The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 29, 1926, Page 4

Page Four Organi News and Comment Labor Education Labor and Government Trade Union Politics WARNS BUILDERS OF ‘HORRORS’ IN ORGANIZED TOWNS L. A. Must Fight Union, Says Openshopper By a Worker Correspondent. LOS ANGELES, Calif., Dec. 27. “Our local industrial freedom is a priceless heritage that must be care- fully preserved at all hazards.” S ig the message that Ralph FE. President of the Bu of Los Angeles, leadi i-wo: organization, has sent to all members of the exchange. Homan was report- ing to the open shoppers the “success” of the tenth semi-annual “American Plan Open Shop” conference held re- cently, Tells of “Catastrophes,” Telling the builders of the “terrible catastrophes” that have befallen cities “so unfortunate as to have unions in control,” Homan says, “it is our duty” to maintain the open shop in Los An- geles. “Pitiful tales of unbelievable oppression were told by delegates from organized cities,” he said, “Wonderful L. A.” He then reminds them of the won- @ers of Los Angeles industrial condi- tions. “Here employes, whether or- ganized or not, enjoy equal opportunity and uninterrupted employment,” he says. “They are able to own their own homes and as established citizens have the welfare of the community at heart. Here employer amd employe do mot confront each other across a bat- tle line. It is our duty to jealously guard this happy, prosperous home for employers and employes alike.” WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS MEET. JAN 7, 10 GIVE AID TO PAPER BOX STRIKERS ~~» NEW YORK, Dec. 27.—A confer- ence of women’s organizations to help the striking paper box makers will be held on Friday, Jan. 7, at 8 p. m. at Manhattan Lyceum, 66 East Fourth street, near Third avenue. * Women's organizations who are interested in helping the striking paper box makers win their strike and so better their conditions are requested to send two delegates to this conference. Organizations which do not meet within this time May be represented by their of- ficials. Send us the name and address of @ progressive worker to whom we can send a sample copy of The DAILY WORKEK Would you like to see your shop- mates with a ball and chain Conservative ideas are just like that. They're the ball and chain that make them slow and back- ward. Free them from reactionary ideas! Make them fighters in the shop and in the union, Give them ‘gomething to live for. Give them —OR GET—a sub for The DAILY WORKER! i ioe Ask your fellow-worker to sub- ee or make him a gift of a year’s subscription! RATES Im Chicago: Per year, $8.00; six | months, $4.60; three months, $2.50, Outside of Chicago:.. Ver year, $6.00; six months, $3.50; months, $2.00. THE DAILY WORKER 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Il. months sub to The three Dally Work hy ehlaLANO PORN IM eR Me eR IGE ANERLPN OY RERIRNQTERINURCL ree zed Labor—Trade Union Activities © | » “A Merry Christmas” (From the Union Leader, Chicago Street Carmen's Journal.) It was the day before Christmas on a local street car line. A fall of} | fine snow, the kind that sometimes precedes a cold blast, set in about ten | In the morning, piled itself In drifts. hours was the run. up their time for Christmas day, | Santa Claus was good to you.” ee time set by the boss. By SYVAN A, POLLACK, During a struggle such ag the one which is now taking place in the In- | ternational Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union between the rank and file under Communist and left wing leadership and the reactionary right wing we find, besides the struggle itself, many sidelights that are worth considering. Heroism and fighting spirit, which in many of the workers had been lat- ent, suddenly asserts itself and makes it possible for the honest and revolu- |tionary elements among the workers to achieve victory, no matter what forces the enemy in their own ranks bring into play. Without such sacrifices from the | workers in the shops it would never |be possible to defeat the strike- breakers and class-collaborators who still hold office in the union. Let us consider the needle trades | workers of New York City, especially at this time the members of the I. L. |G. W. U. Try to Regain Control. In other parts of this paper you | will read of the developments of the ‘latest attempt of the reactionary right |wing forces in the union trying to regain control. In this article we will briefly refer to the obscure but yet | vitally important part of the fight to |defeat this move on the part of the |socialist-A, F. of L. alliance. Last year when the Sigman-Fein- berg-Pearlstein machine tried to ter- rorize the cloak and dressmakers by expulsions and suspensions of the leading Communists and left wingers }in the union the right wing also sent |their gangsters and guerrillas to the | headquarters, which at that time had |left wing administrations, and by | force take them over. They were suc- cessful in so far as Uocels 2 and 9 } were concerned, but when they tried to take over the headquarters of the iressmakers’ union, Local 22, they were prevented from doing so by hun- dreds of members of that local, who barricaded themselves inside ready to fight for it to the last man. Guarded Day and Night. For several months, until the time the left wing was successful in de- feating the expulsion policy of Sigman & Co., Local 22 was guarded night and day by its members. Almost a year and a half has passed and today, when Sigman, who has a | new ally in the place of Feinberg and Pearlstein, in the person of Abraham Beckerman, manager of the New York Joint Board, Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, starts a new at- tack against the left wing, the latter, learning from its experience of before, is defending the major left wing lo- cals and the Jewish Daily Freiheit, which Is the daily weapon of the rank and file, against the betrayers of the union, \Jewish Progressive Workers Flay Action of A. C. W. Right Wing ROCHESTER, N. Y., Dec,.27, — A rosolution severely condemning the stion of the right wing officials of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Union of depriving three left wing members of the union of their jobs here hag been passed by the Rochester Jewish Workers’ Progressive Club, The resolution says: “Whereas, as |a result of differences of opinion, the officials of the Amalgamated Workers of America removed three workers from their jobs In the city of Roches- |ter, depriving them of their means |for supporting their families, the Rochester Jewish Progressive Work- ers’ Club goes on record condemning this action of the Amalgamated off- clals a8 reactionary and tyrannical, an action never before so openly and brutally practiced in the labor move ment in the city of Rochester even by the worst reactionaries,” They further resolved that “a copy of the resolution be sent to the three workers affected, whom we know as being honest and sincere fighters for the cause of labor,” and to the work- ing class press, , It continued for hours and, caught in the whirl of loy winds, The dinky motors were In use, with nothing but a windshleld to break the play of the elements on the motorman. Horse after horse dropped on the Schedules were abandoned and operation became a merry-go-round. for trainmen were out of the question. reached the meal terminal for the return trip and every corner was black with waiting humanity. A boss was at the terminal to add to the urge. The time came to pull In, but there were no pull ins—not until the Loop was emptied. That was orders and orders had to be obeyed. Zero whistled thru the platforms. The crew plugged on stoically. Christmas Eve. Be cheerful with the crowd. No meal—no hot drink. Twelve Fourteen came and the Loop was still busy. Orders were orders. Sixteen hours found the crew In the barn Christmas morning, looking slow. Meals packed when they ley pavement. Going was Cars were 'Twas JA Merry Christmas!” shouted the all-night revelers as the same crew took them home on thelr first trip at 6 o’clock the same morning. “Hope These were the “good old days” before the Amalgamated changed things | in Chicago, when the hourly wage was 17 and 21 and the workday was the Needle Workers Defend Their Union Locals 2, 9, 22 and 35, as well as the Freiheit, are being guarded against any attempted invasion by the Beckerman gangsters who have to carry the brunt of Sigman’s fight on their shoulders, as he is too much dis- credited in his own union to have much support there, Fighting Spirit. Any militant worker who is under the impression that there is no ideal- ism and real fighting spirit to be found in the American labor movement should spend a night in one of the guarded locals, Let us take Local 9, located at 67 Lexington avenue, as an example. The same can be said for any of the other locals. About a hundred workers are pres- ent. Early in the evening they sit around in little groups and discuss the latest developments in the struggle, as well as other contemporary events. Then a few go to a corner and start a@ game of checkers, etc. After a while a few who are very tired stretch themselves out on the benches, desks and chairs. For the last process, two or three chairs close together make a temporary bed. Diligent Watch, While all this is going on a diligent watch is being kept, so that no sur- prise attack is made on the local. Special committees which are changed every hour are at watch at the win- dows, doors and other places, so that if the Sigman-Beckerman gangsters appear on the scene they will be the receivers of a “healthy” welcome, Sandwiches and coffee are served several times during the day and early morning and help to make the twentieth century “minute men” feel full of “pep.” Stay All Night. Many of those who stay all night guarding their locals, some catching a few winks of sleep, and most of them not closing their eyes, go direct to work after such a strenuous night. Yes, many of them, after working all day, hurry back and spend another night on guard duty, and then back to work again the next morning. That is the kind of fighting spirit to be found among the cloakmakers and dressmakers in New York City today, fighting against Sigmanism in what will undoubtedly end by the uprooting of the last vestige of the power of the Jewish Daily Forward and its clique in that powerful union of the needle trades, and move one step nearer to the realization of that day when all the needle trade unions of America will be amalgamated into a powerful, united needle trades union, so that the battle and struggle of any one section of the needle workers will become the fight and victory of all of them, MINE FIRE BOSS CHARGED WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR BLAST THAT KILLED NINE (Special to The Dally Worker) WILKES-BARRE, Pa., Dec. 27,.— Charges that Mine Fire Boss Charles Trenery did not properly inspect the No. 7 colliery of Susquehanna Col- lieries Co. at Nanticoke on Oct. 30 are made by Mine Inspector Frank Kettle, A warrant for the fire boss’ ar- rest has been issued because an ex- plosion which killed ni men oc- curred in the mine, presumably as a result of his negligence, Lynn Electricians Try for Phone Work LYNN, Mass., Dec, 27.—Fines of $25 and $30 were pald by Jacob Goldberg and the Unity Shoe Co, both shoe manufacturers, for failure to provide first ald cabinets for workers in their shops. cry «oes Massachusetts state health nt reported that the factories did motyhave the required omormensy, shoats THE DAILY WORKER :} Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions Labor and Imperialism {OARD LISTENS TO EXPRESSMEN IN WAGE CLAIM Ask 12 Cent Increase to Live Decently By FRED HARRIS, NEW YORK, Dec. 27+—An arbitra- tion board is in session at the present time to decide upon a wage scale for the employes of the Américan Rail- way Express Co. The board is com- posed of BE, A. Etedman, vice-presi- dent of the company; William B, Wil- son, former secretary of) the U. S. department of labor, and John H. Clark, former justice of; the supreme court, who is acting as impartial chair- man, There are three unions involved in this dispute, the Brotherhood of Rail- way Clerks, the Order of Railway Ex- pressmen and the American Federa- tion of Express Workers. These unions are asking for an increase in their wages of from 10 to 12 cents per hour, which demand originated some years ago when a wage increase of 25 cents was asked for. Later on a U. 8. labor board granted them an in- crease of 16 cents, which, however, was subsequently reduced by the com- pany to 3 cents, to be paid from the date of Aug. 3, 1926. The unions claim that the company tried to refuse pay- ment of even this small increase by withholding the payroll from union officials. Demands of the Men. To justify the present demands of 12 cents increase, the representatives of the unions cited figures to show that the earnings of the American Railway Express Co. are far above those of the parcel post) department of the U. 8S. postoffice. They also show that the wages paid by the rail- roads to their employés are much higher than those paid»by this com- pany. For doing the same kind of work the railroads pay their men as high as $205; the maximum wage by the American Railway Express Co., however, is only $176, a difference of almost $30, However, these maximum: wages are paid to only,a nominally small number of workers, the averag« rate of pay being about $130, some workers receiving only $106 a month. E. V. Bradley, spokesman for the unions, also showed that systematic reduction of wages is being carried on by the company by transferring em- ployes from one department to an- other, so that an employe: who has had a salary of $126 finds that after he is transferred he is only getting $106 a month. This has been a general prac- tice in Detroit. Trying to Make Ends Meet, Many witnesses are called to tell of their own deprivations, due to the starvation wages which they are get- ting. One man, T. F. McDermott, is married and has seven children. His rent during the last four years has increased from $35 to $50, yet his pay is as loWas ever, He stated that he has no means whatsoever for any sort of recreation. His month’s pay is spent during the first two weeks on food, clothing and rent; the rest of the time he is always trying to get credit and to get a loan here or there. The union also introduced much evi- dence to show the danger in the trade due to holdups and train wrecks. Numerous instances were shown where the men had lost their lives, or were cripples, The company is represented by L. R. Gwynn, also a vice-president of the company, who seeks on all occasions to nullify the argument of the unions’ officials. The board will adjourn the proceedings for the holidays and con- tinue again after Jan. 3; It has 30 days in which to examineythe case and must render a decision on or before Jan. 29. ie Openshoppers Protest Printers’ Label on Milwaukee City Jobs MILWAUKEE, Dec, 27,-Openshop printers in Milwaukee don’t want the label to appear on public printing, tho a union shop has the contract for the work, In a protest to the city council the antilabor employers’ council writes: “This is not a plea for public of- ficials to discontinue to patronize those who have the privilege, under contract, of use of this label, but is a demand that the use of the union label be discontinued on public print- ing, regardless of whether the printer doing public work may have the right to use the union label or not.” The label will continue to appear on the city’s printing during the life of the contract, regardless of the open- shop protest, it is rej Why Not a Worker Correspondent? NE day, Pat went store to buy a bottle. When Pat asked for the price of the bottle the drug store man said, “If you buy a bottle with something In it, It won't cost you anything. If you buy the bottle only it costs you 5c.” YOUNG €O FUNNIES - WHO IS SAFER — GOD OR » THE-LIFE BELT? HE boat was sinking. The captain reached up to the crowd of passen- gers. “Who among you can pray?” “1 can,” replied the minister. “Then pray mister,” ordered the skipper. “The rest of you put life pre- Servers on; we are one short.” —Leopold Hejch, Cleveland, Ohio. se 8 SOME MUSICIAN! NE day two boys met and started a quarrel. Each boy said that his father was the better musician. Finally one sald, “1 can explain why my father is better.” “How?” asked the other, “Well, you see, my father is an en- gineer in a mine. He blows the 12 o'clock whistle and everybody stops working and just loves It.” —George Gumlia, Ironton, Minn. ee YOU CAN'T FOOL PAT Into the drug “All right,” said Pat, “put a cork in the bottle.” —George Gumilia, Ironton, Minn. MRADE SECTION What Does This Picture Mean? Do you know what this picture means? Look at it—sure you do! Weill, write in your answer and we will print it In the YOUNG COMRADE COR- NER? Write In: Daily Worker Young Comrade Corner, 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Ill. Why Children Work By J. K., Hamtramck, Mich. In my city there are many boys and girls working all the time or after school. Sunda, For instance, my brother has to go to work every Saturday and My father and mother both go to work, But my father gets only $20 or $22 a week and my mother gets only $20 a week and there are two boys and a girl in our family and we have to pay rent and buy clothing and take lunch to school and a dime to’ buy a glass of milk or a bowl of soup or something else. My father gets laid off very often and for lots of time. Once my father didn’t work for a couple of weeks and we couldn’t buy any cloth- ing. I know many girls 14 and 15 years of age who live on our street who don’t go to school at all but who have to go to work for small wages. I know some boys also on my street who can’t go to school but who go to work for 39 a week, If our parents got more wages the children wouldn't have to work. THE POLICE AND STRIKERS By ANNA YURKOVICH, Cleveland, Ohio. HERE was once a man who had six children. This man had to buy bread for his sons. He didn’t want to work for little money so he and his fellow-workers went out on strike. The police chased him until they caught him. They put him in jail and what they did to the six children | don’t know. A NEW PUZZLE Solomon Kerjak of San Francisco, Cal., sends us in a fine puzzle. Itruns this way. We will tell you what's in a place and you must find the place. Can you tell which three places are meant here: 1, A place where workers are free and not under the bosses’ rule, /2. A place where the people aré fighting the priests and where the priests are being kicked out. 3. A place where there is misery for the workers and workers’ children. Who knows which three places are meant here? Write in your anewera. Attend This Fine Debate. What do you say: Should punishment of pupils be allowed in the public schools? This is going to be the subject of the debate arranged by the Pioneer Group in East Hammond, Ind. This question is of great interest to all school children because teach- ers everywhere very often hit their pupils. Every school child in East Ham- mond should come to this splendid debate. It’s FREER. It’s going to be held on Monday, Jan. 3, 1927, 7 p. m. sharp, at 518 Fields Avenue. Party General Membership Meeting in N. Y. at Manhattan Lyceum, January 5 NEW YORK—A special general membership meeting will be held Wednesday, January 5th at 8 p. m. sharp at Manhattan Lyceum—66 East 4th St. This membership meeting is called for the purpose of acquainting the party membership of the general situa- tion existing in the United States at this time particularly in the New York district. Comrade Weinstone will report and a general discussion will follow, Con- sidering the situation at the present time which is no doubt known to the comrades thru the press, this should prove to be the largest membership meeting ever held in this district. Admission will be only by member- ship card, Bring you book with you. Functionaries’ Meeting Sunday, January 9, to Discuss Russian Party NEW YORK — A meeting of all party functionaries of all party shop and street nuclei, all officers and mem- bers of the executives of the sections and sub-section, the language fraction and trade union fraction organizers and secretaries, as well as all mem- bers of the D, BE, C. and its sub-com- mittees, will be held on Sunday, Jan. 9th, at 10 a, m. at 108 E, 14th St. to Msten to a report by Comrade Ber- tram D. Wolfe, the district agitprop director, on the situation in the Rus- sian Communist Party and the oppo- sition in the Communist International. Comrade Wolfe will also take up other agitprop problems, All com- rades must bring their membership cards with them to be admitted. Comrades are urged to be on time as we will start early, Party mem- bers who are not functionaries will be admitted if they bring their membe: ship cards with them. . Dance at Pittsburgh, PITTSBURGH, Pa, — The DAILY WORKER Builders’ Club is arranging an Anniversary Dance for Saturday, Jan, 15, from 8 p, m, until morning at the International Socialist Lyceum, 805 James St. N. 8. Labor Would Recall Governor. SPATTLE, Wash.—Labor is taking steps to secure the recall of Governor Roland H, Hartley, whom it brands with a labor record that “is proof that he has the social conscience and yiew- point of a bygone generation.” “Labor's Hartley Recall Cor tee of 100” fs busy clroulating petitions to bring about a ballot om tho recall of POPPING THE QUESTION It was lunch hour, They sat on the curbstone outside of the shop. Mike was a Communist and he was out for a sub, if it took the whole lunch hour to get it. The talk had drifted to recent developments In Soviet Russia. To prove his point, Mike whipped out his copy of The DAILY WORKER and quoted lib- erally from a recent letter of a worker correspondent in a Moscow metal factory. “What do you think of this stuff?” he asked finally. Jim appeared to be visibly impressed and nodded his approval, Then elapsed a period during which neither spoke—a period of tense silence, which threatened to become embarrassing. Mike grit- ted his teeth and determined to start on another tack. This time he turned the conversation to Queen Marie of Roumania and proudly compared the cou ous attitude of The DAILY WORKER with the sniveling soft soap of the capitalist press. ‘Wouldn't you like to be able to read such a paper every day?” asked Mike, “Sure, that’s the berries all right.” “You know you need a paper like this.” “You bet. | should say so.” Another pause, another period of silence. The lunch hour was about over, The whistle was about to blow, when Mike asked In despera- tion, “Well, why don’t you sub- scribe?” To which Jim replied with a grin, “Well, why didn't you ask me?” We will send sample cop! DAILY. WORKER te your friende~ Special Offer FOR ONE MONTH ONLY FAIRY TAIES Fi WORKERS CHILDREN a BY HERMINIA ZUR MUMLEN TRANSLATED BY IDA DAILES Color Plates by Lydia Gibson a 50 Cents Each in Paper (Former price 75 cents) $1.25 Bound A book of beautiful stories that - are sure to be liked by both grown: ups and children, Thousands of copies were sold immediately on its publica: ~ tion, Over twenty black and white illustrations and four full-page color plates illustrate these splendid stories that breed the fighting spirit of revol& DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W. Washington Blvd, CHICAGO, Ibe ae