The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 17, 1931, Page 1

The Unemployed Councils Are the Fighting Organizations for Immediate Relief and Unem- ployment Insurance for the Unemployed Workers. Or- ganize Them Everywhere Vel. VIIE, No. 42 Dail Central Orga ERS Norker fruit Party U.S.A. (Section of the FY eae fle Entered as second class matter at the Post Office <2 at New York, N. Y. under the act of March 3, 1179 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1931 WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE! CITY EDITION Price 3 Cents DRESSMAKERS STRIKE TODAY AGAINST LOW WAGES! | 500, 000 More Thrown Out ot Wor Work; Demonstrate on Feb. 25! All Aid to the Striking Dressmakers! EVERY worker, whether in or outside the needle industry, should give every support to the thousands of dressmakers that are striking to- day at 10 a, m., in the shops of New York and Philadelphia. Conditions‘ have become utterly unbearable. With hours unlimited except for human endurance and wages far below even the government estimate for a minimum living stahdard, the dressmakers have been sub- jected in addition to a hellish speed-up. Though production per worker has been doubled by this health- wrecking speed-up; in the past year alone their wages have been cut from 30 to 50 per cent, Discharge automatically follows failure to keep up the speed. By this means, Wall Street bankers, which from behind the screen extracts a hog’s profit, unloads the burden of the crisis on the workers while keeping its own profits intact. ‘The needle industry is ‘especially the field for loot of Lieutenant Governor Lehman’s banking concern, and Lehman is closely connected with the fake “socialist” leaders of the company union, the Interna- tional Ladies’ Garment Workers. The I, L. G. W. long ago ceased to be a labor union and became an auxilliary to the employers. Only last week, the Daily Worker pub- lished the photograph of a letter sent by the employers’ “Protective As- sociation” to employers not in the association, pointing out to them the advantage of joining it, as it had “an agreement with the I. L. G. W. which prevented the calling of strikes.” So utterly rotten has the I. L. G. W. become, that in effort to save its reputation with the workers who have every reason to want -to strike, fake “strikes” have been called, with no intention of even trying to lead the strikers to victory, and always with the end result of leaving the workers worse off than before, For this reason the workers, the unorganized as well as those “or- ganized” in the I. L. G. W., are rallying with the members of the fighting union, the Needle Trades Workers’ Industrial Union, to the present strike, yank and file members of the I. L. G. W. now holding responsible posts on all strike committees and on all picket lines, ‘The enthusiastic action of whole shops walking out in recent days, shows the response of the workers to the demands formulated. Not the least important of these is the demand for Unemployment Insurance, a demand for which every worker should struggle and one for which all workers are urged to demonstrate on February 25th, International Fight- ing Day Against Unemployment. Other demands, vital to the dressmakers and deeply touching all other needle workers, are given elsewhere in this paper. The fight around these demands concerns every worker, regardless of industry. And when “Zero Hour” comes this morning, all workers should tsand four-square behind the fighting dressmakers in their battle against the employing class. All aid to the striking dressmakers! Underestimation of Election Campaigns (Statement by District Committee, C. P. U. S. A., New York.) GAIN there is a manifestation and demonstration of the underestima- tion of the importance of election campaigns in the District of New York. ‘Two congressional seats in Brooklyn were to be filled, and the Party decided to put up candidates. Sectins 6 and 8 of the Party were instructéd to get out the petitions, collect signatures and to enter the | campaign. This campaign was very important at the present moment, in view of the economic crisis, the leadership which the Party has asserted in all the struggles of the workers, and the mass support that the Party could have expected from the workers, It is true that only one week’s time was allowed for the gathering of the signatures. In the 9th Congressional district, we entered new ter- ritory and therefore it was more difficult to get the requisite number of signatures, (3,000); still about 1,700 were obtained, demonstrating that the workers are responding in ever greater masses to the campaigns of the bats In the 7th Congressional district (in Section 6 of the Party) about 1,700 signatures were required, but the section did not succeed i securing the amount, What does this demonstrate? It demonstrates: (1) that the Section Committees, underestimated the importance of the elections, particularly in this period, as a means ¢: callying the workers. They did not throw all their energy into the movilization of the entire Party and Y, C. L. membership in the sections and in mobilizing the assistance of the mass | organizations in the sections. On the contrary, underestimating the | meaning of the elections, and particularly Section 6, showing an undue optimism in regard to the signature campaign, the two Section Commit- tees, by their failure to show the proper leadership, have kept the Party | from getting on the ballot, | (2) The membership of the sections, by failing to participate in this i most important campaign, again demonstrate their wrong conception of | election campaigns, a conception that must be uprooted from our Party. | Every election campaign is a vital campaign for the Party. Particularly | now when the Fish Committee is proposing to outlaw the Party; when, | even before the Fish Committee report is acted upon by Congress, the | campaign against the foreign-born goes on with all viciousness, and the | campaign of lynching of Negroes is intensified; when the unemployment | situation becomes worse ,and the drive against the workers in the shops | becomes sharper; when the preparations for war against the Soviet Union | muldiply, it is necessary manifold that the voice of the Party be heard, and the workers be given an opportunity to register their , | vote. But above all, at this time, when the rights being curtailed in every form—the right to strike, the free press and free assemblage—then above all, in fs fascisation, the voice of the Party and its campaign mi the masses. This the membership of the section did fore did not respond to the call of the Party for the signature campaign. (3) The~District Committee also bears a serious responsibility in (a) not mobilizing the Section Committees and membership with suffi- cient energy; (b) in relying too much on the ability of the Section’ Com- mittees to rally the membership fo the work which had to be finished within a week; (c) in not insisting upon a day-by-day check-up, so as to be able to establish how the campaign was proceeding. ‘These are political and organizational shortcomings that the district, section and the membership must overcome, if the Party is to be alert to all the opportunities and posstbilities of work, But above all, we can no longer tolerate undesestimation of election campaigns; we must continue the fight against the antl-parllamentarian attitude still prevalent to a great extent in the Party, on the ballot, the District Committee criticizes itself and the two Section . Jommittees, with @ sharp criticism for Section Committee 6, UNEMPLOYMENT IS GROWING RAPIDLY 300,000 Starve in Phila. Mayor Admits WASHINGTON, Feb, 16. — Unem- ployment is growing fast.: According to the figures just issued by the De- partment of Labor for January, more than 500,000 more workers lost their job in that one month, and many hundreds of thousands more were put on part time. Wage cuts were handed out left and right. The department of labor figures ;for employment show up completely all the lies about eny improvement) in the economic situation. In fact, \in January when so many plants were supposed to have start up, the de- | partment of labor states that 4.2 per | oant of the workers employed Icst their jobs. There was a decrease of 8.2 per cent in payrolls, showing a terrific numberof wage cuts»and part time employment. While the department of labor figures apply to fifteen leading industries, they are applicable to all the industries in the United States. Here is startling proof of the cease- less increase in the unemployed army. A half million increase in one month! This is the month the capitalist press bragged about as the beginning of “prosperity”. ° This ‘is the Kind of prosperity they are giving the work- ers—500,000 more thrown out on the streets to starve, swelling the army of unemployed well over the ten mil- lion mark. In Philadelphia, Mayor Mackey de. clares that if the chgrity handouts | don’t increase he have to call out the militia to shoot down the mil- itant unemployed. He says in Phila- delphia alone 250,000 men and women and 50,000 children are starving to death. These facts show that the struggle | for imediate relief and for unemploy- ment insurance must rally ever more millions of workers. The ‘boss gov- ernment has shown its contempt for the unemployed. The Delegation to Washington representing millions ot unemployed fighting for relief were thrown out of congress, They were not given the right to present their demands. Prepare now for February 25'% Agitate in your shop for action on February 25th. Every worker is hit— wage cuts aré growing with unem- ployment. You will be next in the unemployed army if you are not al- ready there. Unemployed and em- ployed must fight for relief. Rally to the International Unemployment Day Demonstration, Fight, don't starve! 'WAGES SLASHED 8 P.C. IN JAN.; JOBLESS UP 4 P.C.; PLAN WORLD STRUGGLE | Change Die ofAlbany Hunger March to Feb 26th NEW YORK.—Due to arrange- ments made in Buffalo, where the hunger march to Albany in that city is scheduled to leave on Thursday, February 26th, the hunger march from New York City to the state capitol will also start on the same day. The march to Albany had been previously. set for February 18th, but in order to time the arrival of the two groups at the capitol at the same time, it was decided to have them both begin the marche on the same day. This gives added time for better | preparations all along the route as well as in New York City. Over 300 workers will start out from New York the day after the Internatiénal Un-| employment Day demonstration on February 25th. The Unemployed | Councils in many of the leading in- dustrial centers along the route will add their delegations to this hunger march. Mass meetings and demon- | strations will be held all along the way. At the same time it was decided to postpone the Wednesday mass meet- Need Troops Soon to Kill Jobless; Says I May. Mackey Philadelphia Millionaire Men and Women and 50,000 Children Starving to Death PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Feb. 16.— ‘That troops would soon have to be} called to this city. to shoot down un- employed workers, if they were not| fed, was the admission made yester- | day by the millionaire Mayor Mackey | of Philadelphia, Mackey, who said) he was not “an alarmist,” appealed | to his fellow parasites to give the workers a little more garbage and charity if they did not want to be} forced to use bullets against the un- employed. It is the growing militant demand of the unemployed for unemployment | insurance and immediate relief, un- der the leadership of the Trade} ‘Union Unity League and the Com- munist ‘Party that evoked Mayor Mackey’s threat of terror. Mackey said there were at least | ing, which was scheduled to give the hunger marchers a send-off. The Workers International Relief | is making arrangements for feeding} the delegates. Tag days have now} |been extended, and all workers and} workers’ organizations are urged to, |intensify their campaign for funds) for the Albany hunger march. Fol- lowing the February 25th world-wide hunger demonstrations, the Albany | march will have béhind it the action | of tens of thousands of workers. All| funds shouldbe rushed in to the | Workers Center, 50 East 13th §t., marked. for the Albany Hunger March. Mayor Says 250,000 250,000 persons with 50,000 children who were with “the bare necessities of life,” in short, who were starving to death. “I am not an alarmist,” said the mayor, “and am not overem- phasizing what I know to be facts. No one wants to see martial law proclaimed here, but I know whereof I speak when I say that if the Lloyd committee should break down and cease to function because of the failure of our people to con- tribute to its funds for relief it | would be absolutely impossible for the police force of Philadelphia to contend with the conditions which would be created. “Up to the present a great pro- portion of the relief funds has been contributed by the working class, Not one-tenth of our citizens have responded, and it is a lamentable fact, but none the less true, that many of our wealthy men and women have failed to respond, | while many othcrs who are rich and well able to do so have sent | contributions for insignificant sums. “Some of them give $100 to the Lloyd committee and then go to Florida for the winter and the poor man stays here. I say to you it is the poor man who has saved the situation up to this time. In other words, the por man is protecting the interests of the rich man be- cause the poor man is sympa- thetic.” NEW YORK.—Printed in four Jan- | guages, gn tens of thousands of cop- | ies, the following call for the dress strike, which begins today,.was issued | by the Rank and File Dressmakers’ Strike Committee of the Needle Trades Workers’ Industrial Union: 6 eye STRIKE DECLARED IN THE DRESS INDUSTRY ‘Today, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1931, promptly at 10 o’clock in the morn-| ing, every dressmaker must stop work and answer the call of the Dress- makers’ Strike Committee of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union! Dressmakers from New York, Brooklyn, Bronx, Harlem and other sections of the city—young and adult, Negro and white, Italian, Spanish, Jewish and native American, opera- tors, pressers, finishers, cutters, drapers, pinkers, cleaners, examiners and shipping clerks—no wheel shall turn after 10 o'clock on Tuesday! No one shall work until the dress- makers will have won: (1) Recognition of the Needle ‘Trades Workers Industrial Union, price committee and shop: chairmen. (2) Guaranteed minimum wage scales on the basis of which piece- work prices shall be settled—opera- Strikers Answer Attack on “Daily” by Donating $10 The dressmakers in New York City are out on strike today. Today the fur workers, a section of the Needle ‘Trades Workers’ Industrial Union, answered the Kaufman gangster clique who tried to stop one of the shops which belongs to the Needle ‘Trades Workers’. Industrial Union. ‘The workers answered as follows: “This clique wanted to stop our shop, which belongs to the Needle ‘Trades Workers’ Industrial Union. We answer to the Daily Worker with a donation of $10. Long live the Needle Trades Workers’ Industrial Union, long live the Daily Worker— the only paper in the English lan- guage that fights for the interests of the workers.” - Ten workers answered with a $10 donation, each one donating $1, add- ing: “Follow our example and donate to the Daily Worker.” ‘This 1s 2 concrete example of the Teal support that the workers give Lanter baksacalgnatarhie ae spirit behind the Needle Trades Workers’ Industrial Union: It is this fighting spirit that is behind the masses of the dressmakers that are now out on strike, ‘The dressmakers’ strike must have the Daily Worker appear regularly every day, not only in New York City but throughout the United States, This strike is. an answer to the bosses as well as to the leaders of the company ‘unions masquerading as workers’ unions; the Ladies’ Gar- ment Workers’ Union, Amalgamated, Fur Workers’ Union—all of them af- filiated with the’A. F. of L. The Red Shock Troop lsts. must be filled out and sent in immediately, The last few days of the emergency drive must liquidate the deficit of $30,000. Support like that of the dressmakers from other workers will insure the existence of the Daily Worker, Send all funds to the Daily Worker, 50 E. 13th St, New York COP ee Call Issued To All Workers In Dress Industry to Strike: i“All Out to Fight for| Union Conditions” Js Slogan tors, $44; pressers, $50; cutters, $50 (week work); ‘drapers, $32 (week work); finishers, $28; examiners, $28) (week work); floor girls (ninkers and cleaners), $20 (week work). (3) Immediate 20 per cent in- crease for all underpaid workers in every section of the city, and addi- tional gradual increases until the union scale is reached. (4) The 40-hour, 5-day week. (5) Abolition of all discrimination and the right of Negro workers to every shop and every craft on the basis of equal pay for equal work. (6) The right to the job—no dis-} charge; equal division of work. (7) Unemployment insurance. Sisters and Brothers! The time has come when through this strike you must force the bosses to recog- | nize your right to earn a decent live- Iihood. The bosses are growing richer by millions s ai thaal they must be forced -cuts tions for your hard work. We must establish respect for your rights and your organized power, union conditions and union control in every dress shop! » Stop from work like one man! Let nothing stand in the way! Let this strike build your union as @ powerful instrument for your pro- tection, that will go on after the strike mobilizing and organizing all dressmakers for the abolition of the slave-driving system of piece-work and for the 7-hour day, 5-day week. Pay no attention to the misleading appeals, threats or promises of the bosses and their agents, the officials of the “International” who want to keep you enslaved. Take along with you every worker of your shop! Do not go down’ with the elevator! Use the stairs! Take along with yo uthe workers of other shops in your building! With working-class discipline, in solid ranks march to the strike halls! FORWARD TO THE STRIKE! STRIKE FOR VICTORY? Rank and File Dressmakers Strike Comuittee of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union. L, HYMAN, Chairman Strike Committee, | shops shall mrrrh) to ¥ et | Shall march to the Brownsville Strike and guarantee you decent condi- MARCH TO THE FOLLOWING STRIKE HALLS: Dressmakers of the Downtown Sec- | tion, up to and including 27th St.,| east and west, shall march to Stuy- | vesgnt Casino, 140 Second Ave. , Dressmakers from 28th St., up to and including 36th St., also includ- ing the Ave. blocks in this area east | and west, shall march to Irving Plaza, 15 Irving Pl. Dressmakers fyom 37th St. and up, also including the Ave. blocks in this area east and west, shall march to Bryant Hall, 1087 Sixth Ave. (near 42nd St.). Dressmakers working in Hatlem Harlem | | | Strike Hall, 2011 Third Ave, Dressmakers wo... 6 i. Bronx} shops shall march to Ambassador Hall, 3861 Third Ave. Dressmakers working in Williams- | burg shops shall march to the Wil-| liamsburg Strike Hall, 795 Flushing | Ave., Brooklyn. .Dressmakers working in ‘shops lo- cated from Vermont St. down to East New York, shall march to the East | New York Strike Hall, 962 Sutter Ave. Dressmakers working in Browns- ville shops located up to Vermont St. | Hall, 1244 Pitkin Ave. Dressmakers working in the Brigh- ton Beach Section shall march to the Brighton Beach Strike Hall, 140 Nep- tune Ave. Dressmakers working in the Bath Beach Section or the Borough Hl) Park Section shall march to the Bath Beach Strike Hall, 48 Bay 28th St. All unemployed dressmakers are to march to Stuyvesant Casino, 140 Sec- CALL NEGROES TO | after month. | darity, —————— NEW YORK NEEDLE WORKERS ON PICKET LINES TO FIGHT SPEED-UP AND WAGE-CUTS Spontaneous Walkouts Prove Dressmakers Are Ready to Fight to the Limit for Better Living Standard ces Dressmakers’ Pay Reduced As Much As Fifty, Per Cent During Season of 1930-31 Members of I.L.G:W., Company Union, Elected to All Important Strike Committees of N. T. W. 1. U. BULLETIN. MOSCOW, Feb. 16. — To militant New York dressmakers In the nante of the revolutionary dressmakers. All countries are sending you expression our class solidarity. We greet heartily militant dressmakers, Strengthen united front of rank and file of organized as well as unor- ganized workers from shop. Your success lies in spreading struggle to maximum stubbornly echihe it out under leadership of the Industrial Union, I. C. ZORINA, for Red International of Labor Unions, . . . NEW YORK. — Many thousands of New York dressmakers will strike today for higher wages, shorter hours and recogni | tion of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union. At 10 a. m., the zero hour, dressmakers will stream out of |their shops to begin what will be a historic struggle in the needle tradeds industry. The dressmakers have a long jand honorable tradition of al- ways being in the vanguard of every fight in the needle trades for improved conditions and it is expected that this strike as well will be signalized by a most determined | battle to eliminate sweat shop con- litions in the industry. | The dressmakers are among the ost exploited of all workers, being ced to slave 10, 11 and 12 hours a day for wages that average $15, $14 | and $20 a week. JOIN DRESS STRIKE Workers “Must Fight) Discrimination Negro and white dressmakers! The fight for the winning of ow daily bread and buter is on! Tt begins today! Negro dressmakers! Out on the| ‘Their unbearable working condie streets for the winning of the 40-| tions have been made worse in the hour 5-day week, which means no! |past year by new speed-up systems, | Saturday work. |longer hours, lower wages and firing Equal pay for equal work for Negro| for any or no reason. Although pro= and white workers, | duction figures show that dressmakers The right of Negro workers to every | Produce aln twice as much as they shop. |did a few years‘ago, statistics prove The right of Negro workers to the| *hat their wages in the past year skilled and better paid jobs. The abolition of all forms of dis- crimination and segregation against | the Negro workers. | Negro dressmakers! Too long have we walked the hard pavements of this city trying to earn a living. Starvation and hardships | have been dogging our steps month We have worked like slaves for two and three dollars a week. Most of us can find no work. The fear of being thrown out of our dilapidated houses has haunted us} for months. Last week in Lincoln Arena, 4,500 strong, we decided not to starve, but | to fight for the immédiate improve. ment of our conditions. We are go-| ing to fight to a finish for a decent} standard of living. All we need in this strike is sol Solidarity means the colla of the policy of the bosses to div us from the white workers. Solida: ity of all the workers is the deci: factor in this struggle against the bosses: It will bring success to us. Out on the streets! Not one dress- maker in the shops during the strike! (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) CARPENTER UNION HEADS NEGOTIATE FOR WAGE CUTS iDelerates R Reject It; Fight Is Needed NEW YORK.—The predictions of | the Trade Union Unity League mem- | bers in the carpenters’ union that the bosses would declare a wage-cut is now a reality. The association of _ | the manufacturers of architectural cabinet work declared a wage-cut of $1.25 per hour. That means $10 in« 2| stead of $13.20 a day. The action of the association, which signed an agreement with the New | York District Council of Carpenters, means the beginning of an official wage-cut in the building industry, | Unofficially the carpenters and cab= Into the picket lines! Smash the at-| inetmakers have been working for as tempts of the bosses to divide u: | low as $6 and $7 a day, The present Down with the attempt of Negro poli-| action of the association is only an ticians, preachers, and labor fakers| acknowledgement of this fact. to break our solidarity! Long live the international solidar- | ity of Negro and white workers! into the picket lines with the de- The association demanded the cut two weeks ago. The general vices president of the brotherhood came ta New York, and, together with the ond Ave. Reveal Capitalist As Chief Behind Fascist Coup Plan (Wireless by Inprecorr.) BERLIN, Feb. 16.—Welt am Abend reveals that the Industrialist, Thys- sen, was the chief behind the fascist coup plans. The coup has not as yet been carried out because Bruening and Seeckt considered the affair a premature one. Thyssen then de- manded that the fascists and the nationalists leave the Reichstag to make: the situation strained. Hitler disapproved the exodus but was over- ruled. The exodus was a failure and ie ee key chiefs of the District Council, nego- tiated the wage-cut with the bosses, Last Wednesday, at the meeting of the New York District Council, the officers reported the negotiations in such. a way that it was clear that the reactionary leadership of the union is in favor of the cut. But the ma- jority of the delegates, despite the bluff about giving more work, re- jected the report of the negotiation committee, Trial began in the supteme court of Leipzig today against the thirty | one workers accused ih connection with arms raids on the Reichswehr barracks on February, 1930. The armed police surrounding the court examined all those entering the court. The accused workers cheered the re- yolutionary. movement. * ply On Saturday the Hamburg dockers declded to call off the strike because the reformist scabbing was wide- ‘The carpenters must rally around the program of the T. U. U, L. and declare a relentless fight, not only on the corrupt leadership of the Carpen- ters’ Brotherhood, but also the agents of the leadership, the fake progres- sives, Morelly, Haltcamp & Co., who are protecting the reactionary Dis- St ee Ate trict Council trade rules, by-laws and | agreements instead of fighting them spread. 2,000 dockers joined the new