The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 3, 1927, Page 5

News and Comment Labor Education Labor and Government Trade Union Politics ) HOUR WEEK . Also Demand $44 Wage Were Getting $35 BOSTON, Feb. 2.—The Capmakers Tacal 7, have declared a strike for a 40-hour, 5-day week, and-a minimum wage of $44.00 a week. J, Miller,-reporting for the commit- tee which has been holding confer- ences with the employers, declared that negotiations had been broken off, the employers refusing to con- sider any of the demands made by the workers. The capmakers are 100 per cent organized and are prepared for a fight. Every speaker who took the floor spoke in favor of striking and showed a strong determination to fight for a living wage. Time For Raise. Fox six years the capmakers have received no increases. Nor have they recovered the 15 per cent cut they suffered in 1919. Now at the expira- tion of their agreement, they insist that the employers face the responsi- bility of providing a living wage for the workers of the industry. The average wage of the skilled worker is $35 a week, far below the minimum set by the United States Department of Labor «statistics. Organize To Strike. As soon as the strike was declared, the following machinery for carrying it on was organized: a General Strike Committee of 17, with J. Miller as chairman; a picket committee of 35 with Weisman, chairman; Korsun, chairman of finance; Seligman, chair- man of the hall committees, and an out-of-town committee. All members were instructed to station themselve at. 7.80 a, m. in front of their shops fay picket duty. Twice a day strikers are to report at union headquarters, to have their strike cards punched. THE DAILY WORKER. SDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1927 . Page Five . Organized Labor—Trade Union Activities AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTION iN UNITEDSTATES & CANABA NGER TRUCKS Observe that in November, the automobile companies suddenly awakened to the significance of the steadily falling demand, and changed a gradual decrease of production into a practical stoppage. December the lowest point in automobile production within the last three years was reached, just as the highest point had been achieved in April. Policies and Programs | ‘The Trade Union Press Strikes—Injunctions Labor and Imperialism ° ’ . Miners’ Convention Ends * “Ho | With Brophy Fighting (Continued from page 1). miners. Want Short Term Contracts. The progressives did not ask for | a five year agreement to cover the| bituminous fields, but for one year agreements, so that at any time the anthracite miners might strike over a *| breach of the agreement by the op-| erators, or the unorganized be driven on strike by the bad conditions in the! southern coal fields, the bituminous miners would not long be prevented from coming to their assista The Wage Scale Committ has appointed, and from w Brophy was carefully barred, brought in a recommendation for a two year contract. Expose Lewis Again. There was nothing in the Wage Scale Committee’s report that would appeal to the non-union men to come | out with the union in case there was a deadlock in negotiations with the| In LAWRENCE BOOSTERS’ COMMISSION DISCOVERS AN INCREASE IN WORKERS’ HOURS WOULD ADD TO PROSPERITY OF FAMOUS TEXTILE CENTER (By Worker Correspondent.) LAWRENCE, Mass., Feb. 2. — An industrial commission was appointed a little over a year ago by Mayor Rochefort of this city “for the pur- pose of inducing new industries to come to Lawrence.” Those appointed on the commission were Charles E. Bradley, real estate man; Irving Southworth, agent of the Pacific mills; James R. Menzie, of the Cen- tral Labor union; Andrew B. Suther- land, merchant; Albert I. Couch, banker; Michael A. Sullivan, lawyer; Edward J. Wade, city clerk and Al- derman Peter Carr, head of the police department. This commission met only once last. year and found there were 14,000 tex- tile workers unemployed and that several thousand others were on part time.. They gave no report on how the employed workers were speeded and doubled up in their work and the low wages they were receiving. They then--went to sleep and awaited-the call of their master. Suddenly they awoke and on Jan- uary 11th, this year held another meeting. The merchant, banker, law- yer and the lonesome labor leader seated themselves comfortably round the table to diseuss—what? The bringing of new industries to Law- rence? The terrible speeding up of the workers? The low wages on tex- tion” Costly. tile workers are receiving? Not on SEW YORK. Feb. 2,—Allegations} your tin-type. What do you think of the payment of huge sums for|this commission came into being for? “protection” by police and. govern- Do you think this is a workers’ com- ment officials in the landing of a load) ™ission? Well, I should Bend Ba of rum at Edgewater, N. J., last Ap- ; ril were muse th United States Court] f°" the bosses! : here. The testimony was given by], Have patience — worker, while Cecil N. Kinder, of Chicago, who “andy’ delivers the goods. ‘The Mas- claimed to have paid the money in an| sachusetts textile mills are laboring effort to safely land 10,000 cases of|Under ahandicap in competition with liquor from the Eker, a boat seized| other states on account of the 48-hour’ off Yonkers in the Hudson River] aw, and that is-why so many of our April 29, last year. northern cotton mill manufacturers , “ have acquired plants in the sauth. There is als6 danger of. losing the woolen and worsted industries, as the two other most important competing states, New York and Pennsylvania, are operating under 54-hour laws.” Not Pacifists. “We do not feel that the Conference Table is our only recourse,” said one of the speakers, in praising the de- cision of the meeting. “Our union still believes in the strike. We have not lost our fighting spirit, and our employers will now see us in action.” The cCapmakers* are known to. be good fighters. They showed their solidatity in helping the other needle trades unions when onsstrike. They have a ptogressive leadership and are sure to win. New York Records Earthquake. NEW YORK, Feb. 2,—An earth-| quake of moderate intensity early to- day about 6,800 miles southwest of! New York, was recorded on the Ford-| Now if this wasn’t so serious it ham University seismograph. The) would really be funny. Here is “Andy” tremor began at 1:16 A. M., reached} shouting for 54 hours a week when sity at 1:57, and) most of us textile workers have been continued until 2:10. lucky to get 32 hours a week for the ~~ employers, and a strike forced upon | the workers. This was the point of | attack by John Brophy, Who declared | in a strong speech that this omission | was fatal to the success of the union in its program of avoiding wage re-| ductions. i This again directed attention to ‘at Lewis’ most outstanding failure as an past four years. Why is it that the] international president, his lack of textile mills in New Hampshire and| ability, or of willingness to organize Maine, where they work on the 54-|the unorganized. hour week basis are closing down—] @The committees’ report should be g® per the Salmon Falls mill for in-| aitered so as to appeal more to non- Stance? They might as well ask for! union men to join the organization,” the 60-hour week or better still have the worker pack up his trunk and move into the mill and live there all the time: = And then “Andy” goes 6n to say— “This year a bill has been introduced to permit 54 hours work but the av- erage of the year will not exceed 48 hours per week.” Well, you sly old fox! Do you think we are such dumb- bells as to fall for that? As it is now, when we work overtime, we get time and a half, (This only happens in the-dye-house and in the mills that work nights.) Your plan would sim- a fact nevertheless, that 65 per cent of the bituminous coal is mined by non-union men. We should do some- thing to strengthen the union member- ship for the coming clash.” These words roused the most intense ire on the part of Lewis and his sup- porters. In a terrifically bitter and personal.speech, Lewis rejected all such advise and even after the mo- tion to adopt the Wage Scale report had been railroaded through Lewis supporters howled down Brophy’s re- quest for a chance to speak in answer | PROLI R PROT MOVEMENT AGAINST WHITE TERROR IN LITHUANIA. The Central Committee of the Ger- man Red Aid sent a telegram to the state president in Koyno, protesting against the terror in against the arbitrary mass arrests Ralph Tscherny and the arrest of 14 to 15 year old children, It demands the immediate abolition of the field courts and the permission that a delegation of three members “investigate the conditions in Lithuania on the spite. At two oceasions delegations of the German Kasis Gedris Red Aid visited the Lithuanian am- bassador in Berlin. In the first in- stance the deelgates spoke to the am- bassador personally while he refused to appear when the second delega- tion came. The delegation presented the same demands as outlined in the telegram of the Central Committee and received the promise that the de- Brophy urged. “It-is a sad fact but jrands would be sent on to the Lithu-|, Brigadier General Andrews, assis-/ anian governnient. Lithuania | ‘The Manager's Corner INFRA-RED RAYS. By the use of infra-red rays in a recently perfected photographie apparatus, scientists of the University of Chi- cayo have been able to obtain accurate views of the planet Venus, which has heretofore been considered impenetrable owing to the dense clouds with which it is surrounded, With the aid of these rays, it was possible for the scientists at the Yerkes observatory in Wisconsin to view the surface of the planet, which had been hidden from the gaze of human beings until this time. It is expected that even more important scientifie data will be disclosed with the help of the piercing power of this new discovery. ‘ The daily life of the worker is also surrounded with dense clouds, which hide from him the actual forces at work | im present day society, and the fundamental causes of the problems which he meets. On all sides there is the thick mist of capitalist misinformation, disseminated by the kept press, the movies, the.radio, the church, thie schools, ete. Within this blinding mist the average worker is groping and toiling unconscious of the tremendous forces which have chained | him to the yoke of wage slavery. Like the infra-red ray of the scientist, The DAILY WORKER pierces this dense cloud, and reveals to the work- ing in the language of the workers, and telling the facts, as ers life as it really is, without sham, without deception, speak- the workers want them told. With the growth and develop- ment of The DAILY WORKER, the workers may be assured that there will be revealed as marvelous and even more vital discoveries about the present order of society, and that the valuable facts thus revealed will be a rousing stimulus toward the devélopment of a strong revolutionary movement. in | America for the overthrow of capitalism. and: the establish- ment of a workers’ and farmers’ government. | BERT MILLER, | A GERMAN FLY IN THE CAPITALIST OINTMENT! BRITAIN AND U. $. LOOK WITH SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES ON FORMER ENEMIES’ EXPORTS The rapid strides which Germany is making on the economic field are cause of complaint from two different sources—America and England. the Must Have Markets. A reading of these two statements shows immediately the difference in the attitude of capitalistists of the two countries to the developments in Germany. Apparently England is deeply concerned about the matter, the possibility for the development of new markets “of sufficient absorbent power to keep both British and Ger- man industry at work to their ‘full capacity”, being rather slim at the present time. Small wonder then that the prospect of losing her m |tant secretary in charge of customs, makes public the finding of Secretary Mellon to the following effect: “Af- ter due investigation I find that pig! iron from Germany is being sold and is likely to be sold in the United States at less than its fair value and that the industry of making pig iron in the United States has been and is likely to be injured by reason of the importation of pig iron into the | United States from Germany.” But the statement goes on to say that “the imposition of a countervailing ply mean another indirect wage cut. As far as “competition with other states” is concerned the northern manufacturers own the southern mills anyway and the only ones they are in competition with are—themselves. 1 suggest that since they have such a hard time competing with themselves that they reduce the hours of work of their southern slaves to at least 48 hours a week. Well, you tried hard, “Andy,” and even if the work- ers are boycotting your store you have the satisfaction of at least being loyal to your boss, Central Labor Union to Hold Mass Meeting. The Central Labor union is under the progressive leadership of Robert J. Watt, a painter by trade. At its last meeting it took up this 48-54 monkey business and believe me there was thunder, After Brother Menzie, who is the labor member of the com- mission, gave his report, the fire- works began. Every member emphat- ically denounced all those who would return the workers to 54 hours a week. Tt instructed President Watt to call upon the mayor and demand that the Conimission restrict its efforts to reviving old industries and procuring new ones instead of spending its time trying to repeal the 48-hour law. It ‘was also yoted to hold a monster meeting of textile workers in the near future to protest and take action against the bosses’ propaganda to bring back the 54 hours. Workers watch for the date! Prepare now against the bosses. Join a union. And fight for more wages. In and Around the Miners’ Convention INDIANAPOLIS (By mail.).-— Within f00 miles of the convention hall, in the state of Indiana, can be fo) ominous results of the Lewis in allowing West Virginia to slump back into non-unionism. Thou- sands of Indiana miners are again working two to four days a week af- ter a burst of activity late last year. The latest report of the state bu-' reat of mines shows coal operations at only 51 pe cent capacity. Two- thirds of this idleness is duc to that chronic disease of an overexpanded industry which has slipped from grasp of the union. 4 » Production is back to 660,000 tons weekly, after a few months due to an excited market stintulated by pre- parations for the possible soft coal will receive election results only when and if John L. Lewis cares to give it to them. A resolution asked the publication of the tabulated vote in the Miners Journal.’ The steam- roller flattened it out. >» ar The next convention will be held the second. Tuesday of Decerrber, 1928. ; * _ * In an effort to prevent the theft of elections, is was proposed that an international elections conimitteé be created to “relieve” the secretary of the job. This committee of five would maintain its own headquarters and handle the entire business. Tust pic- ture to yourself how John L. snorted when he read that! No, it didn’t pass, a strike next spring and the export de- mands which led West Virginia coal to England, rat than to markets formerly posse: by Indiana coals. After the needs of rail is and bat ect laying up coal against the ible April 1 strike and the nor- mal winter demands have been filled, Indiana foresees the worst slump in history. Nearly fifty mines are al- ready idle although January is us- ually an active month in the coal re« The Lewis machine finds very han- dy the constitutional provision al- lowin@ any local, no matter how small, to send a delegate to the con- vention. International officials a few imonths before conventions work themselves up into a frenzy in mori- bund districts, organizin: res of petty locals. Zieglerg Ll, miners in a resolution declared this system of “packing the convention with dele- gates who represent practically no ae miners, is disrupting and destroying of the Miners Union our miners’ uniond’ / Membership » 1 x __ | ganization purposes. to Lewis’ vilification. * 2 * By JACK KENNEDY. (Special to The Daily Worker) INDIANAPOLIS, = ¥eb. 2.—Rank and file delegates, legitimately elect ed from real unions, today voted to send John W. Hindmarsh, militant Illinois independent as United Mine Workers’ delegate to the April con- gress of the miners’ international. But when administration tellers finished counting the noses of the 500 to 600 machine delegates from dummy districts and sky blue locals, Hind- marsh was declared beaten by Van Bittner, marshal of West Virginia’s packed delegation. Declare Capellini Also Elected. President Rinaldo Capellini, of an- thracite districte one, was declared, elected as second delegate over John Brohpy, progressive leader. Anthony Minerich, Western Penn- sylvanid progressive, in - ringing speeches nominated Hindmarsh and Brophy as the “true representatives of rank and file sentiment in Amer-| ica.” Mike Demshak, who single-handed defied the slugger of District Nine, anthracite, at this convention, com- pletely exonerated himself this morn- | ing of charges of seabbing. 1 Replying to savage character as-|ctrations in the open air will take sassination by President Golden of| piace in Koenigsberg. In many Ger- his district yesterday, Demshak told | jan towns all labor organizations the convention that President Turn-| jaye addressed joint protests to. the blazer of Tennessee had ordered him |} ithuanian legations. to work in a non-union mine for or- | Josef Greifenberger From all parts of Germany news arrive in Berlin on the indignation cist rule in Lithuania. In Eastern Prussia a number of fugitives have arrived who have reported about the Karl Pojella jevents in large mi meetings. In Koenigsberg, .2 workers’ delegation aw the Lithuanian consul. Demon- She Got Caught. duty” is negligible factor in affording | protection to the domestic interests.” | Much Worried. The Midland Bank of London in its January bulletin remarks: look, however, is not too pleasing, at least on the surface, to the British manufacturer, artisan and exporter, \for Britain’s products compete. to a among the workers agairist the fas-| large extent directly with Gernniny’s. | Undoubtedly a person of severe com- petition. is in store for British indus- try and there is no more appropriate ‘hope for the new year than that the purchasing power of the world shall be so far increased that markets are. available of sufficient absorbent pow- er to keep both British and German industry at work to their full capac- ity. Earnest Thought, “During 1925 this country exported £773,000,000 of British products; Ger- many £440,000,000 of German goods, Of Britain’s exports of British pro- ducts £616,000,000 consisted of manu- factured goods. Germany, apart alto- gether. from reparation payments, * sent out £331,000,000 of manufactured goods. The figures, to say the least, are provocative of earnest thought and perhaps not a little anxiety. “The out- kets in China is causing the British lion to roar with consternation, The American statement is cooler in its tone, and proposes neither direct- ly or indiréctly, any counter action in the form of countervailing duties. It is quite reasonable to assume there- fore that American capitalism’ is’ ‘so deeply involved in the development of German industry, that the prospect of competition with American plants causes the big American interests far less concern, Leads To War. For the. workers, however, the fig- jures speak eloquently. They show clearly how Britain is being forced | by her economic plight into desperate jefforts to extend her foreign markets, | efforts which can. only lead to a new imperialist war. On the other hand ‘the figures show the workers of America the eagerness with which patriotic American capitalists ‘are ready to utlize theig, growing domin- ations oyer German industry and the |German proletariat to compete with |American industry and thus drive down the wages and living standards jof the. American. worker. I tional world trade union unity offers |the only hope of meeting this menace, KITTY O’SHEA’S GLADSTONE NOTE ‘Hundred and Eighteen _ Million Is Pouplation Now Estimated in U.S. The poplation of the United States Demshak Given Ovation. | Later the machine used this to| brand Demshank 2a traitor to his un-| ion. Emperor Lewis was obliged to! admit the exoneration of Demshak | who was given an ovation by the | delegates. | James Johnson, International Board member from Washington, defended! himself against Lewis’ charges yes-| terday that he had consented to wag- | er reductions in District Ten. He de-| ‘ . : UIs fied Lewis to his face to prove it, section, after dealing with financial! ana read a telegram to inti his in- requirements, proceeds to include} pocence, Lewis replied weakly that ica managers, top foremen, opera-i his information against Johnson was tors’ commissioners, persons engaged) from “authentic” but unnamed sour- in the sale ‘of intoxicating liquors ces,- and members of the National Givie Federation (page Matty Woll) from membership. The third patagraph excludes members of the Industrial Workers of the World, the Working Class Union, the One Big Union and dual unfons not affiliated with the locals of less than 100 members be obliged to team with other small lo. cals in sending a delegate. “No,’' said the committee. “ | Article XIV, Section 2 is the fa- mous section which bars members of. the Workers (Communist) Party from the United Mine Workers. This Scale Report Up Today. The. convention chose Indianapolis for the 1928 convention and adjourned until Wednesday when the important | wage scale committee reports. It will | ask the convention to grant power and ask no questions about the forth-| NEWARK, N. J., Feb. 2.—Miss Stella Bickness, 20-year-old author- ess of a script, “The Girl Who Never Was Caught,” found herself in the toils of the police here today, charged with robbery. She is alleged to have confessed to thefts of $20,000 worth of jewelry and clothing from wealthy | families in New York City, Newark) and Montclair, Mother and i a Slay. CLEVELAND, Feb. ‘ly wielding an axe and a hatchet, officer, to di | Mrs. Anna Lista, 36, and her datigh- Parne ter, Elizabeth, 13, early today smashed in the head of Anthony Lista, hus- ‘bend and father, as he lay sleeping in bed here, according to the wo- man’s alleged statement made to po- lice sergeant Kosier. Postpone New Immigration Scheme, WASHINGTON, (F'P).—By unani- . 2—Alternate-| Kitty O'Shea, wife of a British army | | will be 118,628,000 by July 1927, ace |cording to surveys made by the gov- ,ernment Census Bureau. : This is an increase of 1,492,000 over rs cepa the estimate for July 1, 1926, and an Letter Ties Can on the | sees of Rat aes nts. \Hypocrite’s ‘Reptitation: census was sctiaily tne ee }census was actually taken, LONDON, Feh. 2, — That William | uy York State, with @ population ON, . 2, 0! ! i i " E. Gladstone, ‘liberal premier of | tn y sury ei with see England in Victorian days used Mrs. 11,428,000, he population of the state in 1926 was estimated at 11,304,000, edit Charles Stewart | nin court today in ie rial arising The new survey is based on avail- out of a book written by the captain | able ‘ia regarding births, deaths, in which he lifts the curtain ‘on the /immigration and emmigration. setual life of the noted liberal leader. | — on Mrs. O’Shea’s husband was aware of the conspivacy and prostituted him- | self in veturn for a promise of ‘a! ministerial appointment. _ } Captain Wright taking the stand) read the following. letter from Mes. wa Lehn en Deal with Each Other To Establish Cabinet dcx F, of L.as well as Workers Par- ty members. Members of the Miners Union accepting office in these organ- izations are eppeled forever unless reinstated by the international exe- cutive board, 7 fF eS ata John P. White, former president of the United Mine Workers, putters about the platform doing errands for Lewis and Kennedy, The old fel- iow is pensioned by the machine. His one qualification for Lewis’ job, a portly corporation (known also as a] 407,578; They asked-that baywindown).did not prove enough. |Tashkent, 294,349, and Tiflis, 275,915, today. P : coming negotiations with operators |mous vote the senate committee on on Feb, 1th. Continuance of the immigration urged that congress post- Jacksonville scale of $7.50 will be the | pone for one year the application of machines’ program with quiet sacri-' the “national origins” scheme of fix- fice of important conditions which ing immigration quotas. will, however, effectively reduce the. miners wages far below present low) standards, TRENTON, N. J., Feb, 2.—Perjury indictments against the 14 troopers — ‘now under $5,000 bail on charges in Present population for various cit-| connection with the Meaney farm jes is: Moscow, 2,018,286; Lenin- siege will be sought on the basis of grad, 1,611,103; Kiev, 491,533; Baku, 483,333; Odessa, 411,111; Kharkov, Rostov-on-Don, | O'Shea to Gladstone jn open court: ‘ incriminating Letter. “Dear My. Gladstone: I thank you very sincerely and I hope I have not }trouble you as you may deem un- necessarily. I hope you will forgive me and believe in the sincerity of the motives which have induced me to do so I enclose a letter from my hus- hand which I will be grateful if: you «iect.-Kitty O'Shea.” » ; BERLIN, The right wing nationalists e capitulated and the Marx cabinet is now complete. | ‘Phe insistence of the ultra-nation- jalists that Dr, Walther Graef, the |friend of Hitler and Ludendorf, be in-. {eluded in the cabinet, de®pite the ob- _ jections of President Hindenburg, has | been withdrawn. ers | Oskar Hergt, nationalist, who was the report of the state police investi- will read and destroy at your leisure, Unsuitable as minister of interior, has gating board, former Judge George) Also a telegram which I have just| been named as minister of justice. 302,416;|K. Large of Flemington announced received referring to the same sub-| Walter. Von Keudell has been + “named as minister of interior.