The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 18, 1933, Page 3

SECS aaa 22 site ane \Lockouts, Starvation Wages Show Policy of Trusts By BILL DUNNE PITTSBURGH, Pa, Aug. 17— | Shortly before the afternoon shift | came to work yesterday notices were ({ posted at the pit heads of the mines at Ellsworth, Mariana and Cokeburg, | all Bethlehem mines, a corporation headed by Schwab, announcing that | the mines would close indefinitely. | ) ‘There had been a sharp fight for | \ ¢heckweighing at these mines, The A. ‘niners believed that the company had conceded on checkweighman and were going back to work. H | _ The lockout follows demonstrative | action of the steel heads in Wash- ington, the Frick Company putting the miners on two-day a week opera- tions, maintaining starvation level mine wages, and Lamont’s statement in defense of company. unions dis- tributed Monday at all steel mills. Clearly the steel and coal subsi- diaries are working in accord on a national policy of no “outside unions.” All signs point to the greatest clash of labor and capital in the history of America, The contempt shown by the steel heads to William Green, president of the A. F, of L., and other union lead- ers, is especially significant. They realize there is a political war, and that the Roosevelt regime, in an en deavor to placate the workers and ruined middle class elements, puts too much emphasis on the “social side” of the recovery program. ‘The workers see the loophole in the program and have enlarged it into a breach and are beginning to drive through it as in the coal fields. No one can say how soon this drive will hit the steel mills. The steel heads know this also, and they know that Green and Lewis are pretty Slender reeds to lean on. tory shows, have always been some- what skeptical of social demagogy within the industries, They are will- ing to use it, but at the same time recognize its dangers for them. They always rely on organized armies and mercenaries and machine guns. This is one main reason why class battles with issues sharply joined is dividing whole cities based on class interests. " Propose Federal Police Against Radical | Workers Mulrooney Proposes Plan Similar to Mussolini’s NEW YORK, Aug. ‘17—Under the guise of combatting “criminals” and kidnapers, a group of leading police commissioners id crime experts, proposed that the United States gov- nt at Washington set up a Federal Police agency, and a system of exile similar to the present pro- cedure of Mussolini. Former Commissioner of Police, Mulrooney, openly demanded the es- tablishment of “Devil's Island” simi- lar to the penal colony of France. Medalie Reveals Secrets 1% is an open secret that all of the people present who pretended to be so alarmed at the spread of crime, have intimate connections with the very criminal elements whom they denounce, George Z. Medalie, United States District Attorney, flatly stated that ies. These steel and coal lads, as his- | Signs All Point to Greatest _ Clash in Coal, Steel History Great enthusiasm and the determination to fight to win as dress strikers gathered to See were seen at this strike meetin: discuss the strike in New York. DRESS WORKERS MEET TO. DISCUSS STRIKE AUGUST 18, 1933 g in Irving Plaza Wednesday By BEN FIELD MILWAUKEE, Wis. — There are tens of thousands of men working in the service stations that stretch from coast to coast. In many cases the oil company owns and leases the station. It reserves the right to jack up its rent whenever business shows the slightest signs of improvement. It allows only a certain profit on gas and oil to the small business man or sometimes poor farmer or worker who has managed to borrow enough a minimum profit are the two mouths that these horseleeches suck the blood out. service station man said. ‘The best corners and sites are run by the companies. Generally only two men are employed. Often the men have no offdays or holidays. No unions are allowed. The men are paid on a commission basis. In one place the Standard Oil Co. allows money to lease the station. Rent and} “They treat us like nits,” one] Station Men Fleeced by Oil Trusts © $75 on the first 1,000 gallons of gas sold, $5 per thpusand gallons on the rest, and 5 per cent on tires and oil. ‘This must be shared among the two steady men and the relief man in Wisconsin, where the law states that no man can be employed 7 successive days without 24 hours of rest. In no case can the men make more than just enough to skin thru. ‘The hours are very long, anywhere from 10 to 16. One worker told ‘us how he had worked for Philipps 16 hours four days in succession until his hands began trembling, and the company graciously hired another man to help him evenings. Stations are often opened at 6 o'clock in the morning. Standard Oil wants smart young men in its stations. We met a number of college boys. One had gone to Notre Dame for 3 years but had to drop out the last year be- cause of poverty. Another had work- ed his way through Columbia the first year by playing the piano in Received “Loans from Sources Close to “In every large city, racketeers and gangsters are part of the machinery of municipal control.” He states further that many Tammany district leaders are under the direct control of gangster elements. His conten- But this indictment of Medalie ygainst the criminal connections of Tammany, is. equally true of himself. Only a few months ago, Medalie sud- < 2 forkers Reject NRA; Put Up Own Wage Demands BAYONNE, N. J, Aug. 17.— On Tuesday, August 15, the workers of Standard Oil Co. discussed whether By at a mass meeting they should - prog sipethe = Hocadan A eer 8 Capone Gang By FRED BASSETT BLAIR. RACINE, Wis.—In 1931 W. J. Swo- boda, American Legion member and favorite of the business men’s asso- ciations, was elected as the “boy mayor” of Racine, on a socialist ticket, through a deal between the Socialist Party and the corrupt po- litical machine of “boss” Armstrong. The Socialist Party was jubilant. The two largest cities in Wisconsin—Mil- waukee and Racine—were “dedicated to socialism”. A big local of the So- cialist Party was formed in Racine. ‘Then the fight for jobs began. The Milwaukee socialist organization, controlling thousands of jobs in the city and county governments, began to cast covetous eyes upon the plums in Racine, hoping to put some of the old pensioners in the well-paid of- fices, and thereby open up new jobs in Milwaukee. But the Racine so- cialist leaders had their own friends to provide for. A fight developed between the followers of Swoboda and the followers of the Milwaukee “ring” —Hoan, Benson & Co. Squabble for Jobs. When the question of appointing a new chief of police came up, the Milwaukee gang wanted to put an old pensioner in; Swoboda wanted someone else. Grover Luttér, a so- cialist sympathizer was appointed. The state committee of the 8. P, was enraged. Swoboda was “expelled” from the Party. He was not blamed for his alliance with the bourgeoisie, his connections with Armstrong and the American Legion, his introduc- tion of forced labor, his having the workers’ demonstration brutally broken up on the eve of the elections in 1931; but he was “expelled” be- cause of the squabble over jobs. In the factional dissension follow- ing the expulsion of Swoboda, the whole Racine branch of 400 members was expelled, Then when the state committee found the branch owed a lot of money, and the debt would go to the state committee, the charter wiately Swoboda , Swol has been keeping in close touch with the S. P., and there was a rumor to the effect that he would rejoin the Socialist Party. The socialist aldermen of Racine voted for Swoboda’s measures in the city council. But now the scandal has broken Racine--Copy of ‘Socialis’ M a Chinese restaurant and he too had to drop out. eS “They are working on the code,” | is the answer when we ask whether the men have benefited as yet by NRA. We ask them who “they” is. “They” is the company and the goy- ernment. No, the workers haven't been asked for their opinion. The companies work out the code and the government will accept or reject. Some of the men are hopeful. Con- ditions can’t be worse than they are. Very few are enthusiastic. They'll wait and see. Philipps 66 has ac-| cepted the blanket code but will do nothing about it until it finds cut how the other companies feel about Nira. In Milwaukee one service sta- tion man said he put in about a 100) hours a week. We asked how that was possible in « “great socialist” city. He gave us the horse laugh. “Socialist, my eye. It don’t mean a thing. No, sir, it don’t mean a bless- ed thing.” ilwaukee out again. The ex-socialist “boy- mayor” and champion of “municipal socialism” has been arrested on a warrant charging him with accept- ing $3,000 on January 7, 1932, from James Bittinius, resident of Cicero, Til, as a bribe to allow gambling in Racine. This charge had been brought out before, but Swoboda had repeatedly said that he got the money “in the nature of a loan” and it had nothing to do with the con- trol of gambling in Racine. He “needed the money in his business at that time, and took it for granted that the money was the result-of a legitimate loan, and not for any such purpose as charged in the warrant.” Capone Connections. The strange part of this incident is that it was a Socialist Party mem- ber who introduced the “lender” of the money to Swoboda! This fact was conveniently overlooked by the Socialist Party, when it brought charges against him of accepting a bribe. It happens that both Racine and Kenosha are in the circle of ac+ tivities of the Capone gang from Chi- cago; it is undoubtedly no accident that Mr. Bittinius comes from Ca- pone’s home town, Cicero, Ill. The socialist chief of police, Lutter, is involved in the affair too. The Communist Party has repeat- edly shown that this whole graft and corruption in Racine politics since Swoboda has been in office, is all over the skirts of the Socialist KKK Burns By RUTH WILLIAMS (AN ETTEN, N. Y.—The Com- munist Party of District 4 opened @ training school on August 7 in this small town. A couple of years ago the Ku Klux Klan broke up a Pio- neer Camp that had been estab- lished here. Just before the school opened the KKK burned a cross be- fore the Finnish Co-operative Store, which is supporting the School, Our school, with 19 full-time stu- dents, consists of men and women workers from all parts of the Dist- rict: Buffalo, Rochester, Jamestown, Syracuse, Binghamton and from the farming regions. Some of the District Training School Opens Party as well as the other capitalist political parties. In this Racine case, | the role of the S. P. as the third party of capitalism comes clearly to the light. On August 20th, at the Communist | Party State Picnic at Chovich’s Grove | South of Milwaukee, the workers and farmers of the state will gather to hear Emil Nygard, the Communist | mayor of Crosby, Minnesota, |and} will see the difference between soci- alist mayors, and Communist mayors. Unemployed Councils | Hold Convention in Bismarck, N. D. BISMARCK, N. D.—The state con- vention of Unemployed Councils met in the Auditorium here. Delegates came from: Williston, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Mandan and Bismarck. The convention adopted a program containing among the demands: Ade- quate relief, no evictions or fore- closures of farmers and workers, and adoption of unemployment in- surance. The program calls for the organ- ization of the youth, the fight against imperialist war and a number of oth- er points. A state executive board was elected with’B. J. Drennan as president and William Meredith, sec- retary. Cross As C. P. this opportunity of becoming trained as better leaders of the working class. The problem of finding mattresses, blankets, and lights was a very dif- ficult one to solve when opening the school. But we succeeded. Most of us eat much better than we did at home thanks to the Finnish farm- ers and comrades here. The handicap I mind most is the lack of necessary literature. This especially held us back in today’s lesson on Trade Union probiems, but with the help of our instructor we are overcoming this problem also. We discussed policy and tactics of the Milk Strike with some of the workers have had to bring small babies with them rather than miss farmers who voted to go out on E. Nygard, Communist Mayor, to Speak Aug. 20 at Milwaukee Picnic MILWAUKEE—Emil Nygard, of Crosby, Minnesota, America’s first Communist Mayor, will speak at the state picnic of the Communist Party here on August 20. The Picnic will be held at Covic Park. Directions to get there: take car 37 to end of line follow county highway BB to Grove. Trucks from car to grove free. ‘The speech of Nygard will be es- pecially interesting for the workers of Milwaukee who ean compare the policies of a Socialist mayor with the deeds of a Communist mayor. Gov. Rolph Tries to Smash Fruit Strike With NRA Mooney Jailer Wants Workers to Give Up Pay Demands SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 17.—Gov- ernor Rolph of California, jailer of Tom Mooney, is acting with the N, R. A. administration in an effort to breek the strike of thousands of fruit and vegetable pickers in the fruit fields of northern California. Under the leadership of the Can- nery and Agricultural Workers Indus- trial Union, the fruit pickers in peach and pear orchards, and cannery work- ers, are demanding increased wages. Governor Rolph has _ appointed Timethy Reardon, industrial acci- dent commissioner, as mediator in the Tulare County peach area, while George Creel, divisional director of the N. R. A., pronosed that the no- strike edict be used to smash the strike. As a result of the strike, the Call- fornia Packing Corporation has an- nounced an increase in wages, and no discrimination for the strikers. Patrick Chambers, one of the strike leaders, was arrested and later re- leased on bail. Norfolk Mayor Invites Jobless Then Refuses to Hear Their Demands NORFOLK, Va.—Mayor Slover re- cently wanted to show the workers he is fair-minded and democratic, He invited delegates from the Unem- ployed Council to attend a meeting of the City Council Board and there to present demands against war and for greater relief. When! the delegates arrived at the Council Chambers they found a gang of thugs and policemen barring their way. One of them attempted to provoke Joe Benson into a fight by calling him filthy names. This failing, they attempted to bar all Ne- groes from entering the chamber. To cap this “democratic” display on the part of the lying mayor, he started the council session long before the appointed time, so that few of the workers would sse the way he treated their grievances. Benson, spokesman for the dele- gates, forced the mayor to admit the Negro workers. In retaliation he was permitted to speak only 10 minutes. But he carried on for fully 25 min- utes exposing their demagogy and the way local bosses are exploiting the workers under the NIRA eagle. This last was too much and Benson was thrown out and the hearing ended strike. in an uproar, Rank and File Group Present Charges NEW YORK.—James McNaugh-| ton, representing the rank and file| group of Electrical Workers’ Local 8 of the A. F. of L. appeared befo the sessions of the Senate Comm tee on Racketeering on Wednesday and declared that he could substan- tiate all charges made by the rank and file of racketeering on the part | of officials of the local union. The} rank and file group filed a complete | against the local’s officials with the Senate Committee. Harry Van Arsdaie, Jr., busi agent of the local and recently dicted for the shooting of § and Donner, two men:bers tank and file group deni charges on the stand, Royal § land, chairman of the inv committee declared th } tee would “inve: stepS to arrest these racketeer The charges filed b file group include a series of as and a murder instigated by the officials, misappropriation of as. ments amounting to $300,000 for strike which never materialized, de struction of books and records cover- | ing the misuse of $1,500,000 of the] union’s funds, the collaps member insuxence ab! by Broach through the fake Union Co- operative Insurance Co., the profit of $2,900,000 which went into Broach’s pocket as a result, and the police protection given the vacket- eering officials. The administration of Local 3 at a recent meeting of the local refused to accept ja resolution calling for the publication of a reward of $5,000 leading to the arrest of the murderer of Henry Godel, rank and file leader. The leaflet to the membership ex- posing the officials’ failure to act declares that $5,000 would be an enormous temptation which might lead to a “big squeal” and that for the officials to offer a reward would mean the offer of a reward to “cap- ture” themselves. Rank and file members of the local meet on Tuesday, August 22 at 8 p.m. at Irving Plaza to take up the next steps in the fight. ‘Call Stoppage. to Collect Dues Painters’ Get Bosses’ Help NEW YORK.—At a_ special meeting of Painters’ District Coun- cil 9 last Tuesday night, council of- ficials decided to call a stoppage, of all painters for the purpose of registering and taxing the union members..The stonpage has the full support of the two employers’ asso- ciations. Officials of the District Cotinéil- expect to collect a registra- tion fée of $5 and the 50 cents daily as a result of the stoppage. Council officials declared also that they would ask the employers to provide the 30-hour week and the 1929 wage scale, but when ask- ed what they would do should the bosses refuse stated that they did not think of this possibility. The members recognize that the offi- cials were thiiking only of the in- come from the taxes. the membership the officials have hired a strong arm organizer and are é8tablishing the check-off sys- tem. Painters’ local 848 at its recent meeting rejected the decision made at the August 12 mass meeting of painters. and refuses to pay the 50 cents daily tax. Other locals must take similar action, the rank and file opposition urges. 800 STRIKERS ASK TUUC TO LEAD Sample Card Workers Reject A. F. L. Policy NEW YORK.—Eight hundred strikers led by the United Sample Card Workers’ Union decided to re- ject the proposals of the A. F. of L. to return to work unconditionally on the advice of McGrady of the NRA and voted to turn to the Trade Union Unity Council for guidance in their struggle. The strikers, mostly young work- ers, have been on strike against starvation wages, under the guidance of the United Hebrew Trades and the A. Frof L. After the TUUC entered the strike, the strike committee was reorganized, augmented by many young rank and file workers. Six settlements were made in which the workers gained a 40-hour week, in- creases in wages of from $2-$5, rec- ognition of shop committees and as- surance of no discrimination against active strikers. i . Strike headquarters are at 820 | Broadway. Strike Threat Forces ‘Boss to Tear Up Code NEW YORK.—Several hundred workers in the North American Iron Works succeeded in frustrating an attempt by the boss to reduce their wages -while cutting the hours of work to 35 from 44 under the N. R. A. code, when they threatened a strike. The boss, instead, decided to tear up the blue eagle, dispense with pat- triotism and continue the present scale of wages and hours of work. NOTICE FROM EDITORS: All announcements intended for the “What's On” column must be in the office of the Daily Worker before 12 o'clock noon the day preceding publication, statement of charges of racketeering | _ |Win Reco | Talk e of the| Officials | To terrorize | UN Delegate f Union Conve om Marin ntion venti before nition bau 6 & St. Paul Pac! Shop Commi Boss to Sign Agreement a y for the P: - ers Industrial Union was won in South St. Paul Monday, when the management of the U d Packing Co. plant signed an agreement committee cognize the sho by all the wor are almost 100 strike if sign the a! dan of t for r viously voted to go on e employers did not | ment, and had r | a mere verbal agree! ee r fo nition. Hundreds of workers from the other plants in South St. Paul are being signed up in the Industrial Un- ion, since the union ofiice oy headquarters at. 211 S. Concord St., South St. Paul, Minn. Delegation to Washington The union is preparing to send a delegation to Washington when the | hearings onthe Pack i | announc Mass me | meetings are being code that is be- ing drawn up t ington hearings. The efforts of the A. FP. of L. union to recruit members in South St. Pau! have failed miserably. McC: betrayer of the 1921 si was | ced to admit that he hasn’t eno) | members to get a local charter. has also failed in his efforts to ganize the packinghouse workers Austin and Albert Lea, where an i dependent union has been or by the workers, all of whom vividly remember the A. F. of L. betrayal of the 1921 strike. McCoy ferring his effor' Iowa, and the p there should be against this McCoy. Cheer Speakers At Austin, Minneso’ meeting of 3,000 worke Monday, called by the indepe: union organized by the packingh workers of Austin themselves, which cheered and applauded speeches by ‘Wm. Schneiderman, J. Cogan, and an active packing worker from South St. Paul who spoke on behalf of the Packinghouse Workers Industrial Union. i} Favor Cleveland ™ | The workers ent plauded the legate to the Cleveland T: Conference for United Ac the proposal to call a confi the near future of the packt of the Midwest, including re- presentatives from Omaha, Chicago, Towa, and Minnesota. They also ac- cepted the proposal to establish a | working agreement end fighting al- | Mance between the Industrial Union | and the independent union. Packinghouse workers of Chicago, Omaha, and Iowa, should get in touch with the Packinghouse Workers In- dustrial Union, 211 S. Concord St., South St. Poul, Minn., to co-ordinate their organizing effo WHAT’S ON | (Manhatian) Friday All Work He ers Laboratory T° pest and t be there tonicht Kavkas Restaurant, 332 East 14th Street at 9 p.m. for the reunion and entertat ment. to the International Workers Theatre Olym- John Bonn, American representative piad, will speak on the Soviet 1 Priday, 8:30, at the East Side Workers Club, 196 East Broadway. Adm. 10 cents. + * Membership meeting Harlem Progressive Youth Club, 1538 Madison Avenue, to de- cide on outing to Nitgedaiget on Labor Di Every comrade interested must be at the meeting at 9 pm. sharp. (Brooklyn) Zetkin, Stokes and Gussev Memorial Meeting, 1813 Pitkin Ave. Auspices Unit 2, Sect. 8 C. P. Women’s Council 21 and 32. Prominent speskers, program. capes tak Philadelphia, Pe. Anti-War Night et John Reed Club, 136 S. 8th St. Friday at 8:20. Readings, Dra- matic Performances Art Sketches. Workers International Relief Outing to W.LR. Camp at Lumberville, August 19 and 20. Trucks leave 473 N. 4th Bt. at 11 a.m Chicago, Ill. Midsummer Concert and Dance Saturdsy August 19 at Ar ge Hall, 3800 W. Ar- mitage Avenue, giv Section 5 C. P. Don't forget tho International Labor De- on September Srd. Be there with all your friends! to Packed Hall; In spite of threats and intimi ned its | sent at the Wash- | 2d) etioxt now trans-| fense Excursion, “AM day on the Hofson,” Expose Racket in |4Q DOCKERS AND SEAMEN Electrical Union a°IN SAVANNAH, GA. JOIN ION DESPITE THREATS Industrial Talks e Workers Returns and Many Outside la a, the longshore- and organ , in the Marine yho was sent to the National Con- 1 mecting of the Iongshoremen When the New ed, he found an n of over four hundred al- t up. The men were eager ¢ meeting at which the delegate ail, holding only reason nt was that reports the as in good come down They had been several weeks. anxious to organ- already have or- hundred and now that they a charter.” ng about is for a charter in the M. W. I. U. was endorsed by al- r two h Negro longshore- The of! the ¢ ation, but have not vy their white ruling a to write, so they he application. The m issued= ight to Organize” m of the NRA is well ex- 4 in the work of organizing the oremen 1 Savannah, The to organize in a “union of their | n choosing” doesn’t extend to the Negro longshoremen. The Central | Railrcad of Ge: a, which controls mest of the waterfront of Savannah, refus sort of organiza- tion shoremen. The | other mers and stevedore com- | Panie: the same attitude and ment lends a hand in tion. bee! | | The 5 take | the city gov stopping organi: Manny Jackson, local Negro leader j of the longshoremen, and the M. W. J, U. delegate from New York were both arrested and threatened with the same “sedition” law under which Angelo Herndon is now spending his life on the chain gang. ver, they were both turned s h orders not to organize the shoremen, and the M. W. I. U. gate was ordered out of the city. A. F. of L, Takes Hand lon | | to bret |cf the Iongshore | The “southern representative” of the of L., Googe, who has been try- jing to drag the New Orleans long- shoremen back into the I. L. A., is- sued @ leaflet telling the longshore- that any other organization than of L. was a “racket.” The men know from bitter ex- at the I. L, A. is a racket, ;and refuse to have anything to do with it. They are now organizing their union and preparing for a struggle for the right to organize, and for better wages and working condi- tions. They demand the “shipping j beard scale” of 85 cents an hour, the | 3-hovr day and rotary hiring. The apts cn in Savannah endorsed nds for the longshoremen py the M.W.LU., and en- 2 > sending of delegations to hinzton to put those demands | before the N.R.A. officials and the | Shipping Board, Roosevelt Moving | Army Units toLarge Industrial Centers WASHINGTON, Aug. 17.—Un- der the guise of reducing the ex- venditures for the army, President cevelt is telfing active steps to ve the efficiency of the army concentrating the camps in large centers. This will require the expenditure of additional money for new bar- racks. Secretary of War Bern has a dy put in his request for an additional $145,000,000 to take care of new army construction. Roosevelt is anxious to have the army near the large industrial een- ters to bo able to suppress strikes of workers. 6,000 in Anthracite Ready to “Stampede” for Aid, Pinchot Told HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 17— Governor Pinchot was asked today by leaders of the U.M.W. of A. to aid in getting relief for anthracite miners in Schuykill and Carbon counties, According to the officials “§,000 men are ready to stampede” them unless jobs or relief is gotten. A number of the mines in the two counties have been closed for heads of the unions the miners. “cannot be controlled much longer.” Pinchot in his usual suave lang- uage “promised to do everything possible,” but took no immediate steps to give aid to the hungry men and their families. CHICAGO, ILL. —— SAVOY BALLROOM, 47th “THEY SHALL NOT DIE” (> THIS COUPON AND 50 CENTS WILL ADMIT 2 PEOPLE “Spy To the FREEDOM .BALL Saturday Nite, August 19th, 1933 Street and South Parkway AUSPICES CHICAGO SCOTTSBORO ACTION COMMITTEE All proceeds to go to the National Scottsboro Action Committee authorized to collect funds for the defense of the “Scottsboro Boys” | J PRN AOA YS five years and as reported by the