The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 28, 1930, Page 4

mage OUP: viuae. New: T New || THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN PENNSYLVANIA By E. GARDOS. HE decision of the Pennsylvania State Su -preme Court which declared Gifford an nominee gover as epninat $ opponent chine, Wr Brown, des Using technical excuses, the nine appealed to the Supreme ,000 votes po ure the 1 of dates for the key office in the state, ree of plunder and graft for the The tempest within the political cir- e st quite instructive It showed the millions of dollars spent by t competing boss groups during the prin The Davis-Brown tickets spent, accor eir own admission to the Nye Inve mittee, one and a half million doll: fact is, the mil orester Pinchot, my of the corporations,” with his ally, Grundy, the king of lobbyists and high tariff ad ate was cles of th Com onaire, “ene- employs the same methods the Vare-Mellon machine has been using. The investigation, which of course was not brought out by the capitalist press, revealed the hundrec lot boxes stolen, votes bought, des unborn dren voti The decision of the Supreme Court has been delayed for weeks by the judges, appoin by the Vare-Mellon: machine in the Pennsyl- vania G. O. P. Only after they saw that the methods used are a little too raw, that an ad- verse decision would “destroy the people’s faith in the court” besides giving a chance of chot to pose as a martyr, was the nomina- tion granted to the expert demagogue who can cover up the open fascist policies of Grun- dy, and the other open shop bos: with re- formistic phrases borrowed from Roosevelt and the socialist party. Thus, the nominees of Hoover's party in the Keystone state are Pinchot for governor and Secretary of Labor Davis for United States Senator, both expert fakers, both having the endorsement of the fascist leadership of the A. F. of L. as “friends of labor”, not speak- ing of the support given them by the Mu social-fascists. Because of this, there a good number of workers who have confidence ete. in them especially in Pinchot and who m be mislead by his phrases. The exposure 0 Pinchot and of the “puddler’ Jim Davis, the secretary of labor during three administra- tions, must be a major task before the Com- munist Party election campaign. What is Pinchot’s record? What ar issues? He is fighting the Vare mach Philadelphia, which as he properly states, controlled by one of the “59”, General Atter- bury, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and other railroad and utility magnates, He exposes them as the ones who are controlling the government, the Public Service Board, which is responsible for the increase of the rates in electricity, gas, water, etc. At the same time, he is the spokesman of another powerful group of finance capitalistf’ headed by Joseph R. Grundy, who want to wrest the control away from the others. In order to succeed, Pinchot has to throw out liberal phrases. He is out to “relieve” unem- ployment by road building and public construc- tion work, although he did not take up yet the question of unemployment insurance demanded of some of the politicians. He speaks for the abolition of the coal and iron police and the strengthening of the state troopers replace the Public Service Commissi fair rate board “elected” by the people. are the main planks of Pinchot, which These it is Organization of the Longshoremen By R. B. HUDSON, 0% September 7th the Marine Wor! In- dustrial Union will hold an Atlantic Coast District Conference of Longshoremen, in Phila- delphia, At this conference the longshoremen will formulate their own demands io be pre- sented to the bosses on the expiration, Sept. 80th, of the present fake agreement. In Phila- delphia the longshoremen, under the leader- ship of the M. W. I. U., have launched an in- tensive campaign in preparation for the con- ference. This conference is a direct outgrowth of the existing poor working conlitions and pay under which the longshoremen now work, and presents the only method whereby the longshoremen can mobilize their forces to pre- vent a wage cut and fake agreement being forced upon them. In Philadelphia there are several thousand longshoremen who are unorganized. These workers are forced to work for wages as low as 40 cents an hour. Their working conditions are intolerable and speed-up is the rule of the day. Accidents are common occurrences and no precautions are taken to safeguard the workers’ lives. Graft, in the form of direct payments to watchmen for jobs, as on pier 7, or exorbitant interest on loans from foremen and timekeepers, is extorted from the workers before they can get the right to work under these conditions. These coast-wise and unorganized men re- ceive such low pay and have such rotten con- ditions primarily because they are unorganized. These workers are unorganized because the I. L, A. acting on orders from the stevedores have always refused to organize them. By having half of the workers organized the bosses are able to create a division in the ranks of the workers, They grant small concessions to a portion of the workers in order to keep all of the wages down. This was proven last year at the I. L. A, Wage Conference when the stevedores told the officials that they would not grant the workers an increase in pay because there were plenty of unorganized men that were working for 59 cents-an hour. These men were unorganized because the I. L. A. had refused to organize them. Last year these men had temporary hopes of bettering their conditions when the Interna- tional Longshoremen’s Association began a campaign to “organize” them. Polly Baker, the notorious labor faker of the I. L. or- ganized them and told them that he would ob- tain for them an increase in pay. Te fille! them full of false promises and then com- pletely betrayed them, absolutely refusing to, give them an accounting of the money that he obtained from them. The bosses have used many schemes to keep the workers divided on the coastwise docks. Although there has been chronic unemployment on the waterfront, many of the comnanies have carried ads in the newspapers for men. t stress, is sheer magogy, roven by | record as gover when s € high as they are today, he bolishing the coal and iron é ane them considerably, so b id be gainst the soft coal a P rvice Commission } n controle monopolies just as ides the wo candidates w he cap- consider as the most acceptable, the also pu ing up a strong sod number of fake issues. The rnal struggle n the republican party yecame so sharp that many leaders of the Philade ‘rganization are supporting the democratic candidates using the fact that dem- oc hibition while Pinchot is dry. The ic expect 200,000 to 300,- 000 of thei rs to vote for their dem- who are also endorsed by the The democrats 1 of a sharp atiack against the Hoover relief or even issues rship is of course be- pal cross road. Whom Who their friends to Prosperity e-deal wet demo within the ranks of these fas- ; who: for instance, are calling mass on various issues like the Philadel- -injunet on September 7 at ator Copeland, Wm. Green and others emocratie party will speak; likewise zg of the anthracite sell-out agree- Seranton wa » into a political demonstr: his would-be succ ry Davis and Lewis, tried to r, John L, make political capital for the republican party. At the same time, the “socialist” party showing inite signs of vitality in order to check the radicalization of the workers and their coming over to Communism. In Reading since the splendid response of the workers been shown to the Communist Party, Jim Mau- rer & Co., is one meeting after the other before the gates and on the street corners to keep ‘the support of the workers for I In Philadelphia too, the S. several street corners, where our Party has been holding meetings, to secure an audience for their sham attacks against the capitalist parties, speeches on social insurance, pacifism—and att nst the Soviet Union and the Communist The Philadelphia Record, and other are devoting a lot pace to the third party of capitalism they always keep silent about us except when it comes to some slander- of editorial and news ous attacks. We were info for instance: that the S. P. got a new secretary in Philadelphia, a young aduate of the Union Theological Seminary, who just as Norman Thomas and choose the platform of the S. P. i pulpit to peddle dope to the workers. Daniels, we are informed, is going to organize, ally the students, in which he will get ample help from Professors Holmes, Kreuger and other leaders of the socialist party. Against all these class enemies, the Com- munist Party must wage a determined struggle in the state of Pennsylvania, bringing forth all our issues and demands, introducing them into the shops, unions, unemployed councils, and other worker’s organizations: making the election campaign a means to build our mass influence. espe They always want a plentiful supply of labor on hand intimidate the workers that did obtain jobs, When the M. W. I. U. men to organize them, it was approach them of their betrayal at the hands of Polly Baker. But after they understood the fighting policy of the M.W.I.U. and its class- program of organizing the Negro and white workers into a real Industrial Union, their confidence was won and they began to join the union. The bosses immediately took steps to prevent this organization by having the organizers of the union arrested for distribut- ing leaflets. When the workers saw how the police broke our meetings at the direet orders of the ship- owners they soon realized that the M. W. I. U. was not like the I. L. A. Then the shipowners attempted to intimidate the longshoremen with the police ani threats of blacklisting. This failed and now the bosses have attempted to establish a company union. Moore and Mac- Cormack have set up a so-called Committee of Safety, which promises to safeguard the lives of the workers and promises them a bonus. The workers soon realized that this committee was only set up for the interests of the bosse and to keep the workers from fighting for better conditions under ¢ leadership of the Marine Workers’ Industrial Union. From top to hottom the I. L. A. is proven to went amongst these a bosses’ union. This is proven by the edi- torial, written by Ryan, the I. L. A. president, commenting upon the wage agreement that hal just been negotiated with the stevedores. This agreement was a rank sell-out, but the editorial was headed, “The Employers and Employees Mutually Benefited by Wage Agreement.” Years ago when the longshore- men were out on strike in Philadelphia the I. L. A. earned the reputation of being a seab agency by furnishing the stevedores men to | break the strike with, Monteastle, one of the present delegates of the I. L. A., was herding seabs then. The stevedores have used every effort to keep the workers from organizing into the Marine Workers’ Industrial Union. Gangsters and blacklisting were'the first’ weapons. Then the polic: re called in an] 300 police and two truckloads of mavines were used to break up one meeting of the union. Then, failing to ston the growth of the M. W. I. U., the I. W. W. was called in and began a campaign to “organize” the longshoremen, Although the I W. W_ have received every aid from the etevedcres and no in‘erference fiora the po- lice they have failed to convince ‘he workers, as yet, that the 1 W. W. are not part and parcel of the stevedores’ policy to keep the (and to create confusion workers mnorga are now ant ou at k on the corner bo M. Wit on whe el to et en as-coment expires Sept, 80th old pw The LL. A. very difficult to | DAIW York . By Central ue Daily, The “Telegram” and Bread Riots WM. Z. FOSTER, Prisoner No, 52350. (Communist Candidate for Governor York State.) HE New York Telegram of August 20th, dealing with the masses of unemployed who gathered around the new municipal em- ployment office in a fruitless search for work, sneers at the lack of militancy of these work- ers. It declares, “These are a silent army. No spunk. They are too spiritless even to talk back to the cops.” But “The Telegram,” seeking for clubbing matches by the police, may be reassured in its lust for fight. It and its beloved capitalism will soon get more than plenty of fight from just these workers. If the Telegram believes the masses of workers will peacefully starve, it is due for a rude awakening. The workers won't starve, they'll fight. Various factors have tended to retard the growth of militancy and radicalism among American workers: the relatively high stand- ards of the skilled workers, widespread “pr perity” illusion betrayal by the A. F. of L. and the st” party, ete. It has been difficult for the workers to realize the seriousness of the present crisis, and that it would not “soon blow over,” as Hoover and a myriad other capitalist spokesmen have voci- of New ferously averred. But month after: month of unemployment is having its inevitable effects upon them, The slender resources of millions of unemployed workers are exhausted, the government stub- bornly refuses to grant them any relief, the Communist Party builds its prestige and or- ganization among them. All these things lead to a great intensification of the struggle. The winter months will bring matters to a keen struggle. The masses of unemployed with no income whatsoever and confronted with evictions and empty cupboards, will fight and fight militantly. In all probability, during the coming winter, many cities will be the seene, not only of general mass movements of the unemployed, but of fierce bread riots of hungry workers, The unemployment move- ment will be made the sharper by the strug- gle against wage cuts in the industries, The Communist Party and the Trade Union Unity League must redouble their efforts to give organization and leadership to the har. rassed workers. In the elections many th sands must be awakene! and drawn into the struggle for the Workers’ Unemployment In- surance Bill. Every preparation myst be made to give revolutionary direction to the coming class struggle, (Written at Hart’s Island idabbe od mie the Aigihoretied must eee tand that all cf these efforts are but a desperate at- tempt of the stevedores to keep the workers from organizing. The stevedores are deter- to force the longshoremen to accept the present poor working cenditions and the wage cut that will be forthcoming and which was prepared for a year age at the wage evnfer- ence. At this conference the employe:y noti- fied the delegaies that some of the employers wanted to cut wages they, but they only re- frained because they wished to continue to ¢o- operate with the efficiais uf the I. L. A. Definiie warnings were given the officials that they must prepare to accept’ the wage cut in the future, Since then the world crisis of capitalism has had its effect upon the mar- ine industry and the bosses will try to force the workers to shoulder the burden of the erisis by wage cuts. During the past few months the stevedores have begun to cut wages by using non-union 50 cent men in the place of 85 cont men. It is already rumored that MeCann: Swzar Com- , Which has no agreement wi he LL. A. vill cut wages 15 eents in Sep a Strike aeninst wage cuts! ¢ nize ond prepare ‘to fight for better evi. vivns! De- d yorker Pssniet Porty U.S.A. Sy mail everywhere: Marhattan and Bronx, New York City, and foreign, which are: One yr. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Une year $6; six months $34 two months 31; excepting Boroughs of 8; six mons. $4.50 BY BURCK. Organize and Strike Against Wage Cuts! By JOHN SCHMIES. HE immediate perspective of the TUUL and its affiliated unions, is the central n organize and strike against wage-cuts. This slogan itself signifies that the revolution- ary trade union movement in this country has reached a higher stage of political struggle than ever before. The programs of our affiliated red unions and national industrial leagues call for the immediate mobilization of their res membership to put this slogan into action. Is this the correct slogan at the preserit stage of the class struggle in this country? Nov us see what the facts are. Generally speaking we can see that as a result of the economic crisis the bosses in the industries more than ever trying to overcome the cri by increasing the stem of rationalization, which means more wage cuts for the workers, increased speed-up and general worsening of their working conditions, as a result of this program of the bosses further radicalization of large masses of workers as well as,an in- creased fighting mood is taking place. ‘The Role of the A. F. of L. Leaders. Organizing Against Betrayers. The workers in the mining industry are more and more awake to the policy of the Lewis’ and Fishwicks, of open sellout and betrayal, which is being counteracted by organization and strikes among the rank and file workers in the mining industry. Unemployment in the min- ingsindustry is greater than ever before, but in spite of all this, the class solidarity between the employed and unemployed masses of min- ers is growing at an ever greater pace. All this developing into an open challenge against the coal barons, and their agents, the fascist and social-fascist leaders of the A. F. of L. The same conditions—as outlined above— holds true for the metal industry. Warton, president of the International Association of Machinists, as well as the reactionary leader- ship of the other metal trades in the A. F. of L., is openly advocating and working for the ra- tionalization program of the bosses and their government. Not only have they nothing to offer to the ever increasing army of unem- ployed, or against the increased system of ra- tionalization, but here, too, in the metal indus- try, these leaders, together with the bosses, are openly fighting the militant spirit and the militant demands on the part of the hundreds of thousands of metal workers, but again we find that in spite of all this the Metal Workers Industrial League, and the Auto Workers Union of the TUUL are taking the lead and the ini- tiative in developing strikes and leading the workers against the unbearable conditions in the metal industry. The same thing can be stated for the marine’ industry where, for in- stance, we find in the city of Philadelphia the leadership of the A. F. of L. as well as the remnants of the J. W. W. (who are the leading elements) are organizing together with the city police department and all other stool pigeon institutions against our Marine Workers In- eustrial Union, which is fighting for the im- provement of working conditions and higher wages on the Philadelphia waterfront. man! unemployment insurance! Build a real union! These are the slogans put forth by the Marine Workers’ Industrial Union and around these slogans the workers have rallied by organizing into the M. W. I. U. Eight hun- dred men have already joined the union. Only under the leadership of the Marine Workers’ Industria} Union can the longshoremen suc- cessfully wage a battle against the stevedores. The Marine Workers’ Industrial Union ealls upen all longshoremen, upon the rank and file members of the I. L. A. and I, W. W, and the unorganized men in the ports of New Y Baltimore and Philadelphia, to elect dele to the Atlantic Coast district conference, o be held in Philadelphia, Sept. 7th. At this convention the longshoremen must draw up their own demands and map out a complete program of action to put these de- mands into effect, Coast-wise and deep-water men, Negro and white workers, all the ships and docks must send delegates. By making a united front wage conference here they will be able to put up a united front to the bocses and will prevent anacher sell out by tens: ing to back up their demands by organizing and striking, | In the needle industry there is an ever in- creasing readiness among the needle trades workers to organize and strike against the needle trades bosses and the leadership of the A. F, of L. unions, who are working hand in hand to company unionize the entire needle trades industry In other words, we can see along the whole front that hand in hand with the increased system of rationalization goes an open attack on the part of our class enemies against the revolutionary upsurge of the broad masses of workers. Most characteristic of all this is the growing of strikes and strike struggles on an ever larger scale. Yes, there is not a single day in the week which is not accompanied by a series of more or less important struggles. This is not only the case among those workers who are employed, but the same holds true with unemployed workers, who are storming the employment agencies as was the case in Detroit at the Ford Motor Car Company, and in the city of Washington among the women workers demanding ~ork from the government. Existing Favorable Conditions. All the above reasons and many others, which are not mentioned, create the favorable condi- tions for the central slogan of the TUUL, and its affiliated organizations—organize and strike against wage cuts. This slogan is nothing, ab- stract. It is not a slogan which is merely used for agitational and propaganda purposes, but is something which must be and can be put into life and action under the present con- ditions, Nevertheless, we must emphasize that in order to carry out this gigantic task it re- quires the maximum amount of activity in our trade union work, and it is due to these con- ditions that the national TUUL bureau to- gether with the leading committees of our af- filiated unions, decided that we have reached a stage of development in our movement, where we not only must raise this central slogan but actually make a serious attempt to put it into practical operation. the campaign for the organization and strike fund of $100,000 is the immediate task of the hour. This campaign must make it possible to co-ordinate this forward movement and to broaden out through real every day shop or- ganization these strikes which are developing on an ever larger scale, Must Be Made Mass Demand. Organize and strike can and must be made a mass demand of the workers. The responsi- bility, therefore, placed upon our TUUL and affiliated unions becomes much greater and much more important politically. The present favorable conditions, which are developing, of- fers our T. U. U. L. the opportunity to become the leadership of a genuine militant mass movement within the coming period, that is, provided we are in a position and are capable of giving lealership and presenting to the | workers a fighting program, based upon actual realism and the immediate things which are necessary for the building up of such a move- ment. tion, the building up of shop committees, the mobilization of mass rank and file strike com- mittees, developing of mass picketing against } the bosses’ program in the industry, as well as a concrete mobilization against the ever in- | creasing fascist attacks upon the worke the central and ganizations, Hand in hand of course must go our work to defend the program of the unemployed workers. In fact we must never permit our- selves to be put into a position whereby the workers get the feeling that either one or the other is excluded from our general campaign of activity. The building up of the September ist demonstration is not only the task of the unemployed, but it is the task of our unions for the entire working class in the respective etries. The campaign for unemployed in- nee is the task of the revolutionary move- ment as a whole, because if we give leadership and organization to the unemployed workers it will then be possible to unite both employed and unemployed under the leadership of the TUUL and its affiliated unions, for a joint struggle against the program of our class ene- mies, All this requires mass initiative and mass preparation, not in the far distant future but now-——irmediately--in order to take ad- vaninge of the ever greater opportunities. The organization and strike fund of $100,- 000 becomes an imny » necessity, not as an abstract slogan but as the immediate task in rs, are immediate tasks of our or- Therefore, | The organization of committees of ac- » By JORGE We Always Knowed It In Stalin’s recent speech at the Communist Party Congress of the Soyiet Union, he saic something about the League of Nations rotting away right in its tracks. Behold a report from Geneva in the N. Y. Times of Monday gives the opinion of a ‘medical adviser” which ad- mits that in and around the League of Nations headquarters there is “An unbearable stench.” While the Dock say’ the whole shebang is “Unhygienic” and that “odors from the sewer, the kitchen, the dining room and furnace” are mingled all over the place, we suspect that aside from the, rottenness of the whole works, the most putrid part is that occupied by the International Labor Office, whose officials are mostly “socialis This industrious bunch of crooks, always busy in genteel imperialist ly- ing, makes a specialty of broadcasting false- hoods about the Soviet Union; in the name ef high “impartiality” saying that the workers in the Soviet Union are deprived of life, lib- erty, light, air, wages, Jesus Christ, and so on. Now comes the Swiss doctor who explains that while the League of Nations—“Higher offi- cials and their staffs are housed under decent conditions’—“many lower officials’—that is the actual employees—are working under con- ditions “utterly below criticism,” in “basement rooms without ventilation or daylight’—‘“no mechanical device for the gases of the fur- naces”—“firetrap staircases’—‘one of the 13 attic workers has developed anemia due to in- sufficient air’—and a telephone exchange pic- tured as “a low, cramped, gloomy,ill-ventilated inferno where four girls perform phycho-physi- cal acrobatics.” We were on the point of or- ganizing a protest against the importation of damn lies produced by such convict, slave and forced labor, but since the entire production is used in this country by Mattie Woll, and he has more pull with Hoover than we have, we'll haye to give it up. But we mean to advertise that “unbearable stench” anyhow. . + 8 The Reason Why The amiable liars of the capitalist press, on Monday morning reported that everything was peaceful as a day in June in the capital of Peru, and to ‘‘prove” it said that Leguia, Wali Street's native bootlicker who competes with Machado of Cuba in going down on his knees to Hoover, had “attended the races” on Sunday afternoon. But before the ink got dry on the newspapers, Leguia had boarded a ship for parts unknown (Qh, for the pleasure of seeing Hoover do just that!) with some determined gentlemen with bayonetted rifles pointed in the genera] direction of his big honorable panta- loons. Why he went to the races is now clear, He was picking out a fast horse to get away on. * * * Prayer Doesn’t Pay Rent We didn’t go to church Sunday, but we read Monday’s papers And we noted that the Rey. Dr. James Gordon Gilkey told his congregation that “None of us in this age expect that prayer will effect natural phenomena or people at a distance. Neither do we believe it will change God, We can’t tell omniscience anything. But by prayer we inérease our own capacity of thanking what God is trying to give us.” Which means that if we pray hard enough, God will increase our capacity for going without eating. The dickens of this is that all our prayers don’t seem to increase the capacity of the i i lord to go without rent being paid. We it and is doesn’t work. As for us, w the slogan: “No Wages, No Rent!” * * * | This Is Getting Pretty Thick Just as we were despairing of paying our rent and hopefully looking forward to being given a nice cell free of charge, the N.Y. Times dashes our Lopes by publishing an article abou: prisons, specifically the State Prison of New | Jersey. Darn my eyes if in the Commissioner of the Department of Institutions and Agencies (gosh darn what a long name for one single grafter), a Mr. Ellis, “admitted that cells have been rented to prisoners fortunate enough to have money of their own.” When they go to charging us rent for locking us up, we quit. The deputy “keeper” adds some amusing notes, though. He says that “of the 160 guards at the prison there are two or three dishonest | ones.” Huh! More likely to be one or two hon- est ones! He “flouted” reports of a trade in narcotics, because, says he, “guards are con- | stantly on the watch for it.” Huh! That’s | just the reason the trade flourishes! They | “watch” to see that no dope gets in to break | their own monopoly. After all this, we've | changed our mind about wanting to go to jail. 1 order to cope with the situations that arise, | and to carry out successfully the demands placed upon our revolutionary unions, . In this campaign for the building of the organization id strike fund of $100,000, we must guard ‘ainst the mistakes which were made in’ the TUUL recruiting drive, that is, that the cam- paign was too abstract, did not penetrate in- to the rank and file membership of our unions. It was not looked upon as something real, some- ing near to them—yes, something with.them. ne building up of the organization and strike } znd must have its every day expression and | setivity in the respective unions and leagues. | It must become the campaign of every rank | and file member of the respective unions. It | must become the campaign of every member } to bring into our unions and national leagues more members, more activity, more participa- tion in the every-day tasks and life of the union, It must become a mass campaign! A campaign based upon the actual work within the shop, for the purpose of leading and initi- ating more strikes, more organized struggles against the bosses. is campaign must be a real organized cam- paign, and every member and close sympa- thizer of our national unions and leagues must not only participate in it, bust must become an actual organizer and an every-day worker for this’ gigantic task. The slogan organize and strike against wage cuts, is a policy of mass initiative, and mass action, The campaign for the organization and strike fund of $100,000 can and must be car- ried out in order to develop the revolutionary trade union center as an independent mass economic organization, leading, initiating and fighting for the economic interests of the work- ing class. = nad es Ok we ot 6 eh 6 ee ee ee ee