The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 19, 1933, Page 3

te mmm \ | MENACE OF PIECE WORK For several months the General Executive Board of the International and their sup- porters in the various locals have organized a systematic campaign of agitation for offi- | cial re-establishment of piece work in the cloak industry. Afraid of the w idespread oppesi- tion on the part of the workers °———— toward the elimination of week work, this campaign has been carried through in a carefully planned manner so as to create the impression that the demand for piece work comes from the ranks of the cloakmakers and that the Gen- eral Executive Board is simply yield- ing to the pressure of the workers. In this discussion there were nu- merous attempts on the part of the supporters of the International ma- chine to bring the question of piece work before the cloakmakers as a remedy for the present evils in the trade. In order to put their point across they have utilized many argu- ments which are not entirely un- known to the needle trades workers. Tricked Into Piece Work. Some years ago, when the officials of the Amalgamated made a deal With the bosses for the abolition of Week work, they proclaimed this as a victory for the workers. “Piece work will bring back the bundles to New York"—“Piece work will do away with the competition”—‘Piece work will solve all the evils from which the men’s clothing workers are suffering.” Many of the work- ers, oppressed by their miserable con- @itions, were impressed by this poi- sonous agitation. Today the men’s clothing trade is on a piece work basis and the conditions of the work- ers are much worse than ever before. _ Wages Drop, The figures of the State Labor Department for 1932 show a de- crease in the earnings of the men’s clothing’ workers from $36.52 in 1928 to $24.24 in 1982 in New York City. From $26.56 to $15.02 for men inthe remainder of the state. These fig- urés ‘are based on reports from the most reliable establishments. When applied to industry as a whole thé average will be reduced to a much lower level. The contracting system has multiplied tenfold. Bundles continue to be cut in New York and sent to the out-of-town sweatshops which have the blessing of- the Hillman union label, while thousands of New York workers are idle. The men’s clothing workers fare working for starvation wages un- der the most terrific speed-up dur- ing.the few weeks of the season. Due toethe speed-up, unemployment as- Bumes an even greater mass char- acter and thousands of workers can- not secure any employment what- Soever even during the height of the Season. These are the results of the blessed piece work system in the men’s clothing trade. How will this change in the sys- tem of work from week to piece work affect the conditions of the cloak- makers? Clonkmakers Always Fought Piece ‘ Work, In arguing for the re-establish- ment of piece work many of the henchmen of the A. F. of L, machine make reference to the time when the cloakmakers worked under piece work and earned a decent livelihood. They forget to state that even dur- ing that period of comparative pros- perity, when capitalism, especially in the United States, was on the up- grade, piece work was so detestable to the cloakmakers that they forced the employers to grant them week work with the threat of a strike, We cannot compare the conditions of plece work in 1919 to 1933. Dur- ing those days the cloak trade was a highly skilled trade with well estab- By ROSE WORTIS lished firms. When -a cloakmaker began to work on a certain yle of garment in the beg: ig of the sea- son there was very little variation in Style. Today the style varies in al- most every other garment. Today prices for the garments in the cloak! trade have been standardized despite the variety in style. Cloaks today are sold at standard prices, which means also standard prices for labor, irrespective of the amount of work. Dress Shops Are Sweatshops. | A concrete example of the menace of piece work may be seen in the dress industry. The dress industry, just like the cloak industry, is be- coming more standardized as far as prices are concerned, even though; AFL. UNION JOINS. WORKERS’ UNION NEW YORK.—The Sewing Mach- inists who nine months ago or- ganized themselves into the Sewing Machinists and Power Table Cutters Union and affiliated with the A. F. of L. have decided to break with the A. F. of L. and affiliate with the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union, ‘The decision of the members came as a result of bitter experiences in which the leadership of the Interna- tional Association of Machinists did nothing to gain better conditions for them. ‘The workers are now preparing to struggle for shorter hours, higher wages and union control of the shops. |Win All Demands in Metal Workers’ Strike LONG ISLAND ‘CITY. —Ten work- ers of the American Brass and Steel Co. at 35 Wilbur Ave., Long Island City, won their day and a half strike, which was led by the Steel and Metal Workers’ Industrial Union, winning all their demands, They won (1) wage increases of 15 per cent to 25 per cent, (2) time and a half for overtime, (3) recognition of the shop committee elected by the workers, (4) no lay-offs, division of the work. Following the settlement, the workers unanimously decided to join the Steel and Metal Workers’ Industrial Union. At Scottsboro Meet; There will be one meeting at 22 West 1i4th St. at 8 pm. and one at 103 West 135th St. at the same time. Admission will be free. A mass meeting has been called tonight by the National Scottsboro Action Committee for the Randall Memorial Church at 65 West 137th St. opposite the Harlem Hospital. Speakers will be the Rev. Bishop of St. Phillips, Allan Taub, LL.D. law- yer, and William Fitzgerald of the Harlem ILD. This meeting will launch the organization of a Harlem- wide Conference July 9 for the im- METAL INDUST'L In Long Island City | tense of the workers’ interests. Taub To Speak Tonite | the variety of styles today is much gregier than it was in the past. What do the dressmakers face in the shops today under piece work? Piece work at flat prices. After a strike) or a stoppage the workers succeed | in getting an increase of 5c, 10¢ or 15c on the garment. But this in- crease is nullified almost immedi- ately by a change in the style of a garment which requires more work, As a result of this pitie work sys- tem the dress industry has been re- duced to one of the worst swéatshop industries. The earnings of the dressmakers are lower today in many cases than eyen those of the work- ers of the underwear trade, where week-work still prevails to some ox- jtent. Under the system of piece work the wage-cuts are carried | through so skillfully that very often they escape the notice of the work- | Piece Work Means Speed-Up, Wage-Cuts. The establishment of piece work in the cloak industry at the present time will only mean increased speed- up and lower wages for the cloak- makers. The cloakmakers, just like the dressmakers, will have to con- tend with the flat prices, which means flat starvation. The cloakmakers must reject this proposal of the officialdom of the International for the re-introduction of piece work in the cloak trade, for which the bureaucrats have been preparing the ground for years by unofficially sanctioning piece work in the vast majority of the shops. ‘The cloakmakers must learn from the bitter experiences of the men’s cloth- ing workers and dressmakers. In the past they have been able to do away with the piece work system through their organized struggle against the bosses. The week work system in the cloak trade can be enforced through the organized might of the workers, under the leadership of a union of the workers, ready to fight in de- A. F. of L. Maneuvers for Bosses The attempt of the General Bxecu- tive Board to smuggle in piece work under a fake referendum must be rejected by the mass of the cloak- makers. Their proposal of a refer- endum on piece work is an encour- agement to the bosses to press their demand and exposes the maneu- vers of the International with the bosses for piece work. The success of the furriers in stopping piece work, which was fast being introduced into the fur indus- try under the rule of the Kaufmans, Stetskys and McGradys, proves that the needle trades workers through their organized power can maintain the gains won in the past struggles, A United Front for a Strike for Week Work. The Industrial Union calls on the cloakmakers to build one mighty united front in preparation for a real strike for week work. A suc- cessful struggle of the cloakmakers will not only raise the standards of the workers in the cloak trade, but will sound the signal for the tens of thousands of dressmakers to rise in mass revolt against piece work, speed-up and sweatshop conditions. The cloakmakers, through their or- ganized might, can and will defeat the new menace of piece work. In this struggle the cloakmakers will mediate release of the boys. Scottshoro } have the full support of all needle DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, MONDAY, JUNE 19, 1933 NEL IS, Seaman Conditi Undefeated Steamer I found we had five members, which better than most of these ships. had plenty of literature which I kept them well supplied with. I kept quiet until after leaving Copenhagen. I met the delegate on the dock there, had a talk with him on conditions in general. Things in Gdynia, Poland, look good. I had some literature put away for another place but there were so many looking for literature I had to jlet it go there. One fellow told me the demand was greater than the supply, He could not read Bnglish or German but had a friend that could, At Helsingfors some of the mem- bers went to visit a German ship, got talking to the captain who claim- ed things were not so bad in Ger- Many as they say in America, Sey- eral members of the International Seamens Union were aboard and left German literature. Meetings Begin A’ few nights ago a new member who had joined a few days ago de- cided we should have a meeting. Well we got a meeting going in one of the rooms, Several of them voiced their opinions as to why they should join the Marine Workers Industrial Union with the result that after the meet- ing I got two members who said they were going to join in N. ¥. but wanted to get in swing with the other members now lined up, At Stettin I got in touch with sev- eral members of the ISH who teld me all the old members have fled from Germany or are in jail, and that it is not safe to have any papers on them at all. But they are carry- ing on just the same and are visit- ing all the foreign ships possible en- tering Stettin. One of the things they want is news of the outside world. One of them told me he re- ceived a paper every week from America when they did not seize it. ‘They told me about visiting the Rus- sian ships, etc. Soviet Motor Ship Arriving back in Copenhagen there was a new Russian motor ship laying at anchor about to leave on a trial trip. The shipyard workers thought they had left out space for the crew, as they saw rooms for the Mates under bridge and rooms for passeng- ers amidship. These passenger rooms turned out to be also the crew quar- water, fms, ¢ ete. ing It Risky “Befote sone New York the ship I am on was passed by U. S. lodal in- spectors, to carry no more than 200 lbs. steam and safety valves so set on my watch. I noted after leaving New York that boiler blew at 195 Ibs. ‘Today relief valve port boiler superheater blew at 140 ibs. but no safety valve. I also saw that fusible plugs have been rernoved and solid plugs used instead. I saw that the connections for portable lights in the fire room are unsafe and are liable trades workers and all other mili- tant workers, to cause fire or explosion from short circuit as fuel oil has been running CLARITY, FIRMNESS AND A STRUGGLE AGAINST DEMAGOGY IN THE FIGHT FOR SOCIAL INSURANCE By 8S. GUSEV (Continued from last issue) The unclarity and confusion on the question of mass struggles, and particularly the tendency to surren- der the leadership of mass activity, or narrow it down under the pre- text of organizational unprepared- ness (which was shown in the Vet- erans’ march with the greatest clar- ity) led to the fact that the Party leaders had no firm line on this basic question, Vacillations, half-hearted- ness and indecision among the lead- ers were observable repeatedly, which naturally found reflection in all Party organizations, and, above all, in the Party prese. Need Firmness. Ti, was precisely this absence of a firm line, the absence of firmness in applying the line; waverings, inde- cision, and half-heartedness, which sound expression in the lack of sys- fem in the campaign for social in- Suranee; in spite of a series of cate- Borical instructions as to the cen- tral importance of this task for a whole psriod; the exceptionally fa- yorable conditions for carrying on this campaign in the broadest pos- sible manner; and the monopoly en- joyed by the Communist Party for a number of years in this sphere. 8 BAe & The monopolist position of the ty in the struggle for social in- system” under this slogan, 1. e., to take part of the work from the em- ployed workers and transfer it tothe unemployed, thus towering the wages of the workers who are engaged in industry. The reduction of the working day will mean, it is claimed, that a larger number of workers will pe needed to do the same amount of work, and part of the unemployed consequently will get work. Such statements need to be most carefully investigated, because, in the first place, experience shows that the reduction of the working week in a number of factories has net led to ve reduction of unemployment, and, the second place, the reduction of the working week may lead to a new intensification of labor. Conse- quently, it is not impossible that, in a number of factories, the introduc- tien of the 30-hour week will lead to no increase in the number employed. The capitalists count on the slogan of the 30-hour week to distract the unemployed from the struggle for social insurance, and set them against workers employed in indus- try. Employed and Unemployed Our task is not to repudiate the 30-hour week; but advance the de- mand for the maintenance of weekly and monthly wage rates, and the in- troduction of social insurance of all kinds,, first of all, unemployment in- has ended. At Bresont, et e bourgeois parties, together wit A. F, of L. and the Musteites, trying to snatch this matter out the hands of the Party, putting ward their projects for a 30-hour eek ind social insurance, The fommunist Party is faced with the ‘ost’ urgent task—to concretely ex- the lying demagogic nature of ese projects, and carry on, the idest mass campaign for social in- wurance, converting it into ‘@ system- atfe daily campaign, without losing its™1gading role in the struggle for social insurance, making it the main of all Party work — which will impossible unless a decisive strug- le is carried on against the see- tarian tendencies and their actual champions % 36 Hour Week At-the present time, the struggle social insurance is most closely erwoven with the demagogic slo- surance at the expense of the capi- ith| talists and the government. “By the stagger system, the capitalists want to feed the unemployed at the ex- pense of the employed. Not a cent eff wages of the workers. Feed the unemployed at the expense of the capitalists and the State. The capi- talists want to set the workers against the unemployed. We call for a united front of the unemployed and the employed workers in the struggle for social insurance and to prevent the lowering of wages when passing to a 30-hour week'—such is the way in which we should link up the slo- gam of social insurance with opposi- tion to wage reduction. Rolie of Social-Fascists One of the primary conditions for winning the masses in the course of the campaign for social insurance and no reduction of wages when in-}. troducing the 30-hour week, is the in of the 30-hour week, put for- pe bf) ie bourgeois ‘mein ae Is demagogic campa: *, furodies the so-called “stagger their demands, and limiting them- selves exclusively to parliamentary means of struggle, and also for in- troducing splits into the struggle of the working class for these demands, It is necessary to explain to the masses insistently and patiently that it will be im, ble to secure the granting of their demands without their determined . actions. However, the ‘matter cannot be re- stricted to this. The most concrete criticism is required of all the pro- posals for a 30-hour week and social insurance. Expose Demagogy The basic criterion of the 30-hour week is the question of wages. Not a single bourgeois party, including here the A. F. of L, and the Muste- ites, is against the lowering of wages when the 30-hour week 1s introduced in reality, But, naturally, they can- not state openly that they are in fa- yor of a reduction. Therefore, they put various evasive formulas into cir- culation, to give the impression that these parties are against wage re- Guctions. Thus the A. F. of L. says receive relief. The workers are thus tied down to a definite State, and in case of unemployment are con- demned to forced labor, receiving re- lief at the rate of $10 a week for not more than 10 weeks. ‘The project of the A. F. of L. has a large number of all kinds of pro- yisos, which exclude large strata of the unemployed from the list of the insured, and make it possible to nul- lify the proposals contained in it. The main thing in this project is eral law and in favor of a separate law for each State, thus splitting the united struggle of the proletariat for a single Federal law up into small parts, breaking up the united pro- letarian front and making it possible to defeat the separate sections of the unemployed individually, The draft of Muste is, in essence, this same draft of the A, F, of L., with the additional demand for a Federal subsidy for the states, which demand is intended to create the im- that the Musteites are for a Federal law. that it “recommends” no reduction of wages, while Green, who stated that if wages were reduced, the A. F, of L. would employ violent methods, repudiated his threat almost the fol- lowing day, and explained that the “violent methods” had in view was economic struggle, All these crooked tricks must be exposed and nailed down by our press. We must | posed constantly remind the workers of these exposed tricksters in our papers, As for the projects of social in- surance, it is necessary to submit them to the mogt concrete criticism in our papers, and in pamphlets. Wisconsin Bill Reactionary The Wisconsin law of social in- surance is a reactionary slave law, enslaving and oppressing the unem- ployed, if they get relief, The law de- mands: (a) that the unemployed worker ve that he ts physically capable of work; (b) that the unem- ployed worker was not dismissed from work for misconduct or strik- ing; (c) that the unemployed worker has lived in the state of Wisconsin continuously for two years and work- ed not less than 40 weeks during this exposure of all bourgeois parties, first of all and mainly the social-fascists, spietig for their refusal to mobilize masses for a real struggle for period; (d) that the unemployed worker will not refuse any work of- fered him by the Em) it Bu- veau, otherwise” he loses the right to Sociale Forgery ‘The project of the socialists, the most demagogic of them all, consists in a forgery of the draft of the Com- munist Party. In reality, this draft is in favor of insurance by separate states, financed by the Federal gov- ernment. But the very leader of the Socialist Party—Morris juit—ex- the lying nature of pro- Nentta ihe eek trite poms care: “The New Leader,” on November 26, by practically joining with the pro- ject of the A. F. of L., praising it as being the “first decided step in the direction of socialist philosophy,” as being near to the socialist project, and although not so far-reaching and Lente] as the socialist plan, more Phen ‘criticizing the projects, spe- cial attention must be paid, firstly, to the fact that when the projects enumerated speak of insurance against unemployment, they evidently have in view, not those unemployed who are already out of work, but those who will lose their jobs after the law comes into force, and, sec- ondly, that the date when the law is to operate and relief be paid is But off for a lengthy period in every project (two to five years). (To Be Continue/ | (Editor's Note: For obvious reasons the name of the ship is omitted.) yy a Marine Worker Correspondent.) | .—Following is a brief report of activities carried on | aboatd this ship since leaving New York in April. on, Conditions aboard for organising work are as good as the average if not | Ioa—— ters, two men to a room, runningmeeting was rei that it is a statement against a Fed- | janitor. Tells of ons and Describes Life on Ship Which May aay Up Any Time; Ne Finds German and Polish Marine Unionists and Active KUNTZ, MEMORIAL 8,000 CHICAGO WORKERS , WEDNESDAY EVE: NEW YORK.—A memorial meet- ing in honor of A. M. Kuntz, ac in numerous working-class organiza- | |tions before his death last Tuesday Organizing Methods this at at thi Wednesday, ae ng Plaga, ge of 68, will be held June 21, at 8:30 pm "The memorial meeting is arranged by a committee representing the In- ternational Labor Defense, the Daily Freiheit, the Icor Association for | Jewish Colonization in the .U.S.S.R When joining this ship | was a very good foundation to work over open connections, before | leaving New York I called 2nd As- sistants attention to same but he has paid no attention to it. Also the guage cock on the Center Border is not working freely and cannot be closed without using ham-/ mer, After being closed it leaks so| badiy its almost impossible to renew glass. These are everyday occurences and we pa@y little attention to them until we hear of some of the ships having an explosion or fire. There is a big time made over it, and then it is forgotten and the company has the insurance money and the slaves are dead and cannot testify as to what; happened. All the “AB's” (Editor—Able sea- men) are on day work until after being in the Baltic and then are put “watch and watch,” at night before sailing, to get the more work out of them as they work all day, stand watch at night, sail at night, cover up hatches, stow gear away, secure ship then it is about time to start another day, and they are back at work with ordinary seamen (Editor— seamen rating less than A.B.) stand- ing by at night. Another trick they use is the sale of liquor. It serves two purposes, the man is stupified drunk so that he doesn’t know how long he has been working and if he lays down on the job the next man will carry on the double load, and it gets labor at almost its cheapest (the cheapest is workaways). They sell this booze for $1.88 which cost them we'll say at wholesale $.38, the sea- man get $1.33 per day and after pay- ing them for the booze ‘he is still in debt to them. He works another day to make it up so they take the balance out in beer. i | the Friends of the | New York City Committee of the In-| \last day Soviet Union, the ternational Workers’ Order, the Biro- Bidjan Branch No. 37 of the I. W. O., of which organizations Kuntz was an active member. Thirty-eight years ago A. M. Kuntz jwes the secretary of the Cloak- makers’ Union, and at his death he was a member of the Communist! Party of America. He was on the} National Executive Committee of the} Teor. Despite ailing health A, M. Kuntz continued his activity in behalf of | the working class until almost the when he suddenly away. He was held in high esteem by all his fellow workers. SEND CONSOLATIONS ON DEATH OF COMRADE KUNTZ The members of the Imperial ley Branch of the International L bor Defense sent their sympathies to the family of Comrade Kuntz, just died. ‘They said: “We wish you find con-! solation in the revolutionary move- ment to which Comrade Kuntz de- voted his life. Scottsboro Protest in Harlem Church Tonite NEW YORK—A_ mass _ protest meeting will be held tonight at the Randall Memortal Presbyterian Ohurch, 65 W. 187th St., under the auspices of the National Scottsboro Action Committee, in the fight led by the International Labor Defense against the Scottsboro lynch verdicts. 35 FURNIT! FE WORKERS STRIKE IN BRONX NEW YORK.—Thirty-five workers of the Standard Parlor Frame Co. at 1360 Lafayette Ave., in the Bronx, went on strike Friday, demanding a| Wage increase and recognition of the Furniture Workers’ Industrial Union. The strikers urge workers of the neighborhood to assist picketing. Irving Place and 15th | passed | who | HAIL LW.0. By PAUL NOVICK jl | / (Special to the Daily Worker) | | CHICAGO, June 18.— More thar | | 8,000 workers crowded the Chicago | | Coliseum and enthusiastically greeted the second convention of the Inter- | national Workers’ Order, which | opened here Saturday night. | During the afternoon a huge throng | filled the Union Station, carrying rev- | j olutionary slogans, and greeting with | Songs and cheers the procession of | hundreds of delegates who aon through the gates. | After an impressive auto parade which lasted until 5 o'clock in the | afternoon, the Chicago workers gath- | ered in the Coliseum to hail the con- vention of the workers’ fraternal ‘ganization which is spreading its | influence throughout the United States and Canada Tolls of Growth | William Weiner, national chairman | of the I. W. O,, struck the Keynote of the convention when he declared that “it is the only organization of its kind that is growing, because of its workingcless program and charac- ter.” The I W. O, he said, had advanced from 5,000 members three | years ago to over 30,000, “because of its efficiency as a fraternal organiza- tion, combined with its activity in| the revolutionary movement.” This, keynote was later once more emphasized by a member of the Croa- tian Society numbering 60,000, who toki of the support by rank and file members of his organization in united front activities with the I. |W. ©., citing the recent May Day demonstrations throughout the coun- try as an example. Browder Gets Ovation The hugue audience in the Coli- seum rose to its feet, singing the “In- ternationale,” aS it acclaimed Barl Browder, Secretary of the Commu- nist Party, who lashed away at Pres- ident Roosevelt's “forgotten man” platform with its subsidies of billions or Police Protect Y P SL Leader Running From Square as Toilers Boo NEW YORK.—Rain broke up the meeting called by the U. S. Bank depositors scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Previously, however, over 2,000 workers had mobilized in the square andthe Socialist Party held a meet- ing. The chairman of the socialist ognized as one of the scab ¥.P.S.L. pickets in the fur market last week, and the workers shouted, “Get out of the square, you scab.” The Y.P.S.L. leader ran out under police. protection. Norman Thomas spoke at the so- cialist meeting and made no refer- ence to the incident. TENANTS STRIKE FOR LOWER RENT, — NEW YORK.—Afier thirteen un- employed families were served dis- possesses at 7101 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, 40 of the 60 tenants signed a petition to the landiord stating that they would strike today unless the eviction proceedings are stopped. Seven dispossesses have already been withdrawn. Sympathizers and neighbors are urged by the Bath Beach Unemployed Council, which is preparing the strike, to attend a meeting before the house this morn- ing, demanding an end to the evic- tions. . . RENT STRIKE AT 1156 PARK PL. NEW YORK.—Ignoring continued attempts by police to stop picketing and in the face of arrests, the ten- ants of 1756 Park Place, Brooklyn, have been striking since last Monday against the eviction of the building's . The ‘strikers, led by the Crown Heights Unemployed Council, have added 25 per cent reduction in rent to their demands. The two workers arrested on a dis- orderly conduct charge and later re- leased because of lack of evidence, are the secretary of the Unemployed Council and a tenant, Walkow. Though the landlord is now willing to allow the janitor to remain in the house, the strike continues for the rent reduction, with the neighbor- hood. pirengly. sympathetic. yee TWO RENT STRIKERS FREED IN BROOKLYN NEW YORK.—Disorderly conduct charges were dismissed against J. Manning, unemployed council organ- iger, and Pauline Walkow, Wednes- day, by Judge Rudich in 10 Magis- trate’s Court, Brooklyn, They were arrested when they refused to stop picketing during a rent strike when ordered by police, protesting that they had the right to picket. Medical Profession Mass Meeting Against Fascism Today The New York Allied Medical Committee Against German Fascism invited all members of the medical professions — physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, etc.—to attend @ mass meeting at the West Side Auditorium, 550 W. 110th St., today, June 19, at 8:30 p.m., to voice their protest against the outrages of the Hitlerites, to plan measures of re- lief for the victims of the Fascist regime, and to organize the fight against Fascism. A. J. Muste, Dr, Samuel T: baum yor Rev. a among the speakers the meeting. I, R. T. WORKER READY FOR ACTION TO GET BACK THE TEN PERCENT CUT NEW YORK.—In the past few weeks there has been a great deal of talk among the workers of the I. R. T., of which I am one, about a return of the 10 per cent cut. At the tim Brotherhood promised that when business picked up our basic rate would be restored, Of course the men reali hood was not worth much. Still, they had been promised, and now they want delivery. Looking for Their 10 Per Cent Have you ever seen a dog looking at a bone with both hunger and de- termination in his eye? And then someone tried to take the bone away? Well, that’s how the I. R. T. workers are looking at the promised return of their 10 per cent. Increasing Profits—Wages Not Restored ‘The newspapers are publishing statements of increased profits on all I. R. T. lines. Murray, the receiver, hhas openly boasted of increased rev- enues. At the same time there are many articles in papers about Presi- dent Roosevelt requesting increased wages for workers of all industries. The I. R. T. men believe the in- creased profit statements. They rec- ognize them as forced truths. They are, however, skeptical about the higher wages for all industries. As one worker I know put it: “I haven't seen anything yet,” and added as an afterthought: “It looks to me as though we'll have to go out after those higher wages ourselves.” Feeiing Is Strong ‘The feeling among the workers is very strong on this question of basic rates being restored, The continued inerease in prices of food and other necessities of life are reducing our wages to a laughing stock. It has got to the point where slow starva- tion threatens. All the men feel this and are every day becoming more determined to win their fight to get back the basic rates. United Action Needed They know that the hand-picked representatives of the Brotherhoods are preparing to sell them out onec again if they are given the oppor+ tunity. They realize that united ac- tion on the part of all the workers is necessary to restore the cut. They are getting together for this pur- pose in ever greater numbers. De- mand what is rightfully ours they say. Force the company to give us back our ten per cent, front of the foint, and began to grow! at this crimp. Seeing this demonstration at 5 o'clock in the morning in front of the Anchorage! this crimp, Hardin slammed the door and beat it inside. A com- mittee was left to watch the An- chorage and maneouvres of this crimp and another committee started | for the ship, but before the commit- tee got to the dock which was a couple miles away the ship had sailed, proving that the Anchorage had already shipped the crew for this ship. This action which was the best that could be possible at this “hour cf the morning under the. condi- tions, had much effect on the An- chorage, because this crimp saw that the M. W. I. U, is on the job at all hours, He has probably got the idea that we never sleep. The crew that quit saw that the Union was a union of action and agreed that the action taken was the best under the circumstances. They all joined the Union, which proved it. It seems that a night shift will have to watch these Holy Rackets, because they are on the job with vheir racketeering 24 hours a day. And this crimp will think a little about juliet a little, ae: se will Moore and McCormick —M, e this cut was engineered on us the zed that a promise from the Brother- o— —-——— ceo Taxi Workers Union Frees ‘Hackman with Help of LL.D. Lawyer By a Taxi Worker Correspondent NEW YORK CITY.—It is tough to push a hack these days. It is not enough that as a hackman I work practicaliy for nothing for 14 hours a day. But some flat-footed $60 cop comes along and orders me to move off the corner. So I took his orders, moved my car into the middie of the bloek, The cop followed and asked me for my license. When I asked him what for, he says: “ You don't want to give your license. O. K.” So he walks his horse up the corner, comes back, steps up on my running board and orders me down to the station house, He told me he was going to lock me up, so I told him to walk to the station house. He dragged me off my seat, swearing at me. I told this “city’s finest” to take care, that peo- ple who know me are watching, and he left me alone; and we went down to the station house. | I thought the officer there would tell the cop to let me alone, since I was only trying to earn a decent living. But I soon ‘found he was even tougher than the cop. I got a talking to, and then a summons for hacking off a hack stand. Then an- other officer gaye me an argument, and I was taken in the patrol wagon to court on a disorderly conduct | charge, He told me it cost the city plenty of money to give me these rides, but I said it cost the city much more to pay big salaries to 20,900 guys like him. Then they decided to me in another court, after lock~ | ng me in a basement. | ‘The next day the secretary of the | Taxi Workers Union gave me a card with the name of a lawyer, who de- | fended me when the case came up for trial. The lawyer asked the cop ; why did you arrest this man, and on what grounds did you give him a summons? The cop told him, but the judge said, “That’s all. Case dis- missed. Where there is organization there is strength. SOUTHERN R. R. FEARS A STRIKE (By a Farmer Correspondent) FORT SMITH, Ark.—Anticipating a strike as a result of recently ef- fected rules and working conditions, the Kansas City Southern Railway began taking applications for en- gineers, firemen, conductors, brake- men and yardmen, with the under- standing that the applicants were willing to work under strike condi- tions.—M, F. NOTE: We publish letters from workers in the transpoi jon and communi- the letters to us by the pi ceding ‘Thursday. ; Struggle for | pointed out, Page Three CONVENTION; CHEER BROWDER, FORD Srvadbedine: pan From 5,000 to 35,000 im Three Years Because of Activity in Revolutonary Movement for the bankers and menuéscture: and not one cent for genuine une ployment relief. “This emphasises,” Browder de clared, “the importance of the Inter national Workers Order as a frater nal orgerization and as a factor fq social insurance at th expense of the bosses. t “The I. W. O.,” Browder said, “ an effective and powerful organies tion, because it is a good mutual or ganization, because it is a revolu tionary mutual organization.’ The vicious “prosperity” prope: | ganda of Presi‘ent Roosevelt, Browde resembles the Hoove: | propaganda and attempts to cover wy the program of infistion and wa preparations. This must be combattec by creating stronger revolutionary mass organizations.’ Applaud Ford, Hyman James W. Ford, Negro worker, and candidate for Vice-President in the last election on the Communist Party ticket, greeted the convention in the name of the Trade Union Unity League. “The T. U. U. L..” he said, “recognimes the I. W. O. 6 an important weapon in the strug- gle for social insurance.” Ford was enthusiastically received by the huge audience, whieh later j showed its solidarity with the T. U. U. L., the Red trade union center, by warmly applauding Louis Hyman, president of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union. Schiffel of the Slovak section, Feher of the Hungarian section and Malenki of the Russian Mutual Aid Soviety spoke in their respective lan- guages. The delegates cheered Feher’s announcement of a conference of various Hungarian fraternal organi- zations this coming Friday for the purpose of creating a united front. Salesman Reports. Speaking in Yiddish, R. Salaman, general secretary of the I. W. O, called forth enthusiastic appleuse when he showed the rapid growth of the organization. He referred to the Chicago convention of the Inde- pendent Workmen's Citcle, whieh re~ cently merged with another organ- ization, “but had very few members to bring to the merger, however.” The I. W. O., he said, which now has more than 35,000 members, in- giuding the Russian Society, is con- templating establishing new, addi- tional benefits for its worker-mem- bers. The phenomenal growth of the T...W..Q. was also portrayed in fig- ures presented by Blechman, who opened the meeting on behalf of the Chicago branches, who recruited 750 new members in the pre-convention drive, including 75 new Negro mem- bers. Bedacht, Oigin Cheered. «h In a vigorous speech, Max Be- dacht made an incisive analysis of the whole fraternal movement of the United States, which, he pointed out, has a membership of about 25,000,- 000, including 10,000,000 workers. The I. W. O., Bedacht déclared, was the first to turn this movement into an instrument in the interests of the workers, uniting them into a powerful organization, irrespective of nationality, race or color. Moissaye J. Olgin, editor of the “Morning Freiheit,” greeted the con- vention on behalf of the revolution- ary press. Cheer after cheer went up from the delegates for the Daily Worker, Morning Freiheit, Uj Hlore, Novy Mir, Ukrainian Daily News and other Communist publications which, Olgin pointed out, were the ones in- strumental in building the I. W. O. The speaker reminded the Coliseum audience of the Toronto convention of the Workmen's Circle, where the of- ficial leadership made a sharp turn toward an open counter-revolution- ary program. | GARMENT DISTRICT Garment Section Workers Patronize Navarr Cafeteria 333 7th AVENUE Corner 2#ih St. PATRONIZE SEVERN’S CAFETERIA 7th Avenue at 30th Mt. 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