The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 9, 1928, Page 4

Brae Miia NBabn acinus: Page Four THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1928 Worker Co BRAND RAPIDS UNEMPLOYMENT; FLA. POVERTY Describe N. Y. Slaught- | er House Conditions (By a Worker Correspondent) GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. —Supposing that many of the read- t The DAILY WORKER are not | aware of the labor situation and steadily growing unemployment in this town at the pr nt, | am en deavoring to give a brief description | of it. The fact is that most of the work- | ers in the numerous shops here are dissatisfied with the prevailing work- conditions, because the same im- portant chances take place every day here in the trial center a namely wage-cuts, incr work, gradual lay-offs of the workers, 8.| etc. The ar biggest furniture : The Show Case Co., Berg Furniture Co., The Ame: can Se g Co., and tens of sma companies. Those three big com- panies employ several thousand men} each. compani here and er | Slash Wages. La summer these three com- panies, the show Case Co., the first, cut the wages of all their employers 20 to 40 per cents and besides all the day-work (upon which basis most ot these shops had been working up to that time), was cut out and all the work on a piece-work basis. The re- sult was more speed required from | the men, in order to make up the wage-cut on the new prices and they could make something like a ing wage. The result of the wag cuts and the inc d speed of wo was, that thousan of men were laid} off, especially those workers who/| were known by the bosses to be ac-} tive members of any kind of working-| class organizations. | The Show Case Co. is engaged ex- elusively in the manufacture of store | show cases and office furniture. The | best. cabinet makers employed by this | company were able to make before | wage-cut about 90 cents per hour, but after the cut, 65 cents was set as the limit by the company and many of the men were not able with their best efforts to make more than 50 cents per hours. In some kinds of cabinet work the prices were set so low, that the men working on the job made} only 18 or $20, while working a full week, Furthermore the workers are sub- mitted to all kinds of errors in the time-keeping, by which they always are cheated, because they are no| longer allowed to record their earn- | ings for every day as they used to| do before. The most effective spy | system is also organized by the com- | rrespondents Tell Sto New Air Taxis will Ald Reaies Next War POLITICIANS SEEK Se Militarists and capitalists will greet the institution of a new air man fliers, Rudolph Flittner, and Vetier ust arrived in New York with their seaplane, the These planes can with very little difficulty be con- verted to war machines when needed. taxi service by two (¢ Hagen, who have “Globe Trotte: The fliers plan to take pas- sengers up over the ports where the boats dock, on a commercial bas BERTRAM D. WOLF Workers Party at The count By The big country every sion, in populati and in the magnitude of that its working class y The opportunities for work struggle are enormous. The Worke: Party stan tually alone in th The socialist party, unlike the s of some of the European coun- is numerically weaker than the Workers Par What is more portant, it has dropped pretty largely the prete’ of being a class struggie party and made itself openly an ap- pendage of the A. F. of bureau- cracy, which, ‘in turn, becomes ever more openly a tool of big business in the labor movement. ork in a big in s. im- Reaction Increasing. In the face of the tremendous power of big business and the brutal sway of reaction in domestic and fo: governmental affairs, with the w ing class virtually unorganized polit- months. Had to sell the stove and eat for the family?” “And what about the family next to us who hasn’t paid any rent in several months?” I asked, “how long | placed upon it. To meet this situation, has your neighbor been out of work?” “For about six months.” “Who did he work for?” “He is a railroad workman and since the shop closed down last sum- mer he has been unable to find any other employment.” Talking about the old clothes, Mrs. A. Said: “The schoolteacher who stays in my house said that many of and } gal | Party to build. There is the Workers |6B, New York City..... {the Workers Party has only a little|2A 3F, M. Horowitz, N. ¥. C {handful of members or none at all.| Workers School, Levitch, } | al ‘ % “ and so inadequately unorganized tas’ and a needed are trained for in sufficient ance to meet all the needs of the movement. There are the unor- s like autos : n the saving of the miners’ union threatened with destruction is parable.from the problem of or- | ng the unorganized fields and of organizing the left wing where the | union exists. There is from 85 to 80 percent of the working class to or- ganize. And for the organized there is the problem of giving militant lead- ership and modern fighting organiza- | tional forms. There is the Labor | Party to build. There are vast| stretches of the farther west where | And there is the rapidly industrializ- | ing south in which the Party has not even a foothold. | Placed before such a situation and | such opportunities, the party’s sphere kitchen cabinet to get something to} of work is limited not by the possibili- ties of the situation but by the lack of sufficient trainéd forces capable of undertaking alW the gigantic tasks the three-months’ full-time day train- ing course of the Workers School will j be inaugurated next Wednesday night at the mass meeting at Irving Plaza Mall, 15th sets gaat Irving Place. Workers’ Leaders. The school will take first-line work- ers from every district, workers like Ben Gold, Carl Hacker, Tom Fleming, pany in every one of its many plants.| her ehildren come to school bare- | nd V. Dart, who have proved them- Every man is forbidden to leave his| place of work or to go to any other/ footed jand in old Sometimes they don’t come at all.” ragged clothes. | selves by years of devoted activity, I| workers who have demonstrated their | department to see his friends during | @Sked why they were absent, and she fighting ability and determination to | answered that “they didn’t have any-| devote their whole life to the revolu- | . Working how no matter how im-j portant business he may have. Any- body violating this rule is im- mediately discharged. Thousands Jobless. The working conditions are just as bad in the other furniture shops here All the smaller companies have fol- lowed the example of those three larger ones. The situation in the furniture industry in this city has been going from bed to worse since | summe At present the unem-| ployment is very acute. Up till now| men have been laid-off from almost | | | every shop by the hundreds every | week during the 3 or 4 mo And due to th continuous the numbe the unem d has | steadily been growing, so that now} it is estimated to about 20,000, which is an alarming number for a town of this size. During the next} 2 or 3 months there does not seem to be much relief in sight for the un- employment situation, “The Bunk.” The annual furniture show has been in progress here about 3 weeks, and the local capitalist papers herald that this show is responsible for this slack of work situation and say that after the show, work will pick up and a prosperous time will begin for everybody. This is naturally the same kind of “bunk talk” that Presi- derft Coolidge and his financial bosses and supporters have been singing for the last half a year. Before concluding this, I may state that there is a union, the Furniture ~Worker’s Union functioning here among the furniture workers. It was organized last year and it’s doing good work among the thousands of exploited workers. This union pub- lishes a small shop monthly paper, f “The Furniture Worker.” be : “ ; A. R. Florida Poverty in South. “ While I was on a drive obtaining “elothes for the miners’ relief in <Plorida, I approached a lady for wome old clothes. She asked me what ac was for. I told her it was for the ayiners’ relief. *“Miner’s relief,” she said, “what out our neighbor across the street -.y ho’s been out of work for several 4 , ' | add thing to weg —C. D. New York Slaughter House Workers. I work in the slaughter house of George Kern and Co. on 11th Avenue and 40th ‘Street, New York City where I-am a bologna maker. There are over 2000 slaughter house work- rs in the abbatoirs of New York City, most of them in the district along the North River from 40 to 42nd Street. In Kern’s, hog-killers, drivers, hog-cutters, shipping sellar men, who do the pi bologna mak » all mal from $28 $33 a w The wo: is very dangerous and the terrible speed up to our dangers. entrails of the hogs, and the rotten sickening smell of the place are but to a part of all the foul conditions we! have to face for $28 to $33 a week. In 1919 we had a general strike of slaughter house workers in the entire East. 20,000 workers went out. We won the shop steward system ana ‘won an increase to about $41 a week. Reduce Wages. Then in 1921 the bosses wanted to reduce our wages. We went out on strike, and we lost after 8 weeks, per-| haps because we didn’t have good | leaders. The bosses were ready to give in after 2 days, but our leaders spoiled the strike. We were reduced to our present wages of $28 to $33 a week, and the shop steward was taken away from us. The Butchers’ Union started to organize the Kern workers in October, 1926. By Christ- mas 113 out of 140 workers joined the union. In December that year we went out on strike for 70 cents an hour. The strike Jasted 6 months. Kern got an injunction against us to prevent the union from attempting to organize thetr workers. The strike. was lost in April 1927. Now Kern’s and Gobel’s, two of the largest companies in the city, have combined together with the large Bronx Provision Co., employing about 500 workers. These companies have combined to fight against the workers and to be better able to hand us a wage cut. ait SLAUGHTER HOUSE WORK- ou mrttnassniipeannie — | { | tionary movement, and it will train them for better service in that move- | ment. The aim of the trainitig course | is to give more and better leadership, to the labor | more conscious leadersbi | movement. \ | The Workers Sthool will give no diplomas to its graduates. They will \not be fitted upon completion of the | course to take up some work outside of the boundaries of the working class, | | There is no room in the school for “chronie students” who never leave the world of books. Theory is studied for +|the sake of practice and practice is men, | raised to the level of theory as it ling, and|taught at the Workers School. I graduates are trained for better fight- t ing against the most powerful capital- ist class the world has ever known. Blood, filthy | and one thing only the school guaran- |tees to its “students”—that they will find plenty of ways to put their knowl- edge to use after they finish the course. For after all, as we said in opening—it’s a big country. And there’s always plenty of room on the firing line. FOR YOUR HEALTH Strictly Pure FLORIDA teed by the FARMER. Special Prices During Run of This “Ad” 5 Lbs. $1.25 6 Lbs. $1.40 10% Goes to “Daily Worker” ORDER BY MAIL. JACK FEURER 3656 Park Ave., Bronx New York City. All that are | le to be organized —} steel, rub- | | Workers Theatre, N. Y. C ‘SUPPORT OF NEW YORK FARMERS ‘Three Groups Pretend Friendship ALBANY, N. Y., Feb. 8.—Intensi i gle for the vote of the up- ew York farmers is well under th each of three presidential booms trying to prove to the farmers that the election of their candidate means an agricul.ural boom as well. n especially bitter fight is bein waged between the Lowden Hoover supporters, who are succee ing in showing-up the ‘false posit o of both candidates towards relief for the farmers. In addition adherents of Senator Cur-is have started an up- state campaign, while all three group ‘are opening up-siate offices at vari- ous points. ines: us developments in farmer-op- position to Hoover are seen in the ing of the issue of his discrimin- ation against the farmers when he | food administrator during the world war. The strength of these de- |velopments is seen in the announce- on the economic field, the Workers | ment that members of the Dairymen’s | $ {Party has tremendous _ | boundless field for work. age and the’ S.ate Grange are ely against the nomination of Hoover. on ener Ban to || Worker Sustaining Fund | Lithuanian Working Women Al- | liance of Amer., W. Frank., II1.10.00 A. H. Rudin, New York City....1.00 P. Wyatt, Indianapolis, Ind 4.00 S. Blatt, Paterson, N. J.. -4.50 | S. Balsis, Mizpah, Mont.. «1.50) + 2.75 | 2A 1F, New York City.. 9.65 C.....1.00 3.25 . ¥. C.2.80 Yorkville LD 43, N. Y. C 5.00 2A HF, Leff, New York City. ..2.00 IAC 6F, Kling, New York City. .3.00 J. Seitich, Box 134,'N. Y. 2A.5F, New York City 3.00 1B 1F, Sirotenko, N. Y. C +300 1B 1F, Sirotenko, N. Y. C -3.00 G. Poweman, (col.) N. Y. C..170.00 Akron Working Women’s Club, Peto: OMe \s'.'6 85 AO 5.00 Section 5, New York City 17.00 6C 11, New York City. 1.50 + 20 11.00 2.50 1.75 2E 1F, Saffera, N. Y. C. 6A 5F, New York City 1D 1F, Reider, N. Y. C.. 2F 2F, Pevine, N. Y. C.... 1D 38F, Kling, N. Y. C.... 1AC 6F, Kling, N. Y. C 2D SB uN Yess 2A 5F, Brooker, N. Y. Small, New York Cit; 6A 1F, New York City 3B, New York City 1AC 4F, Kling, New York 2F 3D, New York City... 2A 6F, New York City. Beck, New York City. Ss Section 5, New York City.. 1AC 1F, Kling, New York City. .5.50 1B 4F, Kling, New York City. ..5.00 A. H. Johnson, Chicago, Tl. 2.00 H. Renne, Phila., Pa 1.00 H. E. Adamas, Dresdon, Ohio... .2.50 Australia Fund, Max Giger, New YOPRIENOY cos aa votae cose ae. 5.00 F. Deuer, (col.) San Fran., Cal. E. Aelemuk, Chicago, Ill M. Longearerroc, Luzerene Srteet Nucleus, Luzerne, Pa... Robibéro, Pittsburgh, Pa... Ruthenberg Daily || wi! rin everything, Chibi consents ries of Daily Struggles of | Labor in the ‘Mitzi Back on Broadway In “The Madcap” at The Royale Theatre ee Ua F \HE perennial appears again ee : s |4 on Broadway, at Madcap” j | for b ot known to its auti |The comedy is an ar apted from the French by cell and with Glady music fifteen years on the sti in this country an unnumbered years actress ive Hun- var s a brave | but losing fight to} play. the role of \Ch sophisticated miss of twenty | |odd who becomes a twelve year old | | child again in order to as her | | mother in an advantageous marriage. | | She might have been convincing at 17 {but 12 is a bit too much. And Mitzi is not the Mitzi of long | |ago. Her dainty slimness and piquant | accent are gone. Yet her lifetime of | 2ge training still stands her in good i stead, | Mme Valmont, a fortune hunting j widow, mother of Chibi, has almost landed Lord Steeple. Chibi breezes |in. As the discovery of her own age | | and consequently that of her mother’s | |to masquerade as a twelye-year old. |The hoax is discovered, but not be- for Mme Valmont has safely landed | Steeple and Chibi his nephew. Marie Dayne, in the role of the| maid, in Conjunction with Pat Clayton stopped the show for a few minutes with their. number “Why Can’t it Happen to Me.” The gratifyingly small and pre- sentable chorus perform some cleverly executed numbers. “Madcap” and Mitzi provide sooth- ing entertainment that will not tax the memory.—B. B. NEW PENN, CARS OUST WORKERS CHICAGO, (FP) Feb. 8. — The Peunsylvania News, house organ of the Pennsylvania Railroad, announces that 800 new passenger coaches with roller bearings awill be put in service this year. This means that further reduction of operating and main- tenance forces on the railroad can be expected. The roller bearings per- mit an immense saving in locomotive power, enabling longer and faster trains. In practise this results in fewer engine and train crews for the same number of passengers carried. he economy in wear and tear also results in fewer trips to the shops for the rolling-stock and less work for the shopmen. The saving of coal puts more miners out of work. The non-union Pennsylvania is not in the habit of making provision for such workers. Instead it brags that it made a lot of money last year be- cause it speeded up its employes. Street Nucleus 3, Pittsburgh, Pa.9.00 1.00 F. Stutiorvitis, Akron, Ohio A. Gryb, New Haven, Conn. J. Gap, Shelton, Conn... Unit 1, Section 7, Brooklyn. Shop Nucleus 103, Cleveland, O. W. C. Bloyd, Cannon City, Colo. .1. Rates: Yearly 6 Mo. Single copy Order From: 39 THE COMMUNIST JANUARY, 1928 1. Lenin to the American Workers 2. The Crisis in the Labor Movement 3. America Discusses Russian Opposition And Other Important Articles, The COMMUNIST A letter by Lenin, hitherto unpublished, written in Janu- ary, 1918, By WM. Z, FOSTER The Secretary of the T. U. B. L. analyzes the causes of the crisis in the trade unions and what the left wing can do to save them, . the By BERTRAM D. WOLFE Who are the supporters of Trotsky in America? An anal- ysis of the discussions by Lore, Eastman and Abramo- vich on the controversy in the C. P. of the Soviet Union. E. 125th St. New York. Broadway Briefs | will open tonight at the Edyth Toiten | A 43h) RAILROAD CHIEFS DEFY INJUNCTION ISSUED BY COURI No Punishment Is Tike- ly to Follow HOUSTON, Feb. 8. — Althougl evidence is conclusive that officials of |the Southern Pacific Railroad are | guilty of violating an injunction is- sued against them in a case arising tout of organizing attempts by he | Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, {judges concerned in the case have hesitated and delayed before naming these officials on contempt of court. | The officers of the road to be ad- | judged are H. M. Lull, executive vice Headliner on the ¥audeville pre- | president, G. S. Waid, vice president gram at the Palace Theatre this |and general manager, J. G. Torian, as- stant to Waid, and W. R. Mann, as- ant superintendent of the El Paso sion. Justice J> C. Hutcheson, before whom the case is to come on Friday has announced that: “It is hard to believe that a railroad and its offi- The new musical revue, “arisi-|cials would rete ie ae at fare both ” sc] ed for JN si i the judicial and the legislative powers ana,” scheduled for Monday night, | °¢ ihe United States” 7 9 os eis The original injunciion wag secured Theatre. “Rain or Shine,” the new |py officials of the Railway clerks in Joe Cook musical show also opens to-|an attempt to prevent the railroad night, the latter at the George M.| from discriminating against the union Cohan Theatre. jand organizing a company union. | Both of these conditions were violated by the company and workers were | discharged for joining the union. The injury to the union has been done whichever way Justice Hutcheson now decides the question of contempt. | t | \ | | | | week. “| di The curtain on the Theatre Guild’s production of “Strange Interlude” is now rising at 5:30 p. m. instead of 5:15. Eugene O’Neill, whose two plays “Marco Millions” and “Strange | Interlude’ are now playing here un-| Arrest 7 Locked Out der Theatre Guild auspices, is leaving | * the city for Del Monte, California, Chicago Capmakers where he will spend the rest of the} CHICAGO, (FP) Feb. 8—Police winter writing a new play, “Dynamo.”} arrested 7 locked-out capmakers found in the neighborhood of a shop that had broken its contract with the union. They were released on bail to appear before judge Sullivan on a charge of violating his blanket in- junction. 6 other members of the union were arrested on a similar charge several weeks ago. Their case has not yet been heard. New Baumes Bill ALBANY, N. Y., Feb. 8.—After tt Lawrence Bolton, George Bratt, a ae — fe ence @ bill which recruit from the erstwhile Neighbor-| would permit judges to sentence hood Playhouse, and Jane Barry, the} second degree murderers to from 20 girl revolutionist of “The Interna- years to life, was passed in the As- tional,” are rehearsing in the cast of sembly today with only six dissenting “Hoboken Blues” which opens at the} votes, New Playwrights Theatre next week. Under the present law, second de- “The International” is now playing gree murderers must be sentenced to its final week. prison for a flat term of 20 years. George Arliss in “The Merchant of Venice,” at the Broadhurst Theatre and John Galsworthy’s “Escape” at the Booth, will give an extra matinee next Monday. Butler Davenport announces that the public is invited to attend a free performance of “The Fathers Son” to be presented at his theatre, 27th Street and Lexington Avenue this Sunday afternoon. 7 Eves. 8:30. Mat: Winter Garden Titre. & Sat, 2:30 —— The Theatre Guild presents —~ WORLD'S LAUGH SENSATION! RESNs kes Strange Interlude s A A * Model rtists DD odeis John Golden Then., 58th, E. of B’way > . Evenings Only at 5:30. es WINTHROP AMES presents JOHN GALSWORTHY'S EUGENE SNe Marco Millions ats, Thurs. & Sat. Feb. 13, “The Doctor’s Dilemma” Thea., W. 458t. Evs. 8:40 Broadhurst Mais Wed.e sat2:30 ESCAP with LESLIE Mats. Sat. & Wed. 2:40 cxorcek A RLISS HOWARD BOOTH Th., W.44 St.Bvs.8:30 in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE | DRAc B' way, 46 St. Evs. 8.34 FULTON Th., W. 42d. E Mats. Wed. Republic 42d, W, Evs. asso, Dy sa" HARRIS 2: Mats. Wed. LOVELY LA Mats. Wed.&Sat. 2.30 | THAN THE BAT” MUSIC AND CONCERTS AMERICAN OPERA COMPANY |1st_N. Y. SEASON, SUNG IN ENGLISH GALLO THEA. Evegs. 8:20. Mats, 2:20, 54th, W.of B’way. PHONE COL. 1140. Wed., Fri. & Sat. Evg., Abduction raglio. ‘Tues. Hv., Mme, Butter- . Mat., Sunset ‘Trail & Pagliacci. at. &' Thurs. Eve, Marriage of Figaro, with GEORGE M. COHAN ‘Theatre, 41 St. W. of Bway National pysnisv. mts Wed. aint 30 “The Trial of Mary Dugan” By Bayard Veiller, with Ann Harding-Rex Cherryman Tickets on Sale Now at Daily Worker, 108 E. 14th St—10”% Discount. THE INTERNATIONAL BY JOHN HOWARD LAWSON Author of “Processional” “An honest and courageous attempt to treat a subject which thus far has been strictly taboo in the American bourgeois theatre. . Lawson t¢ one of the most vital and advanced of the younger pla’ wrights of this country. The play is worth seeing.” DAILY WORKER. “Mr. Lawson has picked out a big theme—in fact just about the biggest that a playwright could choose.” —WEEKLY PEOPLE. “Deserves the attention of those interested in good plays well off | the beaten track of the triangle and its possibilities.”” —TELEGRAPH, DON’T MISS IT—GET TICKETS NOW! The New Playwrights Theatre 386 COMMERCE ST.—PHONE WALKER. 5861. . 8 Blocks South on 7th Ave. Subway from Sheridan 8q. CLOSING FEBRUARY 11. with Edna Leedom & Guy Robertson. \ abst onidehesrentanctstiet3 ‘a