The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 27, 1928, Page 2

AUT 7 Sue DAIL E 27, 1928 Corbishley, from Prison, “Gail Upon Minors to Maintain Great Struggle GERRY ALLARD IN. MINE “EXPLOSION “BRINGS UNTOLD TRAGEDY IN ITS WAKE INTERVIEW WITH UNION MILITANT: s Not Seen Children |; for Long Time DAILY WORKER.) | June 26. Neither the persecution of | the police n of the ‘capitalist class has been able to dim the en-| thus r deaden the confidence) Corbishley, militant Illinois imprisoned for his union ac- Special to Th BELLV1iL prison walls nor of Henry miner, Gerry Ilinois mine | leader giv y the report of his recent interview with Corbishley: * * By GERRY ALLARD. | Along the shores of the ce Mississippi, situated in a high, mountainous district, the 2 walls of the southern Illinois peni- teniary is visible. As we approac the prison we noted that the fortr is well protected with an army We the of] guards. enter prison | | through its heavy casted steeled doors; we are swallowed in an insti- tution that holds in subjection some} 1900 prisoners. | Among those that are confined in this dungeon of isolation are the vari- ous kinds of so-called social outcasts, criminals, burglars, thiefs, rapers,| murderers, counterfeiters, and the] like. All of these have originated from the “lower” class of so presumably from the working The Harry Sinclairs, Daugh Denbys, Falls and other plunderers are not here. This institution was erected for the benefit of the proletariat whose standard of living did not permit them to continue at large! Class War Prisoners. Among the inmates in this prison are the bodies of three militant, class conscious miners who fought for the preservation of a militant union and for the extermination of the corrupt |x and treacherous misleaders of their union. Of these, Teader of the miners, is one. We waited anxiously for word from the prison warden for several utes; the question of whether or we were going to see our Com- nde seemed very problematical from the manner that the officials were act- i After much waiting we finally permitted to see Corbishley, although a limit of time was fixed for reasons best known to the keeper. The form of Corbishley was now visible. As we approached with the keen pleasure of seeing our.comrade once more, he extended a firm hand to us. His blue eyes shone like steel just as ever. His face, with deter- mined jaws, had not lost its courage; yet slight grey streaks in his hair were becoming visible. Ask About Children. He asked about his children. His babies. he had not seen for a long time. How about his little wife, Grace. We assured him that they were getting quite well and that they were being taken care of by the many comrades, brothers, and sympathizers. Corbishley showed. great intere: in the miners’ stzvggle. He spctie lengthly on the great figat and gave us many suggestions that were very constructive. He was greatly con- cerned because he was unable to as- sist in the gigantic fight that his brothers were carrying on on the out- side. He spoke with hope that we were Henry Corbishley, the Illinois rank and file doing all we could to have the doors opened for his liberation, and he seemed to ur and that the move- ment for which he had fought was ad- vancing thruout is country, a little step further day by day. * Spirit of Corbishley | Yes, the spirit of Corbishley and| his colleagues has manifesting itself through, the great National Confer- ence of Apri] 1, at Pittsburgh, the many district conventions, sub-district conventions; the struggles on the picket lines and the heroism in the mine camps. Corbishley and the other class war prisoners speak in the struggles of the miners to erect. on the ruins of the old, corrupted union of Lewis an organization which under the control of the rank and file will advance the miners to a new plane of ue Name Hoover Lackeys to Make N.Y. Campaign WASHINGTON, June 26.—William Hill, Binghampton, N. Y., men- iB; |expel the locals of | Special to The ‘DAILY WORKER.) | LAUREL POINT, W. Va., June 26.—The full extent of the tragedy ch occurred as a result of the ex- ion in the shaft of the non- eet ational Coal Company mine near here early Thursday morning is now} coming te light. Six were killed out- | right. Six others were so seriously | ured that they may not survive, | cording to reports received at the| adquarters of the National Miners’ | Relief Committee. Even this is not pl |the worst of the tragedy. ‘District One Miners { Face New Attacks! (Conttnued from Page One) | which they are ab: Cappellini also threatens | expulsion of all local unions which went on record to pay dues to the rs. newly elected officials. It is also understood that Cappellini asked| Lewis, the International president to | place Local No. 1763 of Pittston which | known as one of the militant lo- eals, on the delinquent list, which | means that the local will automatic- ally be dropped out of the union. The | elected officials established | their offices in Brooks Building, Scranton. Moleski Elected Adam Moleski was elected to suc- ceed Frank McGarry as president of | the Local No. 1703, Colliery No. 6, of | the Penn. Coal Co. in Pittston. Mol- | eski is one of the defendants framed up with Bonito and Mendola in the Agati case. On Sunday, June 24, a mass meet- |ing was held in Pittston by the new- r ele ed officials in District No. 1, all the officials and Wm. J. enn poke. In their speeches they confined themselves to Cappel- lini, and pleaded for support of the public against Cappellini. McGarry in his speech made a bluff that he, is willing to close every colliery in District No. 1, if necessary, to force the coal companies to equalize the work of the collieries. Unequal Work At present, some of the collieries ere working every day while others are either working a few days a week or are shut down completely. Among those completely shut down is Colliery No. 6, Penn. Coal Co. at Pittston. Wm. J. Brennan in his speech de- clared that Lewis had made a mis- take by not granting a special con- vention to investigate the conditions in District No. 1, and to eliminate company influence in the union. He also stated that he is not afraid that “his” membership will be taken, as he is fighting for the real United {Mine Workers of America. The mect- ing was attended by 1,500 miners. The newly elected officials were not clear in their speeches as to their next move. They are still trying to get Lewis to step into the situation. This of course is treason and the rank and file under the leadership of the Save-the-Union movement is demand- ing that ‘the miners of District No. 1 break all relations not only with Cap- pellini but with Lewis as well, and prepare to join with the miners in other districts for the purpose of building a new union, to send dele- gates to the National Miners Con- vention which will take place Sep- tember 9 to 16, in Pittsburgh. Conference July % For this purpose the Save-the- Union forces of District No. 1 will hold a mass conference on Sunday, July 1st at 2 p. m. at the Italian Hail, 206 Oliver Street, Luzerne.’ It is gen- erally expected that this will be one of the biggest and most representa-| live gatherings of the Save and Build the Union movement in this district. John Watt, chairman of the Commit- tee for Arrangements of the Nation- al Miners Conference has been in- vited to address the conference. The miners of this district must build their own forces in their fight against the Lewis machine and also agaiust the treacherous Brennan- Harris-McGarry gang which wants }the fact that the Leo. of six children, The widow of Harry Brock, 49, will have to be the bread- | winner for they grow old enough to enter the her eight children until | coal pits—the only job available in this little mining town. Stevenson, 23, died in a local hospital a few hours after he was taken out of the mine, overcome by the deadly fumes. Hugh Ankrom, 22, W. G. Henderson, 34, and Steve Herrick, 48, are the other martyrs of open-shop- dom, BELA KUN DEFIES CAPITALIST COURT Exposes Plan. to Attack Soviet Union (Continued from Page One) Kun is extradited, his death is cer- tain! Hungarian Labor—though it has already recovered from its great loss of blood and has once more taken jup the class fight—is not strong enough to wrest the axe from the |hand of the Hungarian executioner. For this reason you must prevent the of Comrade Bela Kun! onal Labor must do its ut- most to keep Comrade Bela Kun out of the hands of his would-be execu- tioners! 2 “We appeal to you for help! “Take over for us a section of the front w e holding! The extradition. the murder of Comrade Bela Kun would mean the triumph of the raging | thirst for vengeance of the bloody}: Hungarian counter-revolution, the vi tory of international reaction, further repulse. ing of Hungarian Labor. a and renewed weaken- “Do not permit Hungarian counts, priests, bankers and manufacturers to triumph! “Uphold the right of sanctuary of the Hungarian revolutionaries! “Protect Comrade Bela Kun, the plucky fighter for international revo- lution! “With revolutionary greetings! —‘The Central Committee of Communist Party of Hungary. the Tammany Convention Begins With Prayer (Continued from page one) will characterize the democratic plat- form as marked the republican blurb. Everyone concedes that it is Al Smith on the first vote. Secondly, it is clear that the democrats will fol- low the republicans in the vaudeville stunt of casting up into the air a “farmers” candidate for vice-presi- dent, probably Joe Robinson of Ar- kansas, in the confidence that the real farmers will believe that it is their new agricultural Messiah. The subterfuge and deception which is be-+ ing planned by the democrats on the farm issue is, if possible, even worse, because more indirect, than that prac- ticed by the republicans, The platform will speak of pro- hibition enforcement but will hold out a ray of hope for the wets; and the bootlegger whose industry is today the fourth or fifth largest in the country will, of course, take only. de- light in the arrangement. ¥ No Leadership. And against this background of planning and manipulation stands out in the boldest relief the same glaring fact which likewjse marked the dull, dry and dreary republican convention, “democracy” will accept the dictatorship of Wall Street in naming a candidate who has in this convention far more secret ene- mies than friends. But Wall Street, which openly sup- ports both Hoover and Smith, it is pointed out, needs just such small, pliable servants to do its bidding. The convention opened this afternoon at 2 p. m. with a prayyer and immediately an independent union which in real- ity. willbe, will be a company union. adjourned to 9:30 p. m. when the ditty work will begin. Stanley, 32, was the father | Curtiss | The miners declare that the ex- |\plosion occurred in number five butt, Lhe cutting machines are operated jin close quarters and the atmosphere jover-charged with dust while | |there is little ventilation. The Davis- | Elkins. interests, owners of the mine ave neglected safety precautions and jare being bitterly criticized by the y|miners for not having rock-dusted the diggings. Almost 300 other coal diggers lost \their lives in non-union mines during the past month. In the case of the coal Sues Fascist Leader | | | | above, Hun- has $45,000 against us for his anti- head of the Rosika Schwimmer, garian feminist and pacifist, brought Fred Mar it 7, for notori des, as n of America. Rosika charges that Marvin issued libelous statements out her to women’s - elubs. led the efforts of the bosses to suppress The DAILY WORKER. CENTRALIA CASE VERDICT PUT OFF Board to “Reconsider” Evidence (Continued from Page One) was paid $5,000 by the lumber inter- ests for his services. Joseph Taylor, representing the Tacoma Central Labor Council, and W. J. Finn, of the Spokane Council, reported that the labor movements in their respective cities have unani- mously adopted resolutions urging |freedom for the men and that they have been sent by their councils, to ask for an unconditional pardon. The Seattle Central Labor Council sent a telegram making a similar request. Visit Prisoners. When the parole board, in an ef- fort to silence the protests, promised to render a decision within a “rea- sonable time,” it was emphatically stated by the delegates present that the time had come for a definite de- cision by the board for or against. It was pointed out that years of ef- fort have been put on the case to present evidence to convince the board of the innocence of these men, that \the families have lived in suspense all these years and that all parties interested re entitled to a definite statement m the board not later han July 1. The families of the prisoners were present throughout the proceedings. Following the parole board hearing the delegates’ and families visited the eight prisoners, » Long years of im- prisonment have not crushed their spirit or their devotion to the work- ing class. They expressed great hope that they would soon be freed. The I. L: D. is mobilizing its full strength in the fight to win freedom for these courageous working class fighters. FORM HUGE AIR CONCERN ST. LOUIS, June 26. A new factor in aviation industry was dis- closed today with the announcement by Thomas N. Dysart of Knight, Dy- sart, and Gamble o? the formation of ‘the National Aviation Corporation with an authorized capital of $11,- | 750,000. DURHAM, N. C., June 26 (FP).— Driving through the backwoods towns of central Tennessee, a southern or- ganizer found the cheapest labor con- ditions in many miles of travel. Build- ing trades workers, the high-pay men *oned for the post as eastern man- ager of secretary Hoover’s campaign, today was named chairman of the New York State Campaign, Commit- tee, George K. Norris, Amsterdam, N. Y., state chairman, announced the following as members of the commit- tee which will be augmented as the campaign progresses: Allen Fox, New York, secretary; Herbert Strauss, New York, treasurer; and associate members: Rep. Bertrand H. Snell, Potsdam; Edwin H. Machold, Waterton; Richard W. Lawrence, New York; ex-senator M. Calder, Sime gee Alderman Ruth Pratt and Florence Wardwell, of union cities, had to work 10 hours in backwoods Tennessee to make as much as union mechanics make in one hour in New York, Chicago or St. Louis, Alfred Hoffmann, the organizer, was surveying the region for the American Federation of Full Fashion- ed Hosiery Workers. Some knitting mills have been moving south, where wages are lower. Hoffmann told of a visit to Smith- ville, Tenn., a county seat of 1,000 surrounded by timber land. The un- ion had word that a northern hosiery company was planning to put a mill there, if the citizens subscribed a cer- tain amount of stock. “Not a factory in miles,” said the $150 IS A DAY’S WAGE IN TENNESSEE Building Trades Workers Toil Ten Hours; Many Are Are Jobless organizer, describing the setting of this prospective industrial community. “The only signs of industrial life as I approached the town were a few lumber wagons, creaking over the bad warehouse and the business block. | A merchant, whittling on a stick in front of his charred store, took Hoff- mann for a hosiery company repre- sentative, and greeted him hopefully. The town needed the mill, he said, though the ctizens could no longer put up their share of the stock, But la- bor was still cheap. “You can get all the help you want at $1.50 a day,” he said. Bricklayers were getting only $2 and carpenters worked for $1.50 for a 10shour day. peng a curses this part of road between the trees. Barefoot|cents a day, supplying their own women by the road indicated the pov-| meals, erty of the community.” Entering Smithville, he found the town in ruins, |" A fire had burned the courthouse, the every filling station by the road bunches of young and middle aged men were hanging about, with noth- ing to do. Nothing, that is, except occasional work on the farms at 75 In- eastern. Tennessee there is a’ brisker life, with factories, though unemployment prevails there also in lesser degree. Chattanooga has strong unions in many of the city crafts and the general higher wage level is re- flected in .the textile industry where no union is recognized. The work is long in all southern mills, but it grew longer in one town Hoffman visited. He happened to ar- rive Saturday noon and was “spot- ted.” Immediately the superintendent Mather, Pa. disaster after protesting that the Mather mine had been “thoroughly” rock-ducted a short time before the blast which took 197 lives, the operators were forced to admit that coal dust was responsible for the explosion. Need is Acute. Thousends of miners in the un organized fields are striking now, determined to keep out of the pits until their working conditions can be controlled through a strong union, This new disaster has strengthened U.T.W, PLANS MILL STRIKE SELL-OUT “Fake Pact W Won’t Start Mills,” T. M. C. Says (Continued from Page One) United Textile Workers will stay out on strike under our leadership if any attempt is made to betray the de- mands of the strikers,” Mill Commit- tee spokesm_n say. Pres ~is Scheme Mr. Barnes, mill owner and head of the Barnes Textile Service, pre- sented the plan to the conference. The plan, simmered down, is nothing more nor less than a speed-up and effici- ency plan to be installed at the ex- pense of the workers in order to in- erease production. This plan is an attempt to make the workers do ¥‘the greatest amount of work in the least amount of time,” and is properly called- by the press the “multiple loom jeyntems It is the same attempt as lis being made today in the cval in- dustry with the agreement of Lewis, “:9 throw out the excess labor in the industry.” This can be clearly seen by the following discussion that took place at the conference. Mr. Batty asked Mr. Barnes, “If more machines were assigned per operator, there would be a fiat layoff, would there not?” Mr. Barnes answered to the affirmative. Mr. Batty then asked, “If there were | too much production, there would be another glut of the market,” which in other words means greater unem- ployment, and Mr. Barnes’ answer again proved the intent of the plan, “Those are economic conditions that cannot always be controlled,” and so very nicely dodged the issue. Mr. Batty, apparently trying to show his “opposition” to this plan, tried to prove to the operators that it would be much better for the in- dustry if the weaker concerns dropped out. It was quite apparent, that all this was for the sake of the reporters, as Mr. Batty and the other reaction- aries cannot at the prgsent time open- ly endorse this plan. However,~ Mr. Ross of the Mule Spinners Union, not being so adept at diplomacy, let the cat out of the hag when he pointed out the “only objection” of the “la- bor representatives.” Mr. Ross ‘said, “It is not fair to bring up the question of ‘labor ex- tension’ at this time. People are out on the streets, and they will not take kindly to an innovation now. Get them back into the mills first, and then come along with this préposition. While the mills are idle, no new pro- position, either theoretical or prac- tical could be taken too kindly by the employees. This matter can be taken up only when the mills are running, and there is a better feeling among the employees.” It is in this fashion that the position of the reactionaries was so bluntly split. This has only made the workers become more militant. Batty’s over- tures to the picket lines, is very plain- ly reeogiized as an attempt to win back the confidence of the worhers, in order to make the betrayal suc- cessful. More and more workers are | joining the New Bedford Textile | _ Workers Union, the picket lines are; growing, the mass meetings are get-: ting larger and larger, all going to! prove that the workers have been be- trayed once too often. They can very} well distinguish between a leadership | that goes to jail for them, and the | leadership that bargains over the | green table. | At the end of the conference’. a | unanimcus vote of thanks was ex- tended Mr. Barnes for presenting his plan. KILLS SON AND SELF NACOGDOCHES, Texas, June 26. —John Flowers, 67, today shot and killed his son, J. W. Flowers, 33, a cripple, and then cut his own throat with a knife, inflicting fatal injuries, on a farm 16 miles west of here. Just preceding the tragedy, the son had refused to “go west” with his father, it was stated. The coroner their fighting morale, although many strike communities are living through actual starvation. “Appeals for bread are received daily by Alfred Wagenknecht, relief director of the National Miners’ Re- lief Committee. He urges that all sympathizers send as much as pos- sible to relief headquarters, 611 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., to save the striking miners from starvation and help them fight the onslaught of the operators’ drive for open-shopdom. Baumes Law Sent 109 to Jail for Life OSSINING, N. Y., June 26. — Un- der the Baumes: Laws, 109 men, many of them in their early twenties, have received life sentences in the last 25 months, Raymond F. C. Keib, Com- missioner of Correction, said today. Of these 109 men, over fifty have been sentenced ‘o life imprisonment on, the most petty crimes. One of those sentenced stole a nickel from 2 woman’s purse. It happened to be his fourth offense, and as a result he has to spend the rest of hi8 life in Sing Sing. Another was convicted on the simon-pure technicality of hav- ing opened a door to a room that was not his. ‘Fourth offense. He got life imprisonment. The Baumes Laws, including the one prescribing a life term for any prisoner convicted of four or more “felonies,” went into operation July 1. 1926. Commissioner Keib made a survey and gathered statistics of life prisoners committed under the Baumes fourth-offender penalty from that date until June 1 of this year? NEWARK BARBERS OUT ON STRIKE Newark Ledger NEWARK, N. J., June 26.—More than 450 barbers struck yesterday be- cause the bosses refused. to accept the agreement settled upon last year, for thig year. The agreement the strik- ing barbers wish to renew provides for working from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. from Monday to Friday inclusive, and from 8 a. m. to 9 p. m. on Saturdays. A drive for organization is being conducted simultaneously with the strike for the renewal of the agree- ment, Adolf Rosenbaum, general or- ganizer of the Barbers’ International, of the American Federation of Labor, is the organizer of the strike here. An attempt to break the strike has been quickly initiated by the Newark Ledger, which did not hesitate to de- clare that the wives of the striking barbers were urging them -to accept the dictates of the employers. The strikers are in a high, militant spirit and are being well supported, it is known. Picketing is being carried on at many barber shops throughout the city. A strike meeting is being called for tonight at the headquarters of the Journeymen Barbers’ International Union, Local 877, at 220 Plane St. Further plans for the strike will be discussed there. CLERK KILLS SELF AUBURN, N. Y., June 26,—The body of C. D. Robbins, 35 clerk in the Moravia post office, was found hang- ing in his garage early today. Cor- oner Park, upon examination of the body, gave a verdict of suicide. No reason was advanced for Robbin’s act. Strikebreaking Trick by | UNION “LEADERS” BETRAY TRACTION STRIKE IN CONN, Call Off Walkout at Last Moment NEW HAVEN, Conn., June 26. — Within 24 hours of the scheduled strike of 2,500 union street car men against the Connecticut. Co., union officials called off the walkout. The strike would have tied up all trolleys in central and western Connecticut. President W. O. Mahon, who helped betray the New. York subway strike, is in the state. The Connecticut Co., open shop New Haven railroad subsidiary, had amassed a formidable army of strike- breakers, special police, lawyers and spies to break up the strike. Through the New Haven railroad, which also controls bus lines through the section, rail and bus schedales had been de- vised to supply transportation needs. Manufacturers rallied behind the Mfrs. Assn. of Connecticut and made a census of all employes who had ex- perience’ in transportation work. These were offered to the Connecticut Co. to break the strike just as they were to the New Haven during the 1922 railway carmen’s strike. The proposed strike arose from de- mands of union car men for 75 cents an hour instead of 62 cents on two- men cars; 90 cents instead of 69 cents on one-man cars; 90 cents instead of 72 cents on busses. The union also demarids official recognition, rather than parleys between the company and an employes’ committee, the 8- hour day and representation on the company’s discipline board. Connecticut Co, workers have the “privilege,” the company states, of appealing fines and other penalties to the president and “even” to the board of directors. Only one: appeal, how- ever, has ever been made to the board and none at all to the president dur- ing the past year. Take the DAILY WORKER With You on Your Vacation Keep in touch with the strug- gles of the workers while you are away on your vaca- tion. This summer the Elec- tion Campaign will be in full swing. The DAILY WORK- ER will carry up-to-the-min- ute news concerning the campaign of the Workers (Communist) Party in the various states, rs Daily cable news service from the World Congress of the Communist International which opens soon in Moscow. Vacation Rates 2 weeks 65¢ 2 months $1.50 1 month $1 3 months $2 Enclosed find $.. months subscription weeks to The DAILY WORKER. Street .. City State DAILY WORKER 26-28 UNION SQUARE NEW YORK, N. Y. HUNGER has Relief rendered a verdict of murder and icide. Irritable Bladder notified the knitters that they must work on their | nolidays uk cre! snot do to giv become FAMINE bs. IN THE MINE FIELDS! NationalMiners | Monday, June 25th to Sunday, July 1st Give Relief—Speak Relief—Collect Relief All Week !—Make Shop Collections !—Or- ganize House-to-House Collections !—Ar- range Miners’ Relief Affairs! _ ‘ MASS COLLECTION DAYS: ~ Saturday and Sunday—June 30 and July 1, Week