The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 26, 1927, Page 5

News and Comment Labor Education | Labor and Government | Trade Union Politics | Boston Progressives | Hold Meeting Despite Gangsters’ Warnings BOSTON, Jan. 25.—The Progres: sive trade unionists of Boston an- swered the challenge of the right wing that hereafter no progressive meet- ings could be held in Boston. The progressives recently organized a large needle trades mass meeting at Scenie Auditorium. The meeting was well attended and the entire main floor and balcony was filled. This} time the progressives were well or- ganized and ready for emergency and | disruptors did not dare to repeat their tactics in preventing the meet-| ing from being held. | Gangsters Attack. | About a month ago a similar meet- ing of this kind was invaded by the gangsters of the Sigman machine and the whole meeting was broken up and the hall was cleared by the police. The right wing at the time wnnounced that no further meetings of this kind would ever be held in Boston, The splendid spirit at the Tuesday meeting and the wonderful organization of progressive workers | veady to protect their meeting was u crushing answer to their challenge. For Unity. The meeting was addressed by | Rumuglia of the Amalgamated and) Weiss of the New York Joint Board. The speakers were enthusiastically sceived. A resolution was unani- mously adopted denouneing the dis- rupting tacties-of the Sigmund ma- chine, the attack on the Furriers union and the expulson policy in the | Amalgamated. The meeting pledged) itself to fight for unity for the trade | union movement against disruption and splitting tactics of Sigman & Co, Full support was also pledged to the New York Joint Board in their struggle for unity and &gainst the attempts of reactionaries “to split the union. At the meeting several appli¢ations were made for the Joint Board bonds. LETTERS FROM READERS Editor, DAILY WORKER: The coming of The DAILY WORKER’ to New York City is a big and impor- tant event for the New York work- ers. “At the present time all the re- uetionary ° forces are combined to fight the militants in tho needle trade unions, These reactionary bureaucrats are acting the part of capitalist prevocateurs. In order to hide the real issue involved they raise the smoke screen of Communism, On} this basis the yellow Wall Street) press is giving all possible assistance | to these combined black forces. The DAILY WORKER is the enly weapon in the hands of the rank and file, and serves. the purpose of bringing the matter before the American masses. It is the duty of the honest rank and file of all the trades to do all in its power to es- tablish The DAILY WORKER as a real workingclass mass organ. I suggest to the editor of ‘The NAILY WORKER that a column be opened in which the readers of the paper can offer their suggestions for tettering The DAILY WPRKER. L. SISELMAN. New York, Jan, 24. | P, S. I have several suggestions in mind which I will send in some ether time, Editor of The DAILY WORKER: It is a great satisfaction to know that we are to have “The DAILY WORK- TR” close at hand. If only it could} find the way into the home of every werker in the metropolitan area, New York would be the center of a new world. May the editors be able té strike the key that will win the workers’ hearts and thereby guar- antee unbounded success for the pa- rer and its mission. “eaternally, ARTHUR W. CAL- JROUN, Instructor, Brookwood Labor College. . Judge Denounces | Lowman Lynchings AIKEN, S. C., -Jan, 26.—South Carolina’s most famous lynching the Lowmans—was scathingly de- nounced from the bench here this afternoon by Superior Court Judge J, Henry Johnson. He announced that W. W. Rodgers, private detective of Ex-Governor Mc- Leod, and Solicitor Berte D. Carter will present the evidence against the lynchers of the three Lowmans be- fore the Aiken County Grand Jury tomorrow. 4 “Two of the preceding judges in - this circuit have cowered in condem- nation of the foul crime,” \ Johnson “A* small band of headstrong and wilful men have besmirched the name of South Carolina, Lynching is al- » ways deliberately cowardly murder, and the lynching of a woman is the lowest of low crimes.” Roll in the Subs For The DAILY |THE RECENT ELECTION IN THE MACHINISTS’ UNION IN THE CHICAGO DISTRICT (BY A. MACINIST (V, Q.) Two Major Campaign Issues. a WO major issues were the Dis- trict Organization Committee, and t he Baltimore and Ohio Plan in the Speedaumatic Company, a con- tract shop. The progressive contend- ed that the District Organization Committee, under progressive leader- ship, had increased the membership of the union considerably (which had} been admitted in the District Council | by the business agents some time be. fore). Also that the plan brought in/ticns, more strenuous attempts must by the progressives for this commit-|be made to unify the opposition, of tee and adopted by the District Coun- | course, cil was a splendid one (admitted even | petterment of the union. by the District Council, a sub-commit-| One of the drawbacks in the past tee elected by it failing to bring in| campaign was that the candidatés even one change or improvement). As} were selected by the progressive a campaign stroke, the District Coun- group only a few days before nomin- cil abolished the District Organiza- | ations began in the local lodges. Had) tion Committee, after denying its ac- |greater preparations been made, it to attain this.. Radovan was present) lat the progressive group meeting} | which selected candidates; he agreed) | to abide by the decision of the group;} }and when he failed of selection, he) | pledged his support to the entire ticket. He had come out for the; progressive program, Shortly after,| he announced his’ independent can-| didacy; and while he spoke for the} progressive program in his own local,’ he was silent about it at others. | CONNOLLY Jan, 24 GAL, 11 It is obvious that for future elec- complishments. might well have been possible to} HE substituted district council|@"@w in other elements into the! plan called for local organi-|C@™psign, thus insuring greater suc-| zation committees (which was noth-|®Ss- ing new, since they were also called) gy, >, ive Gh Needed. for by the original plan of the dis-} zone “Eromrenaiye ben . ONSIDERING that the recent) trict organization committee), a} central machinery to consist of heads| district election was conducted by of local lodge organization commit-|a progressive group, hastily formed| tees, the lodge presidents being re-|for the elections, the results are} commended for heads of committees.| good, but only as a beginning. Dur-| The district council had sabotaged) ing the campaign, many meetings of! the request of the district organi-|the progressive group were held. zer, by assigning a business agent) Now, after the election, one of the} with no organizing ability.. The busi-| most important tasks is the organi-| ness agents had failed to stimulate| zation of progressive groups in the) the shop workers to plug the shops| local lodges, which shall conduct a} in their vicinity. And despite this,|fight for the progressive program! around a program for the|’ the progressives had some real or- ganizing. work. | throughout the year. It is not| enough for a few individuals to carry | op individual propaganda at the meet-! The Speedaumatic B, & O. Plan. ~ HE other issue dealt with the Speedaumatic Company, where the| “worker employer cooperation” plan was introduced (meaning the exten- sion to a contract shop of the B. & O. Plan formerly in practice only on some railroads). This was the only place jn the entire’ country where this was done. It was explained by the district couneil that the president of the firm had asked the grand lodge for such| a plan, Captain Beyer, the B. & O.) Plan originator, drew up the agree-) ment. The business agents did not) bring this to the local lodges for dis-| cussion. They called in ‘the workers in the Speedaumatic Shop, advising them to consent. “After this, the dis- trict council refused to hold it over for one meeting, until the delegates | had a chance to consult their lodges. The plan was pushed through. !to insure the spread of progressive ings. All progressives must be drawn into a group, benefiting from the experience and knowledge of all, and taking an active part in the fight against the reactionary machine, And even in lodges under progressive leadership, such a group is required propaganda and organization in the lodge, and to forestall the possible loss of influence should the leaders change front. Progressive Groups Not Merely for Elections. UCH progressive groups haye a definite part to play in the pre- sent international campaign in the I, A. of M. But progressive groups must be formed not merely with a view to an election, but for a con- stant struggle. To wait until the next district elections to form pro- gressive groups would be akin to suicide. Such haphazard formation Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions Labor and Imperialism Stewards Strike in Panama Liner When Placed on Deck Job New York City, passengers arriv- ing on the Panama Mail liner Col- umbia, from Central - America, damned the mess room crew be- cause of a stewards’ strike between Corinto and Balboa, which forced the idle rich to do “their own house- work,” Captain Judson, captain of the ship, ordered three stewards to scrape iron pipes because the Col- umbia endeavored to cut expenses in the deck department. But they refused because this work comes within the jurisdiction of seamen. So the captain locked them up in the brig. Their comrades: of the stewards’ department did not go on strike im- | mediately. They transferred their strike “to the job,” however. The day following the arrest of their three comrades found the twenty- eight other stewards at table with the soup. While the passengers were eat- ing it the whole stewards’ crew went on sympathetic strike and the ship’s guests waited nearly an hour for the next course. It did not come so that they hdd to satisfy | their anger by’ damning the “un- ruly ‘red’ waiters.” That night they prepared to take turns in serv- ing meals, When the Columbia reached Bal- boa Captain Judson had the whole stewards’ staff arrested. They were held in $500 bail, something a seafaring man can seldom fur- nish. Fourteen “scab” stewards proceeded swith the ship. to New York. Toiled Forty Years at Useful Labor; Junked For Uselessness Now Sick, jobless and friendless, Michael Senator Says Public , Officers Wink at Law | Violations Every Day | WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.—United | States senators, and nearly all other |public officials, federal and state, openly wink at violations of the prohibition law, Senator James W, |Wadsworth (Republican) of New! | York, declared in the senate today! in urging modification of the law. “Senators and other public o: |do not differ from the great mass of ing numan that make up our popu- tation,” rted Waitsworth, “The attitude toward the law pervades every stratum of society. If you will but tell the truth, you will admit that iv is the prevailing national attitude.” Wadsworth declared that dozens of! senators have encountered evidenée | He nd incontrovertible,” of liquor! law violations, and yet did not report it to the proper authorities. “The bootleg trade,” he declared, “has reached to y community in jue nation, its ners are counted | by the million a matter of fact, | the bootleg business is now one of the | largest in the country.” The speech provoked lively debate. | | Senator Heflin (Democrat) of Ala- bama, a declared that “all the wet sénators in the senate could be! put in a taxi.” ba retorted senator Bruce (De- jmocrat) of Maryland, a wet, “and all the senators in the senate that I have} seen decline a drink since I’ve been here could be put in less cubic space! than that of a taxicab.” i PROFESSOR MILLIKAN IS SHOCKED THE Scopes trial gave 7 tife,” said Profes. have had 15,000 volts of el but it did not give the shock 307 Robert me the most violent shock of my A. Millikan recently. “I ectricity shot through my body, the Scopes trial did. We thought that type of thought had passed away 100 years ago with the Inquisition. When such a th ing can happen in our day of en- lightenment and progress it is time for us to sit up and take notice.” When they awaken to the real character of the capita’it press the workers will recei the professo Most worke capitalist 7 without an when a serio character. There is no doubt that the tile workers of Passaic rece saw the lies which were against the textile barons. ing subway strikers of New when they read the twisted stories of the plute pre situations of strife and conflict the capitalist pr glaringly its real character. the present period when th seeking to impose its war pr The question is whethe shock to be awakened or whe danger that confronts them ve even a greate) swallow the doubt or question. : sitvation arises that they actually see its trac sicteen thousand tex ived electrical shocks when they, published about their struggle There is no doubt that the strik- York City were similarly shocked During hows up We find it shown also during e United States Government is opaganda upon the workers. r the workers need an electrical other they can realize in time the in the capitalist news sheets. It is the function of The DAILY WORKER to open the eyes of the toilers of this country to the fact that there is this pow- erful foree—the capitalist p ress—which acts as a barrier to their further progress. For this reason The DAILY WORKER should be energetically supported in its effort to establish itself as a mass paper. bepceaad | PAT DEVINE. All over the world militant work- ingelass fighters are lying rotting in capitalist jails. Hundreds of fighters | have been murdered and hundreds of | | dependents left destitute. In America we have seen anti-la- bor legislation compelling the work- ers to fight with their hands tied | behind their backs. | By We know of the cases of Mooney | and Billings, Frank Little, Ruthen-| berg, Foster, Gitlow, Sacco and Van- zetti and the hundreds of other work- ers persecuted by the bosses. Sacco and Vanzetti are lying in| ANTI-LABOR LEGISLATION COMING: JOIN LABOR DEFENSE TO PREPARE Introduce Resolution To Postpone National Origin Act for a Year WASHINGTON, Jan, 25.— | sentative Jacobstein, New York, in- |The International Labor Defe ‘troduced a resolution in the house today to postpone for one year the application of the national origin sec- is the organization trying to rally work- ers of all shades of opinion under i Murphy, 60 years old, was removed! j,i}, pining away for a crime every- from a lodging house at 160 Park: tody knows they did not commit. Six Row to _Beeckman Street Hospital,| and one half of the best years of their where he is now recovering from mal-} ives have been spent behind prison nutrition and bronchial pneuntonia. Bead It is public knowledge that For forty years Murphy has work-|¢nly the organized protest of the ed as a laborer, in railroad camps,| workers of the world kept them from banner for the great and glorious work of defense. The International Labor Defense is combating the attack of the bosses in the law courts, in the street and everywhere it shows itself. To do this more successful it needs the | support of every one who believes in freedom for the workers. By agitation and organization we can strike a blow for working class freedom. The power of the workers is, in- \vineible if organized. Resolve today to do your duty! | tion of the 1924 Immigration Law. | Jacobstein said that this postpone- }ment would enable the President to clear up the uncertainty surrounding ‘this method of fixing immigration | quotas. He pointed out that the ten- tative quotas recently announced pro- vide large. decreases in German, Scandinavian and Irish immigration and a large increase in the British quota. Tell your friends to buy The DAILY WORKER at the-news- stands. OW, every meeting of the com- pany and shop representatives is concerned with elimination of waste,/ increased production, better machin- ery, etc. Ullman did not dare to come would prevent waging a strong cam- raign. Progressive groups must be organized in all local lodges immedi- ately. They must become functioning groups, meeting regularly to take up | ship against this plan, which the cut openly for the plan, but wanted it given a chance. The workers have had two lay-offs since the plan was adopted. The progressives fought the introduction of this plan, and con- tended that this meant a gradual de- velopment toward company unionism. The progressives pointed out that the way to better union conditions was not to increase production for the boss, but to carry on an organi-! zation campaign throughout the in-| dustry. They warned the member- officials had foretold would be ex- tended to other shops, if in their opinion, it proved satisfactory. Progressives Poll Strong Vote. | F the total of slightly more than 1900 votes cast, thé progressives drew an average of all offices of thirty-five percent (35%), varying from 40% for sergeant-at-arms down to 20%% for one of the busi- ness agents, The progressiye vote for the various offices was as follows: For district president, .Waterworth 40%; vice-president, Iverson 3844 %3 recording secretary, Weydert 46%; treasurer, Schlesinger 31%; sergeant ot arms, Schlimback 49%; business egents, Reir 28%, Holt 2042%. OR all the offices except business agent, it was a two cornered fight.| In the race for business agent, how-) ever, two independent candidates crept in,’ The. combined opposition vote to the machine was not suffi- cient to win, Ullman and Daly, suc- cessful machine candidates for re- election as\ business agents getting 60% and 50% respectively, or an’ average vote of 58%. Breivogel, in- dependent, got 11%, but the other independent, Radovan, got 24%, which was higher than that obtained by the second progressive business agent. “Attempt to Unify the Opposition. H AD the opposition been unified in the race for business agent it would have drawn 42% of the total vote (assuming that those who voted for the independents would have voted against Ullman and Daly). To = the problems facing the union. How eften they can meet will be deter- mined by the problems facing them, and the will of the group itself. EY HE election for business agents showed that independents can still play too prominent a role in elections. This can be overcome, if the progres- sive groups are organized. If these carry on energetic campaigns, if the lines of division between progressives and reactionaries are made clear in- dependents will be forced to declare themselves on the issues, not merely at election time, but throughout the year. This will make it less possible | for the independents to get an aver- age vote for business agent of 1714 %, (the progressives getting 2414%). Progressives Must Coordinate Their in the Activity. z HE progressive forces past have not coordinated their activities in the district council with the work in the lodges. Issues are not exploited to the full by the pro- gressives in the local lodges and in the district council, because they have been left to their own resources. The machine carries through a uniform policy. The progresives must also | unify their force, so that progressive delegates to the district council will carry out the policy of the progres- sive forces, and to the best advan- tage. ¢ The progressive forces must widen their influence.- While in some local lodges, considerable influence has been secured, there are some lodges where the progressive group has no following. Such’ contacts must be sought out and established, as quick- ly as possible, T HE immediate need for the ma- chinists’ union as disc! by the district clections is the extension and consolidaion of a strong progressive group, in the local lodges and in the district. council. The progressive forces in the United Mine Workers cf America, under fire from the re- actionary officialdom, showed that ‘through a» determined campaign, of organized mass meetings and a pro- gressive paper, they could mobilize he extent that this assumptions is|the membership for a “Save the incorrect, this percéntage would be|union” program. The progressive diminished, But at any rate, the pro-|campaign in the U, M. W. of A, gressive vote would have been in+ proves the tremendous power that creased to a great extent. - | progressives can wield through or-| ‘The progressives knew the value of| ganization around a pro; snited"omposition,_ and mad ffortsen the needs of the wnlome * > fs { ’ based} imbecile.” Britian and on the streets, never receiving more than twenty-one dollars for a week's work. Because his snowy white hair and tottering steps belies his physical ability to work, he has lately found it hard to find a job. Like thousands of others, he found it necessary to make his home in the “quarter-a-night Bowery ‘flop- houses’” because, of his poverty, The bad food served at the cheap restau- rants, and the unsanitary condition of his living quarters wrecked ruin upon his health, Last Saturday, when snow and wind swept furiously about the city and kept well-dressed New Yorkers indoors, Murphy mushed thru the snowdrifts delivering packages to re- plenish his empty pocketbook, his only protection against the elementg being ® torn, light and well-worn overcoat, and an extra pair of socks lent to him by a fellow lodger because his broken shoes seemed sadly in need of re- pair, Three days later he was forced to take to his bed. For Anti-Imperialism Editor, Daily Worker® Enclosed is my subscription for a year and some contribution to the Daily Worker. For forty years or mote my only political hobby is anti-imperialism and I will therefore do my best to eep the only daily anti-imperialism paper I know going. # The mofe I study the matter, the more convinced I am that imperialism is and always was a losing game of a dying race, Statesmen seem to be- lieve that it is the warrior with his sword that has conquered the world but nothing can be farther from the truth than that. The farmer with his plow is the conqueror, a people that forsake the plow for the sword is heading for perdition. I have always been sure ‘that the British empire must go where all other empires have gone but I did not expect it so soon and if the British statesmen had been wise they could have picked a softer spot to fall on; as it is, it will cost them more to lose their empire than it has cost to gain it. It is no use talking about disarmament and peace as long as one nation remains subject to another. J, R. BERTELSEN, St. Paul Hospital, St. Paul, Minn. Ponsonby Comes Here To Preach Pacifism Arthur Ponsonby, M. P., British pacifist, arrived here today on the Cunarder Laconia, for a three-weeks’ lecture tour, On his arrival Mr. Ponsonby stated that he will sfot speak of specific American probleme, but will deal in general with war as being “futile and He did not mention the being legally murdered six years ago. A very important case is before the law courts at the moment, Enea Sor- menti, a militant, fearless worker, is threatened with deportation to Italy where Mussolini? the bloody dicta- tor, whom all capitalist defenders are, trying to emulate—awaits with an jimpatient thirst for his life. Mr. John J. Davis of the United States department of labor is acting as a bloodhound for the leader of white} terror and proposes sending Sor- menti and all other political refugees back to their homeland—into the jaws of death, The workers must raise their voice in protest against such action, By agitation and mass sup- port the life of Sormenti and the other political refugees can be saved. Who is fighting the battle of the oppressed workers the world over? Who is championing Sormenti, Sacco ers threatened with capitalist cution? IMPORTANT NOTICE Address all mail for The DAILY WORKER to 33 First Street. New York, LET’S GET ACQUAINTED _. The entire DAILY WORKER: force just arrived from Chicago, will attend the CONCERT and DANCE and Vanzetti and all the other work- | perse- | arranged by Pioneer Camp Committee and New York Daily Worker Builders Club for THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 29 HARLEM CASINO 116th Street and Lenox Avenue. ADMISSION 50 CENTS. | | | TICKETS on sale at Room 52, 108 East 14th Street. PASSAIC STRIKE STILL ON! WE'VE WON IN FOUR MILLS! HELP US BEAT THE REST! GIVE MONEY PLEASE! For Coal for the Strikers’ Homes! For Bread for their families! They have made a hard fight! Now they are winning! Now you must help more than ever! Give all you can! MAKE VICTORY COMPLETE! Make all contributions by check or money order to GENERAL RELIEF COMMITTEE NEW YORK CITY 799 BROADWAY Room 225 Get 10c Coupons and sell them TO HELP US FEED the Strikers’ Children cr 4 "Sf