The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 13, 1933, Page 3

MEN IN NAVY YARD BALK AT NRA PARADE Got 32 P. C. Pay Cut‘at Order of Swanson and Roosevelt A. F. L. HEADS FOR MARCH But Fail to Post Note Fearing Wrath of Men NEW YORK—With a pay cut of 32 per cent ordered by Roosevelt and Secretary of the Navy Swanson, Brooklyn Navy Yard workers are re- fusing to be bludgeoned into parti- cipating in the NRA parade Wed- nesday. The commandant of the Navy ‘Yard requested the workers to join <1e parade, and when he saw the re- sistance they put up he telegraphed to John P. Frey, secretary-treasurer of the metal trades department of the A. F. of L. in Washington. Frey is a member of the Labor Advisory Board. Frey wrote a letter, which was sup- posed to be posted in the Navy Yard: The letter addressed to Mr. Thomas J. Mahoney, secretary of the Navy Yard Metal Trades Council, was never posted. “I have your telegram relative to the Commandant’s request thet the employees jn the New York Navy Yard take part in the NRA Parade on Sept. 13,” wrote Frey. “While some navy yard employes may feel that they have a just griev- ance, this should not influence them in any way so far as the national problem is concerned.” | The majority of the Navy Yard | workers have been demanding a mass protest meeting against the Roosevelt wage cut. Mahoney collected money for this purpose, but when he learned of the sentiment of the men, after consultation with officers of the navy yard it was decided to call off the meeting. The Steel and Meial Workers | Union in a leaflet addressed to the navy yard workers exposes this bra- zen attempt to get the workers to march in the NRA parade in favor of their 32 per cent wage cut. “While calling off this protest meeting (against wage cuts),” the leaflet says, “Mahoney and John F. Frey, of the A. F. of L. are now doing everything in their power to force the men of the navy yard to par- ticipate im the wage-cutting and strike-breaking NRA parade, On Saturday the Daily Worker has 8 pages. Increase your bundle for Saturday! order | auspices of the Anti-Fascist Front of New Deal in Practice for Strikers of Lodi, New Jersey Tear gas is the answer gi of the United Piece Dye Works in Lodi, N. J. ven to strike pickets in front Many workers were overcome by the tear gas, and several injured by police National Events | Torgler Defense Meeting in Philadelphia. PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 12—A mass | protest meeting against the framed-| up trial of Ernst Torgler, George} Dimitroff, Vassil Taneff, and Blagoi Popoff, Communist leaders accused , of the Reichstag fire, will be held at| Kensington Labor Lyceum, 2916-24) N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Friday, Sep- tember 15. The meeting is under the Philadelphia. Meet Your at the New--Modern ALE RAIL BAR AND GRILL 106 East 1 Between Fourth Avenue and Irving Place WHERE YOUR NICKELS AND DIMES BUY THE MOST PURE AT PROLETARIAN PRICES KING’S BEER ON DRAUGHT OPEN DAY CHICAG! Comrades - Up-To-Date 4th Street FOOD and NIGHT 0, TLL. 1 | oe Packs Help Kill ‘Pneumonia’ Victim On Welfare Island (CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE) laughing and his eyes just stared.” Saw Dying Negro Smitty called on, him again a few days later, he states in his affidavit. Knowles still “had on his head the same ice-pack. He looked at me but didn’t say nothing.” With Smitty visiting the dying Ne- gro was Benny Jackson of 206 W. 128th ‘St., who corroborates Smitty's affidavit about the ice-pack on the patient dying of “pneumonia.” Jack- he will recover and he said, ‘Well we're doing all we can.’ And so I and he said, ‘We ain‘t handing out any information.’ Smitty’s Affidavit “City of New York, “County of New York, “State of New York, ss. “Wilfred Smitty, being duly sw deposes and says: “That I reside at 206 West 18th St.. in the Borough of Manhattan, City of New York. “That I knew George Knowles, de- ceased, during his entire lifetime and | was fully familiar with his health and} habits and family relations. That ‘orn, son tells how the doctor came in. | “I asked him (the doctor) whether | asked him what the diagnosis was | DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1933 ‘Lodi Strikers Join Nat'l Textile Union and Reject A.F.of L. PATERSON, N. J., Sept. 12—For the first time in its history the Lodi plant of the United Piece Dye Works was shut down tight and its w were being organized into a ion On Monday night the plant closed and thousands of workers gathered outside the factory gates expressing their determination to struggle fo better conditions. Later in the eve-| ning at a mass meeting in Lodi, the | cjg dye workers rallied to the National Textile Workers Union, hundreds signing up with the union. The picket line at Lodi today suc cessfully resisted the efforts of F. of L. organizers: sent to disrupt picket lines and force the work onferences and the det@mined to find out on. The demonstration for Wednesday morning at mn the s and 7 picketing the A. F. of L. offi y, the workers did 1 raw s that the A. on a char it admits, the is exercisi into the A. F. of L. The organi In this manner, left after the strikers told tt of L. on the one hand plainly what they thought of their to the wo | sell-out policies. V hand it is ne Last night, thousands of silk and t to horse trade the| dye workers gathered at a m v fe y returns to | ing called by the Nationa x | Workers Union and enthusiastically supported the struggle of the Loci workers, Cheers and applause rang to the roof as reports were given of to crush the SO) stration of dye workers against the secret conference on the strike now| taking place at the Alexander Ham- ilton Hotel between the repr: A tives of the Dye Institute, U. S. C ciliator Mofiat and the United T tile Workers Union. Dead sec: meet rson-Lodi s' ‘ care” t, dist r of vho has been active in the 1 be one of the speakers, er answer tk becca G | strike, Greensberg, Pa., Foundry Strike Solid clubs. Notice the cop at the extreme left with his hand on his pistol pocket. The workers are striking for higher wages, and union conditions. District Attorn : - Calls for Witness to A C t ion Against Matthews Murder K jjlers of Negro parked in front of Mrs. Demanded by LS y (CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE) home until late in the evening. | Shahian went to the home of a} | friend and spent the night there, | Dodge Delegation An International Labor Defense district delegation of eight men and women, black and white, in- cluding one who had been a Wel- fare Island inmate, and two attor- neys, tried to see Mayor O’Brien and Commissioner of Correction William J. Cahill to protest against the suppression of Matthew's mur-_ der and demand a _ real and thorough investigation and prose- | cution of the guilty person or | Persons, | The delegation was shunted — | from one under-official to another without being permitted to see either of the two who are really acer for affairs on Welfare | CHARLES ALEXANDER At the Mayor's office they were! | tola to see Commissioner Cahill. At | the latter's office he was “out” when | he heard that it was a protest del- |egation regarding the Matthews| |murder. At both offices they were | | told to write for appointments. Officials Not Interested lem Is Aroused Over Prison Murder | NEW YORK.—“We demand the | immediate suspension, pending trial, | Alexander Says Har-! “Neither official semed to be in-/| of Warden Henry O. Schleth of Wel- | | PITTSBURGH, Pa., Sept. 12—With the help of e, the bosses of the Walworth Foundry Co. in Gre , got the Ss and of- | fice workers together and tried to get a vote for the workers on strike to | return to work. While this maneuver was going on, the picket lines increased from 1,000 to 5,000 during the balloting and no striker voted to return. The strike for higher wages and union recognition, under the leadership of the Steel and Metal Workers Union, remains solid. Serious clashes on the picket lines are ex} propose to organi Scab office forces in lines. The mass picket lines thus far have plant. The Westmoreland County Unemployed Council is mobilizing in all towns around here to strengthen the picket lines to huger proportions, preparing for a stiff battle. | A parade is being organized for this week composed of strikers and | workers in other mills in the vicinity, as Well as of unemployed. | 900 Needle Workers on Stiike in Paterson PATERSON, N. J., Sept. 12—Unable to endure the intense speed up and the lowered wages of the N.R.A., 900 workers of the Garfinkel and | Ritter underwear pliant, mostly women and girls, gathered at the head- | quarters of the local Needle Workers Industrial Union for strike or- ganization. A strong picket line formed at the plant yesterday morning to en- force a complete shut down. The adoption of the slavery code at the shop put most of the work- ers on part time. Those who could not earn the minimum of $13 a week on a piece work basis were fired. However, it was actually impossible | to earn more than $8 or $9 a week. The workers were further exploited by being charged with all goods they were accused of having damaged. pol npt to rush the picket ‘ybhody away from the Conn. Cleaners, Dyers, Reject A.F.L. in Strike! + NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept. 12—Over a hundred cleaners and dyers, 90 per cent of the workers employed in the industry here, struck on Mon- day in cooperation with the Trade Union Unity League. The strikers flat- ly rejected the offers of the American Federation of Labor leaders, hur- | riedly called in by the bosses, and formed an independent union. Earning from $8 to $25 a week maximum, the new cleaners put for- ward demands for $30 to $50 wage scale, a 36-hour week, social insurance, and recognition of the union. 2,500 Join Pa. Silk Strike; NTWU Meet Barred 9| to prison for 60 days on our about | !and,” said Edward Kuntz, one ot) face | May 25, 1932, About a'week leter, the | the I. L. D. lawyers who was with | cha ‘ terested in charges of murder,| sla imi George Knowles got into some trouble ‘ a ’/fare Island, for his criminal neglig- with the police ‘and was sent away | brutality and crime on Welfare Is-|enee in failing to-take action in the of completely-authenticated ges that James Matthews,a Ne- inmate, was murdered by one of his guards.” Charles Alexander, on behalf of the League of Struggle for Negro officer on the beat at 129th St. and| the delegation. “Nevertheless we are Lenox Ave. informed me that George | Writing the Mayor for an appoint- Knowles, also known as ‘Peacock, | ment because these investigations of was very sick and that any of his; Tammany officials by Tammany of- friends who wished to visit him may | ficials are usually whitewashed.” go to Welfare Island. On the very same day, Benny Jackson and I went | to see him. We got to the entrance | of the island, the keeper searched me | and took out everything from my pockets and told me to sign a book. | I walked through the gate which| ‘Was opened up by the keever and) passed a lot of beds which were) crowded so close to each other that | there was no space between them. | Then I saw Peacock, he wasn’t lying down, nor:was he sitting up. He was sort of propped up by a pillow and on his head was an ice-pack. I looked at him and he sort of laughed in a funny way. So I says to him. ‘What’s- a-matter, boy?’ and he didn’t answer me, but stopped laughing and his eyes just stared. There was a man in a bathrobe standing alongside the bed who said to me, ‘They don’t feed ’em around here and if he asks for eats they punish htm. All they gave him is just a little bit of orange juice.’ Then Peacock asked for some water and I was about to give it to him, when another man came over ‘and says, ‘Don’t give him no water.’ “When I saw him again a couple of days later, he had on his head the same ice-pack. He looked at me, but didn’t say nothing. “AN the time T knew George Knowles to the very day that he went to court, he was in good health and in fine condition. And to my knowl- edge he never was sick one day. Al- ways full of pep and strong as an ox. He was about 5 feet 7, and weighed about 165 pounds, and his sudden death after being two weeks in jail is something I cant figure out. “A week after the first time I vis- ited him, I was informed that he was dead, and so I made a collection Rights, yesterday declared that thou- | sands of Negroes thruout the city—| particularly in Harlem—are aroused | over the expose in the Daily Worker of the wanton killing of Matthews, a young North Carolina Negro. Not only does LS.N.R, demand the removal pendihg trial of Schleth, | Alexander but also demands same action against the prison of concealing Clarence A. Hathaway, editor of The Daily Worker, who had sent! Shaihan’s affidavit to the Distr Attorney yesterday, received a formal note reading: “Acknowledgement is made ot your letter dated the 9th (and iust received) relative to James Matthews, stated to have died in |‘! October, 1932, at Welfare Island, | “oclors on charges ae will receive due | uy, are beginning a campaign a once with series of open-air meet- commented that this formal note ee Fl oe enee. Peis gid DAT did not even promise an investiga- eee atcha anh ae if terror against Negroes will be dis- tion into he grave charges made tributed among the Harlem popula- against Tammany officials. = tion.” on Friday Night ‘Will Fight Whitewash A mass meeting to protest against} Alexander declared that the League murder, brutality and crime on of Struggle for Negro Rights will Welfare Island has been arranged | fight any attempt on the part of by the New York district of the I.) Tammany officials to whitewash the L. D. for Friday night at Webster| murder at Welfare Island. “We de- Hall. The speakers, including Rob- | mand an open, public investigation ert Minor, candidate for Mayor on of the Matthews murder,” he said, the Communist ticket, have all been |'®S Well as a vigorous examination inmates of New York's scandalous|°f the conditions of Negro and white “Schoel for Crime” and will tell of|‘mates on the island. This com- EASTON, Pa., Sept. 12.—The police of this city tried to prevent the National Textile Workers Union from organizing the 2,500 workers in ten siik mills who joined the general silk strike last week. A scheduled mass meeting was blocked when the Mayor refused to | of L, is not recognized. | However, a meeting of the United Textile Workers, A. F. of L. union, was given police protection. Workers who asked too many questions were bounced out by thugs. A. F. of L. Officials Break Bryant Co. Strike of the Hemco and Bryant Electric Co. The men had been led by the Stee) and Metal Work- ers Industrial Union. At a meeting of strikers during which the issues of the strike were de- bated, John Egan, organizer for the Connecticut Federation of Labor, made the issue one of Communism vs. the United States government. Not once did he refer to the conditions of the workers, With this demagogic appeal and reenforced by a large crew of stool Pigeons, he managed to win a majority of the votes. The workers returned to the shop, but were granted only those demands that had already been conceded to the Trade Union Unity League union. As a result, though, of this lesson, a strong shop group has been or- ganized along the lines of the T.U.ULL. * * * BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Sept. 12—A general organization meeting of all foundry workers in Bridgeport has been arranged by the Stecl and M Workers Indusirial Unoin for Wednesday night, September 13, Lithuanian Hall, Gregory and Lafayette streets. at the | grant a permit on the ground that a union not affiliated with the A. F. | BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Sept. 12—A. F. of L. officiais aided by a crew | of stool pigeons finally broke the strike of 200 worke | their own experiences. | mittee must be publicly elected and other speakers will be Sam Brow: must include representatives of or- a Negro worker who served s: ;Mrs, Henderson will tell | oners, ‘Short Strike at _ Detroit Ford Plant Among the months on the Island, Mrs, Fleanor C. Henderson and Julius Rodriquez of Jim |Crowism among the women pris- N. R. to stop the murders of Ne- groes in city prisons, Alexander said, will be an enereetic struggle on local is ues, including disrrim’. | nation in the Harlem Hospital, the | fight for jobs, as weil as the na- | tional issues, such as Scottsboro, | Tustatooca, ete, ‘Call for Action to More Mills Joining | Force Marine Code Penn, Silk Strike NEW YORK.—A drive to bring a! mass delegation of marine workers to Washington, D. C., to force action on the seamen’s and longshoremen’s code, was launched yesterday by the Marine Workers’ Industrial Union. The union is responding to the ALLENTOWN, Pa., Sept. 12.—Five oxe mills, here, walked out the | general silk strike gained in momen- jtum with simultaneous strikes in |Emaus, Mountainville, Fullerton, and | Northampton. “We aim to establish the broadest united front, concentrating in Har- wave of indienation that has swept Shop committees organized in ev- Page Three |A.F.L. Movie Union to 'RevOke Charter from ‘Locals Calling Strike HOLLYWOOD, C: Sept. 12.—aAf- ter breaking the strike of Hollywood studio workers, the F. of L. union threatened all local ions with re- voking of their charters if they called a strike. “Arbitration is the order of the day,” said the order from the union demagogues, “therefore the Execu- tive Board will revoke the charters of {any locals going out on strike.” Very few of the s given’ back their jobs, filled by scabs. 8,000 LAKE SEAMEN SET FOR STRIKE Will Tie Up All Lake Traffic and Ore have been which were 4 Shipments BUFFALO, N. ¥., Sept. 12—Bight thousand seamen are preparing for _ the militancy of the Lodi strikers. indicating use of local! @ Strike scheduled to begin today The National Textile Workers forces. | that would tie up shipping activities. Union prepared today for a demon- at 8 pm. at 55 Van! on the Great Lakes. A waterfront strike is already in its third week, and a shipping strike would tie up the harbor. The strike would block iron and coal shipments as well as grain ship~ | ments and would intensify the strike movement throughout Buffalo, Telegrams from Cleveland, Ashta- | bula and other lake ports tell of | growing unrest among seamen, who are demanding the eight-hour day, Superior Steel Corp. Bosses Ask A. F. L. to |Build Company Union | CARNEGIE, Pa., Sept. 12.—Offi- | cials of the Superior Steel Corpora- | tion called upon the Amalgamated | Association of Steel Workers to or- ganize the plant after a preliminary attempt to form a company union | had failed. In the meantime, the | men were threatened with dismissal if they attended any meetings of the S. M. W. . At the first meeting of the A. F. of L. union held in a church, the speakers made no mention of strike or organization, but emphasized in- | stead the great benefits of the N.R.A. for the workers. “Reds” were de- nounced. No sooner did any worker | ask an “embarrassing question” when he was attacked by planted thugs and thrown out. A leaflei+exposing the treachery of the A. F. of L. has been issued by the Industrial Union. | STATIONERY and || MIMEOGRAPH SUPPLIES At Special Prices for Organizations Lerman Bros., Ine. Phone ALgonquin 4-3356 — 8843 29 East 14th St. N. ¥. C. WORKERS PATRONIZE CENTURY CAFETERIA 154 West 28th Street Pure Food Proletarian Prices "DOWNTOWN Phone: TOmpkins Square 6-9554 John’s Restaurant SPECIALTY—ITALIAN DISHES A place with atmosphere where all radicals meet 302 E. 12th St. JADE MOUNTAIN American & Chinese Restaurant 197 SECOND AVENUE Bet, 12 & 13 Welcome to Our Comrades All Comrades meet at the Vegetarian Workers’ Club —DINING ROOM— Natural Food for Your Health 220 E. 14th Street Seecond and Third Avenues Bet. DR. JULIUS LITTINSKY 107 BRISTOL STREET Bet. Pitkin and Sutter Ayes., Brooklyn PHONE: DICKENS 2-3012 Office Hours: 8-10 A.M., 1-2, 6-8 P.M. Intern’l Workers Order DENTAL DEPARTMENT 80 FIFTH AVENUE Wins Wage Raises pt 1 DETROIT, Mich., Sept. 12.—A q short strike at the Frigid Food Prod- | ucts, Inc., at East Ferry Stand, Grand | ery mill drew up a cede for presenta- from all his friends and buried him decently. IbTH FLOOR All Work Done Under Persona) Care of , with spocial emphasis upon the inj in of Negro workers’ orzan- izations, churches and fraternal or- the marine industry since the @p-/ iin to the National Laker Board pointment of Victor Olander to the} Reviow calling for the following wage National Recovery Act Board as the | scales: Weavers $28 a week, warpers Season! | First Concert and Dance of the “(Signed) Wilfred Smitty. Workers’ Given by the Daily Worker SAT., Sept. 16, 7:30 P.M. AT PEOPLES AUDITORIUM 2457 West Chicago Avenue ADMISSION 25c Unemployed with Unemployed Council Card, 15¢ Voice “Sworn to before me this 30th day of August, 1933. “James P. Collins, Notary Public, New York County. “N. Y. Co. Clk’s. No. 160. _ “Term Expires March 30, 1934.” Write to the Daily Worker about every event of inter- est to workers in your fac- tory, neighborhood or city. BECOME A WORKER COR- eercren tt! hs at \ | conditions in the shop and place a | Trunk Railroad, resulted in improv- ing the conditions of the workers and the recognition of a shop committee. The workers calied in an organizer of the Food Workers Industrial Union to help them draw up their demands and elected a shop conunittec. The company agreed to give them to pay for the cleaning of all fruit | workers’ aprons, to improve sanitary woman in charge to care for toilets and washrooms, and to recognize the union. ganization: ‘ Terre Haute Workers Quit Fake Parade TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Sept. 12— 2 labor day patade sponsored by | increases of 15 to 25 cents per hour, the local A. F. of L. officials and NRB.A. politicians flopped miserably when most of the 300 workers who had participated’ in the parade walked out on the speakers, In less than 10 minutes after the speeches began the audience was allg gone. “representative” of the marine work- | $39, Toom fixers $36, hand t' 5 me | $28, winders $18, and quillers $15. | Olander is vice-president of the In-!"“At a mass moctinz last Saturday | ternational Seamen's Union, and one| the revort of the delegates to the | of the traitors of the 1821 seamen’s Labor Board was given. | strike. He is in charge of the Great) ———____— Lakes’ section of the International/ men and longshoremen. | Seamen's Union and has strangled) N.R.A. Makes Promise ‘ every attempt of the Lake sailors to| A letter to Roy Hudson, national win the 8-hour day instead of the secretary of the Marine Workers’ In-| present 12-hour system. dustrial Union, signed by G. H.! Last August a delegation of 23, of | Shields, N.R.A. deputy, promises that | which only four were given an audi-| the N.R.A, will listen to the demands | ence by Gen. Johnson, presented the, of the marine workers after the demands of the rank and file of sea-} bosses have submitted their code, \ Dr. C. Weissman | Hospital and Ocelist Prescriptions Filled At One-Uait Price White Gold Filled Frames_____.§1.50 ZYL Shell Frames + $1.00 Lenses not ineluded COHEN’S, 117 Orchard St. Fiest Door Off Delancey St Telephone: ORchard 4-4526