The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 7, 1928, Page 1

Militancy Grows With Unemployment in West, Gitlow Reports to Plenum THE DAILY WORKER FIGHTS: FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNORGANIZED FOR THE 40-HOUR WEEK | Sots don Neccmi waeion aaa Oa A LABOR PARTY Entered an secouu-e siice at New York, N. THE DAILY WORKER. » Under the act of March 3, 1879. FINAL [ FINAL city | | __ EDITION _ Vol. V. No. 31. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In New York, by mali, $5.00 per year. Outside New York, by mail, 86,00 per year. NEW YORK, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1928 Published datly except Sundpgy by The National Daily Worker Publishing Association, Inc., 33 First Street, New Price 3 Cents York, N. ¥. HOLD DAILY WORKER ON FEDERAL CHARGE; ARRESTS FOLLOW GRAND JURY INDICTMENT WORKERS PARTY MEET IS TOLD OF COMING STRUGGLE Dunne Talks on Present Tasks of Labor Discussion of the unanimous report of the Political Committee of the Workers (Communist) Party occupied all of Sunday and Monday at the plenary session of the Central Com- mittee of the Party which continues today at Irving Plaza Hall, 15th St. and Irving Pl., New York City. Members of the Central Committee, members of the Control Commission and hundreds of Party functionaries who crowded the hall, followed with close attention the Political Commit- } tee report delivered by Jay Love- stone Saturday night and the discus- sion which ensued. The first section of the full report as embodied in the speech of Com- rade Lovestone, too voluminous for publication in one issue, appears on page two of this issue of The DAILY WORKER. Gitlow Reports on Conditions in Western States. Benjamin Gitlow, member of the Secretariat of the Workers (Corn- munist) Party, reported to the plen- ary session of the Central Committee on the economic and political condi- tions in the labor movement of the western section of the country, of which he had made an extensive tour during the past weeks for the strengthening of Party organization and to address mass meetings as well as Party, memberahip. meetings in all impoftand centers. ~ Referring to the analysis of eco- wmic conditions of the country as a whole as made in the unanimous thesis of the Political Committee, which he found in accord with his findings in the western industrial cen- ters, Comrade Gitlow said: “The period of ‘Coolidge prosper- ity’ has now definitely come to a close, and especially is one impressed with the truth of this statement when making a visit to the west. Cities Crowded With Jobless. “In San Francisco there are today 32,000 unemployed, and the capital- ist press of Los Angeles admits that there arc 10.000 workers unemployed in that southern city of California. “All over the west we will find con- ditions becoming much worse. This is true not only in respect to out- right unemployment, but also in re- spect to the increase of part-time em- ployment, and again in the matter of reductions of wages. These facts go towards substantiating the fact that ‘Coolidge prosperity’ is at an end and that the workers are facing a deep- going crisis. “This condition opens up a period of big struggles for the left wing of the labor movement and especially for our Workers (Communist) Party. The San Francisco building trades workers are on the eve of a very im- portant struggle. The employers’ as- socjation and the master builders are beginning an offensive against. the standards of the workers. The San Francisco workers are beginning to understand that this means that the employers of that region will not stop until they have smashed the unions. At present the bosses are in- sisting that the unions must ‘come to an understanding’ with them which amounts to submission to the open shop and at the same time a reduction of wages. It is tacitly understood that this means an offensive for the general breaking down of standards. “The attitude of the officialdom of the trade unions tc this demand of the bosses for ‘an understanding’ is to give in, to retreat, to accept the terms of the bosses. But on the other hand the rank and file wants to fight. One can say that the workers in the main are not ready to give up to the bosses what they have won after many years of struggle. But the labor movement is divided on this ques- tion: ‘Shall we fight or shall we ‘give in? Have we a hope of saving something, or must we admit that we are too weak and cannot fight?’ “The reactionary officialdom of the trades unions does not put forth any proposition of a fight for the conditions of the workers. What is true in the building trades is also true in the International Association (Continued on Page Two) Finds West Near Crisis ' Ben Gitlow, member of the sec- retariat of the Workers (Commu- nist) Party, who reported to the Central Committee on conditions in the Western states. HAVANA CONFAB MAY GO ON ROCKS Intervention Issue May Break Meeting HAVANA, Feb, 6.—The sixth Pan- American conference opened another week’s session today facing what most observers believe will prove the real crisis in. ‘airs—the question of rts ag The issue, admittedly the bugaboo of che United States from the first, after much preliminary skirmishing was brought squarely to the fore at the two last protracted meetings of the committee on public interna.ional law. Some delegates assert that unless the United States forces silence on the rebellious delegates this week, the Pan-American conference will (Continued on Page Two) TO VOTE ON COLO. STRIKE TACTICS Will Sue State for Wal- senburg Raid By WILIFRED R. MOOERS. DENVER, Feb. 6.—Charging that the state industrial commission is de- liberately working in the interests of the coal operators and has un- necessarily delayed hearings, the state executive committee of the striking Colorado miners has issued a call for meetings of striking miners thruout the staie to vote on the question of transfering the strike to a strike on the job. This action follows requests by the Crested Butte Local where 450 members favor this policy, Demands Will Stand. If the vote carries as is expected, the twenty-two demands being made upon the coal operators will stand. R. W. Henderson, attorney. for the I. W. W., has filed suit in the name of 1005 members against the state police and local officials for the raia on Walsenburg Hall, when valuable relief records were stolen or des- troyed. While great. mystery shrouds the fake documents contained in Capiain White’s brief case, the west which has not forgotten Bill Haywood is be- ing filled with manufactured rumors as to his direction of the strike, even (Continued on Page Four) Fireman Killed and 12 Others Injured John Dwyer, a fireman, was killed and 12 others were injured yesterday when fire destroyed the city ferry coal supply station adjoining the municipal ferry slips at St. George, Dwyer fell 80 feet while dragging hose across the ice-coated roof of the Staten Island coal pockét. The flames gained such headway that two fireboats and ten land com- ‘[panies were summoned, TO PROTE WARYWNIC U.S. AGUA Five Senators Invited to Speak Protests against the invasion of Nicaragua by United States marines will be made at mass meetings to be held in New York next week by the All-America Anti-Imperialist League, according to an announcement yes- terday by Manuel Gomez, secretary. Telegrams inviting them to speak at the demonstrations were sent yes- terday to Senators Wheeler, Brook- hart, Frazier, Norris and Nye, Go- mez added. The league yesterday began the distribution of 20,000 more stamps reading “Protest Against Marine Rule in Nicaragua.” The post office authorities recently threatened to arrest league officers for using the stamps on mail. * * * Protest Tonight. Brownsville will be the scene of a demonstration against the invasion of Nicaragua by United States marines tomorrow night, at 8 o'clock, when the Workers (Communist) Party wili hold a mass meeting at Hopkinson Mansion, 428 Hopkinson Ave., Brook- lyn. The speakers will be Bertram D. Wolfe, director, Workers School; Herbert Zam, secretary, Young Workers (Communist) League and Ray Ragozin, Teachers Union. Chas. : Reis, Brooklyn Section Executive ‘Committee of the Party.will preside. BOSSES WILL NOT CONCEDE DEMAND BOSTON, Feb. 6.—Conferences be- tween the leaders of the Boston Joint Eoard of the Cloak and Dressmakers’ Union and the Cloak Manufacturers’ Association are still going on, with increasing statements from the em- ployers that they will refuse to make the slightest concession to the de- mands of the union, Severe criticism is being levelled at the right wing leaders of the Boston union for the manner in which they are conducting negotiations. The workers point out that because no steps are being taken to mobilize the workers for struggle, the em- ployers know that they can safely refuse to consider any improvements in the working conditions. The bosses, it is said, are even preparing to pre- sent their own demands. Recent membership meetings of Tocals 46 and 56 showed that deep resentment exists among the work- ers beeause the union officials have rot announced to the membership the demands they intend to make at the conferences. At the local meetings referred to, the membership passed resolutions de- manding that the officials call regu- lar mass meetings at which reports of the latest developments be render- ed. These big meetings will also serve as a mobilizing force with which to back up the demands. SAVED BY TRUCK DRIVER. Mrs. Rose Vetro, 70 years old, and her three little grand-children, were trapped by smoke and flames in the front room of their home at 260 William St., Long Island City, yester- day, but Mrs, Vetro dropped the chil- dren, one by one, out the front win- dow, where they were caught by Ben- jamin Newsome, of 334 Bayside Ave., Floahing; a truck driver. AT MANY MEETS Strikers Here Describe Sufferings of Penn. Miners Steve Paich (left), a Munsey (center), and M Rachel Getto, the sis ‘of a miner of Bentleyville, | Pa. Munsey, a Negro) triker, tells of the united | ront of the miners gainst the coal companies and their hirelings. All three are now in New York relating the sufferings of the Thou- ands of men, women and children in the strike area. Relief is urgent, they de- clare. WORKERS PARTY EXPOSES 1-GENT FARE SCHEME Charge Tammany Is Backing Huge Steal The New York district, Workers (Communist) Party, thru William W. Weinstone, organizer, last night at- tacked the attempt of the Interbor- ough Rapid Transit Co., working with the cooperation of Tammany Hall, to wrest a seven cent fare from the workers of this city. The statement follows: “The coup d’etat of the Interbor- ough Rapid Transit Company, for a fare raise on the New York traction lines to seven cents is the culmina- tion of a well-planned campaign of the traction barons in alliance with the Tammany Hall officials headed by Mayor Walker and Gov. oe The increased, fare mo nothing more nor less than a hol tae & by the rulers of a watered-stock company, their bur- den of which will rest on the shoul- ders of the great masses of working people of this city. The increased fare means only greater profits to these traction barons. Underpays Workers. “The Interborough Rapid Transit Company cannot justify any increase in the fare by any pleas of labor costs or similar pretensions, The company pays its workers the lowest wages in (Continued on Page Five) TRAINING’ SCHOOL STUDENTS ARRIVE Meeting Scheduled to Open Course Final preparations to welcome the students of the three months national training course have been made by the Workers’ School. The reception will take place tomorrow night, at the Irving Plaza Hall, Irving Place and 15th St. Tom Fleming of San Francisco, one of the students, is impatiently await- ing the meeting. I have heard Love- stone, Foster, Weinstone and Wolfe speak on various occasions,” he said yesterday, but I have never heard them all on the same platform in one evening, and it will be quite interest- ing for me, especially with Ben Gold, of whom we have heard so much, as one of the speakers.” Baumes Laws Attacked By Darrow in Speech SCHENECTADY, N. Y., Feb. 6. Clarence S. Darrow, in a speech be- fore the Schenectady Trades Assem- bly, characterized the Baumes anti- crime laws as “the craziest and silliest piece of legislation that has ever be- come law.” Reed’s activity “Daily” was also conspicuous during the last subscription drive. At that time he headed the list of the “Build- ers” in their campaign to make the paper a vital force in the American labor movement, Accompanying the list of new read- ers on the Coast was a message from Reed Wescribing the various activities planned by the Los Angeles comrades as part of the present drive which is being waged jointly with the Work- ers (Communist) Party campaign for 5,000 new readers. “You will hear from us again soon,” Reed wrote. ‘We were glad to notice that Oakland is also active in the present drive, but they will have to hustle to put Los Angeles in second place this year.” 2 COAL, IRON COPS SHOT BY OWN GUNS PITTSBURGH, Feb. 6.—Two coal and iron police were shot and injured when a shot-gun was discharged from their own ranks in an assault on striking mine pickets at the Crescent Mine at Phillipsburg, near California, Pa., today. The injured policemen were em- ployed under state commissions as |guards at the mine, owned by the Pittsburgh Coal Company. When the } police charged the pickets a strike- breaker fired his shot-gun, striking and wounding the two policemen, J. D. Buttermore and F, P. Byrne. * * * Operators Ask Troops. COLUMBUS, 0., Feb. 6.—Efforts are being made by the coal operators to have state troops ‘sent into the Belmont County coal fields. United Mine Workers pickets have been at- tacked at the Florence mine near St. Clairsville. Strikebreakers fired into a crowd of strikers at one point. ee ee conditions existing in the bituminous coal fields of Western Pennsylvania as “a crying indictment of authori- ties here and in Washington,” Sen. Burton K. Wheeler (D) of Montana, who visited several mining camps over the week-end, will ask the sen- ate interstate commerce committee to- day to take up at once the resolution providing for an investigation of the strike, he said before leaving for the capital. Senator Wheeler described condi- tions he found in the mining camps as “inconceivable.” The senate can do nothing to settle the strike, he pointed out, but he expects that body to force the hand of the public of- (Continued on Page Four) Under the guise of organizing a committee to study four main labor questions, Matthew Woll, acting president of the open-shop National Civic Federation, has accepted the leadership in a country-wide move- ment to “rationalize” industry and reduce the trade union movement to a quasi-company union status. This is the interpretation being placed on a statement made by Woll last Saturday in which he announced the formation of a committee of 53 representatives of the largest banks, trusts, manufacturing concerns and trade associations as well” as repre- sentatives of a number of Interna- tional trade unions. Four Questions. This committee, according to Woll will be concerned with the “study” of four main questions. The first problem will be the consideration of methods to remove the legal restric- WOLL IN A NEW ANTI-LABOR MOVE May Help Employers to Company- Unionize Trade Unions tions now existing on the formation of combinations between certain branches of industry, for instance be- tween railroads and coal mine own- ers and their employes. The form under which the “question” is stated for discussion is: Should the Sher- man anti-trust act, the Clayton act and similar acts be repealed, amended or left intact? ' As. an example of what may be (Continued on Page Three) Los Angeles Obtains 41 New Readers in “Daily” From Los Angeles, Calif., came yesterday 41 new subscriptions to The DAILY WORKER. They were relayed to the business office by Powell Reed, general “Daily” agent in the California city. in building the® PITTSBURGH, Feb. 6.—Branding | William F. Dunne Assistant editor of The DAILY WORKER, who with Bert Miller, or- ganization secretary of District No. 2, Workers (Communist) Party, and Alexander Bittelman, former editor of the magazine section of The DAILY WORKER, have been arrest- ed by the Department of Justice in an | attempt to silence The DAILY} WORKER. "DAILY", MUST BE SAVED-GANZON Attacks Legal Move Against Labor Organ James P. Cannon, secretary of the International Labor Defense, 1799 Broadway, the organization which took the lead in the defense of Sacco | and Vanzetti, and was instrumental | in forcing the release of Greco and | Carrillo, issued the following state- ment regarding the sudden arrest of William F. Dunne, associate editor o: The DAILY WORKER; Bert Miller, former business manager, and Alex Bittelman, former editor of the New Magazine section of The DAILY WORKER: “A blow at the labor movement is being delivered by its enemies in the form of the new legal attack against The DAILY WORKER, which has been at the forefront in defending the interests of American labor against | the present wide-spread attack of the employers. “Coming at this particular moment, the attempt to throttle the voice of The DAILY WORKER is no mere ac- cident. 1t is part of the general open shop drive on labor. “Our organization, as well as others interested in the preservation of the labor movement, will make the strug- gle of The DAILY WORKER our own.” Expect 1,000 to Attend Y.W.L. Dance Saturday About a thousand young workers and students are expected to attend the fifth annual dance of the Young Workers (Communist) League to be held Saturday evening, February 11, at the New Harlem Casino, 116th St. and Lenox Ave, POSTAL RECEIPTS, $30.000,000. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6. — Postal receipts at 50 selected cities totaled $30,570,429.88 in January. Drive CARRIES THREAT _OF 5-YEAR TERM, FINE OF $1,000 | Original Chérge Laid by W: ar ‘Societies ments returned by nd Jury, William F. editor of The DAILY Alex Bittelman, former eae Magazine section ller, former WORK editor of the The action of the federal grand jury claims as its basis the publication of |@ poem entitled “America” by David Gordon in the issue of March 12, |Gordon will be arrested shortly, it is { understood. The arrest of J. Louis Engdahl, for= |mer editor of The DAILY WORKER, | who is now in the Soviet Union, and who is included in the indictments, has also been ordered. | Yesterday’s arrests were a step in the long-threatened campaign to silence The DAILY WORKER and |to imprison and cripple its editorial and business staffs. The action was timed for a moment when the attack would do the most damage to the |rising tide of militancy in the labor movement, of which The DAILY | WORKER has been the chief reflec- tion and directing force. Dunne, Bittelman and Miller were arraigned before’ Justice’ Thatcher in U. S. Circuit Court, charged with the alleged violation of sections of the postal laws, the penalties for which are five years imprisonment, $1,000 _ fine or bothr The attack against the paper and its staff launched at the instance of |a number of professional patriotic so- |cieties and military organizations carrying out the instructions of large open shop employers and the govern- ment has been in preparation for a period of nearly nine months. About a year ago, Capt. George L. Darte, of the Military Order of the World | War, launched the first attack against the paper and the staff in the local jcourts. Officials of the Keymen of | America likewise were instrumental jin furnishing so-called data to the | court. This included copies of the paper. As a result Dunne served a | thizty day sentence last June in the New York workhouse. Miller was confined for seven days in the Tombs. The DAILY WORKER was fined $500. At the time the threat was made by the representatives of the military organizations that the charges would be further pressed in the federal courts, with the purpose of making sure of the destruction of the paper should the heavy fine in the local courts and the imprisonment of its {st taff prove ineffectual for that pur- pose. Attack is Timed. These preparations, it is under- stood, have been in progress for the st eight months, but the attack has n withheld for the moment when the greatest damage to the labor | movement and particularly to the in- creasing left wing influence in the unions would be accomplished by the stifling of the chief organ which fights for the working class of America. The attack has been timed for the (Continued on Page Two) DESCRIBES PENN MINERS’ MISERY Brownsville Relief Con- ference Formed One end of the barracks of the striking miners in Harwick, Pa., has been torn down and burned for warmth by their families made des- perate by lack of food and heat, ac- cording to “Xmedeo Sabitini, 19 year- old striker who arrived in New York City yesterday to attend the en- larged conference for miners’ reiief. The _ Pennsylvania - Ohio - Colorado Miners’ Relief Committee, with which the Workers’ International Relief is cooperating, is calling this confer- ence for February 18th at the Temple, 244 Hast 14th Street at 4 P.M. ’ (Continued on Page Three) 4 {