The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 3, 1926, Page 3

i sinners i NS EE GENEVA LABOR OFFICE MAN IS ON TOUR OF U.S, Galls Labor Problems International By CARL HAESSLER, Federated Press. “Some sort of international machin- Wry for handling labor problems is "bound to obtain universal recognition "pecause the problems themselves are Qnternational,” says Harold Butler, Wleputy director of the league of na- ttons international labor office in Geneva, Switzerland. Butler is jour- Mmeying thru the United States to get first-hand knowledge of its industrial wituation, meeting» employers, trade wmion officials and radicals in an ef- fort to comprehend what he calls the “extraordinary labor situation you ‘have’ here.” Asked why he came to the United ®tates, which is not’a member of the Yeague of nations and has not ratified any of the labor agreements sponsored by the league’s labor office, Butler re- plied that America exercises a pro- found influence on the economic fate ‘ef all other countries, Immigration Law Effects, “Your immigration quota law,” he @aid, “directly affects the labor mar- tet of the rest of the world by dis- “turbing the natural flow of surplus la- bor from one point to another. Your exclusion statutes do the’ same thing. Your tariffs influence production every- where else. And your immense ac- sumulation of investment surplus not nly is a prime factor in the world’s money centers but takes a sort of revenge on your own country by un- dermining the results desired from your immigration laws. You keep out foreign labor, but you are at the same time sending your capital abroad, where it gives to foreigners jobs that formerly went to Americans at home, and you are sending machinery to China and Japan and India, where ‘the populations ‘barred from your whores get factory jobs that displace your factory employes at home.” GOULD WINS IN MAINE. DESPITE GRAFT CHARGES (Special to The Daily Worker) PORTLAND, Me., Dec. 1.—Despite wtrong charges of election graft hang- ing over his head, Arthur R. Gould, republican, won the election to the United States senate by a large ma- jority over his democratic opponent, Fulton J. Redman. Gould's victory now practically as- sures republican control of the senate, the alignment now being 48 republi- eans, 47 democrats, and one farmer- Jaborite, Sen, Shipsted, altho he is now dickering with Coolidge in re- gard to returning to the ok line ranks. Returns from 609 out of 683 pre eincts in the state gave Gould 79,582 votes, and Redman 31,540 votes. Exceeded Spending Limit. Gould was charged with exceeding the election expenditures limit, in- eluding bribery of officials. He was cleared of the charges by the secre- tary of state, who sat as a court, but the democrats are not satisfied with this and announce they will carry the fight against Gould to the senate. The fight will be a bitter one, for if Gould is ousted the republicans will probably lose control of the senate, Had Coolidge Support. Gould received the veiled support of Coolidge in the campaign, despite the fact that Coolidge is supposed to look with disfavor on’ candidates charged with slush fund operations. A telegram from William M, Butler of Massachusetts urging Gould’s elec- tion is seen as demonstrating that Gould has the president’s approval. WASHINGTON — (FP) — The Intl Federation of Trade Unions sums up the Ford 5-day woek as a scheme that will put workers more rapidly on the human scrap-heap, NAVY SECRETARY TELLS HOW HARDING'S GREAT DISARMAMENT WORKS That transferring war from the ocean to the air la one of the august triumphs of Harding’s disarmament conference was disclosed by Seore- tary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur, who detracted attention from the midehipmen’s mascot goat, long enough to tell how the Saratoga and Lexington, originally planned to be dreadnaughts, are being converted into airplane carriers. They will be ready for their trial trips, the secretary sald, by July 1, and soon after that will follow naval alr maneuvers on the most exten- sive scale ever undertaken, Further Nght Is thrown on dis- armament by the secretary’s state- ment that “advances made in air- craft and gunning made it Impera- tive to modernize these ships or scrap them. “Insurgents” in House Trying to Get Back Into Regular Ranks WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.— That so called insurgents in the house of rep- resentatives are moving toward rein- statement in the regular ranks of the republican legislative organization is seen from the action of Representa- tive Frear. Frear has addressed an appeal to progressive republican sen- ators to get their aid in helping the ‘Wisconsin delegation back into the ramks. Frear’s action is apparently inspired by @ like move in the sen- ate. He points out that house members of long-time service have been kicked off committees or relegated to minor positions because of their “insurg- ency.” Before reinstatement is ef- fected Frear wants the demotions ad- justed. THE SEASON BRINGS SOCIOLOGICAL PHENOMENON OF BEING ‘GOOD FELLOW’ Once s year, in these later decades, the Rotarian and Kiwanian becomes sociologists. They leave the butter and egg counter, the law court, the La Salle street ticker, to become Good Fellows. It's Christmaa season, you mow. : No, it isn’t exactly a celebration to honor the proletarian agitator of Gali- lee, the one who upset the ticker in the temple at Jerusalem and drove the brokers out, It is that, as Christmas draws near, those who have for eleven and a fialf months worshipped Mammon seek to, ward off an arterio sclorosis of the sentiments by taking thought for the suffering masses in the slums. The price of a luncheon at a downtown club is a small price to pay for etimu- lating a sluggish heart action, And then—it is a salve to the poor. A Christmas basket is far preferable to a revolution. Better to-put an or- ange in a child’s stocking than to be forced to fight on the white guard side of the barricade. Better, far better, Santa Claus than the Third International, The capitalist papers, which for twelve months of the year scarcely print a line of labor news that is not biased, where it is not false, turn in ardently to boost for the Good Fellow movement. “Neither you nor I get anything out of this except the feeling that you have saved some child from sorrow on Christmas morning,” writes the Good Fellow editor of the Tribune, without asking why the “family wage,” made up of father’s earnings, the pit- tance mother gets scrubbing office floors at night, big brother’s wages as a telegraph messenger, and big sis- ter’s alleged earnings at the Five-and- Ten-Cent Store, where she wears out 9 cents of shoe leather in making a dime, does not suffice to fill baby's stocking and leave am undivided eur plus for old age. “Perhaps,” continued the Tribune, “a 265-cent doll or a 10-cent toy wouldn’t mean much to the children you know, but to the poor child these TFRANGE TRYING PROMINENT MEN AND WOMEN, UNABLE TO ATTEND SACCO-VANZETTI MEETING, SEND MESSAGES OF STRONG SYMPATHY At the mass meeting in behait of Sacco and Vanzetti at Ashland Audi- torlum there were read numerous let- ters and telegrams from well-known men and women who could be present only in spirit, Clarence Darrow, writing that his health did not permit him to come out that evening, added: “I know that two of the investigators for the federal government who were engaged to prosecute these men have come out with statements showing that some of the evidence was untrue.” Paul Douglas, of the University of Chicago, who was out of town on that evening, sent a statement in which he wrote: “It seems fairly clear that they were not given a fair trial. I be- Heve, therefore, that they should’ be given a new trial in which new be produced.” in a po i 4 on which was embodied a demand “that the state of Massachusetts give jus- tice to our two persecuted fellow work- ers, Sacco and Vanzetti and grant them the new trial common justice demands.” A. E, Holt, of Chicago Theological Seminary, wrote: “I attended a few sessions of the firat trial of th en and it has left a lasting impression on my mind, All of the men in whom I have confidence, who have had any connection with this trial believe that these men are innocent.” From Fred A, Moore, of the Chicago came that Forum, the message: “I know t there are reasonable grounds for securing a new trial or at least @ hear- ing before the highest tribunal pos- sible.” Jane of Hull House, thru THE DAILY WORKER TO FORESTALL GERMAN FREEDOM Briand Reluctant to Give Up Control — (Special to The Dally Worker) PARIS, Dec, 1. — Foreign Minis- ter Briand is now grasping at straws to delay the approaching time when the interallied commission of military control must relinquish its power over Germany to a special investigat- ing committee of the league of na- tidns. France is reluctant to give up| its domination over Germany's mill- tary activities until it is sure all con- cessions possible ‘have been wrung from Germany. This domination, however, will cease when the league of nations council meets in Geneva. Seizes Upon Slim Excuse, The council of ambassadors which is considering the matter for the al- lies hag found that there is some “obscurity” surrounding the nature of certain patriotic societies in Ger many, certain war material supplies and fortifications on the eastern frontier of Germany. A long letter has been addressed to Foreign Minia- ter Stresemann of Germany asking him to “explain” these activities be- fore the council can act definitely. This is seen as merely an excuse seized upon by Briand in his desper- ate effort to forestall the time when Germany will be free from France’s control. Italy on Horizon. The spectre of Italy’s foreign pol- icy is being. thrown into the situation and this is causing Briand some nerv- ousness. It is believed that he will went to talk to Germany with Great Britain at the same time, but wants Italy left out of the negotiations. Italy, he wants saved for a separate conference. ' in an otherwise empty stocking mean much,” Yeu, and the pity of it ie that a 10- cent foy does mean much to many chil- dren. A sociologist above the men- tality of a Rotarian or Kiwanian might Jands of heretically suggest that in an era when machinery can do the work of hundreds of men and when natural resources are still abundant, and when ‘technical skill is at high efficiency, it is physically possible to provide food, elothing and shelter to everyone en- gaged dn productive work and to their young dependants. And as for the parasite and exploiter, he, too, should be set at productive work before he gets even the 10-cent toy or 15-cent cigar. In @ world equipped to produce plenty we suggest that every day should be a Christmas, and that char- ity, in ite narrow sense of handing out doles, be relegated to a historical setting as dim as the Mesozoaic age which, if we mistake not, was the age of reptiles. By all means, let the children have an orange—every morning f@ break- fast, to come out of dad’s pay! Cal Is Peeved When Newspapers Act as His “Official Spokesman” (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, Dec, 1.— Presi- dent Coolidge is peeved over the numerous oracles, journalistic and otherwise, whdse utterances from time to time purport to carry the weight of authenticity and White House appro- val, This was made plain at the White House today, on the heels of the tart announcement that Mr. Coolidge em- ploys no “spokesmen” to represent him, politically or otherwise, save when he chooses to transmit his wish- es to congress through duly elected leaders of the two houses or chairman of important committees, ‘The spark that aroused Cal’s ire and provoked the White ‘House announce- ment was an editorial appearing in a local newspaper in which Senator Fess of Ohio, was quoted as saying that President Coolidge would be the republican nominee in 1928, that Al Smith would obtain the democratic nomination, and that prohibition would be the paramount issue, Bulgarian Regime Is Defeated in Election SOFIA, Dec. 1. -—’The Bulgarian government was badly defeated in the communal elections held here Sunday, almost complete returns indicate. The government was repudiated in such large cities as Sofla, More than halt its seats were won in the rural dis- tricts. The workers, socialists and inde- pendent agrarians gained five seats in the elections, The government won nine seats, the Malinoff coalition won seven seats and the independent liberals one seat, Charge Boys Are Burglars, Contessions by three boys, the old- est just 12, have cleared up a series laries, according to police. Local ings Evidence Against Officials (Continued trom page 1.) instructed by the accused himself. Altho Local 905 was alone in begin- ning the movement to bring to light the corruption in the official body it has since been joined by locals 1011, 874, 848 and 499 which in all compose about one third of the locals affiliated with the district council, - In the lopment of this case 4t is believed it can be shown that thous- p}iars have been exacted from employers to “ensure the con- tinuation % pleasant relations” be- tween the bosses and the painters, The technique by which Zausner’s magic fingers alleged to have turned | bits of pa) into gold would make | King Midag'‘turn green with envy and serve as R graduation course for | Ponzi. Siiifingly the unarmed band- | its lined their billfolds, it appears, and | left a trafl’for investigators like a fish leaves in water: Conduct Audit. Informat on which the accusing committee, bases its charges is not hearsay but an audit of the treasury reports, oii minutes of all meet- ings of the’ district council over a period of 19 months ending July 29 last and various other authentic docu- ments, Thig audit was carried on by Falk, Dworkin and Co., accountants and auditors, 670 Seventh Ave., New York City. In this report the methods | used by the officials are laid bare. | It is claimed by the accused officials | that as the books of the district coun- cil themselves have not been audited that the charges cannot be substan- tiated. However, the books are wholly based on items contained in the offi- cial minutes, Auditors claim for this reason that, whereas books can be doctored, the minutes cannot. But even if the contention of the accused were true it becomes more of a self- accusation than @ defense for if the amounts charged can be shown to have been purloined by an examina- tion of the minutes, what a wealth of evidence would greet an audit of the books! | Exhibit One. Exhibit one in the report of the auditors lists 830 names of candidates who were accepted by the examining board during the 19 months period and yet whose initiation fees of $75 each are not entered in the council’s records as having been received. The crux of the matter, the reason why the minutes of the meetings and the treas- er’s reports are as valuable as proof as the books themselves lies here. When a member is accepted his name is Usted in;the minutes and the $75 initiation fee is retained, this item then appearing in the treasury report. The 330 mames enumerated in Ex- hibit one should have been recorded as accepted but were not so recorded and yet each one of these members paid him $75. That these amounts have been paid is established by the fact that, according to custom, this money must be put up before cases are Considered, $24,750 in One Item. It is also- further shown by inter- views with;the men themselves and by documentary evidence such as ap- plication blanks forwarded to local secretaries showing the payments. These men were all given working | cards and due books as members of the union but their fees were never reported as deposited in the treasury nor were their names included among those reported as accepted in the minutes of the meetings. The total amount unaccounted for in this one item is $24,750, | The reason that this scheme could) be made to work is the fact that seven- ty-five per cent of the names listed are obviously of Italian, Greek and Slavic members, The locals to which | they belong-are non-English speaking | locals, Coptes of the minutes sent to! such locals: would probably not be) perused with much diligence and would therefore fail to comprise the | council's officers. ‘Another Trick. Another #ruitful source of income Broved to%be the honorary member- | ship trick#it is charged. A consider- | able numbef of members who actually | paid $75, the full initiation fee, were | Usted as**honorary members | and checked in as having paid $5 each. The ‘repott of the auditors points out that d¥ove mentioned suspected defaleations refer only to the matter | of initiation fees, but that there are many other'sources of revenue such as | per capit#"taxes, fines, apprentices’ dues, etc. ‘There are also great op-| portunities’ in the matter of listed re: funds. A list of initiation fees re- funded, which are suspected of being improper, is included in the report, In this matter, ft is pointed out, only | access to thé books of the counetl | and their comparison to the members’ | dues books would disclose the truth, | Urged Probe. With this {information the commit- tee from Local 905 urged the executive board at Lafayette to make a thoro investigation of the affairs of the dis- trict. Following this request by Local 905, and after the district officials had heard that an investigation was im- | Charge Graft.in N. Y. Painte Auditors of District Conseil Accounts Show Evidence of Graft and Challenge New Leader’s Article Defending Zausner ‘Page ‘Three rs Union body. It was held that but one shoula enter at a time despite the constitu. {tion which allows three, a fact pointed jout by the com 36. Zausner, him- self, however, realized that this pro- cedure was too strong. After he re quested that the three be allowed to — lenter they were admitted. What was Following are copies of letters sent to the investigating committee of |Previously wrong had become right Local 905 of the New York Painters’ District Council by the auditors, Falk, | by Zausner’s esircaney of it. Dworkin & Co., who are investigating the case. The first letter tells of the | ok elitrad te crease ae results of the audit thus far and the second letter deals with an article 8 | himself nor Wm. Hartley, treasuref of pearing in the socialist New Leader, against whose accusations the auditors jin, district council, who was put up have brought sult: or 2a |by Zausner. An examination of the hid |have been instructed to take action |bank books was also not allowed. Ba ee 15, 1926. | thereon | Zausner Evades. Mr. Thomas Wright, Rec. Sec’y, yours fraternally | 9 5 tr ‘ Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators ie DWORKIN &co. | prs cane bani and Paperhangers of America, | "(si ned) J, A. Falk Satie: ie ce on ae Local Unton 908, ened) J. A, Palk. | responsibility in money matters, this 920 Prospect eee | October 28, 1926, | Delonging, he contended, to the finan- New York City. IMr. Thos, Wright, Rec. Sec’y, |clan secretary. Zausner’s actual re- Dear Mr, Wright: | We wish to acknowledge receipt of | your communi¢ation and enclosure of article by Ph, Hockstein, which ap- peared in the: !‘New Leader” under date of November 13, 1926. | If this article emanates from or is |inspired by the office of the New York | District Council No. 9, as we are given to understand it does, then we take much pleasure in making the following |Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators |*?° msibility, which’ could not’ be |brought out at the trial on account of jthe refusal of cross-examination, is shown by Article 8, Section 4 6f the | by-laws of the district, which says the secretary's duties are, among others, Dear Mr. Wright: to “attest all money orders drawn on We are at present engaged on the|+1. council, also keep a record of all examination of the minutes of New) owiors of whatever purpose on the York District Council No, 9 for the] pinutes” and to “receive proposition year 1924. Altho we have merel¥| (initiation) fees and issue permite for scratched the surface so far, we have} .ame and turn same over to the Anat. and Paperhangers of America, Local Union No. 905, 920 Prospect Ave., New York City. reply: |already found irregularities and frauds | We are willing to confer with a com- mittee composed of the principal of- ficers of District Council No. 9, in-| cluding Zausner, Koenig and Hartley, accompanied by 1, Representatives of a firm of cer- tified public accountants of New York, |preferably a well-known firm such as) Price, Waterhouse & Co., Marwick, Mitchell, Peat & Co., Seidman &“Seid- man, Arthur Young & Co., Barrow, Wade, Guthrie & Co., or selection to be made by Accountants’ Association of New York. 2. Representatives of Local Unions 905 and 1011. 38. Any or all the partners of Messrs, Falk, Dworkin & Co. At such a conference the repres- entatives of the firm of certified ac- countants are to be given full in- structions to make a thoro examina- tion of all the memoranda, books and records that we have in our posses- sion relative to the District Council No. 9 and upon which we based our recent report and subsequent cor Tespondence. if such an examination by a firm of accountants referred to above, does not bear out the substance of our) recent report, then we shal] commit ourselves to a donation of $1,000.00 cash to the New York District Council No. 9, to be used in the best interest of the Painters’ Union, and $1,000.00 | further donation to ba made by us to) any other organization that may be suggested by a majority of the above | conferees. We are further willing to bear one- half of the expenses that will be in- curred in engaging a firm of ac- countants, if such accountants’ report will discredit us. If on the other hand, such account ants’ report will substantiate and bear us out, then the officers of the Council individually and collectively, shall in the first place, bear the full expenses to be incurred in engaging such a firm of accountants, and furthermore, Pay to us in damages, a sum of money to be agreed upon by the majority of the conference committee as outlined above. As to the legal responsibility on the part of the “New Leader,” in publish- ing the article referred to, our at- torneys, Messrs, Cook and Dworkin of 570 Seventh avenue, New York City, Painters’ ist New Leader, in which it was main- | tained, serenely, that the investigation was the desire of the officials them- selves, instead of being the result of the demand of Local 906. Incidentally the New Leader ar ticle resulted in a sult for $75,000 filed by Falk, Dworkin and Co. The New Leader said the accountants | were not certified, that thelr report | was based on hearsay and that they were members of the Communist Party, all of which they deny. Whitewash Victim. The result of the executive board's appearance in New York was a hear- ing at which Charles Koenig, financial | |from various sources. We have found |a considerable number of cases where- |in vouchers are made out and de- scribed as refund of initiation fees, | when no such fees were ever received, jor if received never turned in to the council's treasury. In other cases when candidates made part payments on account of initiation fee, not all the payments were turned in. more we dig into the affairs of the New York District Council No. 9 the |more do we discover all sorts of high handed methods and trickery used for the purpose of defrauding and em- bezzling funds by the officers of the council, We also have the strongest evidence possible in several cases where the of- fice (District Council No. 9) reports a refund to employers of cash bonds, that such refunds went to the pockets of the officers of the council and not to the employers as reported. We are now in a position to amend our original estimate that about $30,- 000.00 was misappropriated and say In other words the/ cial secretary every week.” Altho waving the banner of progres- sivism, Zausner’s incumbancy of office in the painters’ organization has proved of most advantage to the bosses’ organization which has never before flourished strongly. A sug |gestion of Zausner’s makeup fs fm dicated by a recent action. One of |the bosses, I. Orles, received an af |fidavit from Zausner maintaining he was living up to union rules and thet |there was no basis for action against jhim, such as was being carried on by |the Brooklyn District Council. This jaffidavit served Ories in getting an t» |junction against the Brooklyn counedl, " Policy of Suppression. Zausner’s program in office has been jone of suppression and expulsion. The democratic rights of members have |been annihilated, He has advocated, jencouraged and energetically pushed |thru propositions in collaboration with the bosses. The fight now being con- jducted against Zausner will pave the |way for an honest administration by |putting the leadership of the district |simply a huge joke. in its place that it may probebly |council into the hands of men who will teach atiywhere betweus $100,000.00 | 100k after the welfare of the workers fight for the rights of the men 200,000.01 he period of Ph. |@0¢ Sr tae: elaine Nothing was |28ainst the encroachment of the em- left undone by the officers to rob the jDloyers. |treasury of the council in all sorts of | manners and methods, and as the | situation now stands the dignity and importance of the New York District Council No..9 for the last fy years is NEW YORK ANGRY 5 DON'T GET JOBS We now address ours: 8 not only to your Local 905 and/to the other) locals of New York City, but also to the District Council itself and finally with all respect to the elected chiefs | of your brotherhood who are now as- | sembled in the city. Being a union Break from Coolidge firm ourselves we make bold to go ——— out of our accepted path as profes-/ NEW YORK, Dec. 1.—Genmbling, sional accountants to say that unless amounting to almost a roar, is being a systematic and thoro investigation /heard from republican party hench- is made of Mr. Zausner’s administra-|men here because they are not get- tion since he went into office, with ting enough political “spoils” from the the purpose in view of punishing all |national prohibition department, those proven guilty as a warning to| The republicans will soon be out of others in similar situations, that not/a job because of the defeat of the par- one union painter in the city of New |ty in the last state election, and feel York will be able to raise his head that they should be “taken care of” without feeling a keen sense of dis-|hy Washington and given soft jobs as gust, horror and shame. federal prohibition agents. Yours fraternally, | Coolidge Listens In. FALK, DWORKIN & CO. | When the disgruntled political op (Signed) J. A. Falk, |Portunists learned that out of 175 ———-—- |agents in one district in New York, Henchmen Threaten comedy, it is charged. The proceedings thruout were marked by the mailed fist of unconstitutionality, action, in- deed, that was almost superfious in that the jury was practically privately selected by Zausner from ranks open to reward or punishment from the en- trenched bureaucracy itself. The Mock Trial. Bach local sends in a delegate from the total of which five men are chosen 103 are democrats, they caused such 8 uproar that Coolidge is sending Frank W. Stearns as his personal representa tive to try to appease the “supporters.” Samuel S. Koenig, president of the republican county committee, has re \fused to intervene in their favor, and |this had made the district leaders ever jmore angry 1 | Threaten Withdrawal. | One of the’lame-duck# has threaten jed. that if matters are not mended to constitute the trial committee, delegates from 23 districts in the Nev three only being needed to exonerate York prohibition area to the nationa fies be pa over the | republican convention in 1928 wil eres oe sere cae, CONN | withdraw their. support from the ad from Local 905 was excluded by an| -: acid ministration. order from the chair. This allowed | : secretary of the district, was suspend- | Zausner full use of the challenge and ed pending investigation. It is under-| prevented the accusers from using it. | stood that Koenig was merely selected | Zausner’s actual control of the whole | as the victim by his former co-work-| proceedings was shown in an ironic | ers, showered with generosity, patted |fashion. The court attempted to pre-| on the back and told to disappear vent three members of the Local 905 | which he has done. The suspension jaccusing committee appearing in a Get Show Receipts. ST. LOUIS, Dee. 1 An anutome bile load of bandits shot and wounde: the treasurer of the St. Louls Theate and @ policeman, acting as guard, an took approxima $10,000, represen | ing the theater's week-end receipts, was to be a bone thrown to the ac-| cusers to appease their hunger. | Koenig's fade-out has proved complete Despite the issuance of a summons by the west side court he cannot be | found. The investigation by the exe- cutive board is still under way. In the meantime charges against | Zausner wero filed in accordance with the constitution of the district council which resulted not in a trial but a Chicago Me Daily Worker Agents’ | Meeting | FRIDAY NIGHT, | minent, they displayed rare daring by themsel the executive board to make an investigation. This 1 trick was exploited | in an «sella DEC. 3 | at 19 S. Lincoln Street " Daily Worker Entertainment Sunday, December 5, 8:30 P. M. _ FINNISH WORKERS’ HALL 15 West 126th Street, New York City ‘(All for The DAILY WORKER) ee ww cece tact: it. ttt Mama ta mats nema a