the maximum salary for that post after a stipulated period of service would be $3,960 instead of | 8° long.” 4,260, ? ‘ And I'll be if you need any gasoline for your car, jist. drop round after we git this new refinery a-goin’, How’d you like that last dividend check from the company? Ha, ha, ha! Well, (Continued Tomorrow.)