The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 21, 1926, Page 2

rr. 7 N.Y. UNIONISTS DEMAND SIGMAN RESIGN OFFICE Militant Crowd Jams: Madison Sq. Garden 1) stood up to the right winger t down without precip (Continued from page dred left win they could se immediately 4: itating a disturbance Hyman in. his speech that he would ask t! tr turn to work on whatever terms were decided upon between Sigman and the sub-manufacturers. however, was not to. be the end of the 4attle said. Tha busingas’s agent announced to ra 1d repre sentatives o ni be national vould be f workers the shops. lance Needed. ning on the ship alone of the me Vi into the tributed w haos to the ling to the plans loose and er when Hyman commen Spoil Plans. The program was dislocated when Charles Z introd| the resolution. bef Hyman m hi speech. This passed without the slightest commotion. Also the main body of gangsters numbering about 200 were not allowed admit- tance. The few dozen Sigmanites who succeeded in get into-the hall were immediat recognized when they refused to stand when the vote on the resolution was called. The booing and hissing which they ther received apparently was sufficient for when Hyman later rose to speak only one woman in a weak voice uttered the words, “Hurrabfor Sigman.” This resulted in a wave of laughter. Sigman himself appeared at the doors of the garden. He had been in- vited by Hyman the day previous. However, he refused to enter himself without being attended by his 200 hired gangsters. No Disturbance. In expectation of clashes between the Sigmanites and the left wing scores of policemen were stationed within and without the garden. A doz en or more mounted policemen gal- loped up and down the streets outside the garden. There were, however, no disturbances whatsosver excepting minor ¢cuffles when individual gang- sters on being refused admittance tried to push thelr way in. Thronghout the demonstration the masses burst out into thundrous ap plause- for Hyman and the other la bor leaders of the strike. Every men- tion of Sigman, the Jewish Datly For ward, and Beckerman was the signal for a deafentng mass of “boos.” Hyman thoroughly explained his po- gition to the assembled cloak and dressmakers. . Invited Sigman. “I {mvited Morris Sigman to attend | this meeting to lay his accusations be- fore the membership but he has failed to show up,” said Hyman: “I didn’t make a reply to his accusation before the general executive board of the in- ternationalu because I said then that! intended to state my position before the general membership and I asked Sigman to do the same. I said I would be willing to withdraw froin the leadership of the general strike committee if the membership should ask me to do so. “But you see that Sigman is afraid to appear before the membership. He knows he would be completely repudi- ated. He knows that the only reason that he is able to remain as president « Of the international is because he re- ceived the votes at the convention of felegates from paper locals, locals which could never be found if you at- tempted to hunt for them. Under the constitution seven members can form @ local. Before an election hundreds of these locals are formed and they |* send voting delegates to the conven- ton, ‘ Sigmaf’s “Sigman was (Purpose. asked after hig elec: tion how he could have the dignity to| accept the presidency when he knew that locals 35, 9, 22, 2 and the entire joint board of the Chicago district, constituting the vast majority of the membership, were against him. He said then he would not have the dig nity to do so except thet he had a purpose. Today we see what that purpose was. It was to betray the strike and by stepping in at a critical period to seize the control of the Joint board and the locals, im the capitalisit press Sig- man he never wanted the strike, that !t was called unconstitutionally withont the calling of a rendum, mt Sigman was himself a member of RETURNS BY LOCALS if Fabulation of Miners’ Election Returns | President | Local Lewis Brophy |1302, Ohio . 33 142 1492, Ml, 134 178 2553, Ill. 155 428 494, Tl, 1) ae 71 1782, TH. ...: 112 3900, Pa., Dist. 5 58 117 i 21 96 156 141 24 2 52 116 39 49 89 99 136 65 26 64 | 0) 27 Locals 303 492 494 International Board Member— Dobbins 143 112 88 Voyrey 186 40 128 District President— |, Fishwick ...... 194 106 82 Tumulty .... i387 176 258 Vice-President— Sneed 213 94 66 McQuinn 58 26 57 Secretary-Treasurer— Nesbit 165 109 96 Conturiaux ..443 49 106 the advisory committee. Also Sigman he say that long ago? Also Sigman Ww one of the first to protest agains: ne issuance of injunctions against the strikers. He got his picture the papers to show he was a fighting president of the international. _ He didn’t say anything about the strike being unconstitutional then. Why did he permit the strike’s continuance all “| these months? Framed Lockout. “But recently he has said it was necessary for him to step in and take control of the strike in order to get the employers to withdraw their lock- out, There never was a lockout. It was a paper lockout only and it was framed up purposely to give Sigman a chance to say an emergency existed so that he could seize control of the joint board and the locals. “But the agreement which Sigman and his forces will get from the em- ployers will look good on paper. It will be worded so that it will look like a victory for. the workers. actually it way. Representatiyes of the employ- ers came to me and made the same proposition. They said they knew I would be attacked if I signed an agreement which looked like a defeat. For thet reason they would be willing to sign any agreement so long as they could have a private understanding that the full terms of the agreement were not carried out. This is the kind of agreement Sigman will get. Strike Over. “Now as far as we are ‘concerne: the strike is over. We will order th strikers back to work on the terms of the agreement which {is obtained fron. the impartial board. But the cloak- makers will not recognize represen tatives and business agents of. the in ternational. You have stood by thc joint board so far and we expect you |to stand by it in fufuré and to recog- nize only the representatives which you yourselves have elected.” Hyman further said he was per- fectly willing to have a referendum ov the controversy conducted by the Civil Liberties Union or an impartial body but would not submit to a fake referendum conducted by the inter- national. A lengthy demonstration followed |Hyman’s speech in which it was ap- parent that the whole membership would give him the support he asked. Other Speakers. Other speakers who were loudly applauded were Charles Zimmerman, M. Rubin, Joseph Boruchowitz, Rose Wortis, Ben Gold, and Julius Port- noy. Telegrams were received express- ing the support of the Chicago joint board and the Passaic strikers. Ii was announced in the Passaic tele- gram that another mill the fourth had signed up with the union. Julius Portnoy, in charge of the fi- nances of the strike, announced that there would be sufficient money’ to pay strike benefits due to the re- sponse being made for financial aid. He said many dressmakers were not paying their dues because they were afraid to pay them. to the wrong group but that this was being straightened out and that the dues were coming in satisfactorily. The meetings of the impartial board were concluded Saturday and a decision is expected either Sunday or Monday. X ‘Complete Combination. As an indication of the completé- ness of the combination of the forces arrayed against the left wing it can be noted that Ed. Levinson, assistant editor of the New Leader, obtained \y |press card from the Herald-Tribune’ and gained admission. He gat at the press table where he did what he could to explain to the reporters the Sigman viewpoint. Portugal Returns Territory. LISBON—The “Kiogna Triangle,” formerly .a part of German Bast Af- rica is to be returned by Portugal to, Germany, The treaty of Versailles alloted it to Portugal as “the orginal and rightful owner.” It ig the first territory lost by Germany to be re- turned to her. WRITE AS YOU FIGHTL RETURNS BY LOCALS—DISTRICT 12 Vice-President Murray Stevenson Secretary-Treas. Kennedy Brennan 45 124 29 107 124 466 82 113 189 ; 96 260 + 128 1 164 73 44 210 214 98 317 74 87 79 21 84 144 147 124 107 32 51 26 41 57 96 56 97 49 36 56 35 89 86 i 55 112 7 107 50 29 56 26 44 0 27 0 23 * 8 (Illinois) 705 1471 2553 1782 67 90 106 130 60 251 5 . 90 94 208 261 192 365 290 34 86 121 90 16 120 182 99 122 151 51 176 VOTE HEAVY AGAINST LEWIS IN DISTRICT 5 PENNSYLVANIA LOGALS Reports received by The DAILY WORKER from four locals in Dis- trict 5 of the United Mine Workers’ Union in Western Pennsylvania show John Brophy getting much the better of the contest with John L.. Lewis. The locals and their votes are as follows: Cokesburg Local, Lewis 1, Brophy 142; Local 155, Lewis 4, Brophy 58; Local 2278, Lewis 0, Brophy 27; Local 2210, Lewis 21, Brophy 96. The vote on the other international officers was compara- tive. FINGER PRINT But} will not work out that} LAWS OPPOSED BY FEDERATION Capmakers Report. 40- Hour Week Won belly The executive of the Chicago Fed- eration of Labor reported to the regu- ar meeting of that body on Sunday 1 letter received by the federation ‘rom the Council’ for the Protection xf the Foreign-Born and urged its affiliated members to endorse and aid he fight against alien registration and finger print bills now before con- gress. Horseshoers’ Peace. President Fitzpatrick reported that a long struggle between two horse- shoers’ locals in Chicago, one a mem- ber of the Blacksmiths’ International and the other not, had been amicably settled thru the offices of President William Green who came here spe cially for the occasion. Without cracking a smile, Secretary Ed Nockels reported a recommenda- tion for the Chicago Federation of ‘La- bor to undertake the construction of a 70-story labor temple which, he said would cost approximately $75,000,000. it was estimated that an annual rent- al of some $7,000,000 would pay the cost of construction in ten years. Win 40 Hours, The delegate from the Chicago cap- makers reported that his union had signed an agreement with the employ- ars providing for a forty-hour week beginning July 1, 1927. The announce- nent was greeted enthusiastically by he delegates. The Men's Teachers’ Federation asked that action be taken on the manner in which the child labor laws of Illinois are executed at the expense of the compulsory education statutes. The matter was recommended to the legislative’ Committee for action. Radio Losing, Secretary Nockels suid that the last drive for radio funds had netted some $2,000, while as much more was yet expected. Compared with these re- ceipts, the cost of maintaining the la- bor radio station runs to $1,000 a week, He said only. 85 local unions hee paid up their radio fund obliga- tions, “The pen ts mightier than the sword,” provided you know, how to use it. Come down and learn row in the worker correspondent's classes. MARTIAL LAW IS PROCLAIMED IN iS Lewis Reports Prepare for Election Steal SPRINGFIELD, IIl-—John L. Lewis is worried about this election in the miners’ union. For three days after jelection day (last Tuesday) the inter- | national president of, the United Mine | Workers of America;hyng around the |C, & A. depot at train time in the |morning, anxiously. jassuring . miners | going out to work that he had won. | “Brophy was beat in his own dis- | trict,” said Lewis in these impromptu, post-election speeches. oI have won the anthracite wre tand I'am re- elected.” . The reports issnd from interna- tional headquarters ii Indianapolis to the press, and the reports emanating jare all to the same effect. There is a tendency to hang out special informa- tion to the anthracite that District, 12 is for Lewis, and to inform District t2 (Illinois) that the anthracite (Pennsyl- vania) is for Lewis. No one in Dis- trict 12 dares to say that District 12 is for Lewis. But general and sweep- ing claims of widespread Lewis enthusiasm, locality vaguely indicated, are filling the papers, Along with this goes a statement that official returns may be delayed for weeks or months. Preparing to Fake Vote. Miners recognize this as the pre- liminary to a@ collossal election steal, to be put across by failing to count the ballots until after the convention has adjourned, and then issuing a mere statement that Lewis has been elected by such and such majority, no returns by locals being printed. The constitution provides for the re- turns by locals to be sént to all lo- cals by January 10, but Lewis ig- nored this provision When he stole the election from Voyzey two years ago. * The returns by locals are being col- lected as rapidly as possible and will be printed in The DAILY WORKER, and in The Coal Miner; the “Save the Union” paper in this city. They do not support Lewis’ claims, A telegram from Zeigler, Ill, from the “Save the Union” committee there, states that two Zeigler locals gave Brophy 1,206 votes and Lewis but 482 The average of all logs there showed votes about three Lewis: They also showed Joe Tumulty, the progressive tandidate for presi- dent of District 12, catrying by a good majority in all locals These reports | are typical of all recéived so far, ex- cept in isolated cases*where the vote was stolen by local téllers. JOB OWNERSHIP AND DEMOCRACY. WILL NOF MATE “Is Democracy Possible Under Car- italism?” was the subject of a debate {Sunday afternoon before a packed |bouse in Orchestra Hall between Prof. Scott Nearing who said “n and Prof. James Le Rossignal of Ne- braska University who said “yes. Job ownership, Nearing said, made | democracy impossible. As an ex-| ample he cited the Ford industries where 220,000 men are dependent for Jobs as vassals of Ford. “Drawing pay and spending it,” said Nearing, “is not a democratie,function. But taking part in mabe tats, deciding who shall head the companies and the line of policy, 1s democratic.” One $—One Vote. “Democracy means one man equais one vote, while autodracy means one dollar equals one yote, The Unite: States is a demonstration of the im possibility of democracy under capi talism., This country-is run by And rew Mellon, Herbert.Hoover and the combined capitalists of Commerce.’ 7 Like Matrimony. Le Rossignol caised merriment among his listeners when he declar- ed that democracy and ¢apitalism is similar to a wife, youtéan’t live with her or without her. He said he thot Nearing exaggerated :the lack of de- mocracy, The conditfon of the work ers is improving. “A worker is no longer kickéd around as in the old days but is treated with politeness,” brot a ripple of laughter as did also, “Capitalism is kow-towing to democ- racy. In department stores, for ex- ample, the customer ‘8 right.” LITHUANIA; WORKERS’ IN REVOLT (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.—Martial law has been proclaimed in Lithuantay|: newspapers have been suppressed, the diet has been dissolved and the president and cabinet officers of the old government, overturned by a mili- tary coup d'etat, have been imprisoned, the state department was advised today by American Consul Heingartner at Kovno. Labor unions were reported preparing a counter-revolt. "Another S pabk said Memel hi as foreigners,” t jen declared a free state. The military ment charging the old government had been rnment issued rear ALL FOR BROPHY |from the district office in Springfield | one against | | bal the Chamber “selling the country to)! Get a copy of tne Amertcan Wo N today’s issue The DAILY WORKER. publishes the first | news story direct from the infor | mation department of the bureau of | foreign affairs of the Canton (Na- tional Revolutionary) government of | China. This is significant. | It ig an indication that the Cantofi government realizes the necessity | of developing contacts with the | workers of other countries, espe- cially the American working class. The DAILY WORKER greets this | developing bond of unity between the Chinese revolutionary masses and the working class of-the United States and pledges itself to do everything possible to promote this growing solidarity of oriental and occidental toil. ‘ee The Chinese nationalist revolu- tion combats the blockade of the imperialist powers in many respects, just as the Bolshevik revolution in Russia was forced to tear its way, and still must, thru the cordons of the capitalist enemies to the west, The Soviet Union has been success- ful in progressively breaking down the food, financial, news and other blockades imposed upon her. China is doing the same, ( Pee Bae Canton, formerly the capital city of the Chinese revolutionary gov- ernment (now removed to Wu- chang), has no direct cable coi’ munication with the world. Cable connections are made at Hong Kong, which is still held in the fist of the British empire, Canton is inland and has estab- lished Its own seaport at Whampoa, which is gradually taking all ship- ping away from the British port. Canton is also building its own wire- less station, hoping soon to hurl its news and its views to the world in spite of the British censorship, } * 8 But the censorship does not exist at Hong Kong alone. There is a censorship and a perversion ofall Chinese news in every capitalist editorial office on the globe. Just as the state department, headed by “Nervous Nellie” Kellogg at Wash- ington, acts as the press agent of Wall Street against Mexico, Gau- temala and other countries of Cen- tral and South America, so it acts as the propaganda medium of Amer- ican imperialism against the Far Hast. It is still propaganda that is fed to the American capitalist press as real “news” by the various dollar- controlled news distributing agen- cies, especially the Associated Press. “e ® The” Chinese national revolution must therefore place its reliance American Labor Must Be Better Informed About the Revolution in China By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. ° upon the American labor press, es- pecially upon its Communist and left wing sections. Publicity material, by mail and cable, should be poured into the United States and sent to the whole of the world press, telling of the struggle of the Chinese worker masses thus far, interpreting the meaning of this struggle not only for China, but also for the working class of this and all countries, It must point out the goal toward which the struggle is heading. It must be made clear why, in the words of the Kuomintang (Chinese People’s Party) spokesman at the plenum of the executive of the Com- munist International at Moscow, “the Chinese revolution is but a part of the world social revolution.” ie a The American Federation of La- bor has gone on record as sympa- thetic with the struggle of the Chi- nese people. This is merely a ges- ture, however. The last Detroit con- vention of the A. F, of L. had noth- ing to say about the most recent developments in China, no word of encouragement for the Canton gov- ernment, no sign of solidarity with the nationalist revolution that has developed its greatest impetus dur- ing the last two years, The labor press must be utilized to the utmost to win the masses of workers for pressure upon the labor officialdom to break with the impe- vialist diplomats at Washington and develop labor’s own program toward the struggle in the orient. * 2 @ Chinese workers in the United States can help. They cannot rely exclusively upon the few Chinese dailies. and weeklies established in this country at San Francisco, Chi-' cago, New York City and other cen- ters. These publications are read, of course, exclusively by the Chi- nese, who are probably isolated from the general population more than the workers of any other race or nationality, Chinese workers here must de- velop their struggle as a part of the American working class, They must move closer to all other workers. This can be done in part by draw- ing the attention of labor here to the common effort that must be waged by American and Chinese workers against the forces of all imperialism. China’s revolutionary government can help by pouring its publicity into the United States, with its special appeal to the Amer- ican working class. .The Kuomin- tang organization in this country should place this effort high on its program of major ROHR. | PHILADELPHIA, Dec, 19.—Twenty | Sirls are believed to have been en- tombed beneath an avalanche of de- bris at the candy factory of P. H. yunderly & Co. here when an im- mense water tank crashed without warning thru the roof of the build- |ing, tearing its way thru three floors and causing one wall of the structure to fall inward. The heads of one man and three girls were reported seen protruding from the ruins. The tank contained 5,000 gallons of water. A gap of 50 feet in diameter was | torn in the roof of the building as the tank tore its way thru three floors like a huge projectile, carrying the FAMILIES AND MOTHERS ARE NOT ALL BASKING I CALVIN’S PROSPERITY _ There are some who do not feel the uplift .of Coolidge prosperity, . The Saivation Army came to the rescue of a family of six in this city whose destitute condition was re- vealed when one of the children col- lapsed in school from hunger. The father had been unable to work for four months, the wife was just out of a hospital, and the family had just been evicted for non-payment of rent, The family is being cared for temporarily at the Army's Emer- gency Lodge, 1230 West Adams street, A 16-year-old mother, unable to care for her baby, Yvonne, has asked that a home be given it, and many have responded with offers, The Illinois Humane Society will se- lect the most suitable from the ap- plicants, Another mother on the North Side, who has been going out to work and caring for a of five and a boy baby of a month, has asked that a home be given. the baby. __" Correspondent. are eat WATER TANK CRASHES THRU THREE FLOORS OF PHILADELPHIA CANDY FACTORY, WITH DEATH TO WORKERS trapped workers on the crest of the avalanche of twisted steel, splintered timbers, tons of plaster, candy-making material and a tangle of fire-spitting electric wires, Fire alarms and calls for ambulan- ces brought rescuers to the scene. Among those first carried from the wreckage were Charles H. Diehl, 35; Sarah Henry, 25, and Robert Guager, who were taken to hospitals. They were reported seriously injured, In the basement of the building the heads of the man and three girls could be plainly seen. The girls were screaming hysterically and the man was moaning his demands that his igony be ended pacers amend ride dh Neca atts nda oo Sen So fire axe or bullet. cee eae U.S. Wan" Robe S. Won’t Relinquish Claims on Germany, Is Statement of Coolidge WASHINGTON, Dev Dec, 19—Germany will be forced to pay all of the Ameri- can claims upon her, and there is nothing in the Paris agreement that caused the United States to relinquish or lighten those claims, President Coo lidge advises the senate. Coolidge’s statement was made in response to a resolution by Senator King asking t state department for the provisions of the Paris agreement and how it pa American claims. Coolidge said that the United Slates agreed to accept annual installments of $11,000,000 for American national’s “|claims and $12,000,000 for occupation of Germany by American troops, but this in no way releases Germany from complete payment, He also declared that the govern- ment would not underwrite claims of American nationals on Germany, earpiece tid Plan Ice Trust, BRIGEPORT, Conn.—New York in- terests are reaching out to form a huge ice-trust to control the business | thruout Connecticut, 4 Mew Ki ad stated, the leaders of the United Mine the growing struggle.in China andy} w, will be “reasonable” in their A step inthis’ bao direction is the sale of four large *“lcompantes here to an unknown buyer wrker!in @ transaction made by Dickmore é& MINERS OPPOSE ‘MOVE FOR COAL CONTROL LAWS Bound to Be Against the Workers, Is View WASHINGTON, Deo, 19, — Van |. Pittner, leader of the union miners of northern West Virginia, has notified Secretary of Labor Davis that the min- ers are opposed to any coal regula- tion. The Monongahela Coal Opera- tors’ Association takes the same posi- tian in behalf of the owners, The opposition of the mine -work- ers is predicted on the assumption which they are believed to have learned from experience, that such in- tervention would be in a form most likely to aid the mine owners. Will Try to Mop Up, The basis for the mine owners’ op- position to the proposal is the opti- mism that the mine owners’ spokes- men profess to have that should a strike ensue in the bituminous fields the strikers will find themselves at a greater disadvantage this year than they have been in many years. That is the reason they give. Another rea- son, but. which they do not give of- ficially, is to be found in the success- ful era of profiteering which a strike will make possible, What may be the first step in an or- ganized campaign to set the public against the mine workers and to create a spirit of hopelessness in the ranks of the miners was taken today when published accounts, evidently inspired by the mine owners’ lobby, appeared in the administration paper purporting to show that in the event of a strike the mine workers’ union would cease to function, Forecasts Miami. It is claimed in these news stories that when the leaders of the two groups meet in’Miami on February 12 to negotiate anew agreement in place of the Jacksonville agreement, which expires on April 1, the situation will be different from what it was when the present agreement was entered into three years ago. At that time the majority of the soft coal mines were union operated. Today, it is claimed, the percentage is almost ex- actly reversed and non-union opera- tion is employed in 65 per cent of the fields where production is fn any sense continuous. Under such circumstances, it is demands. A desire to continue the present agreement is all that the work- ers will express. Another element said to favor the mine owners is the working agreement which the opera- tors in the central competitive field have made, enabling them to present a united front in any of the differ- ences that may arise at the confer- ence table. Why not a small bundle of The DAILY WORKER sent to you regular ly to take to your trace union meeting? oy /, e Red Calendar ie yore Home or in your a all, A PICTURE OF . LENIN and a list of revolutionary dates on attractive ved card-board with a calendar attached, 25 Cents "15 cents in lots of five or more, THE DAILY WORKER PUB, CO. 1118 W. Washington Blvd. CHICAGO, ILL, \ ~-