The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 13, 1934, Page 3

ne.. D AILY WORKER, EW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1 34 o. Preparations for Jobless Convention Enter Last 3 Weeks Union Men Are Foreed to “Kick-Back” || Millions for Cannone Noe a From $280--$100 to Job Racketeers teentinued from Page 1) working on the same job with me. kick back $3.20 ever; foreman for the contract union seale was supposed to “Now my father hasn’t got a cent. | He has no. heat in his place. He is getting very little city relief.” Four workers on this job told of this story of racketeering that was | willy known to the union delegate at ‘hitestone, Long Island. The main contractor Wall Construction Co., erecting Public School Whiteside. The sub-¢i . the bricklaying work wes Bjorkman. One of the bricklayer's his story as follow T started to work on thi 1932. After the first v I got} my pay, which amounted to $6 a| dar. ‘It's no use paying me $6," I told the labor foreman, Hokan Hansen, “because I will call the union dele- gate to demand the union rate, $8 a day,” “Go ahead,’ he replied, ‘I'm not afraid of that’. “The union delegate came out. I toid him, ‘It's your duty to be around here and see that the men get the union rate and are not forced to ‘kick- hack’ $2 a day. You must call a strike if we don’t get the money.’ “The foreman took the union del- egate into a private office. They talked a while. I don’t know what happened in there. But I haye my idea, because the ‘kick-back’ kept up. The foreman threatened me. He told one laborer that he would pay him $20 if he would beat me up. I was set- ting a bad example to the other men, and the foreman didn’t want me around to queer the union delegate’s game.” The union delegate never came around again to see if there was any “kick-back” racketeering going on. “I worked on this same job,” said Herbert Bergstrom, member of the same union. ‘In all I ‘keked-back’ around $100 on this job. “I was told I couldn’t get the job if I ddn’t pay this graft. I was broke and needed work so I took it.” was John engaged in 79 at or for John | heipe: M. called a worker orded to pay his “kick-back.” al Bergstrom, a brickiayer, was the one forced to pay $3.20 a day for the right to work. “When I got the job,” he said, “the ‘eman told me that I would have to back’ 3.20 out of $13.20 (which vas the union scale) for every day I worked, “I had to do it because there was no other job, The union wouldn't do nythng about it. ‘After six weeks, I toid the boss, ant my full pay.’ So he fired me. “I made no complaint to the union offisials because I thought it was of no use. They knew all about it. They I | would do nothing about it.” In the fake expose conducted by the New York Evening Journal of tacketsering in the 4. F. of L, unions, the N. R. A, and the real racketeers on top of the A, F. of L. bureaucracy who knew all about the “kick-back” are kept clear out of the stories. The purpose of Hearst is made very clear through the action of Senator Copeland. Hearst, through the sham exposure of racketeering, hopes to pass fascist measures creating anti- labor police. He does not want racketeering wiped out of the union. He wants the unions put under goy- ernment control and domination, working towards the same end that William Green, John L. Lewis, Sid- ney Hillman are working for in their strikebreaking action on the N. R. A.| National Labor Board. One worker came into the Daily Worker and told how a subcontroctor, Isenburg, with offices at 110 West 42nd Street, Room 621, with seyen Blue Eagles plastered all over his office had his own particular scheme of clipping the union rates. “There were two brcklayers on ths job at 237 37th St, New York,” said this works “It was an alteration job. We worked 8 and a half hours on the job and t was finished. “Because it was a Saturday, we were entitled to doubi> time, because usually we haye to get permission from the ynion to work on Saturday. “The boss called us in one by one, He paid the Italian bricklayer, a union member, $4.60, abut one third of the union scale, He wanted to} Another worker who was employed on this same job—but who did not want to give his name to the Daily Worker — stated he ‘kicked-back’ around $280 on this job. In one case, the foreman, Hokan pay me the same. Then he threat- ened to beat me up. Fnally I got my money from him.” Here on these comparatively small jobs, and on the gigantic construction Explanation--- To All Patrons of the Daily Worker Anniversary Concert and Dance, Saturday, December 30th, 1933 IHE discomfort due to the breakdown in the heating plant was one of those things beyond the control of man and the manage- ment. The temperature at this part of the city that day fell to 12 below zero, which, in ordi- nary cireumstances would not have mattered, because we now have one of the finest heating plants to be found in any publie building, and this same plant has been further improyed in the past few weeks, As a matter of fact, we had one of those extraordinary happenings which occur about once in a lifetime, the first breakdown in the history of the building occurring at the worst possible moment, the moment when the plant was needed most. Such a coincidence never repeats itself, and our patrons may be assured that the almost superhuman efforts of the management, exercised that night, will never be wanted again for such an emergency. We sincerely ask that all our patrons bear with us, and be assured that future usage of the ‘building will never be handicapped again by such a similar inconvenience. The Management NEW YORK COLISEUM Bronx, N. Y. into the;of the Rockefeller Center, graft and racketeering were rampant. Union Officials Knew The union officials knew all about} it. | | Let us go into one of the union! mectings and see what the union of-| ficials do about this wholesale graft scheme, as it affected the plasterers’; |helpers at Rockefeller Center. |_ Officiais of the Plasterers’ Heipe |Local No. 30, after the complaints| get too hot, call four workers and| two foremen to trial on the “kick-| back,” On Sept. 21, the four workers who |were forced to pay back $2 ev jout of their pay for the privilege) jot working are now fined $5 each for| being forced to “kick-back.” The two foremen, Jess Williams, | and Sam Salvadore, who acted as jthe bosses’ agents collecting the | “kkick-back” are fined $25 each. But the whole rotten system is a)- lowed to continue at Rockefel! | Center, What Hearst Wants These facts of the union leader's |complicity are completely absent from | |the fake expose of the Hearst New York Evening Journal, Hearst has only ono object in his! expose. He wants to get through} laws against the workers’ organiza- |tions. He has no interest in root- jing out racketeering. Senator Cope- jland in Washington has already pre- |sented anti-racketeering bills, which do not begin to interfere with the| |Tacketeers in the A. F. of L. They are aimed at the rank and file; they | want to hamstring the workers’ fight- | ing organizations. | Senator Copeland's measures cali| |for a secret police, an “American Scotland Yard," which would prey| jon the militant workers, and their] |vank and file organizations, but would) |be a new police link helping to pro-| |tect the racketeers entrenched in the} higher offices of the A. F. of L. | Tn future articles, the Daily Work- er will not only publish more de-| tails of the deeply entrenched rack-j eteering system, but will show what the Roosevelt government is trying) |to do about it in its anti-working| lolass legislature. The Daily Worker will show how this whole question was brought to the A. F. of L. con- vention last Octeber, and how Mr.) Green expunged resolutions against | Srafting in order to protect the graft-| erg. One whole speech telling of the} |gangster and racketeering methods) |of some of the highest officials in the A. F. of L., present at that con- vention, was completely deleted from the official minutes. The Daily Worker will print these facts and many others about rack- eteering and gangsterism in the A. F, of L. and the fight of the rank and file against this vicious system. Fire 700 CWA Men in Farrell, Penna. | FARRELL, Pa., Jan. 12.-- Seven| hundred C.W.A. workers were laid off) here last week on the exeuse that there was no money, and that “too many foreigners were working.” Only akout 75 are now working, mostly | friends and relatives of the local poll- ticians. On Jan, 10, 120 workers from one} of the projects held a mass meeting to take action against the layoff. A| committee was elected, and the en- tire group marched to the N.R. A, headquarters in Sharon. The police refused admission to the building to the group, but were forced to admit the committee. In the meeting with the N.R.A. officials, promises were made that veterans and all those formerly receiving relief would be re- hired. Steps are being taken by the work- ers to form a Relief Workers’ Union, and a list of demands have been drawn up calling for union wages to all skilled workers; recognition of job committees; prompt and regular pay days; full pay for time lost through no fault of the workers; and workers to be put on relief rolls with relief equal to their pay at the completion of their work. Saturday, January 20th 8 P.M. COMMEMORATE 10th ANNIVERSARY of DEATH of V.I. LENIN MANHATTAN ST, NICHOLAS ARENA “69 West 66th St. Earl Browder 8. Kingston Rose Wortis John Little Workers Lab. Theatre BRONX N. Y. COLISEUM East 177th St. ae Speakers: a3. W. Ford Ben Gold Juliet S. Poyntz Workers Dance League Anuspices: Communist Party, New York District 50 East 13th Street including le tax Above phoio shows some of the long-range guns on some of the si Navy. Rooseveit’s budget message called for millions of dollars for new baitieships, but not a cent for a s of unemployment insurance. The Unemployment Convention in Washington will demand that the war bi budget be used for reiief of the millions of starving job ess. NRA Halts Strike of : NE tine Workan| 2"? | Against Pay Cuts Rank, File Hold Trial To Oust Official Who Supports NRA Move TWO WORKERS KILLED BY BLAST HAVERSTRAW, N, Y., Jan. 1 Joseph Cantido and William S were killed here due to a p dynamite explosion while they blasting a 160-foot cliff for the New York Traprock Co. Cent for the Hungry! » Delegations from Unions, Cc « CWA, Mass Organizations Jobless Councils Give Routes to Washington for February 3rd Meet; Issue of Workers’ Bill vs. Fake “Insurance” Stressed The National Conyentio: Washington in just thi | the past week, especial! tration distri In the coming three weeks, intensive work for the election of additiona | j delegates, representing masses of un: yed workers, should go f full speed. During the coming three week. broaden the representation of work vA The dissatisfaction of the rank and file of the A. F. of L continued strike-breaking acts of Green ther A. F. cials, especially their treacherous actions art of the N.R.A of Roosevelt, affords the gre; from the A. F. of L. unions. Th ment on Feb. 3 surance Bill, as oppose: are now preparing in orde: Delegations from all un ganizations can be especial e from weeks. All plans for final preparations s Five routes haye b mittee Unemployed Council: gations going to t vention. A statement onal Cor Schedules and itineraries are suggested presence of -tof-town delegati delegates ai off to W t rious adnaughts of the Wall Street ns at mass they are en route. BOSTON According to the suggest: delegation would leave ea: stay ov ‘ork group, they 1d leave next mor night there and arriving in Washingt AND NEW HAVEN t onal Commiite 700 Families in Astoria Face Mass Eviction on Feb. 1 Unemployed Council To Call Mass Protest Meetings n delegation would also leave ladelphia th evening and with the delegate ceeding to Washington next day CHICAGO AND NORTHWEST Chicago delegates would leave on Jany; Toledo and departing next morning with the This delegation would artive in Pittsburgh at 6 p.m Feb. 2 with the Pittsburgh delegation for Washington Minneapolis delegates and delegates from the noi on Jan. 29 and make overnight stops in South Bend on Feb, Cleye _| Task Now Broadening of | in previous strugg) HAVERHILL, Mass. Jan. —| While more than 1,000 shoe wi S| demonstrated outside the meeting hall of the Dist Council of the Shoe Workers’ Protective Union, J. Blake, representing the N.R.A. Re \ gional Laber Board, was trying to wheedle the council into a decision | to arbitrate on proposed wage-cuts | through regrading of shoe prices. | Last Pridey the Council, on pres- | hure from the rank and file, voted cal a strike at the Holtz and Goldberg | shops when the workers’ prices were | eut. The “regrading” proposal would | result in wage-cuts to the shoe work- | ers all along the line. The Regional | Board, on hearing of the intended | strike, ordered that the strike be| called off and asked for a special) meeting with the Council. | Blake proposed local arbitration at | the Council which the shoe workers | in this region know only toa well as| having robbed them of their wages! . The Council re- | fused to vote for this until the locals | instructed them on the action to be | taken. | Officiais in the Council failed to_ report the demands of the shoe work-| ers who were demonstrating on the} outside. They wanted an open hear- | ing with the N.R.A. The rank and file were not admitted until after the conference with the N.R.A., when the meeting was turned into a trial. The rank and file, however, intend to an- swer the strike-breaking proposal of the N.R.A. by their votes and action in the locals. When the meeting with the N.R.A. representative ended, the shoe work- ers crowded into the District Council Hall to hear the trial of District Agent Keleher on charges preferred by Joseph Costello, militant rank and file member. Keleher was charged with disrupt- ing a meeting of the more than 1,000 Shoe workers, calling police to pre- yent the coordinating committee from presenting a report on amalga- mation against the wishes of the ma- jority of the membership, and work- ing against amalgamation. As the workers jammed into the WAR VETERAN COMMITS SUICIDE NEW YORK, Jan, 12.—Leo R thal, disabled war veteran, commit~- ted suicide by cutting his throat th: morning in Bellevue Hospital. 4 vas living on a pension un' ® year ago, but his pension was cut off by the Roosevelt Economy Act. BOY SENTENCED TO MONTHS IN PENITENTIARY NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 12——Thomas Donovan, 15, was ‘sentenced to si two months in a federal prison fi peddling narcotics. Solidarity of World Radio OperatorsAid to Men on Strike Scabs on 4 Struck Ships of American Merehant Lines Denounced NEW YORK.-—The International Federation of Radio Telegraph! with headquarters. in London, sent word to all its member associa- tions in Europe to maintain close watch on the four scab ships of the American Merchant Lines against which yadio operators are on stril here. It is becoming increasingly di ficult for the seabs to forward their radio messages. As the strike continues in full swing, the solidarity of marine wire- less operators against the scab shi is growing, In London a delegation came aboard the scab vessels on ar- vival and denounced the operators. | The American Merchant Lines, equipped with old tyne spark radio transmitters, must rely entirely on the willingness of operators on other Trans-Atlantic ships equipped with more modern radio apparatus to re- lay their messages for them into American radio stations, after they received no- they must on Jan. ist, but lem were unable to was forced to extend their eviction another m is prepared to LaGuardia ad- | attempting to force their homes without pro- ig them with moving expenses of ture place to live. ved Council of Astoria, these The Uner of milies is calling a series of eting to force the city to expenses and to provide suitable i quarters. meetings will be , 12, ab 7 p. m,, at e, corner Van Alst Ave., , 18, at 3 p, m. at Second Ave. corner Astoria Blvd. An Indoor meeting will| be held Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 p. m., at the Workers’ Center, Orescent | \Theatre Building, Astoria Bivd., cor- | ner Or held on Fri, 24th T and on | | Lynch Gang Attacks | N.Y. Negro Worker | (fe ‘Innocent Victim Jailed) | by Police NEW YORK.—A New York lynch }mob chased Henry Artope, Negro | worker, last night for several blocks in the district around West End Ave. and 63rd St, | The attempt to lynch Artope fol- \lowed a complaint by Margery Dur- | kin, 17-year-old white girl that an) unknown Negro had annoyed her. |Miss Durkin elimbed six flights of |stairs to notify a boy friend of the} jalleged incident. The friend, George| hall, Keleher left by a side door. The | are a counle of days out of New York | Setorio, of 156 W. 6and St. was partly | chairman of the Council which was|on the voyage to London, and so no |Wndressed at the time, but after! now acting in the capacity of a/ grievance committee opened the | meeting. The workers cheered when | to face the workers prompted him to} leave the hall. Attempts of the| longer in direct communicetion. The scab operators are being de. nounced over the air from Panama | Costello declared that Keleher's fear to Copenhagen, and from Montreal to Gibraltar. They find that radio op- erators om ships of all nations refuse \dressing came down to the street and| jattacked the first Negro he saw. In| |this case it happened to be Artope, |Who, alarmed by the attack in aj |white neighborhood, ran down West} |End Ave. He was overtaken at 63rd| Uniontown. SOUTHWEST AND MIDDLE WEST The fifth group, which ma de the southwei western delegations, would leave St. Lovts on Jan. 30 an H through Indianapolis, Columbus and Fairmont, W. Va. The D del gation would leave on the 31st and meet the St. is All the delegations would thus arrive in Washington ning or early Saturday morning. STOPOVERS The National Committee urges all organizations in cities listed stopovers to assist the delegations in every way possible. Where thi, receive the delegations and to house and feed them. In loc there are no organizations which can assume such resy Kk unemployed councils are asked to look up hotels and r: tourist camps) where the delegates can be accommoda: possible cost to them. M, BLASKOVICH 5809 SUPERIOR AVE. CLEVELAND, OHIO | Leeture and | Russian Picture Piano Tuning — Music Lessons || ure Piano — Violin — ete. Dance Orchestra | DONALD HENDERSO | ‘Leninist Struggle Agaisusl Imperialist Wav’ Sun., Jan. 14th, 8:15 P.M. MUSICIANS HALL 120 NORTH 18th STREET Scoitsboro Boys Auspic Jan. 14-15 — Come One, Came All | ST. JAMES SPIRITUAL CHURCH |) 2576 EF. 40th st. Cleveland, Ohie Rey. M. Ogletree, D.D. will speak for the Workers TONIGHT— —Sat., Jan. 13th ==~TONIGHT CONCERT AND DANCE for the Morning Freiheit — Excellent Program — Chorus, in New Songs—I. Goldstein, the Weil-Known Street Singer—Martha Graham Dance Group—Fishbein, Chicago Actor, in Reeitations—“Artef”—and a Good Orchestra at the PROSPECT WORKERS CENTER 1157 Southern Boulevard, Bronx Tickets in Adyance, 25 cents — — — At the Door, 30 cents Freiheit Mandolin Orch. MASS CHORUSES OF WORKERS MUSIC LEAGUE — ADMISSION 35c — Keleher glique to stop the trial failed | when the workers shouted down his | supporters. Witnesses among the rank |and file supported Costeilo’s charges. |The house came down with roars of applause when Costello declared, “Anyone who does not want to work for the rank and file let him get out or the shoe workers will chase him out.” v ‘ The grievance committee decided 5 to hold a special meeting on Thurs- day, January 11 to report and recom- mend action to the Couneil on Fri- , after the Council committee had failed to make any defense for Keleher, Stitchers Local 10 with a member- BROOKLYN ship of 500 has already gone on ARCADIA HALL record demanding Keleher’s removal. 918 Halsey St. x (neae Braaway) National Events SEN KATAYAMA MEMORIAL IN CHICAGO 1CHICAGO—Max Bedacht, Nat. Sac. of the will speak on ti Fa" East at a Sen Katay, be held in the Chicago Wor day, Jan, 14, at 8 p.m. aa ituation in the a Memorial to ‘kers School Sun- J. B. MATTHEWS TO SPEAK ON FASCISM BOSTON.—J. B. Matthews will speak on “Is America Going Fascist?” at the Chel- sea Labor Lyceum, Cheisea, Mass., Sunday, Jan, 14. On Monday, Jan. Spanish Wat Veterans Hell in Amesbury, for Unemployed Councils Mags. WORKERS OF QUINCY TO HEAR TALK ON FASCISM. QUINCY, Mass. —Professor Henry W. Dana, 15, Matthews | Will speak on the same subject at the| | to relay messages for them, and pay no attention te their long-continued calls for such relay service. Many New Years greeting messages jon the S. 5. American Banker were delayed for several days. The scabs }ernment yadie stations along the | English Channel are particularly | Vigilant in immediately silencing the Merchant ships when these scab op- erators attempt to get messages through to shore and through their inexperience violate many of the rules and regulations for international ra- dio communication. The American Radio Telegraphists Association will militantly continue this strike to a successful conclusion. who wrote the “Arsenal at Springfeld,” and other peace poems, will speak on the atruggle Against War and Fascism” for the Warkers Porum of Quincy at Moose Hall, 1642 Hancock st. Su at 3 pan. Jan. 14, ANNA SCHULTZ TO SPEAK IN CLE) EAND CLEVELAND.—Anna Schultz, former sec- retary of Ernst Torgler, will spenk on Ger- it the Small Home and Landow msny Holl, 4823 Lorain, Cleveland, Sunday, Janu- ary 14, PHILADELPHIA WORKERS PHILADELPHIA, — Th t of ellel and the e to Ald Vic 1 office of the Phila. | tims of German Pa: 473 -N. 4th St. to 4 Phone Walnut 9955. | find that the British and French gaov- | "| gates to the conference, 1 St. andX kicked and mauled by a |gang of 40 lynchers. He finally es- | caped and ran into the arms of aj | policeman who arrested him, but did} | not molest any member of the lynch igang. Artope was charged with disorderly jconduct in the 54th St. night court} jand held for investigatis ANNUAL STUDENTS | BALL of the JEWISH WORKERS UNIVERSITY Saturday,Evening, January 13th IRVING PLAZA HALL IRVING PLACE AND 15th STREET “Anti-Lynch Meet in Brooklyn Jan. 24 NEW YORK.—A call for a Seotts- boro Anti-Lynehing Conference in Brooklyn was sent out yesterday by a United Front Provisional Anti- | Lynching Conference Committee, | having the endorsement of the Ne- |gro Welfare Society, the Moorish! | Science Temple, the Gay ‘Treuba-| |dours, International Labor Defense,! League of Struggle for Negro Rights jand an A. F. of L. Rank an@ File) | Committee, | | The Conference will be held on| | Jan, 24 at the Elks’ Auditorium, 1068 | | Fulton St., and is expected to result jin the further development of the “RS | \united front movement against the ae in aga [esiwing ied day honed and for On Sale at Jewish Worker the freedom of the Scottsboro boys. | Testets . All organizations, unions, churches, ! University, 108 E. 14th St. clubs, ete. are urged to cleet dele- Tickets: 40¢ at the door