The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 17, 1928, Page 3

o THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1928 Sixteen Filipe FOUL CONDITIONS ON VESSEL WAS CAUSE OF DEATHS. Were Bound for Serf- dom in Hawaii Fields | SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16.—With | fifteen of its nearly 800 Filipino} steerage passengers ill with pneu-| monia and one suffering from small-| pox, the liner President Cleveland | will dock at Honolulu late this after- | noon. This is twelve hours in ad- vance of its regular schedule. Sixteen deaths occurred from pneu- | monia on the voyage from Manila to Honolulu, the Dollar Company, | operating the liner, announced here today. Annually at this time of the year, | it was stated, a large number of Filipino workers are transported to Hawaii and “flu” and pneumonia is often prevalent due to crowding in the steerage. On this trip the President Cleveland encountered un-} usually cold weather around Shang-| hai which added to toll claimed by) pneumonia. | The Dollar Company announced that the illness aboard the ship was confined to the steerage and that it} was not expected that the one case of | smallpox which developed “in the steerage would delay the ship, as all who came in contact with the small- | pox patient will be vaccinated at} Honolulu.” ’ UNITED FRUIT CO. | | REPORTS PLUNDER Reporting on its foreign business, | the United Fruit Company has issued figures showing the low wages paid its workers on plantations located thruout seven Caribbean countries where seventy-five per cent native labor turns out huge profits for this imperialistic trust. Low Wages, Big Profits. Vv. M. Cutter, president of the/ United Fruit Company, in a report to the stockholders at their annual meeting, explained how much the company had done to “stabilize” cur- vencies and labor conditions in these countries during recent years, adding that during the entire year 1927 the company paid out to workers em- ployed on its plantations in the Car- ribbean only $28,972,639. Low Wages. Mr. Cutter reported that a least 75 per cent of the workers on all the plantations were nationals of the country where the plantations were located, whose wages are very low. He further revealed in his report that even cheaper labor is obtained thru a system by which the United buys half of its fruit direet from private planters who hire their own laborers at a even lower wage. Describes Huge Trust. The $23,972,639.72 is paid to work- ers on plantations in Guatemala, Jamaica, Panama, Columbia, Costa Rica, Honduras and Cuba, the largest plantations being located in the last four countries. The wages amount to an insignificant percentage of the profits of the company, revealed in previous reports. The United Fruit Company has 68,000 employees, plantations in nme foreign countries and a fleet of ninety | vessels. It also owns radio telegraph | stations linking the Americas and con- trols railroad and steamship lines. | In addition to imports of fruit, which constitute its main business, this/| company imported 191,774 tons of freight to the same Carribbean coun- 1927, and shipped 775,561 tons of freight to the same Carribean coun-! tries during the same year. | ' A. J. Cook, British Mine! Leader, Writes for New! Issue of Labor Unity Featuring the Trade Union Educa-! tional League’s attack on the Matthew Woll-American Bar Association anti- strike proposal, on which the Bar As-| sociation is now holding open hearings in New York, and outlining the new) development of militancy in the min- ers’ strike, in which a series of left wing conferences have grown into a national movement, Labor Unity for March will be off the press within a few days. A special article from A. J. Cook, secretary of the British Miners’ Fed, eration, gives the inside story of the “industrial peace” conference just. Would “Shoot” Mail H A plan for transporting mail and express at super-speed across the Atlantic Ocean, has been devised by Professor Leconi, of the Technolog- ical High School in Paris, It pro- vides for special carriers shaped like torpedoes to be driven along sus- pension lines by electro-dynamic power that will attain a speed of 257 miles per hour. RADIO KNITS N. Ys, LONDON AUDIENCE Knitted together through a trans- Atlantic radio telephone circuit, the American Institute of Electrical En- gineers in New York, met jointly with the British Institution of Electrical Engineers in London. The demonstration marked the de- velopment of the trans-Atlantic cir- cuit for the first time as a means of communication between large audi- ences, normally assembled without in- dividual telephone equipment. The meeting opened at 10.25 a. m. and lasted for 29 minutes. In New York, an overflow gathering of 2,000 people listened in one auditorium while another 1,000 persons tuned in upstairs, In London, more than 1,000 persons were gathered. Three large amplifiers in the hal! brought the voices from overseas to the ears of the listeners. The tones were so clear that listeners cotld scarcely tell whether it was London or a speaker on the New York plat- form talking. 75 COAL FIRMS IN MINE MERGER WHEELING, W. Va. Feb. 16—A $200,000,000 consolidation of coal companies in the bituminous fields of West Virginia is under way, with final plans for the merger to be com- pleted at a conference next week. The 75 coal companies involved mine 25,000,000 tons of coal annually and the new trust when formed will have the largest capitalization of any coal combine in the country. This latest combination in West Virginia is being followed by similar consolidations thruout the country, announcement having been made yesterday of combines projected for coal companies in the Ohio 8 field, the Clearfield district of Pennsyl- vania and the Harlin field of Ken- tucky. Morgantown Mines Involved. The West Virginia merger will in- clude the following properties among thers: The Purseglove Mining Com- pany of Morgantown; the Clark Coal and Coke Company and the Delmar Coal Company of Fairmont. The Hires interests of Morgantown are also represented as well as the Bertna Consumers Company and the Consoli- dated Coal Company of New York on the Committee working out plans for the merger. Teachers Win Court Contest Over Control Of Retirement Fund The election of Sidney Crane, Bronx lawyer, as secretary of the | Teachers’ Retirement Board is de- ) clared invalid by decision handed down by the Court of Appeals. Crane was elected without the con- sent of any one of the three teachers serving on the job. According to the bylaws, the teachers declared, no de- cision can be arrived at without the vote of at least one teacher. After the election was declared illegal by the Supreme Court, the decision was reversed in the Appellate Division, only to be reversed once more Tues- day in the latest court action. To the teachers it was a fight for control over their retirement fund. Since the details of the administra- tion of pensions is left to the dis-| i, HITS NEW SNAG IN IMMIGRATION Puerryedon Stays Away From Session (Continued from Page One) of the Pan American treaty, which is the basis for reorganization of the Pan American Union. At the same time the firste commission adopted a resolution for the continued function- ing of the union pending ratification of the treaty by the various national legislatures. General belief that Dr. Honorio Pueyrredon has resigned as chairman of the Argentine delegation and as Argentine ambassador to Washing- ton, was strengthened by his absence. Although appeinted a member of the sub-committee which drafted the treaty Dr. Pueyrredon’s name was not attached to the draft submitted to the commission. The commission, while not referring specifically to Argentina, made two special provisions to meet the ano- malous situation created by the ap- parent breach between Dr. Pueyrre- don and his government. First it was agreed that the con- vention should be assigned by the diplomats of the American Republics accredited to Cuba and that, if the diplomat was not present, the treaty should be sent direct to his govern- ment. Pueyrredon Hits Tariff. Second, it was agreed to submit the commission’s report and recom- mendations to a plenary session of the conference with the statement that it represented “the unanimous opinion of the nations present.” The resolution under which the union is to operate in+the interim provides for functioning in accord- ance with present authority in ad- dition to the more important changes voted by the sixth conference. These changes refer to representation on the governing board, administrative per- sonnel, withdrawal of nations and the decision that the union shall have no political functions. The commission voted final ad- journment after completing all mat- ters relating to the report for the plenary session. “My position is unchanged regard- ing the inclusion of the clause against economic barriers in the treaty pre- amble,” said Dr. Pueyrredon. It was understood that Dr. Pueyrredon sent hs resignation to Buenos Aires as a protest against the exclusion of his clause from the treaty preamble ana because he thought his government did not support his own personal views. ae ae HAVANA, Feb, 16.—There was ev- ery indication today that the Pan- American conference will adjourn next week without a solution of the immigration issue, in which the Unit- ed States is vitally interested. There are two resolutions before the conference—one that no American republic may apply quota restrictions ican country; the other that any American republic may restrict im- migration from a non-American con- tinent. There is a bill pending in the Unit- ed States congress at present giving the United States the right to apply |quota restrictions to immigration jerom Canada, Mexico and Latin Amer- ica. The United States delegation de- clares that immigration is a purely domestic question and H. P. Fletcher, of the United States delegation, serv- ed formal notice upon the conference that his government would never con- sent to any agreement by which an- other power “could dictate Washing- ton’s immigration policy.” The official status of Dr. Honorio Pueyrredon, chairman of the Argen- tine delegation, who is understood to jhave resigned because the conference rejected his “tariff barrier” clause | from the preamble of the inter-Amer- lican treaty, was still a mystery today. | Dr. Pueyrredon refused to throw {any light upon the situation, but it is |understood that he tendered his resig- {nation to the Argentine government as chairman because he felt that his views were not wholly supported at Buenos Aires. Carol Aide Arrested BUCHAREST, Feb. 16.—Generai Rakovica was arrested today as he veturned frem Paris. He was charged with carrying a ‘manifesto from former Crown Prince Carol, of Roumania. The officer will be tried for high treason. Immediately after the ar- rest of General Rakoviea, the pea- sants party, strong supporters of Frince Caro! filed a protess against HAVANA CONFAB i | | to immigration from another Amer-} and power houses are under construc- | 1 { { \ { jeurred with Mr. Poliakoy’s statement | ‘cently, in the Soviet purchases ti White Guard Riser PRIVATE TRADE | ~ LOSING GROUND | INTHE U.S. 5.8, i Turnover of Coops Is Gaining Rapidly | (By Mail) —Prelimin- | 1 MOSCOW, | ary statistics regarding the develop- | ment of the trade turnover in 1926 | showed that the role of private capi- |tal is dwindling and that the social-| ® \ized sector of trade and commerce is | progressing. | {| In 1926-27 there was an 18.9 pe | cent dee: . ~ |vate commercial enterprises in the Major Tien Lai Huang (right), |RSFSR compared with the second head of the aviation corps of the | half of 1925-26. white terrorist Nanking govern- | 4s the number of private enter- in the number of pri-| Page Three no Workers, Herded Like Cattle in Steerage of Dollar Liner, Die ‘DOWN ARMS WHEN - U.S. WITHDRAWS |Wants No Offices for Himself MEXICO cITy ‘eb. 16 The raguan natic ist forces will lay their < United States rr | nes withd n Nicaragua if the Ni n elections are y of Latin Ameri- ited States army to a letter which Puna Mohamed Aly Ibrahim, son ov ral Sandino has written a fifend of ruling house of Egypt, main- | °C seit had’ ea GR tained in power by British imperi- s conditions alism, who visited President Cool- promises s a candi- oe nee Sekt — bre | Prises decreases, turnover also de- sgh “ale jereases. There was a 9.9 per cent country as part of the campaign of | decrease in the turnover of private the Nanking government to secure | capital in 1926. According to the the backing of the imperialist | turnover control figures for 1926-27 powers, {private turnover was to increase by 386 million roubles. But in reality— | jaccording to the preliminary figures HEAD OF MOSCOW :: the people’s trade commissariat in |the U.S.S.R.—the turnover of private jcapital decreased by 570 million réu- jbles. Wholesale trade shows the | the greatest decrease in the propor- {tional weight of private trade; it EES | decreased from 7.9 per cent in 1925 26 to 4.8 per cent in 1926-27, and the jsum total of the turnover decreased Will Study U. S. Market sum for USSR Goods | "Parallel veg this considerable re- duction of private trade is the growth The Amtorg Trading Corporation,|0f cooperative trade. Here too the 165 Broadway, announces that J. A.j¢xpectations of the control figures Poliakov, director of the Moscow|have been exceeded. The network of branch of the Amtorg Trading Cor- cooperatives has grown and so has poration, has arrived in this country the tornover — from 10,157,000 for a stay of a few months. During roubles in 1925-26 to 14,255,000 rou- this time Mr. Peliakov will study the | les in 1926 American market from the point of Generally speaking, private capital view of Soviet exporters and will also| in retreating all along the line. devote his attention to American in- oe dustrial and agricultural equipment it} . *. to be imported into the Soviet Union. British Bomb Natives in Mr. Poliakov stated yesterday at| Sudan; Murder Many the offices of the Amtorg: F gaaheiae cae # | JM, Sudan, Feb. 16. — A USSR Trade Grows. |number of Nauer tribesmen and a “Soviet industrial and commercial|farge number of their cattle were circles are greatly interested in the | killed by members of the British Royal development of trade between this| Air Force who bombarded the Shambe country and the Soviet Union. They | district. note with gratification that the Sov-| The natives are in revolt against iet-American trade reached during the | British rule. idge in Washington. and never JACKSON RECEIVED ° MANAGUA, Feb. 16 - A large | detachment of United States marines | Major K. E. j of General Sandino, hale ho has disappeared after visiting the | INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 16.—D. C. Region in the Vee ae Stephenson, Ku Klux Klan and repub- 1 belief here is that iter a great deal of uit of Sandino, guan moves with nd is well acquaint- lican Indiana leader yesterday tes |fied in the bribery trial of Gover Ed, Jackson. Stephenson told how h 4 had furnished the $10,000 cash which fad wel the to: Jackson is charged with having of-} gandino is he oa: 40 be tae | fe former Governor Warren tT.) mand af a: fetes, 68 duane, tae | McCray in order to bring about the| wet!_armed and well-drilled men. appointment of a klansman friend as | prosecutor of Marion County. Robert } 1. Marsh, former Klan counsel, and {George V. Coffin, republican chair |man of Marion County, were also ac cused by Stephenson. Feared For His Life. Stephenson refused to testify at} t, stating that he feared for his life if he did so. “It is a matter of life and death for me,” Stephenson said. | Stephenson was brought here for the trial from the Indiana State Prison, where he is serving a life) term for the murder of a girl steno- grapher. He was formerly a close political ally of Jackson. But as a result of failure on Jackson's part to get him out of prison he has turned against his former friend. ing rapidity NEWARK, ., Feb. 16.—Marna |S. Poulson, state superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of New Jer- was today found guilty by.a ljury of issuing false statements to (newspapers and was fined $500. Announcing! No. 4 of the WORKERS ealendar year 1927 the total of $100,-! 600,000, or more than double the fig- ure for 1913. It is pointed out that the general Soviet foreign trade has reached only about 52 per cent of the 1913 volume. During the past year the United States was the only coun- try to increase its exports to the Sov- iet Union. The Soviet authorities have informed me in Moscow that | provided the terms obtainable in this country are favorable, they look for- ward to a still larger turn-over be- tween the Soviet Union and the United States during the qurrent year. | Build Factories. | “Hundreds of new factories, mines | tion in the Soviet republics. Many of these require American equipment. The interest of Soviet industrial or-| ganizations in American manufac- tures is evident fromthe fact that more than one hundred Soviet execu- tives and technicians were sent to this country during the past year to make studies of American industries | and to place orders for equipment. It is believed, also, that the United States will continue to be one of the principal suppliers of raw materials, | especially cotton and metals.” Mr. Poliakov was met by Saul G./ Bron, chairman of the board of direc- | tors of the Amtorg. Mr. Bron con-| I. Lenin, Z. Foster. Lovestone. Wm. F. Dunne. tram D. Wolfe. as to the favorable prospects for aj large increase in the business of the | Amtorg. He emphasized that in 1927 | the Amtorg placed orders amounting | to four times the total for 1926. i Rates: Yearly sub. 2.00 Mo. sal Single copy 25 USSR Cotton Purchases | From Egypt Increasing || The COMMUNIST | LIBRARY! A New Pamphlet by Jay Lovestone February, 1928 | Analyzing the political | and economic back- | CONTENTS The Presidential Election in the U. $.—V. Capitalist Efficiency ‘Socialism”—W m. | The Present Economic Situation — Jay The Crisis in the United Mine Workers— America Discusses the Opposition—Ber- Herbert Hoover—H. M. Wicks. Literature & Economics—V. F. Calverton. 39 E. 125th St. ground for the 1928 Presidential election. | E | | PRESIDE | ELECTION» | WORKERS | JAY LOVESTONE Hi «= 20% 4 WORKERS LIBRARY | PUBLISHERS I 39 E. 125 St. New York | The COMMUNIST | New York. MOSCOW, (By Mail).—There has} been a considerable development, re-| Egyptian cotton, which, since the} Anglo-Soviet rupture, have been! transferred directly from Liverpool to} Egypt. H The Alexandria office of the “Tex-| tilimport Co., Ltd.,” has made orders | in Egypt amounting to sums which) even now exceed the purchases siatt via England during the whole of last year. This office has already im-} ported to the U. S. S. R. consign- ments of cotton purchased from the) Egyptian government to a total) amount of 925,000 sterling. i United States. Greetings to the Daily Worker! Our sincere greetings to the only English working class daily in the We pledge our material and moral support for the paper in its present struggles against the reactionary imperialist government and its courts, which threaten to exterminate the paper. We also urge readers of our paper to become readers and builders of The DAILY WORKER in the future. eretion of the board to a great extent, is the held in England. A wide range of other material is given, including ar- ticles on the Chicago traction nego- tiations, the Colorado strike, an ar- ticle by Louis Hyman on Hillman’s policy in the Amalgamated Clothing officials have used control over this fund as a whip over certain teachers. BURY ASQUITH SATURDAY. LONDON, Feb. 16.—The Earl of 18,000 Swedish Sawmill Workers Are LockedOut LONDON, (By Mail).—More than Workers and a story of the life of a] Oxford and Asauith (Herbert Henry | 18,000 Swedish saw mill workers have waiter in New York. Asquith) will be buried in the Asquith been locked out by employers who Labor Unity, a monthly magazine, family vault in the burial ground at|are trying to lower wages. in of the Trade Union Edu- Morley, near Leeds, on Saturday, it The total number of workers now affected by strikes or lock-outs in Sweden is about 45,000. LEAGUE TO BUY HOME, | CHICAGO, Feb. 16 (FP).—Funds| for a $50,000 home are being gathered by the Chicago Women’s Trade Union League, Trade union indorsement and cooperation are making the project possible, President Agnes Nestor de- claves, -A building in the Ashland Boulevard trade union district will be bought and remodeled to house league offices, meeting rooms, study classes ond a tea room. Long Live The DAILY WORKER. Long ‘Live the Working Class Solidarity. Conference of the Lithuanian Daily Laisve Shareholders.