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bl w F THE DAILY@=WORKER ames Page Five NEWS AND Co-operative Section | ‘Sven: Thig department will appear in every Monday's Issue of the The DAILY WORKER. BIG CO-OPERATIVE APARTMENT IN GOTHAM WILL BE READY FOR TENANTS EARLY IN NOVEMBER Organized Labor—Trade Union Activitiés Window Cleaners Fight for Standards By LEON PLATT (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Oct. 10.—The yearly agreement between the Protective ‘Window Cleaners’ Union and the Employers’ Association of Window Clean- ers expired'on September 30. At the same day a general union membership News and Comment Labor Education Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions Labor and Imperialism | Co-operators Make Big Success at Waukegan Labor and Government Trade Union Politics There are few finer co-operative s0- a cleties in the country than the Co-oper- meeting was held with a 100 per cent attendance to discuss the negotiations 4,000 WORKERS ON PAPER BOXES STRIKE INN. Y, Independent Union in Fight for Demands { NEW YORK, Oct. 10—(FP)—Four ~housand paper box workers are “Liiking in New York for a $5 weekly wage iticrease, 44-hour week, time and & half overtime, double time Sunday pay. About 65 per cent of the work- ers are girls and women. Men do the scoring and cutting as wejl as driving paper box delivery wagons. All are in the Paper Box Makers Union, an independent industrial un- ion, Open shop workers are employed for long hours at as little as half the pay of union workers. Union shops haye the 46-hour week at present. Cerg and\Dicks Fight Strikers. The paper box industry is of con- siderabe importance in New York, where great quantities of the boxes are used in both wholesale and retail trades, especially in garment indus- tries and by department stores. At least one detective agency is known to be attempting strile-break- ing by supplying nonunion drivers and chauffeurs for manufacturers to deliver stock on hand. The agency gots; $10 a day per man: Police are acting as guards on the wagons. * May Reaffiliate. The union has been conducting an intensive organization campaign for several months. George Powers and Anthony Capraro are the organizers; Fred Caiola, the union manager. The union was at one time affiliated with the Paper Pulp and Sulphite Workers International Union, a mem- ‘ber of the American Federation of La- bor, amd hopes to again join this in- ternational. = Benefit Movie Here Will Portray Passaic Millworkers Struggles The historic struggle of..the.16,000 |. unorganized textile workers against the inhuman exploitation by the mill bosses will be shown in Chicago, Oct. 29 at the Ashland Blvd. Auditorium, in pictures. The picture commences with the time the worker leaves his home in Europe, obsessed with dreams of a new and better life here in America, and shows the horrible life of the workers in the hell holes of New Jer- sey. The drama of the entire strike is '\ portrayed; the call for the strike, the » brutal attacks of the mill owned po- aA lice; the huge mass meetings, the ‘splendid rglief activities; all this is shown, short you will spend an evening in the front line trenches of American industrial warfare. The Ashland Auditorium must be packed on October 29. Two perform- ances will be shown, one at 7 and one at 9 o'clock, Come early, The proceeds are to assist in pur- chasing necessities for the needy strikers and their families. To con- tinue the strike, money must be sent to Passaic. By seeing this film you will not only enjoy an evening, but you will also assist in relieving the condition of the textile strikers. Here's an Opportunity to Help NEW YORK — (FP) —Overcoats, shoes and other clothing are needed badly for the Passaic textile strikers and their families, declares the Intl. Workers Aid. The eight months’ fight began in winter and is now wheeling around to winter again, Pickets are still braving wintry winds and police- men’s clubs in thin summer garments and ragged remnants of coats. Cloth- ing collections may be left at Room 237, 700 Broadway, New York, or sent directly to the Passaic Strikers Gen- eral Relief Committee at 743 Main ave, Passaic, N, J, We will send sample coples of The DAILY WORKER to your friends— send us name and address, BISHOP WILLIAM MONTGOMERY between the Employers Association an d the union, Among the new demands that the union put forward to the employer were featured a $44 and 44-hour week, instead of $40 and 45 hours as it prevails now. Altho these demands are considered by the window cleaners modest, the employers refused even+ to discuss them with the labor rep- resentatives. This attitude of the em- ployers, and their constant attempts to break the Window Cleaners’ Union, served as a -signal.to the workers to strengthen their ranks and resist the offensive of: the bosses to lower their standards. of living. This was clearly demonstrated .at their membership meeting, where all like one man decided. to fight for their new demands and-union. The chal- lenge of the bosses was met by & declaration of an unanimous general strike, beginning October 1 of all win- dow cleaners in New York City. The Window Cleaners’ Job, Not only is the: work hard and tire- some, but the danger of it would justify a working week of less than 44 hours. branches of the building trades won a long time ago the demands the window cleaners put up now. The wages of the bricklayers, structural iron workers are $14 to $18 per day while window cleaners, whose work ig more dangerous, get only a half of that. In general, the window cleaners’ job is the most dangerous. The work- er has to stand on a space of 5 to 8 inches on the 30th floor and wash the windows. There is nothing that can assure his safety. The belt is attached to side screws which are often loose and unreliable and are the only things on which the man holds on. As a result of such risky work many win- dow cleaners loose their HMfe and A, F. OF L. NOW ON WATCH FOR FAKE LABORITES Daily Mail Hint is ‘Lesson - WASHINGTON — (FP) — President Green of the A..F. of L, has been put on his guard as.to the British goyern- ment’s royal labor commission, which is soon to tour the industrial dis- tricts of the United States under guidance of the British ambassador. Green says the. A. F. of L, accepts the invitation to co-operate in showing the visitors around, but does not hold it- self responsible: if they fail to visit plants where union men are ent- ployed. Ambassador Howard has also invited the Natl. Assn. of, Manufac- turers and the National Industrial Conference Board to help in furnish- ing information, erican labor, executives have learned a lesson as a consequence of their ready acceptance of the hospi- tality of the London Daily Mail’s hand- picked delegation of trade unionists last March. By agreement with sec- retary Robt. Dissman, German Metal Workers’ union, president J. T. Brown- lie of the British Amalgamated En- gineering union and other representa- tives of European labor, European trade unionists visiting America in the future will not be received offi- cially unless officially sent, Brownlie explained to the executive board of the Intl. Assn. of Machinists and to executives of the Metal Trades department of the American Federa- tion of Labor the true character of the Daily Mail “labor” commission. He said the men chosen by the fore- most anti-labor newspaper in’ Britain to make the trip were reactionaries who happened to hold union cards be- cause the places where they worked are unionized. On their return to England they were given @ great ban- quet, at which thé most notoriqus ene- mies of British labor were present. They made a report flattering to the biggest non-uniop shops in the United States. It glorified the “welfare” schemes of these anti-unton corpora- tions and praised the company unions. “We were taken in by these fellows [because they showed union cards,” said Vice President Conlon of the Machinists, “After they left Wash- ington to investigate industrial plants we diseovered that they were being entertained by U. 8. Steel and Gen- eral Electric and many other concerns that are hostile to organized labor, The worker in the speedily and successfully checked greater numbers are injured and crippled for life. The Bosses’ Trick, The window cleaners experienced many struggles with the bosses in their attempts to raise their standards. But since they organized themselves into a union and especially when a militant leadership was put into of- fice, the window cleaners fought brave- ly their battles and succeeded to im- prove their conditions. The employers, séeing that no force ean break “the determination and solidarity of the workers, attempted to split the ranks of the workers by spreading false rumors about their leadership, with the intention to con- fuse and sidetrack the workers, This at the membership meeting. The state department of labor, thru its department of mediation and arbi- tration, offered to arbitrate their dispute with the bosses, But the work- ers felt that their demands are just and refused arbitration. The bosses took advantage of that and spread rumors among the workers that the union refused to meet them at a conference to negotiate the new de- mands, This trick and ‘provocation met with complete failure, the solid- arity of the workers is now stronger than ever. The fighting spirit of the workers and a militant, honest leader- ship assures the workers of victory and success in their struggle for bet- ter conditions. WORKERS SUFFER INCALIFORNIA COTTON FIELDS Low Wagesan and Horrible Conditions Prevail By JOHN H. OWENS. (Special to The Dally Worker) RIPLEY, Cay., Oct. 10.—The cotton- picking seasofi has opened in the Palo Verde, San Joaquin, Imperial, and Coachilla valleys. These valleys pro- duce the bulk of California’s cotton. Low Wages Prevail. The pickers are usually paid from $1.00 to $1.50 pér hundred pounds for picking. These are all desert valleys and are ‘watered by irrigation methods. The air is dry, and the cotton is light and fluffy. An average picker, working from sun- up to sundown, earns about $2.25 per day. The picking is done mostly by Mexicans, Negroes, Indians, and poor whites (migratory workers) from Texas and Oklahoma, Live in Tents. The ranch owners seldom furnish houses for the pickers; they usually provide tents. The workers eat and sleep on the ground. Health inspec- tors never visit the ranches to en- force sanitary regulations. Suffer from Cold. . Like most desert climates the days are warm the year around, but from September to March, thé nights and mornings are intensely cold, usually below the freezing point. The pick- ers suffer from cold and exposure. In order to make weight one must pick very early. The cotton is cold and wet with dew. Pickers frequently contract dew-poisoning; the fingers crack and split open; many workers are in- capacitated from) further picking for several days or weeks, All Unorganized, = - The workers are nearly 100 per cent unorganized. The ranchers carefully encourage the fiction of social in- equality. White workers refuse to pick in’the same fields with Mexicans and Negroes. The ranchers even flatter the Mex- jeans and Indians, and make them feel superior to Negroes, In this way they force all work for less moriey and put up with very poor accommo- dations, California State Federation Meets. OAKLAND, Cal.—(FP)—J, F. Dal- ton of the Los Angeles Typographical union was elected president Califor- fa State Federation of Labor over oe H. Baker of San Francisco, in- will spesk in New York City ' : Almost Unanimous cumbent, and Paul Scharrenberg was — : re-elected secretary, The convention SAN FRANCISCO — (FPP) — The | passed resolutions condemning capital trial judge, the district attorney, his | punishment, calling for repeal of the 8 aostetanta, the forman of the jury, | criminal syndicalism act, favoring old- CAPPELLINI'S MAN REFUSES TO AID STRIKING MINERS Local Preddent C harges Board with Non-Support PARSONS, Pa,; Oct. 1Nr-Tovel 3076 of the U. M. W..of A, that struck when four members were discharged by a mine boss for having cigarettes in their possession—which the miners declare were planted—decided to re- turn to work without having their de- mands acceded to by the bosses of the Glenn Alden Coal Co. The strikers wanted the men reinstated and the mine boss dismissed. President Cappelini of District 1, ordered the miners to return to work saying that he would not allow any unauthorized strikes. He informed Thomas Burke, president of the local, that the strike must be called off. The grievances could be taken up by a committee of miners who would meet the operators. The question of dis- charging the mine boss, a notorious strikebreaker, was dropped by the board. Board Member Spoke, A special meeting of the local was called at which a district board mem- ber was present, The miners flocked to the meeting, The minutes of the previous meeting at which the strike decision was taken were read. Then the board member spoke. He frankly told the miners that he | would not stand for strikes over such “petty matters” as the discharge of union miners. He would never per- mit such a strike. Miners’ Were Angry. ‘When the board member got thru talking miners ‘began to clamor for the floor. One speaker pointed an ac- cusing finger at Cappellini’s represen- tative and demanded what good it would do the miners to have a person like him (the board member) repre- senting them, suggesting that he would be more likely to help the boss than help the men. Prosident Burke:-ofvthe local’ de- clared that the local committee never got any help from the district board. Operators Defended by Official. \ The board member declared that the operators had a right to discharge anybody in the mine. The miners re- sented this, saying that even the laws of the capitalist state of Pennsylvania do not guarantee any such right to the owners. The faithful disciple of Cappellini replied that the operators had a right to do what they please with their employes. President Burke then declared that since they had not only to fight the bosses but also the officials of the district, they would have to return to work, pending a settlement of their grievances, with the understanding that unless their: fellow-workers were given back their jobs, that they would come out again, Philadelphia I. L. D. Plans Second Annual Ball for October 29 PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Oct. 10.—The Philadelphia Local of International Labor Defense announces to its mem- bers and sympathizers that the second annual ball and hallowe’en party will be held on Friday evening, October 29, 1926. Everybody is asked to re- serve this date and sympathetic or- ganizations not to arrange any affairs on that date. The ball will be held in one of the Philadelphia Jabor union centers, the Philadelphia Labor Institute, 808 Lo- cust Street, formerly Musical Fund Hall. Just a couple weeks ago, the Phila- delphia Local of International Labor Defense was called to action and de- monstrated once more its value and need to the labor movement. It saved an Italian comradé who was arrested by United States immigration author- ities and was to be shipped to Italy, where imprisonment, if not death, waited for him for’sure. The throwaways, the tickets and window cards for the ball are ready and can be secured from Secretary Lyman, or Organizer W. Trumbull, Sai, York Avenue. Wages in Pottery Industry Low. WASHINGTON— (FP) — Wages of men and women employéd in the American pottery industry are decid- edly low. This is shown by a study which the U, S, department of labor hag just completed, based on statistics for 46 potteries, most of which were in the region centering about Rast Liverpool, O, For 6,666 men and By ESTHER LOWELL, Federated Press. NEW YORK, Oct. 8.—Harly in November the first group of workers and their families will move into the big ni have built as the first unit of a co-operative colony in Bronx borough, New About 1,100 persons will enter the spick-and-span, spacious rooms York City. to enjoy the benefits of co-operative United Workers’ Co-operative. Each of the 250 apartments, whether two-room, three-room or four- -room, has at least two exposures so that cross ventilation and sunshine sometime of the day are assured. The apartment rooms and the 100 single ones are all larger than those of ordinary apart- ments, having more windows and higher ceilings. Great inner court- yards separate the different units of the building, which occupies only 45 ber oent of the square block in which it is built. Neighboring aparments cover much more of the ground be- cause their owners want the maximum r8turns by crowding. The workers’ co-operative house faces Bronx Park on one side, Low Rental Rates. The workers entering the new co- operative apartment pay in $200 per room to help finance the building con- Struction, When they are unable to pay the full rate the Consumers Fi- nance Corp., a subsidiary owned by the United Workers’ Co-operative, loans half the sum at 4 per cent, re- payment at the rate of $1 a week. Maintenance of rooms is to be $13 per room per month, covering’ all charges, including $2.50 allowed for paying off the $1,200,000 building mort- gage. Rental for other apartments in the district mounts to $20 or $25 per room per month. The mainten- ance charges may eventually go down to $5 as the mortgage is paid off. No Industrial Ownership. Residents may withdraw their pay- ments if they leave the building, tho all must agree to stay at least two years. New residents will pay in the | same sums, but in no case will any resident ever own his apartment or-be able to sell or sub-let it as he would in other so-called co-operatives. This is a true co-operative apartment, the whole property remaining in the hands of the organization, and proceeds be- yond expenses belong to the co-opera- tive, To Get Women Out of Home. Every member of the United Work- ers’ Co-operative must be a worker, a member of the union if there is one in his trade. Every resident of the apartment house 18 or over must be- long to the co-operative, Some of the most interesting features of the new apartment are designed to bring the Boilermakers Hammer ative ew co-operative apartment house they living under their organization, the women out of their domestic activities into broader co-operative and labor ac- tion. There will be a co-operative res- taurant, day nursery, kindergarten, gymnasium, music room, library, re ception hall and auditorium, and elec- tric laundry. The co-operative restau- rant will aim to give such good’ food so cheaply that it will compete the housewife out of her kitchen—or kitch- enette, ag it is in most cases, To Spread Out. The first apartment will be followed by two others, one ready next May, the other next October. A group of co-opérative stores to serve the col- ony—and its neighbors—wi"»be partly completed by spring. A co-operative bakery may be built later and the or- ganization hopes to erect its own school where workers’ children may go instead of to:public school. A theater for the co-operators’ use will be built and a swimming pool. Lots for the business structures are already owned by the organization. Purchase of land | for a second colony is already proceed- ing. They Have a Doctor. The interest of the builder, Barnett Brodsky, in the co-operative colony idea is'a big factor in the progress of this particular venture. Brodsky, a successful New York builder, is allow- ing his service charge to be put into a three-year mortgage. He helped se- cure the necessary loan to commence | building and has given much practical | advice. One unusual feature of the | apartment is the central electric meter, which reduces the cost about 45 per cent, allowing for an increased used of electricity by residents. A | co-operative clinic, with Dr. B, Liber as physician, and dentists to be chosen—chiefly for preventive work— is another feature, (A further article on the United Workers’ Co-operative and its activi- ties in “building a co-operative move- ment” among workers will follow in | Trading company of Waukegan, Ill. The society was organized 15 years ago by a few Finns for the co- ve purchase of groceries, To- day there are 1,000 members, many of them American, lish, German and of other nation: jes; and the concern is operating two grocery and meat stores and a large milk plant. The members started the business with a capital of $630. Today they have invested in the business nearly: $65,000 of share deposits: During 1925 of foods exactly half a m capital and savings the sales of all kinds ounted to almost on dollars, on whiclt {@ “profit” or us of $31,658 was made. This m 8 that every mem- ber gets 6% paid,back to him on. his tment, and an additional rount he spent with the The company has a dozen delivery r' 88 employes: and for distributing groceries, meat, milk, cream, butter and cheese, For the p: three years the increase in sales have averaged $100,000 per year. And the most interes this co-operatiy Bives to edue work, Co ing feature of attention “it and propaganda lectures for em- ployes, evening $, summer pic- nics for the members, propaganda Parades thru the city, mass visits to co-operatives in other cities—these are a few of the acti Plan tes] Building Program for Moscow Workers’ Apartments MOSCOW—(By Mail)—The Moscow Soviet has applied to the Central Communal Bank for a long-term ocre- dit of 55 milliom roubles. The money will be spent on the building of houses and workers’ apartments in Moscow. LANSFORD, to Dist. 7, Workers, con- vention dis failure of the operators and board of conciliation to institute the checkoff system, expect- ed when the anthracite agreement was signed. Deiegates urged that Pres. John L. Lewis be invited to meet the conciliation board and go over the checkoff. The checkoff is a ~Delegates The DAILY WORKER next week.) for Bigger Pay Check NEW ORLPANS—(FP)—Fight hun- dred members of Boilermakers Union No. 87 are on strike demanding an in- crease in wages of approximately 30%. “Operations at the Jahncke Dry Docks, Johnson Iron Works and Dry Dork Company, Todd Engineering and Dry Dock Company, Dubus Machitie Company, Union Iron Works, Hooley Metal Works, the Southern Boiler Scaling Company and many small ma- rine plants are practically suspended. The scale which expired Sept. 1 called for 75 cents an hour for boilermakers and 45 cents an hour for helpers. The new scale calls for 90 cents an hour tor boilermakers and 60 cents an hour for helpers, While boilermakers have walled out, mechinists, pipefitters, copper- smiths and blacksmiths have re- matned.on the job. The employing association refuses an advance, stat- ing that, according to the old contract in wage fixing the scale paid by At- lantic coast ports and other Gulf ports shall be used as a basis. It points to the scale at Galveston, which is 73 cents and 45 cents, and at Mobile, which is 72 cents and 40 cents. New Lumber Trust. SEATTLE—(FP)—A gigantic mer- ger of lumber companies involving 70 of the largest concerns in the Pacific northwest is under way. Organizers of the merger are now conferring with the bankers, One hundred million dollars of new investment will be re- quired and a capital outlay of $350,- 000,000 will be represented by the new corpgration, with its 60,000,0000,000 feet of commercial timber. “Spend a Plongant Evening in the Reading Room of the WORKERS (Los Angeles, Cal.) » BOOK SHOP 322 WEST SECOND ST, A labor library is here for your system whereby union dues are de- ducted by the company from wages siven to the local. It exists in the organized bituminous districts. SOVIET TRADE UNIONS TELL OF PARTICIPATION OF MEMBERS IN GROWTH OF THE CO-OPERATIVES The following article on workers’ co-operatives in the Soviet Union is sent out by the Central Council of Trade Unions of the Soviet Union in their Trade Union Bulletin, and shows the participation of the labor unions’ of the workers’ and peasants’ republic in the co-operative moves ment, i a ee Workers’ Cooperatives in the the workers is supr y the co- U. S&S. S, R. Prior to the revolution the work- ers’ cooperative movement was in an embryonic state and represented a negligible quantity, both from the point of view of membership and busi- ness turn-over. Since then the movement has de- veloped on a large scale. Thus on Oct. 1, 1925, the workers’ cooperatives had a membership of 3,666,703. This does not include the transport (the transport section has an autonomous Standing) which on that date had a membership of, 1,025,560 (including temporary workers.) The total number of workers affilia- ted to the movement was therefore 4,692,263, The total trade union mem- bership at that time was 7,800,000 (in round numbers); so-that the percent- age of trade-unionists organized in the cooperatives was 69.8. In the more industrial regions the percentage was much higher, Increase 100 Per Cent. The turnover at the workers’ co- operatives has been rapidly growing. While the annual turnover (exclusive of the transport section) in 1923-24 was 648,146,000 rubles, that for 1924-25 Wag 1,231,255,000 rubles, showing an inerease of almost 100 per cent. The share capital of the workers’ cooperatives (exclusive of transport) at the end of last year was nearly 15,000,000 rubles. The shares are rather small being equal on an aver- age to a little over 4 rubles each, On January 1, 1926, thero was a total of 1,461 primary cooperatives with 13,044 stores in the country em- ploying 92,580 persons (exclusive of industrial establishments). operatives. In‘a number of places the workers’ cooperatives have developed to such an extent that they have com- pletely replaced all private trade (Tula, ete.) Aided by Government, The workers’ cooperative movement continues to grow under favorable conditions of development. The gov- ernment has granted the cooperatives a number of privileges in the form of reduced taxes, priori the receipt of goods from the nationalized indus- try and easy terms of paymeat, The cooperatives are granted large credits both by the state and the cooperative banks. In addition inter¢ ‘oe loans have been granted to them on a num- ber of occasions. The movement constitutes a part of the general system of cooperation in U.S, 8S. R. but it enjoys a high degree of independence and is controlled by the Central Labor Section attached to the trade unions. The connection be- tween the workers’ cooperativés and the trade unions, however, is purely voluntary, though the unions natura)- ly exert considerable influence over the cooperatives. ‘The cooperatives sell to their mem- bers both for cash and on credit. There are two forms of credit» short term credit, including food and other primary necessities, allowed between pay<lays, and long term credits (up to six months), under which articles Of general use (clothing, etc.) may be purchased, WASHINGTON-—-(FP)—Pres. Coo- lidge continues to maintain federal judges Ritchie and Reed and Dist. Atty. Shoup in office in Alaska, de- An interesting question is how big @ percentage of the workers’ pur- chases is made thru the cooperatives. Here the picture varies in different parts of the country. In many of the spite the fact that the senate judiciary committeo Jast Juno foreed him to withdraw their renomination, <crmamese 9 mee, ees sangre ‘ convenience.. There is splendid selection of your purchase. age pensions and the state water and power act, opposing comment by trial Judges inal eases, and cal ing against the “hell ships” of tho Alaska salmon packers, {t also declared against the labor do- partment «. the league of nations, industrial centers, for instance, the percentage is high as 70 and 80, sometimes éven going up to 100 per cent, In the less industrial sections the percentage is smaller, On the whole about 50 per cent of the goods and foodstuffs consumed by for ERGS Restaurant in 1925 were $26.22, and for 4657 women and girls they were $13.27 in the semi-vitreous plants, producing common tableware, —— SEND IN A 6UBI vie boys the average earnings per\weok MONOAY EVE,, OGT, 25TH \ -at Central Opera House, 67th St. and 3rd Ave. | Hours: 8 p. m. to 10.p, m, ph Tel. Metropolitan $265 20, All officials are ‘convinced that both men Wore convicted on porjured testimony, 2324-26 Brooklyn Avenue, LOS ANGELES, CAL,