The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 19, 1926, Page 3

—— WORKERS OF INDIA SEND DELEGATE T0 LABOR CONGRESS Inhuman Treatment of Workers Exposed BOURNDMOUTH, Bag.—(PP)— “Tt have come ell the way trom India to bring you a messago from the In- dian workers,” said D, Ohaman Lall in his address as first delegate from the All-Indian Trados Unien Congress to the recent British Trades Usion Congress at Bournemonth. “We In- dian trade unionists followed closely ‘your general strike and were inspired by this splendid, working class demon- stration. The same British capitalists who exploit you, exploit us. Because the Indian worker’s standard of liv- ing is 80, low, your standard of living is being forced down. ‘tn the Bombay textile mills the evorago monthly wage for a man is $9.60 and for a woman $5.70. These are government figures. A Caleutta \Juto mill worker earns $6.90 a month. A worker on the tea plantations earns from $1.20 to $1.50 a week. As for the British ethpire, I say if & means ‘euch slavery for millions of people, Het dt. diel” Lall’s epeech, the one note of re volt sounded from the congress plat- form, was recoived enthusiastically by the dclegates. The genoral coun- cil received it in silence. Lall got no gold watch and silver necklace far ‘nis wife, as did the fraternal delegate ‘trom America, Pres. Hutcheson of the carpenters. Interviewed .Lall said, “Tho Indian Labor movement is still weak, We “have only 500,000 of the 20,000,000 iwvorkors organized. The 200,000,000 }possants are barely organized at all. “While the gndian poople have been ;kept in great ignorance (only 1 in \every 17 can read or write), and the British government has used every |means of coercion and cajolery, the property qualifications. india will never, win her freedom except * |Nomdooperettve failed be- ? E : i li ; t / i i i i a Hf | é [ ise HT “Oct, 1, 1926, according to plans of the Autonomous Industrial Company of Kuzbas,, announced by the official ‘Tass news agency, For the year just ended the production was 773,600 tons, ‘olt was inthis fleld that many Ameri- cans, led by W. D. Haywood, under- took some years ago to restore, pro- -duction. of coal and steel, Many of these recruits left the region pefore . the mines and mills had returned to anything near their pre-war level production. bel , y you regular. a I Five Months Fight Leaves Miners United LONDON-—(FP)—After 6 months of the mining lockout British miners are holding thoir ranks solid Yn all impor- tant coal fields: The few thousands returning to work are in less impor- tant coal fields producing only for local consumption, Starvation and lack of sufficient re- lief put the miners in a hopeless posi- tion in spite of their heroism through- out the etrugglo. After adjusting in- ternal friction, the British Labor Party {s launching a national cam- paign in conjunction with the Trade Unton Congress to rouse public opin- ion for the miners. Meetings aro held throughout the country and the gov- ernmont is asked to resign and go to the country on the mining lockout. Government forces are by no means united, although thoy keep up a better front than the labor movement. After Churchill was minded to bring the dis- pute to an end, prime minister Bald- win was foreed by his party chiefs to overrule Churchill. It is under- stood that: banking interests in- fluenced Churchill, but the de-hards had enough power to force the mine owners’ point of view. Business interests realize that if the miners are defeated it will be at the cost of hopelessly injurying British in- dustry. According to government fig- ures, about one billion dollars has already been lost in oval output alone, Some of the coal markets have been lost permanently. Other industries tried to keep going by importing foreign coal, but the costs have been prohibitive and the cogl inferior, Industry is shutting down again or further restricting pro- duction. Supply of gas is being re- stricted. Only a fraction of street lamps até being used. The darkened streets remind the inhabitanés of the war days, when streets were dimmed for fear of Zeppelin raliis. ‘ 34 THE DAILY WORK “i z | ition ER It the ‘miners are temporarily de- feated, the lesson$ they {aught their enemies will long be remembered. There ig bound to be less eagerness to force the miners into a fight in the future, Stricken as the miners are, there is plenty of life left in thom. Whatever humiliation is forced on some of the districts, the two impor- tant districts of South Wales and Yorkshire will hold out a fow months longer. Most of the British coal is mined in these two areas. A.J, Cook, Secy., and Horbort Smith, Pres. of the Miners Federation, come from these district and are representative of the spirit prevailing#there. That only severe privation forced the return of the miners who have given way is quite evident. They in- clude many single men not entitled to any poor reliefand with no families to rely on. The Federated Press also found that the areas which weakened were those where the poor law com- missioners brought down relief to an impossible mistimum or cut it out en- tirely. Families of five and six found it impossible to go on- with less than $5 a week for months, Mine owners who got miners to-re- turn to work say that these men are weakened aftor weeks of privation and unable to do the required work. They produce much less than usual and break down easily. That the fate of the British miners’ struggle will have an important bear- ing on the mining situation in Amer- ica is suggested in the following state- ment of a London financial paper: “If the policy of union control should triumph in England, this is bound to have a repercussion in labor politics in the U. S., and there will be a tre- mendous drive next spring on the part of the union to secure a continuation, and strict enforcement of the Jack- sonville agreement.” Progress in Siberia Under the Soviets By TOM BARKER, Federated Press. NOVO -SIBIRSK, Sibéria—(FP)— “Soviet ‘Siberia is now at the point where American middle west was right after the civil war,” says Peter Kietes of the Siberian executive po- litical committee, whose 74 members govern an area larger than the United States. ‘We are tremendously rich in natural ‘resources, but otherwise we are poor, although we are making progress: We need machinery on credit.” Kietes.is to represent the industrial district of Kemerovo, controlled by “Kusbas.” He is in charge of ship- ments at the chemical plant, We talked in the recently opened House of the Soviets in the Siberian capital, a building attractive and beau- tiful, commanding the lordy Ob river. Kietes came to Siberia with the first Kuzbas group in 1921. “Before coming here I lived in the state of Washington for 19 years as lumberjack and farmer,” he said. “I Siberia we have the lIargost single area of agricyltural land in the world. The peasant dumps the stable manure into the ereck and the soil still smiles ‘cn him year after year. There is coal by the billions of tons, iron ore, gold, rivers, forests teeming with fur-bear- ing animals, fish. Richest country in the world, We here are planning everything, every step of the way. We are a gov- ernment that is operating industry, and we know where we're going and what for. Everything is provided for in our state budget: Loans extended to Siberia are not backed by individ- ual firms, but by the resources of the soviet state. “Let the United States recognize us and we will take half a billion dollars of equipment a year in place of the $100,000,000 we are buying*today.” ‘Then the farmer asserted’ himself.’ “I was out camping last year near a village. About 100 yards away there were two beehives. Do you know, we never saw a bee near our camp all the time. The flowers were so plenti- ful that the bees just hopped off the hive right on to them, They did all their honoy Haunting wifhin a 20-yard radius.” Then the 19-year residence in the western states showod itself: “Great- est country in the world, I’m telling you, is our Soviet Siberia,” Kiotes wound up. U.S. WILL NOT SANCTION SALE OF TEUT, BONDS) Government Aims to Protect Bankers WASHINGTON, Oct, 17.—The American government will never consent to the marketing of Ger man railway bonds held by the rep- arations commission In the United States until the Mellon-Berenger debt settlement with France Is ratl- fied, It. was indicated in official cir- oles today. The position of the Washington government Is understood to be that private investors would not be ready to purchase the bonds with the debt situation unsettled, and it would be unwise for the government to per mit them to be thrown on the mar ket. U. S. Violates Its Own Decrees to Aid Tyrant Chamorro of Nicaragua MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Oct. 17.— The liberal revolutionaries have pro- tested to the United States consul against the open landing of arms from the steamer Venezuela, sent from New York on Sept. 18, when. such ship- ments were supposed to have been stopped by order of Coolidge on Sept. 15. The shipment included machine guns and was sent to the tyrant Cha- morro, who is & tool of Wall Street imperialism that seized and keeps power by force, The liberals resent this open. A of the tyrant by the United violation of its own decrees, i The conference between the Mberal and reactionary forces {s to take place on the United States cruiser Tulsa at Corinto on 'y. The United States, does not hope to save Ch a replace him with anothe imé type, Adolfo Diaz, who is. fi Dnited States im- CAN SIGN TREATY WITH SOVIETS WITHOUT ANY FORMAL RECOGNITION WASHINGTON, Oct. 17.—Seore- tary Kellogg says that the United Sta Britain and apan can meet the Soviet Union in a discussion of their Joint fur-seal treaty without !n- volving American recognition of the Moscow government. He has not yet agreed to any meeting. Polish Political — _ Prisoners Give Aid to the British Miners POLAND, Oct. 17.—In the bulletin of the Non-Party Committee for Am- nesty in Poland the following letter is contained: ? “To the Striking Miners of Great Britain: 7 “Dear Comrades: “We, the political prisoners sent to the prison of Wronki by the courts of the bourgeoisie, watch with ever in- creasing attention the course of your struggle, which lasts already. three months. “Knowing from our own experience how difficult it is for a worker to fight against capital, which is in power, we wish to assist you in your struggle, despite the fact that we, ourselves, live under extremely bad conditions. For this reason we renounce half of our material assistance and send you this sum for the support of your strug- gle, Your struggle is also our strug: gle, and beyond the walls and the prison bars we shake hands with you and wish you a quick victory. “Wronki, Hard Labor Prison! “August, 1926."" (Sevonty#ix signatures.) CANTON, China—(FP)—Tho Can- ton Republican Daily News reports that Gon. Mong has egroed to join the radical Kuomintang, together with his entire army of 200,000. Ss . i} BRITISH COLOR LINE BARS HER BLACK SUBJECTS |Police Card Has Their Nationality “Doubtful” (Special to The Daily Worker) LONDON—(By Mail.) — The de spicable “Color Bar Act” recently en- acted in the Union of South Africa, which fg af outrage on the © most rudimentary principles of justice, has led to considerable adverse criticism in the British press. This criticism, however, is evidently, not so much— act as it is to the fear of the na- tionalistic spirit of the present gov- ernment of South Africa, In general it is implied that this act is a reversal of the empire's pol- fey, but the. reversal, if such, is in method only. While focusing the at- tention on South Africa the example of “British liberty and fair play” in “the mother country” (of the Hotten- tots?) goes unheeded. A Joynson-Hicks Decree, “The Special Restriction (colored alien seamen) Order 1926” signed “W. Joynson-Hicks,” notorious red-baiter, is not less unjust because of its cam- ouflaged ‘phraseology. This order is as much a discrimination against col- or as is the South African Color Bar Act: it is only more subtle in its application, It compels colored seament to carry an identification card bearing photo and description, and must be stamped by the police whenever the bearer signs on and pays off a vessel in the United Kingdom. Failure to comply with this police registration may mean deportation. Its scope of appli- cation puts a new phase on the word “alien”"—making dt practically synony- mous with the world color. Nationality’ “Doubtful.” Colored seamen born within the em- pire who have made their homes in the United Kingdom for 30 years or more and who have been officially rec- ognized as British up to April the 6th, 1925, (when this order came into force), ate now classed as of no or “doubtful” nationality; colored sea- men who served in the imperial army and navy during the great war as Brit- ish-born subjects and seamen of color born in England of English mothers are not exempt, unless they have a passport. ’ To obtain 4 passport, which ig evi- dently the only evidence of British na- tonality. asce}ted. 40 exempt the indi- vidual from this “alien” registration has its unique features in this case. This may perhaps be best illustrated by citing a case: A Case in Point. This man was born in the British West Indies. He was married in Bng- land some 20 years ago, and has sajled from the United Kingdom on British vessels aver since. He has a British war identification card bearing his photo and description and declaring his nationality to be a British-born subject. Also, he has a board of trade segman's discharge book as corrobo- rating evidence, He applied for a passport present- ing these as evidence of nationality and was informed that he must pro- duce his birth certificate. When he obtained his birth certificate he again applied for a passport and then re- ceived the information that as @ sea- man his discharge book was quite sut- ficient; that a passport was uane sary and is not therefore, issued to a seaman in following his occupation. No Nationality After All. But, in order to follow his occupa- tion he had to register as an alien, and his registration card gives his natiouality as “doubtful.” Colored seamen who have British passports are ®xempt from the ruling of this order, Dit the position of those who are not’ so fortunate cannot be justly classified’ as other than dis- crimination because of color, — pestis Lloyd George Forces Lord Oxford (Asquith) From Liberal Control LONDON, 0. 17.—Lord Oxford,. better known 48 ex-Premier Asquith, in a letter to Mberal party leaders states that he is resigning from lead- ership of the party. This is a by-product of the British general strike, as Lord Oxford, ss then leader of the liberty party, condemned the strike as illegal, but found that David Lloyd Géorge opposed that view, which George ®&fd did not differ trom that of the tory party in power, The fight between George and Lord Oxford grew bitter and onded by the parliamentary group of the liberal party voting 20 to 12 to support Lioyd George. The resignation of Lord Ox- ford is now the latest development of this conflict. Jailed Five Years, Is Proved Innocent WARSAW, ‘Oct. 17-——The appeal court of Warsaw treated once more the case of the (workers, Schucht and Kowalozik, who have been in hard labor already for five years. y so-called The court eame to the conclusion |*°™* rker next door to YoU! tnat the two mre innocént and that at all—due to the injustice of this| By John Hamilton. | HBRE was a steady expansion dur- ing the war, despite the govern- |ment's generally unfair treatment of the co-operative movement as regards food distribution, military service, and taxation. The taxation of co-operative dividends formed the subject of much |discussion before the royal commis- sion on income tax. These grievances of co-operators against the govern- ment led to a reluctant entry into poli- tics. Opposition was expressed by the Cc. W. 8. and others to affiliation to the labor party or an alliance with that body, and the decision of the Swansea Congress (1917) resulted in the advent of the Co-operative Party. Entry Into Politics. The decision for independent polit- ical action was embodied in the fol- lowing resolution: “That in view of the persistent. attacks and mis representations made by the oppon- ents of the co-operative movement in parliament, and on local administra- tive bodies, this congress is of opin- lion that the time has arrived when co- operators should secure direct repre- sentation in parliament and on all lo- cal administrative bodies. It there- fore calls upon the central board of the Co-operative Union to take such steps as May be necessary to put into operation the terms of the above reso- |iution.” ‘This, déspite the C. W. S. amendment, aiming at delay, was car- \ried by the big majority of 1,979 for; 201 against, Party politics up to this time had ben avoided by, the movement, altho political action had to be taken from time to time to promote or defend co- operative interests. The hostility of private traders led, in 1879, to the appointment of a parliamentary com- mission of inquiry into the conduct of co-operation. This, however, resulted in an unfavorable report to the trad- ers. The following year an attempt was made to induce the president of the board of trade (Mr. J. Chamber- lain), to forbid. government employes taking part in the management of co- operative stores. Pressure from the Co-operative Union resulted in the em- ployes being left alone. In 1892 it was found necessary to establish a parlia- mentary committee, Many of the more progressive so- cieties had linked up with or were working in conjurction with local trades councils and labor parties. When the war came, the “Business as Usual” slogan of capitalism carried in- to effect by capitalist control of poli- tics, pushed the movement into the acceptance of political activity. It must be admitted that the receding of the tide of indignation has largely left the Co-operative Party stranded. The Growth of the Co-operative Party. As was the case with the labor] £93,000,000; Page Three Co-operative Section | Comment This department will appear In every Monday's isaue of the The DAILY WORKER. party some 20 years ago, so in the Co-operative Panty today, many pro- fessing co-operative principles do not support the party, preferring to retain allegiance, as individuals, to the lib- eral and conservative parties. Others, desirous of seeing only one Workers’ Party, are directly affiliated with the labor party. About fifty societies are thus affiliated, tho some of these are also members of the Co-operative Party. The Cooperative Party claim- ed the affiliation of nearly 450 organ- izations representing 2,500,000 co-op- erators in 1922. Many societies, therefore, have refrained from taking the line of independent political ac- tion. In the, general election of Novem- ber, 1918, ten Co-operative candidates went to the poll, only one—Mr. Wat- erson (Kettering)—being returned. In the present parliament there are six Co-operative Party members. A con- sidrable amount of success hag been achieved in local and municipal elec tions. Prolonged negotiations to establish an alliance between the Co-operative and the labor parties culminated in definite proposals for such an alliance being submitted to the Scarborough Congress of 1921. The resolutions in favor of the scheme, as also one sup- porting a direct affiliation to the labor party were defeated. Farming and Manufacturing De- 3 velopments, The C. W. 8. entered into a policy of land purchase which, striotly speak- ing, ante-dated the war as previously mentioned, but war difficulties expe- dited the policy. Farming operations are conducted by many distributive societies as well, the total area owned by the movement in the United King- dom being 63,255 acres, and in addi- tion 11,003 acres are rented. The gen- eral financial results of this develop- ment are anything but encouraging. Other developments including the purchase of a coal mine by the C. W. S., numerous manufacturing extensions and the acquisition of factories. The Cc. W. S. has decided recently, how- ever, not to reopen its house building scheme. Effects of the Trade Slump. The slump in trade and, unemploy- ment has inevitably had the effect of reducing membership and capital in the movement. Industrial disputes, as in the mining industry, 1921, have also contributed to this end. But the reduction has been surprisingly small. Dividends, generally, have been greatly reduced, the C. W. S. suspending pay- ment of same for some time. They have again resumed payment of 2d. in the pound, altho at the expense mainly of depreciation. The follow- ing figures gfve a comparison between the distributive and productive capi- tals of the movement: distributive, wholesale and produc- WORKERS CO-OPERATIVE APARTMENT Press, Seven workers united in the first co- operative camp at Belmore, N. J, Lat- er the Beacon site was rented and still later the first $5,000 was invested in this land. Then $10,000 more and now a third sum of $50,000 to $60,000 is being invested to provide new buildings, adequate sewage system, casino, etc, “At the moderate charge of $15 per week per worker, this co- operative camp has profited enuf for these expansions—in only four years at Beacon. Camp Has ‘Tough Name. Camp Nitgedaiget is owned and managed by the United Workers Co- operative. This organization of wage] workers has grown in nine years from small beginnings to the successful owner of a camp and apartment house, sponsor of a workers’ finance institution, and ambitious builder of a co-operative colony and cooperative’ niovement in the United States, Loan and Borrow. The naw apartment house has 100 rooms for rent to single workers at $15 a month when two share, $23 when one has the room alone. Each Toomer invests $200 just as each apartment resident pays in $200 pen room as sort of building loan, Fifty of the furnished room renter’s $200 goes for furniture. He, too, may borrow half the $200 at exceedingly easy terms from the Workers Co- operative Finance Institution owned by the United Workers Co-operative, ‘When he removes, he gets back his $200, #ince he has no more individu- al ownership of the rooms than apart- ment dwellers, All belongs to the co-operative organization and resi- dents cannot make private profit as in ‘atives by sell- ing their apartment! ‘BUILT TO ACCOMODATE 11 HUNDRED By ESTHER LOWELL, Federated Press. NEW YORK—(FP)—A co-operative apartment house ready for 1,100 peo- ple to move in is not the only achievement of the United Workers Co-oper- ative. Camp Nitgedaiget—-No Worry—is another substantial material asset owned by this group of 2,000 cooperators whose new apartment house, first unit of a planned co-operative colony, was described previously by Federated t = erative expects to build a real labor bank, not one selling bonds and shares and loaning chiefly to business enter- prises. The co-operators’ bank will take workers’ money in accounts and give loans to workers for the co-op- erative apartments at 4 per cent, to workers and their unions or other organizations otherwise at 5 per cents It will get credits and finance further co-operative work. Workers’ savings should be used for co-operative and labor enterprises, the Wnited Workers Co-operative believes. Co-operative enterprises are sounder than those with the element of speculation the United finds, Build- ing loans are more easily obtainable therefore by a truly co-operative or- ganization, The most efficient bust- ness methods are held standard for the United's projects in addition to the purpose of training their own co- operative workers in administration. Membership in the United Workers Co-operative is based on ownership of two shares of stock at $5 each, but no member has more than one vote no matter how much stock he takes. Stock is nondlividend paying. An ini- tiation fee of $1.50 is charged, very member must be a Worker and mem- ber of his union if one exists in his trade, From its modest start the United Workers Co-operative has ex- panded by winning the confidence of ever-larger circles of workers in its soundness and advantages. It is set- ting @ model that intelligent workers elsewhere will find worth studying and following, eee NOTE: In @ previous story on the United Workers Co-operative apart- ment hobse @ typographical error wave 250 instead of 350 apartments as } NEWS AND War and Its Effects---1914 To Date 000,000. The figures in round terme, are for 1922, the “distributive capital being made up thus (on the generous [re 235,000,000; total capital, £128,- side):— ehbare, £73,000,000; loan, £12,000,000$ reserves,» £5,000,000; owing for goods, £3,000,000; total, £93,000,000. “Productive” capital thus:— productive (share and loan) equals £3,000,000; wholesale (share and loan) equals £32,000,000; total, £35,000,000. The estimated aggre- gate membership of the distributive societies for 1928 is 4,580,623. The Co-operative Press. One of the most potent public in- fluences is wielded by the press, and it is remarkable that the labor and co-operative movements in this coun- try has never had an efficient dafly newspaper. Very few of the general public have ever heard of the Coop- erative News. As a matter of fact the News reaches only a fraction of the Co-operative membership (ciroule- tion in 1921, 120,000 copies weekly; 1923, 90,000 copies weekly). Never theless, an agitation has gone on a the publication of a coop daily. The Brighton Congress of 1922 declared in favor of this proposal, A section of the movement has been pressing: for the fimancing and con- trolling @ common daily paper by all sections of the labor movement, For the 1924 Congress the London Co-operative Society tabled a resolu- tion, instructing the Co-operative Union to “explore ways and means of co-operating with the general council of the T. U. C. and the labor party on the basis of the three bodies be coming responsible for the Daily Her- ald. This was taken as an amendment to the central board’s resolution, and list by 1,514 votes to 2,108. The cem tral board’s resolution was as follows: “That this Congress receives tha re port now submitted on the replies ree ceived from 352 societies* re the Scheme for the establishment of a daily paper prepared by the National Co-operative Publishing Society, and notes that it is considered not to be a practical proposal at the present time. It re-affirms tts belief that the interests of the movement would be served by a daily newspaper. owned and controlled by itself. As a means to that end, it calls upon all societies in membership with the Co-operative Union to make every effort to in- crease the gale of the Co-operative News and other co-operative publica- tions, and to prepare the National Co- operative Publishing Society by the gradual accumulation of capital toem- bark upon this nec enterprise at the earliest possible moment.” Thus a narrow view of its interests prevailed, and the movement is com- mitted against supporting the Daily Herald financially, and in favor of establishing its own daily in the dim and distant future. URGE CO-OPS TO ASSIST BRITISH: MINE STRIKERS Appeal Is Sent to All Stores for Aid The Co-operative Central Exchange of Superior, Wis., has sent the follow- ing appeal for aid to the British min- ers to some 500 co-operative stores thruout the country: “The British coal miners are fight- ing against a 10 per cent reduction and a one-hour increase in the work- ig day. Since May 1 they have fought with courage and self-sacrifice, “This struggle is of great impor- tance to the workers of all countries, A defeat would mean an increase of exploitation in every capitalist coun- try. The profiteers would use this defeat as a club against the workers and farmers in thelr respective coun- tries. This struggle must, therefore, call forth the aid and solidarity of the workers of all countries, : “In England, Germany, Soviet Rue sia and other Huropean countries the labor and co-operative organizations are already giving aid. The organized labor in America has taken steps to held the British miners. American co- operatives should follow the example of the co-operatives in other countries and translate the great idea /of oo: operative solidarity into action and hasten to the financial and moral aid of their British class brothers. “Cooperators! Organize immedi. ately @ relief campaign in your co- operati Have a collection box in stores. Circulate Mections Arrange dances oh eatereaay ments for this purpose, Ask your membership meetings and board of directors to donate, “These heroic miners with their families are facing starvation, The co-operative movement should stand with the’miners, “You may send your donations thru the"Co-operative Central Exchange, or thru the International Workers’ Afd, mi ve anything to do to-| their so-called; “confessions” in 1921 To Build Labor Bank, the total in this first unit. 1653 West Madison street, Chicago, Ill, n him this copy of the | were enforced»by moans of inhuman | Out of the Co-o Finance In- hoon “Yours for Co-o y oh Eo a stiation the Uaib ers Co-op-| BUILD THE DAILY WITH A 8UB| “Co-operative Central ee x si — ela Picbbiaid ; palais as Se ble sn de