The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 28, 1933, Page 1

it | || HONOR RUTHENBERG AT MEMORIAL MASS MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE NEW STAR CASI Russian Group Answers The Russian Educational Mutual Aid Society, Branch 30, of Chelsea, Mass., sends in a check for $20 “as our quota for the present Daily Worker drive.” This should be a spur to other foreign-language groups, a reminder that they, too, must get into action if the Daily Worker is to survive. Daily, Worker Central Orga _Vol. X, No. 50 Euiered 2 vecond-cluss matter of the Pest Offies of GER Us Hew York, HY. under the Ai of March & U7 of (Section of the Communist International) ie Cominynist Party U.S.A. $329.91 from John Reed Club The John Reed Club of New York, at a party and dance held Saturday night, raised $194.91 in cash and $135 in pledges for the Daily Worker emergency fund, a total of $329.91. What are other cultural groups throughout the country doing for the “Daily” in the present situation? crucial NEW YORK, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1933 CITY EDITION Price 3 Cents Foster Calls All Union Members to Support Demands of ‘Forgotten Men” to Roosevelt Government HOLLANDER FUR SCAB MURDERS LEADING STRIKER Ballero Killed Away From Picket Line; Assassinated. PROTEST STRIKE HERE All Quit 1 Hour Wed. Mass Demonstration NEWARK.—Natale Ballero, leading young striker in the Hollander & Sons fur dying} strike here, was deliberately assassinated Sunday -by a com- pany scab, who hunted him up in a club house away from the scene of the strike, and shot) him to death, | ° ° * By I. POTASH (New York Secretary of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union) NEW YORK.—Natale Ballero, the 24 year old fur dyer and striker of A. Hollander & Sons of Newark, N. J. who was shot and killed last Sun- day in Newark, N. J. was a member of the Fur Dressers and Dyers De- partment of the Needle ‘Trades Workers Industrial Union. ‘This cold blooded murder of Bald lero because he dared to strike for better conditions, has aroused the sharpest indignation among all fur workers and needle \trades workers. generally. ‘The scab who did the killing is named Ralph Capo. As an answer to this murderous | attack and as a demoristration of solidarity with the strikers, the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union is calling for a one-hour strike on Wednesday of all fur workers (fur dressers), fur dyers, and fur garment workers) and a pretest demonstration in the fur market on the same day between 12 and 1 p.m. The one-hour strike im the fur dressing, dyeing and manufacturing industry will affect the shops located in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Paterson, Jersey City, Bayonne, and Newark, N. J. A. Hollander & Sons, together with J. Hollander and Philip Singer, fur dressing and dyeing firms of New- ark, N. J. were declared on strike last Wednesday. The workers are demanding the return of wage cuts, shorter hours, and unemployment in- surance. The conditions of the work- ers in these shops have become so unbearable that the workers deter- mined to strike regardless of the ter- ror they were certain to confront. Workers of J. Hollander, for instance have been earning $6 for 72 hours of work and have their hands con- tinuously poisoned because the firm refuses to provide the workers with gloves to protect them from the poisonous dyes. It is against such conditions that the strikes have been declared. Murder Threats Since these strikes have been de- clared a number of strikers as well as strike leaders have received mur- der threats. This is the second time that strikers were killed when they went on strike against A. Hollander & Sons. During a strike in 1914 against this firm two strikers, Rubin and Novack, were shot and killed by hired gangsters. ‘The Union has been conducting a successful organization campaign in the fur dyeing and dressing trade for the past several months. As a result of this campaign the union has suc- ceeded in organizing practically all the fur dyeing and dressing shops, winning wage increases, reduction in hours of work, and a 3 per cent un- employment insurance fund. The firms of A. Hollander & Sons, J. Hollander, and Philip Singer are the only firms in New Jersey that are continuing to resist the demands of (CONTINUED ON. PAGE TWO) Painters Fight Eviction, Win | More Districts Answer Danger Call; Must CALL 10 Speed Action in Crucial Week to Save ‘Daily’ ORWARDED SIXTY-TWO DOLLARS RESULT OF EMERGENCY CONFERENCE IN MILWAUKEE. ANSWER TO DANGER CALL WILL BE FIFTY MORE BY FRIDAY. WORKERS ALARMED AT DAN- GER TO “DAILY.” And from Pittsburgh the following letter: “On Saturday, Feb. 18, we received a wire asking us to raise $100 for the Daily Worker within five days. On that day we wired $20. On Tuesday we sent $11.50. On Wednesday we w in $20.45. Today we will send $20 more. Which will make $112.” And from Boston: “In reply to your wire in regard to the Daily Worker, we wish to inform you that we have collected and sent in $75 already out of the $100 that was to be collected in five days. More money is on the way.” More money must be on the way from every district, big or small, in this crucial week that will mean life or death to the Daily Worker. So far, though some of the other districts have also responded well, it is the New York district that has borne most of the burden. To it belongs the chief credit that the “Daily” has been kept alive until now. But without the support of the rest of the country the drive for $35,000 will fail, and that will mean—no Daily Worker. Though the $1,000 received for the past two days is the best week-end total in the drive so far, it is an average of only $500 a day—far below what is needed to lift the great burden that is threatening to crush out the life of your fight- ing paper. i hae is the situation: d $40. Individuals and or: ganizations sent The Daily Worker's weekly loss or deficit is over $1,200. The campaign for $35,000 was started because this deficit, mounting up over weeks and months, threatened to force the suspension of the Daily Worker. The drive started slowly. Workers did not immediately realize the danger facing the “Daily.” Communist Party members took their time, mass organizations thought other matters were more urgent, the Party apparatus in most districts: failed to organize activity properly, failed to throw its full forces into the drive. The result: the time has come when the payment of the accumulating deficit can no longer be - sands of dollars must be raised within a few days or the Daily Worker will go under. The response during the last few days shows that the “Daily” can be saved. It shows that despite the crisis, despite mass unemployment and wage-cuts, the American workers and farmers are ready to make every sacrifice to keep alive the only newspaper in English that day in, day out, fights for their interests. But this response is not yet enough. It can and must be increased. postponed. Thou- If every reader sends in a contribution (contribute again if you’ve done so already!) and today gets two friends to contribute; if 5,000 readers at once arrange house parties; if collections are made at Party unit meetings; if every mass organization arranges a series of affairs and gets its members into action with collection lists; if the Party apparatus in every district puts all its energies into the drive; if all collected money is immediately rushed in—our Daily Worker will be saved, saved to lead us in the mighty struggles we are facing. This week will decide. The decision depends on you, readers, fellow-workers, friends of the “Daily” everywhere. Received Sunday and yesterday $1,024.62. Total to date $13,121.88. Speed funds at once to the Daily Worker, 50 E. 13th St., New York City. National City Bank Looted Employes of Over 5 Million NEW YORK.—Charles E. Mitchell, chairman of the National City Bank, resigned under fire and his resignation was accepted yesterday. In- dignation among the small depositors of the bank, roused by revelations of misuse of bank funds, was the cause, Mitchell stated plainly in his resignation that it was to relieve the bank of “criticism” directed at him. It is plain that the resignation is a scheme to cover up the scandal as much as possible. J. H. Perkins, presi- dent of the City Bank Farmers Trust Co., was appointed im his place, as a banker who hasn’t been shown up yet (By a Former National City Bank Employee) How the gods of the bourgeoisie have fallen. Charles E. Mitchell, chairman of the National City Bank was shown up for what he really is during the Senate stock investigating committee sessions. Mitchell, it may be recalled, was one of the so-called “authorities” of 1928 and 1929. He is known in the Wall Street district as the bond salesman banker. ways goes through the bank and greets all the employees with a “mer- ty Christmas,” though the investiga- tion brought out that he sold them his stock in the National City Bank at prices from $220 to $200 a share and the same stock is now selling at $35 or less. Of course Mitchell said during the investigation the em- ployees do not have to take the stock now, if they wish to resign their po- sitions. In that case they would re- ceive their money back and be out of their job, Officers Give Bank Their Stock This did not, however, stop the var- ious officers from subscribing to the stock, and then when it depreciated in value they simply did not take it up. This was brought out in the tes- timony. The National City lent of- fivers of the bank $2,400,000 on Nov. 33, 1929 (within a fortnight after the stock market crash) for which they Relief for Members | ———_—— CITY EVENTS MASS MEETING ON HARLEM HOSPITAL, TOMORROW Peoples Committee Against Discrimination in Harlem Hospital calls |C°U"t hearing is on Wednesday. all unions and mass organizations to support special mass meeting at Lafayette Hall, 165 West 131st St., tomorrow night. Business in connec- tion with placing of demands on Aldermen of 19th and 21st District. ° NEW YORK.—Although the com- mittee from Downtown ‘Local 4, Al- teration Painters Union, had to carry the furniture and belongings of an evicted painter up five flights of stairs they made a good job of their work. The Unemployed Committee of the local has also secured relief for two workers, Summer, whose rent and gas bills were paid, and I. Katz, whose rent and electric bills were paid, from the Home Relief Buro, All unemployed painters are urged io bring thelr grievances to the Un- »mployed Comunittee, 247 East Hous- ton St. N. Y..C., or to the other lo- ‘als in various parts of the city, On Christmas Mitchell al-@ did not have to pay any interest. President Rentcheler, of the bank ex- plained this by saying it was done “to sustain the morale of the organ- ization and to protect the officers in the existing emergency.” These loans, Rentcheler said, were made to about 100 officers of the bank, and not over five per cent of them have been repaid. Some of them have been charged against undivided profits account and the rest have been written down. Mr. Rentcheler maintained that according to their attorneys, Sherman and Sterling, all this was strictly within the law, thus showing once more what is well known to workers that there is one Jaw for workers and another for capi- talists. ‘The employees. on the other hand, have paid in $5,303,279 on their loans of stock from monthly deductions (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) RUTHENBERG MEMORIAL MEETING, TOMORROW Commemorate anniversary of the death of Ruthenberg, first secretary of the Communist Party, by mass meeting 8 p.m, tomorrow at New Star Casino, Lith St. and Park Ave, Moore, John Baltam, Speakers; Max Bedacht, Richard B, Poison Gas, Powder Barbed Wire, Shipped To South America NEW YORK—The Danish steamer Bornholm sailed from Pier 35 Saturday with 8,000 tons of war materials for Buenos Ayres, Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro. It is obviously munitions intended for the South American wars. Included in the cargo were cases of spare parts for tanks and trac- tors, barbed wire for entangie- ments, 18 tanks of poison gas and many cases of powder. Ten International Longshore- men’s Association members refused to load the powder and poison gas because of danger. They were placed on other work, and another gang secured to load the danger- ous substance. Half an hour later, the ten were fired. The contract calls for double pay for loading dangerous cargo, but the I. L. A made no demand, therefore noth- ing extra was paid. But the L.L.A, was on hand to collect the $3 per man for an ILA button. Help stop the shipment of mu- nitions! Organizations distribute the recruiting drive leaflet of the Marine Workers Industrial Union among the dockworkers, tug-boat~ men, bargemen, etc., in your ter- ritory. Call for this leaflet at 140 Broad St. every day, Bronx Rent Strikers Taken to Court, Wed. NEW YORK.—At 2027 Monterey Ave., Bronx, the tenants and the Unemployed Council are being taken to court. The lawyer for the land- lord tried to get an injunction for two davs from the court but was un- successful. A large meeting will be held tomor- row and all workers in the neighbor- hood are invited to come. The next Most of the tenants in the house have joined the strike. They are fighting for a 50 per cent reduction in rent, against evictions, and for rec- ognition of the house committee. Answer the attempt to rob the vets of their back pay. Fight for this demand on March 4th, Don’t delay! NEW YORK.—Yesterday noon Two More Foltis-Fischer Stores Strike; 11 Now Out the cafeteria at 34th Street, between ith and 8th Avenues and the one on 35th Street and 6th Avenue were struck Union, This makes a total of 11 Foltis-Fischer cafeterias on strike out of | the 19 in the Foltis-Fischer chain, Two workers, H. Reich and George Allen, were arrested while the caieterias @ were going on sirike. Two private | Ta detectives tried to beat up one of 40 Negro and White by the Foltis-Fischer Strike Committee and the Food Workers Industrial | the workers. The Model Dairy Co., Inc., one of the companies that put the Foltis- Fischer chain into receivership is making an application to the Uni- ted States District Court, Southern District of New York, for an order to punish Sam Kramberg, other leaders of the Union, and over a dozen work- ers and strikers for contempt of court. This order is being applied for under the theory that since the United States District Court had or- dered the Foltis-Fischer Company into receivership, any interference with the business of the receivership is contempt of court. The order asks that the Union pay damages for the business lost, etc. The Foltis-Fischer Strike Commit- tee and the Food Workers Industrial Union meanwhile are intensifying the work to spread the present strike into a general Foltis-Fischer Strike, of fighting this application by the bosses for an order for contempt of court against the union leadership and the strikers and union members. Already a mass meeting is being called by the Strike Committee and the Union for Friday evening, March 3, at 8 p.m. sharp at Bryant Hall, 1087 Sixth Avenue on the corner of 4ist St., New York City. All food workers and all other workers are *sked to come to this mass meeting and give their suvport to the strike. To Arnownce Pav Cnt For Anthracite Wed. WASHINGTON, Feb, 27.--Frank Morrison, one of the two arbiters in the anthracite wage dispute, stated that the board would meet Wednes- day to form a decision. Operators have demanded that wages be slash- ed 35 per cent. If the arbiters are in agreement theit decision is consid- ered final. and are working out ways and means | Strike at “Pretty” of them Negro women and girls, are on strike, both races in solidarity, against the fourth wage cut recently, at The Pretty Laundry, 585 Eagle Aye., near 148th St. only $6 or $7 a week, , The workers held a‘ shop meeting Friday, and went yesterday to the ;Manager with a demand for with- drawal of the last cut. He refused, and the strike started yesterday. ‘The management is trying to work with scabs. All workers of the neigh- borhood are urged to show Solidarity with the strikers, and to come and help picket this morning at 7:30. The strike is led by the Laundry Workers Industrial Union. Romanelli Strike Won; Boss Withdraws Cut; Signs Union Contract NEW YORK, — Attempt by the boss of the Romanelli French Bakery at 816 8th Avenue to cut the wages of the workers in the shop 20 per cent after the expiration of the temporary contract with the Bakery Workers Industrial Union resulted in a picket line being immediately es- tablished. Twenty-four hours later the boss was forced to call in a committee of the striking workers and the union for a conference; he signed a year's contract with the union guaranteeing the union wage scale and hours, and recognizing the shop committee and the union. The strike at the Di Carlo Bakery in Long Island City continues. The other day a picket was assaulted by the son of the boss and the police- man on duty naturally refused to arrest him, Laundry Against Cut | NEW YORK.—Forty workers, most Wages average Hunger Relief UNION SQUARE MAR. 4 BY TRADE UNION UNITY COUNCIL OF Nv. ¥. United Actions of Part Time and Jobless Workers Are Necessary It Helps to Build the Unions Into Mass Organizations _ NEW YORK.—The Trade Union Unity Council, cen unions and opposition groups within other unions, all New York workers, employed and unemployed, H | er of all militant ' demonstrate in Union Square at 11 a.m. March 4. yesterday called upon ro and white, to It called on them te demand through this demonstration, that the Roosevelt administra on taking office that day, shall keep its pledges made during the el campaign. Those pledges were for immediate relief for the unemployed. The Trade Union Unity Council points out that the hundreds of thousands of “forgotien men” in New York should remind Roosevelt on March 4 that they are without food and shelter, and demand that he liye up to these promises. Forty-five per cent of all the wor in New York state are totally unemployed, and wage cuts are the order ef the day. The Trade Union Unity Council particularly calls upon the working class to defeat the attempts of the employers and city government to dis- criminate against Negro unemployed workers in distribution of relief, eC aes ea on tion NEW YORK, Feb. 27.—At the moment, on March 4, the | Wall Street ruling class of the United States puts into office | its new hunger and war president, the working class, unem- ployed and employed, organized and unorganized, Negro and white, native-born and foreign-born will thunder demands for immediate direct Federal emergency cash relief of $50 for each unemployed worker plus $10 for each dependent. This is in addition to state and local relief. DEMANDS_CAN BE WON Local” and hunger and for immediate ing with termined fights of the unemp’ time workers have forced the capitalist class. who would have di been for these mass fights. FIGRT STARVATION PROGRA In complete disre workers and farmers of this nation, the Wall S W. Z. FOSTER and its government of hi | fierce starvation drive. There are now approxi: | facing hunger. Millions of part-time and ful rations. WM. Z. FOSTER ISSUES CAT | The new factor of tremendous significance in th | ger today is the growing unity of action of une | workers. In developing this united action the T has been and is a powerful force. In the strike years it is everywhere recognized that the key to of action. Today, the National Committee of the T: through its national secretary, Wm. Z. Foster, call on the revolutionary unions and leagues, the memb union opvosition groups inside the A. F. of L to take full part in the nation-wide dem elect delegates to the conference to be he The full statement foliows: A DAY OF MASS STRUGGLES “March 4, 1933, the day on which Roosevelt is to order to continue the Hoover starvation policy, will be | of mass struggle to demand that the Roosevelt eral unemployment relief and insurance for the | workers of this country. | “Mass demonstrations of the unemployed and the employed workers | will be held on that day, in every city in the coun! o w that the | workers, the ‘forgotten men’ for whom Roosevelt promised to do so much his election speeches) do not intend to remain ‘forgotten.’ | “While the m: demonstrations for une yment relief and } ance go on in every city, events of greatest importance class will occur in Washington. THE ENLARGED COMMITTEE MEETING “The National Committee of the Unemployed Councils will hold an enlarged meeting on March 4. “On March 5, also in Washington, there will be held a national con- | ference of locals of unemployed organization working class organizations. to formulate the |to work out demands for immediate relief and insurance | presented to Roosevelt. he conference wil] ele mands to Roosevelt on March 6. “The revolutionary unions and leagues, the trade un oppositions, and their members and sympathizers are called on by the National Com- mittee of the Trade Union Unity League to take an intensive part in the preparations for the March 4th demonstrations; to mobilize for the dem- onstrations; to help popularize the conference in Washington, and to elect delegates to it “In the cities and towns, in the neighborhoods and block: | 8roWs more acute each day. Further slashes in wages for further layoffs; constant cutting of the already meager r cious forms which the capitalists’ attacks assume. “Right in the factories and the factory neighborhoods; in the working | class sections, must lie the scene of action of the revolutionary unions and | leagues in their preparations for March 4th. They must play a leading | part in the demonstrations, Hunger Marches and other actions of the | unemployed. They must fight also for the most immediate demands or the unemployed (as well as for unemployment insurance); in the industrial towns they must lead the struggles for relief from the companies and the local governments. The revolutionary unions and leacues must lead the fight of the part-time workers and unite these workers’ struggles with those of the unemployed workers. STRIKES SHOWED THE WAY . “This is the very best way to prepare for March 4th. This {s the best way to build mass revolutionary unions and for the coming great struggles —for it must be remembered that the March 4th actions are not an end in themselves, but an important step in the fight for unemployment relief and insurance. “The Auto Workers Union in the great Briggs and Hudson auto strikes showed how the unemployed become the active allies of the employed workers fn struggle—if work is done by the Union in fighting for the everyday demands of the unemployed. “By conducting struggles around the immediate demands of the un- employed workers, this is how the revolutionary Unions and Leagues can build their unemployed branches, can build the Unions themselves. “NATIONAL COMMITTEE, TRADE UNION UNITY LEAGUE, “Wm, Z, Foster, Secretary,® ) me workers pr 17,000,000 unemp! s, starvation ie employed; lef are the vi-