The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 10, 1928, Page 2

Page Two THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1928 REPORT SHOWS OUTPUT OF USSR GREW 19 PERCENT Oil Exports Doubled Pre-War Level While the American oil industry i senatorial in- undergoing a superf: vestigation which merely hints at the corruption of the corporations w own it, and the republican party poli- ticians who further “bleed” it ‘for political favors or preferences, th« oil industry of Soviet Russia contin mes to increase in productivity technique and social value, a report of the Soviet Naptha Syndicate, re- ceived yesterday, shows. Soviet oil production for the calen- dar year 1927 was 10,413,000 metric tons, the largest annual output for twenty-five years, while exports amounted to 2,135,000 tons and were the largest on record, according tc official figures received by the Am torg Trading Corporation, the Amer ican representatives of the Soviet Naptha Syndicate. A Reconstructed Industry. Production of oil was 18.4 per cent greater than in 1926, while exports showed an increase of 30 per cent over the preceding year. In 1927 Russia produced 1,200,000 tons more|cruiting work in the factories and the | than in 1913, and oil exports were/organization of shop nuclei was urged | more than double those for the last pre-war year. The Soviet oil industry which had | | Great Progress in 1927 Soviet Oil Production Contrasts with U.S. Corruption Labor Bank Head Hailed as Trusty by a Bouquet of Professional Fakers On the occasion of the anniversary dinner of a misleader of the so-called labor bank, a number of American business men congratulate Peter J. Brady, president and organizer of the Federation Bank, and former president of N. Y. State Federation of Labor, on his success as a capitalist. Left to right are Harry Guggenheim, exploiter of miners in all parts of hte world, Bernard Macfadden, physical culture clown and millionaire, Peter J. Brady, “labor” capitalist, Otto Kahn, recently decorated by the fascist government, Ralph M. Easley, professional Red baiter.and Gen. J. G. Har- bord, militarist, YOUNG WORKERS Painters to Ask\GREET STUDENTS ACTIVE IN STRIKE National Committee in Session (Continued from Page One) the League in organizing relief among the young workers was brought out in the discussion, with an appeal that the League increase its activities in this direction. Kaplan Reports on Organization. | More attention to the everyday re- in a report on the “Organizational | Stability of the League” by Nat Kap- lan. received a severe setback during the} years of civil war and intervention in Russia has been reconstructed by the Soviet government during the past four years at a cost of over $300,- 000,000. Reserves Are Huge. Total drilling for the Soviet fiscal year 1926-27, ending September 30, 1927, amounted to 367,567 100,000 meters more than in 1913. Considerable drilling for prospect- ing purposes was carried on last year. The Soviet Geological Survey estimates now the oil reserves of the Baku region alone at 1,500,000,000 tons. The Soviet, oil industry effected notable economies in management and methods during the past year as indicated by a decline in the number of workers employed, from 37,388 to 36,598, in spite of the 18 per cent in- crease in production. Important sav- ings were made through the introduc- tion of modern drilling and refining methods entirely new to the pre-war Russian oil industry. Electrification Grows. The Baku oil fields have been elec- trified to the extent of 93 per cent as compared with 30 per cent in 1913. Consumption of oil at the fields de clined considerably in 1927, contribut- ing to a reduction of production costs. The modernization of the Soviet oil industry has resulted in increased gross profits for oil trusts amount- ing last year according to prelim‘n- ary data, to 100,000,000 roubles. Exports to Egypt and India are now assuming larger proportions. meters, | | Explaining certain mistakes in the | organizational structure of the League | which had been corrected, Kaplan re- | ported that there were only three ac- | {tual shop nuclei functioning at the | present time, while with more ener- |getic work many more were possible. He especially emphasized the possi- {bility of establishing League shop nuclei where Party shop nuclei exist- jed, and that steps to accomplish this: | must be taken immediately in all the districts, The importance of developing new methods of recruiting and of studying the experiences of the League in this field was also brought out in the re- port. Sports Is Discussed. The task of building mass working class sport organizations thruout the |country was outlined by Jack Stone, reporting on: “The Sports Activity of the League.” He showed the impor- tance of such organizations in view of the present unorganized condition of the working youth and the corrupting influence of the professional and em- ployers’ sport organizations, which are | prevalent in America. | After a report on: “Mass Activity |of the League and Bridge Organiza- tions,” by Will Herberg, the enlarged |buro meeting ended with the singing jof the “International,” having re- solved to meet the more favorable sit- | uation by participating actively in all |the growing struggles of the young workers and building a strong Young Workers (Communist) League in the United States. fo r Safeguards (Continued from Page One |of the poisonous fumes to 10,000 of ‘air, a serious enough concentration to }cause chronic, if not acute, benzol poisoning. Kills in 5 Minutes. Benzol destroys the blood cells, Acute benzol poisoning can kill a worker in 5 minutes. Chronie benzol poisoning breaks down the body’ blood stream gradually and death comes if the poison’s course is not checked early. Dr. Alice Hamilton | of Harvard Medical School, specialist | in industrial poisons, declares that | “the practical difficulties of removing benzol fumes from painting operas | tions cannot be overcome.” In the labelling law Jersey employ- | jers want to say loosely “under 2% of | lead” instead of giving the exact | jamount. One-thirtieth of a grain of | lead per day can cause lead poisoning, the unionists emphasize, demanding |specific labelling. Manufacturers | would likely label all paints “under 2%” and workers would still be in the dark about their health danger. Jer- sey employers want to omit mention of the presence of naphtha, benzine, gasoline and other petroleum spirits in paints, H. S. Warren, secretary of New) Jersey state paintgrs conference, rep- resents the unionists on the labor de- partment committee appointed to study the legislation proposed. Har- riet Silverman, a director of the Workers’ Health Bureau, also appears for labor’s side. Employers have two representatives and a chemist for E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., paint manufacturers, is a member. Dr, Martin Szamatolski is chairman and represents the state labor department. Last year’s attempt to get painters’ health regulations through the legis- lature failed. The attorney general is repeating his ambiguous declaration on the constitutionality of proposed health regulations, GOV'T GETS BACK LANDS WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.—Ruling that the government through legis- lative and judicial action has the right to repossess about 6,000,000 acres of land in the north west from the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, Attorney General Sargeant sub- mitted a report to congress today. The Northern Pacific contends that it should be awarded 3,750,000 acres in AT MEETING HERE Celebraté Opening of Training | Sehool (Continued from Page One) course, a collection of $3,300 was tak- en up at the meeting by Minor. Many nits and labor organizations are sending in additional money to the school, it was reported yesterday. Great enthusiasm greeted the an- nouncement that the Communist Par- ty of Canada was sending three stu- dents to avtend the school, announced from the stage by Wolfe. Lovestone and Foster were intro- duced by Wolfe as two of the school instructors who were acquainted from practical experience with the classes they will conduct. Fleming told how in 1919 the long- shoremen of San Francisco refused to handle war material consigned for Admiral Kolchak to be used in his war against the Soviet Union. “After I finish the course in the school,” he continued, “I will go back to the coast and aitempt to encourage the militant traditions of the workers out there”. His Second Trip. Faul said that his present trip to New York was the second trip of his life. His first trip was to France with the army. “I learned a great deal from my trip to France during the war,” con- tinued Faul, “which will be of use to me in the class struggle in the United States, and I hope to learn even more from attending the training course.” The speeches were preceded by a musical program in which Dorsha, the dancer, and the Sterling Trio par- ticipated. Other out of tbwn students include Carl Sklar, Chicago, Ill.; Tom Foley, Philadelphia; Minnie Laurie, Chicago, and Z. Dart, California. William Murdock, Boston; Nathan Shaffer, Cleveland; Edward Turuhem, aereepedis and Carl Hacker, Cleve- and. FLOOD MENACES WORKERS. PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Feb. 9.—The swollen condition of the Schuylkill river, which has risen about six feet as a result of melting snow and ice in the upper part of the state, threatened to bring about a serious condition. in the Manayunk factory district here. Fearing that the waters would rise several feet more during the night, several mills were prepar- addition to that now held. ing for a temporary shutdown, OVER 4 MILLION IDLE AS CRISIS INU, S. SHARPENS Workers Demand Real Action ° (Continued from Page One) convinced that these moves will suc- ceed in their intended purpose of de- ceiving the workers, are taking definite steps to impress the unem- ployed that they will be met with the power of ‘the police and the govern- ment should they become too insistent in their demand for relief. Police Show Power. In New Jersey it has’ been. learned, special police details are now being stationed at the piers along the Hud- son River to which thousands of un- employed workers flock daily in search of work. The working class sections in New York are being closely guarded. The Bowery at times now gives the ap- pearance of a disguised batile front due to the large force of police of- ficers which regularly patrol the streets. Figures issued yesterday by the State Department of Labor, disclosed that there was a further falling off of 2 per cent in employment figures in the state for the month of Jan- uary, although the figures of the de- partment are by no means complete, the reports show a further decline of at least 20,000 wage earners during the month. Figures thus far for February indicate that an even larger number will be the total for this month, Attack Helpless. At the municipal lodging house on East 25th Street, police officers are regularly employed to drive off a number of those who cannot be ac- commodated. Workers who protest are arrested. Nine arrests have been made in the last two days. The belief that these arrests and threats by the police would serve to frighten off the jobless workers has not been borne out and officials of the city are seek- ing some other means to prevent a too great display of suffering. Tammany leaders throughout the city report that never before’ have they been so besieged with requests to find work for people in their dis- tricts. At the Seamen’s Institute, it is reported that the pressure of the unemployed has doubled during the past few months. The experience of this organization may be taken as very significant because the seamen who dislike its methods apply there only as a last resort. For New York States as a whole there have been 215 applicants for every 100 jobs, made vacant through- out the month according to reports by the Labor Department. Acute Suffering. Officials of the Salvation Army and Society Monarchist i | “Grand Duchess” Anastasia, who claims to be the daughter of the late czar and who was brought here by wealthy society women under the leadership of the ambitious Mrs. William Leeds, former “Prin- cess” Xenia of Russia, to stir up monarchistic sentiments. While workers are refused admission to this country, immigration author- -ities welcomed the puppet of the white guard. The mother of the late czar denied that Anastasia is her granddaughter, in a telegram sent from Copenhagen. eee Welfare Council met yesterday with | Commissioner Hamilton and an- nounced that a state-wide survey of “facts” will be made. A conference will be held today at 124 Bast 28th Street at the headquarters of the La- bor Department. . Labor Fakers Attend. Among those who have indicated their intention to attend today’s meet- ing are Johri Sullivan, president of the State Federation of Labor, John Halkett, president of the New York Building Trades Council, and Edward E. McMahon, superintendent of the Municipal Lodging House. The Labor officials have thus far failed to respond to the demands by the rank and file of their unions for an unemployment program. Mc- Mahon, the superintendent of the lodging house, has accompanied the police in their regular raids on those who have applied for relief at the city refuge. The intent of the conference is best illustrated from the fact that in the face of the four and one half millions of workers unemployed in the Unitec States, it is announced that “an at- tempt will be made to ascertain whether the apparent depression in the labor market is caused by men drifting in from other states.” The reference to “apparent” depression and to the “labor market” is consid- ered particularly illuminating. Workers Act. In the meantime the workers throughout the country and especially in this vicinity have taken steps to force these officials to act. There will be a meeting of the un- employed needle trades workers on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 1:30 p. m. at 101 West 27th St. at the head- quarters of the New York Council for the unemployed, at which plans thousands of jobless needle trades other “welfare” organizations yester- day reported that the situation “is most acute,” even dishwashing jobs can no longer be found, it was re- ported. For the first time since 1920-1921, a “bread line” has been formed on the bowery. Last week one bowery mis- sion alone reports that 7,202 men were forced by hunger to apply to it for relief. In the face of this deepening crisis and in the realization that coming workers. Unemployed workers of New Jersey at a meeting in Passaic last week organized and united with the New York Council of the Unemployed for common action. Unemployed paint- ers of the Bronx met several days ago and took similar action. The Workers International Relief which is actively cooperating with the Un- employment council has promised to furnish relief wherever possible A prominent part in the work of cold weather will make the suffering even more intense, a committee of the organizing the unemployed for action SUMMON JOHN D, TO TESTIFY IN GRAFT INQUIRY Will Appear in Court Tomorrow John D. Rockefeller, Jr., will testify before the Senate Teapot Dome oil graft inquiry Saturday morning and he says he will tell what he kn ows about the disposal of profits made by the Continental Trading Co.’s $50,- 000,000 overnight deal in which his rival, the oil mag- nate, Harry F. Sitclair, is in- volved up to his neck, “I am still with- out any informa- tion which has not already been sub- mitted to the com- Rockefeller, Jr, Testifies mittee,” said Rockefeller’s telegram which was addressed to Senator Walsh, in response to a summons from the senate. The oil king’s dig- nity was offended by the serving of an ordinary subpoena. “An invitation would have been equally effective,” he wrote the in- vestigating committee. The refusal of Colonel Robert W. Stewart, chairman of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, to tell the graft investigation committee wheth- er Standard Oil got anything out of the deal is looked upon with keen sus- picion. Whether Stewart’s silence means that he is trying to save his own neck and whether Standard Oil was involved in the overnight graft deal which has been successfully blamed on their rivals, is puzzling many. Hearings have been adjourned until Saturday morning. NEW NICARAGUA STAMPS DEFY P.O, (Continued from Page One) Tong time-ago, when the first contin- gents of marines were about to be sent to Nicaragua. We are continuing to use the legend ‘Protest Against Marine Rule’ only because it has be- come a point of issue in our conflict with the post office department. How- ever, taken by itself, the legend is by no means adequate. is not merel; fi ins ragua’ mari In_ Nica- will be furthered for the relief of the| Yt was explained at the league's U. S. headquarters, 39 Union Sq., New York, that the new issue of Nicaragua protest stamps had been priced lower than the original issue in order to assume as wide as possible a distribution. The stamps, in sheets of fifty, are on sale at the league headquarters at $1 a sheet. munist) Party. The program advo- cated is the immediate granting of relief by the city, state and govern- ment, the setting up of construction projects; opening of public kitchens and other means of relief which ara is being taken by the Workers (Com- readily available. Political Situation Traced by Lovestone in Workers Party Plenum Report FOURTH INSTALLME Daily (Continued from yesterda Worker.) “Now, as to the pc The: s in the country. in the United state apparatr The growth of power from MieKinley to Coolic a reflex of the growth of the power of American imperialism. There are today over 550,006 Federal civil serv- ce employees, that is, exclusive of the army and navy. The Federal government appropriations for last year were about three and a half bil- lion dollars. Politically, the imperial- ists need a powerful, gigantic, highly centralized apparatus to crush the workers. But even strikebreaking costs money under capitalism. Fi- nancially, it is an extreme burden, a burden of increasing pressure. Here the bourgeoisie face a contradiction. “The increasing strike breaking role of the government is obvious. Tn 1927 $.82 out of every dollar of Federal expenditures went to pay the cost of past, present and future wars of American imperialism. We motice the increase in the executive power and in the judiciary at the e ense of the elected legislative bodie: ‘or instance, the House of Represen- tives has charge of appropriation: pot it is an obvious fact that one of biggest appropriations in the his- i of this country—the Teapot ome—was made by the cabinet. The Senate is supposed to have power ver foreign affairs. But the Senate ‘oes not even get a chance to talk yi7er foreign affairs. Notice the shut- Oe off of the debate on Nicaragua. S a tremendoi a Merging of Capital and Government. | “In Ainerica more than in any other country in the world is the. merger of big corporate capitalist interests with the government leaders clear. Nowhere in the world is the oneness of big -business and big capital so obvious. The other day Mr. Coolidge made a slip of the tongue. In speak- ing to the newspapers he said ‘Presi- dent Hoover. Now Mr. Coolidge, who is ordinarily silent, has issued an order that newspaper correspond- ents have no right to ask him ques- tions, even on paper. The very fact that Hoover is spoken of as the most likely candidate for president, Hoo- ver, who is a millionaire, shows that the bourgeoisie of this country are functioning openly as the leaders and do. not resort today to camouflage Dawes as vice-president is a banker. cabinet. for Morrow is the ‘peacemaker’ Mexico. Government by lobbies ---that is the real situation in Wash-| ington. Corruption—Sinclair, Fall, Burns—these are commonplace af- fairs in American government, except that these happened to miscarry. “The Supreme Court decision on | stock dividends declaring in 1920 that stock dividends are not taxable has Lrought about a condition where every year in the last seven years the bourgeoisie have had declared a bil- lion dollars in stock dividends—seven billion dollars, in all, free from taxa- tion. “The power of big capital is deci- sive today. But there are signs of growing divisions in the ranks of the capitalist class over such prob- lems as agricultural relief, foreign pcelicy, the aggressive imperialist Mellon is the leading figure of the! policies which cause a tightening of the grip by the big bourgeoisie and therefore bring resistance on the part of other layers in the capitalist class. The increasing centralization of state power and the problems of the present depression, these are the | basie forces making for change in party alignments in the United! States. For example, the ‘Solid) South’ today is certainly cracked} | wide open insofar as the tariff ques- tion is concerned. Senator Bruce of Maryland and Senator Broussard of Louisiana (the sugar interests) are in favor of higker tariff than the most protective tariff senators from New England. “Here lies the basis for sharpening issues. Here we find the basis for the Norris-Borah bloc recently devel- cping somewhat more clearly on an organizational scale. In speaking of the Norris-Borah bloc we must keep! |in mind the fact that these represen- | tatives of the petty-bourgeoisie will | try to capitalize the working class protests for their own interests. “Reaction is supreme in the United States, though the challenge to reac- tion too is increasing. No capitalist class in the world has so much con- sciousness of its class power, has so much class pride as the American ruling class. Secretary of Labor Davis says openly, ‘The United States rules the world.’ Britain says the world is now on a dollar basis, perialism is so marked as shown in the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti despite the protests on a world scale, not only by workers but even by cap- italists, who tried to utilize that oc-| easion for deveicping opposition to! American imperialism, This inso- lence is further shown by the fact that in such a center as New York immediately after the Sacco and Van- zetti case they resorted to another frameup in the Greco-Carrilo case. “Recently the Supreme Court de- clared that railways are not respon- sible for accidents—automobile acci- dents on grade crossings. This is another attack in the interest of the biggest capitalist group as against the interests of the smaller, petty- hourgeoisie. We must understand the technique of our ruling class to understand the present political situ- ation. The American capitalist class \is very skilled in splitting up its op- position forces. It tries to form alli- ances with the farmers. It buys off the petty-bourgeoisie now and then. High priced technicians are drawn in as an integral section of the ruling class. That is why the reform par- ties are disappearing even locally. “The general ideological reaction in the country is marked in the recent wave of Fundamentalism, the increas- ing number of laws passed in various States against the teaching of evolu- McKenna of Great| tion, fraudulent attempts at purify- ing the stage, and last but not least This may be slightly] ‘ho tremendous military and naval vulgarized, but it is very painfully | budgets, true for Great Britain. Lloyd George says if it were not for American loans Offensive Against Workers. “The climax of capitalist reaction, to Italy, Fascism would have disap-| however, is shown in the offensive peared from Italy long ago. “The arrogance of American im-}certain Supreme against the working class. Take Court decisions. |The decision involving the Journey- men Stonecutters’ case, which is a Cecision denying the workers the right to have unions which are effective organs of struggle. The decision in the ‘Reed Jacqet’ case against the United Mine Workers of America, which tends to legalize the yellow dog contract, the unanimous upholding of the California Criminal Syndicalism Law even by such pure liberalism as Justices Holmes and Brandeis voting with the reactionary group in the Court. Note the injunction mania. “The smash the union drive has Leen most extensively in the UMWA. The war on the left wing by the bu- reaucracy is an integral part of the whole offensive against the workers. Take the needle trades situation, the situation in the United Mine Workers, and last but not least the Woll Anti- strike law endorsed and pushed by the American Bar Association, which} constitutes a sort of a third chamber in American government. “A few words about the political! parties. The Republican party is the! party of the biggest industrial and financial interests. The fact that Hoover, who is supported by the! Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, and! endorsed by Governor Fuller of Mas- sachusetts, is the most likely candi- date for President, shows the real reactionary heart and structure of the Republican party. “The Democratic party: Propor- tionately the democratic party has a larger share of its following amongst a probable nominee of the democratic party for the presidency. Ex-Con- gressman Lever has put the question of Smith very accurately when he said: ‘Smith is good enough for big business and knows how to speak the language of the people.’ Smith’s New York record is as reactionary as any- one’s can be. Our position is that we must wage an especially sharp at- tack against Smith because of the serious danger of large sections of the trade union bureaucracy mobiliz- ing the ‘labor vote’ for Smith. Now as to the Norris-Borah Bloc. In our opinion it would be more cor- rect to call this bloc the irregular, rather than the insurgent republican group. This bloc arises at this time thru the wavering of certain elements which followed LaFollette and after his defeat went back to the republi- can party. These elements are now wavering in their support of the dom- inant capitalist interests in the re- publican party. The sharpening eco- | nomic recession, the acute agricultur- al crisis, the increasing imperialist |aggression and the consequent bur- dens of militarism—these are the forces making for the organizational form of the Norris-Borah bloc today. But there is very little likelihood of the Norris-Borah bloc splitting in the cominy iy no likeli- hood, They are cowardly. They are treacheivdo. acy wor today, as al- ways, objectively as props for big capitalist. domination, Notice their conduct in the organization of the ty next because the socialist party is closest to the parties of big capital in the country. The socialist party is moving headlong to the right. It has sold out boot and baggage to the trade union bureaucracy. Berger’s being the national chairman is a sign of the extreme right trend of the so- cialist party. Berger’s remarks in which he compared Bolshevism to fas- cism show the extent to which the so- cialist party leadership has been in- corporated in the trade union bureau- eracy. The plan of reorganization being worked out by Hillquit for the socialist party, not on a shop or street nucleus basis, but on a republi- can and democratic ward club basis<e no dues payments. You can hav® your dance if you join the socialist party. This shows the extreme de- generacy of the socialist party. The resolutions of the last meeting ‘ of the National Committee when they proposed arbitration between Nicar- agua and the United States in which they proposed that the government, that the federa] government, should be criticized because it is not butting in enough in the coal strike situa- tion—not enough thru injunctions. <n there is the attack on the Soviet government by the socialist party. To- day there is no excuse for any work- er supporting the socialist party. The socialist party is today only seeking to exploit the misery of the working class for vote catching. Here we must. lay special emphasis. We must say senate when Shripe..ad, registered as a farmer-laborite, voted as a republi- can for the moment in order to help the middle and petty bourgeois ele- ments and even among certain sec- tions of the working class. Here Smith is the possible nominee or even Curtis and Dawes organize the senate for Coolidge. . “A few words about the socialist party, We mention the socialist par- that the socialist party may, because of the increasing signs of struggle on the part of the masses, resort not only to left phrases but even resort _ to the nomination of a candidate of the type of Maurer in order to at- tempt to deceive the workers more effectively. (To Be Continued.) What i: dj i raise Hat mete | |