The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 21, 1934, Page 1

pa } H iba % 4 Down Tools May Ist! CIRCULATION DRIVE NEW SUBS RECEr VED YESTERDAY: Daily ... 25 Saturday 38 Total to date .. Fatal <....05. 2581 Val XI, No. 96 <=> %« Entered as second-class mat May Day Appeal Issued To Socialist Workers Fear of Unity Led S. P. To Give Up Union Sq. Meet, Says Committee DETROIT WORKERS FIGHT BAN Unity Committee Shows Ban Was Instigated by Auto Bosses NEW YORK. — Abandon- ment by the Socialist leaders of their plans to use Union Square for their May Day meeting is further evidence of their mortal fear at the very possibility of the frater- nization of Socjalist and Commu- nist workers on the day of Inter- national working class solidarity, the United Front May Day Arrange- ments Committee declared yester- day. In its statement, the Committee called to the attention of the work- ers of New York, “especially of the members of the Socialist Party and the American Federation of Labor unions,” the consistent rejection by the Socialist and trade union lead- ers of the committce’s plea for work- ing class unity this May Day against Hunger, War and Fascism. “The Socialist leaders an- nounced their abandonment of Union Square when they saw the hopes of keeping the revolution- ary workers out of the Square | with the aid of the police, com- pletely shattered. Their abandon- ment of the Square is further evi- dence of their fear and distrust of their own membership and fol- lowers whose desire for united action with the revolutionary workers is growing. “The United Front May Com- mittee does not give up the fight of the working-class on this great day, of effecting one united May Day demonstration for the burn- ing needs and rights of the work- ers against the menace of Fascism and War.” Final Plans Made Final plans for the giant United Front May Day parade and dem- onstration were adopted at a meet- ing of the Executive Committee of the United Front May Day Ar- (Continued on Page 2) Picket Office of Hodson Today for Jobs, Union Wages To Protest Killing of Child Thru Neglect of Relief Buro NEW YORK.—While fired C. W. A. workers and unemployed continue picketing Public Welfare Commis- sioner Hodson's office this morning a} 50 Lafayette St., demanding re- Instatement on C. W. A. jobs and rescinding of the wage cuts, two other unemployed delegations will converge on Hodson’s office this morning. The jobless from the Gold Dust Lodge will appear at Hodson’s office to secure an answer to de- mands made on the Welfare De- partment Thursday. In addition, a delegation will visit Hodson in con- nection with the death of seven- month old Russel Flores, killed-as a result of the neglect of the Home Relief Bureau. Child Killed by H. R. Bureau A delegation elected by the “clients” of the Home Relief Bureau (Continued on Page 2) Messengers Vote for Negotiations NEW YORK.—Four hundred and fifty messenger boys voted to con- tinue negotiations for better work- ing conditions at a meetiny of the Telegraph Messenge“s Union held early yesterday. After a report made by the elected representatives of the Union the boy decided to pro- pare for further action if their de- mands are not granted. The Union demands $15 a week wages, 40 hour weck, and recogni- tion of the Union. The boys are calling upon all messenge-s to join the Union and propare for strike action if any of their chosen spokesmen are fired or if any of their demands are net granted. Ph eae: Editor's Note: The story printed in yesterday's Daily Worker erron- eously announced a strike of mess- enger boys. The information was derived from a strike leafflet issued by the Telograrh Messengers Union. At a meeting after the Daily Work- e> went to press the original strike @rder was rescinded. . \ ® New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 8, 1879. Daily,QWorker CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL) ter at the Post Office t United May Ist Demonstrations NEW YORK.—Union Square, 2:30 to 5 p.m., preceded by two monster parades. BIRMINGHAM, Ala—Capitol Park, facing Jefferson County jail. DETROIT.—Grand Circus Park. CLEVELAND, Ohio.—Public Sq., at 3 p.m. CHICAGO.—Grant Park. PATERSON, N. J.—Sandy Hill Park, at noon. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Berger's Park. RACINE, Wis.—Lake Front Park. VIRDEN, Ill.—City Hall. BELLEVILLE, Ill—In front of Court House. ZEIGLER, Il.—City Park. PEORIA, Ill—Court House Sq. OAKLAND, Calif—Chabet Park, lith & Jefferson St., at 2 p. m. EAST OAKLAND, Calif. — Mass meeting at 8 p. m. (All Districts and cities planning May Day demonstrations are urged to send information at once to the “Daily Worker.”) 940 Workers Jailed in Paris Demonstration Tens of Thousands Fight Police in Pay Cut Protest PARIS, April 20—Tens of thou- sands of workers battled police to- day in a united front demonstra- tion before the City Hall, against the. -cuts, wholesale lay-offs, and slashes in veterans’ pensions by which the Doumergue government is attempting to balance its war budget. Police reported that 940 had been arrested. Hundreds were injured in the fighting which began when heavy lines of police barred the way of the demonstrators, and refused to allow their delegation to enter the city hall. Thousands of workers struck late this afternoon in ordre to march to the city hall, where the demonstra- tion was called for.5 p. m. The police and Mobile guards, armed with rifles, thousands strong, charged the workers and veterans again and again in front of the city hall and in all the adjoining streets. A group of several hundred veterans, led by three one-legged war victims, was furiously attacked by police and Mobile guards. At a late hour today, fighting be- tween the police and workers con- tinued in many parts of the city. | ‘Solidarity Strike On Chicago Front Called by M.W.LU, Daily Worker Midwest Bureau CHICAGO, April 20.—A call to strike in solidarity with the Buffalo Marine Workers against the Lake Carriers Association was issued to men on the Chicago waterfront by the Marine Workers Industrial Union yesterday. The M.W.1.U., with headquarters at 1852 West Madison St., has called @ meeting for this Sunday, 2 p. m., at 9618 Commercial Ave.,. where strike action will be planned to bet- ter conditions on the Lake boats and for rotary hiring through rank and file committees. The great bulk of the iron ore provided for war purposes through the Vinson Bill is handled through the Chicego and Gary, Indiana, ports. At the same time in Gary the Heak Tink of Thalmann Has Begun Secretly, Rumor Is Widespread | in Berlin Workers’ Districts NEW YORK, SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1934 Seamen on the March WEATHER: Fair. Unemployed marine workers on the march from Baltimore to Washington, to demand retzntion of work- ers’ controlled relief administration, They were told that relief is run in the interest of employers, and would be maintained that way. NEW YORK.—Rumors that the trial of Ernst Thaelmann, leader of the Communist Party of Germany, | has begun secretly are widespread in Berlin, according to a report re- ceived by the International Libera- tion Committee in Paris, and relayed to the National Committee to Aid Victims of German Fascism, in New York. “Sine: March 20,” says the in- ternational committee's represen- tative in Berlin, “there have been | persistent raports in the workers’ | districts of Moabit, Wedding and | Neukolin that the trial of Ernst Thaelmann, leader of the German Communist Party, has already be- gun in secret. “It was impossible for me to verify the truth of this and the basis for this widespread uneasiness. I ob- served considerable emotion among | the workers who are indignant against the complete absence of any legal guarantees for the anti-fascists, and who curse the government.” Ne aay Gorki Telegraphs Protest Maxim Gorki, world famous Rus- sian writer, sent the following tele- Federal Dispersed By Ala. Troo ps Use Militia To Help Scabs Go into Coal Mines BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 20.— Guardsmen and deputy gun thugs broke up the picket lines of 700 viking miners here at the Red Diamond Coal Co. today. A Negro gram to the Deutszhe Volkszeitung: “I consider the imprisonment for over a year of Ernst Thaelmann, the leader of the German workers, as a shame to Germany stop I hope that the represontatives of all civilization will raise their voices in protest against the juridi- cal crime which is being prepared,” (signed) MAXIM GORKL CCC Officers, Cops Raid Communist Meeting; Jail Eleven CCC Youth Protect the Speakers Against Fascist Raid NEWARK. N. J., April 20—A clique of officers of C. C: C, 1281 Orange, N. J., succeeded in breaking up a mass meeting called by the Young Communist League at which two former C. C. C. boys spoke. The meeting, which was arranged as part of a state-wide tour by the Y, C. L. New Jersey district, was well under way with about 75 C. C. C. boys from the nearby camp lis- tening intently to the speakers when an officer leading a gang of boys rushed into the hall with a shout of “Let’s get them.” A num- ber of the boys at the meeting pro- tected the speakers and succeeded in getting them safely out of the hall without serious injury. The police arrived just at the mo- ment when the fight ended, and in order to cover up their collabara- tion with the officers of the camp, arrested eleven of the boys for dis- ordetly conduct. This is the third meeting of the tour broken up. The other two were smashed by the Newark police, and four Young Communist League members were arrested when they attempted to go through with a meeting in spite of the police. The Communist Party and Young Communist League are planning a state-wide campaign against the increasing terror, which is bound up with the intense war prepara- tions throughout the state. Union is issuing a call to the Gary workers to act in solidarity with the Buffalo and Chicago men. Many Steel and Metal Workers Industrial steel workers of Gary ship out in the summer months. miner Ed England was killed here |a few days ago, and a white miner, Gordon Bice, was dangerously wounded by the chief of police and deputy sheriffs when they drove pickets away at the point of guns. National Guardsmen -were rushed to the mine when the operators reported that the striking miners were massing to keep out all scabs. When the deputy sheriffs ordered the pickets to disperse, they refused to do so. Around 21,000 Alabama Negro and white miners are on strike demanding higher wages and union recognition. On Wednesday, 300 Southern capitalists met and de- clared they would mobilize all prop- erty owners, business men, industrial- ists and business men in the South to enforce the differential wage and to combat union organization and the demand for higher wages. 700 Anthracite Miners Strike. WILKES-BARRE, Pa., April 20. —Seven hundred miners in the Spring Mountain colliery of the Lehigh Valley Coal Co. went on strike today. The men are under the leadership of the United Mine Workers of America. was called when the men charged that the. company has been using men who work on a monthly basis to do the work that should be done by miners on an hourly basis. There are now altogether 3,600 anthracite miners on strike. The Anthracite Board of Conciliation, formed under the code, is attempt- ing to break the strike. Toilers Mass Today at 5th Av. Bus Co.;'Fight For Jobs for Negroes NEW YORK—New York work- ers will mass this Saturday noon in front of the office of the Fifth Avenue Coach Co,, 132nd Street, and Broadway, to demand that the company end its racial dis- crimination policy and give em- ployment to Negro conductors end motormen. The demonstration, called by the League of Struggle for Negro Rights, will be preceded by three open air meetings in Harlem: in front of the League’s office, 119 West 135th Street; the Interna- tional Labor Defense, 126th St. and Lenox Ave., and the Liber- ator office, 2162 Seventh Avenue. The strike | Relief Is Run to Suit Bosses, ts to Seamen Head Admi e Baltimore Marchers In Stirring Unity of Negro and White (BULLETIN) WASHINGTON, D. C., April 20. —The Baltimore seamen lined up late today, still singing and lift- ing high their fighting banners, to wait for Federal buses promised them to travel home in, They elected a committee to stay over in Washington and take their de- mands tomorrow to the White House. Refusing to accept even medical aid on a jim-crow basis, they forced Federal officials to send a physician to treat the blisters and bruises of white and | Negroes at the same time and | place. This was the third time they dramatically turned down government offers to meet dire physical needs under jim-crow rule, By MARGUERITE YOUNG (Daily, Worker Washington Bureau) | . WASHINGTON, April 20.—Sing- soldier tunes played on harmonicas, Baltimore seamen who walked fifty miles to fight for workers’ control of unemployment relief, into Federal Relief Headquarters today and heard a top Government relief official turn down all demands cold with the explanation that the seamen were correct in saving re- lief, like everything else. is run by the Government in the interest of the ruling employers. William J. Plunkert, Federal Di- rector of Transient Relief, listened to the seamen’s demands and their declaration that Plunkeri has been jacting at the command of ship | owners, and replied: “No, I can’t do what you demand. Since things are as you say, why don’t you go elsewhere? T the polls, or somewhere else.” The seamen’s answer rolled back ‘in a deep, resentful laugh, above which Leonard Patterson, Negro leader, called: “Sometime, Mr. Plunkert, we workers are gonna force you and all Government offi- cials to do what we say. But in the meantime, this is not the end of our fight on this particular relief question. Let me remind you that 2,000 textile workers struck in Baltimore yesterday to demon- strate in support of us, and that four ships struck for our demands. You'll hear more of that. We're going to fight on,, and so are sea- men in every port and workers in other trades. Will Go Elsewhere. “We're going elsewhere” Walter Stack, Marine Workers’ Industrial Union representative and another leader of the march, told Plunkert, “but we hold you responsible for this.” Plunkert did accede to the sea- men’s demand for transportation home at the expense of the Govern- ment. He provided medical atten- tion also, without jim-crowing. He accepted without any answer what- ever the seamen’s protest against his efforts to split their ranks. Their mass conference with him was a victory; he had tried day long to jforce them to send in a small com- (Continued on Page 2) ing workingmen’s battle songs to! marched | Déllar; Wheat Sink; Inflation ‘Looms Again Will Aid ' Specalaaors, | | Hurt Small Farmers and Consumers | NEW YORK.—The menace of} further inflationary moves on the | part of Roosevelt loomed today as |wheat prices dropped sharply and tities on the international money | markets. | | Wheat dropped sharply in the| Chicago markets on the announce- | ment by Secretary Wallace that | domestic wheat prices will have to} be adjusted to world prices. Do- |mestic prices have up to now sus- tained above the world marke! by | the Government. | | Wheat prices are falling again} because the amount of wheat| throughout the world is still at} record peaks despite all efforts of | the capitalist governments to de- |stroy or curtail wheat stocks. All \efforts of the capitalist govern-| ments to jack up the world price jof wheat through agreements al- loting definite quotas of wheat to each country have broken down siace each country wants the other to sacrifice its own wheat crop in | order to raise the profits of the | other. The need of the Roosevelt gov- ernment to keep wheat prices high will ineviably force it to inject further shots of inflation into the country’s economy. This inflation | will be of benefit only to the big wheat speculators since the present crops have been largely sold already by the farmers. In addition the in- flation will hurt the vast majority | of small farmers who will have to) pay higher prices for machinery, fertilizer, gasoline, etc. It will raise bread prices in the cities. | Arrest27Furniture Men for Picketing Despite Injunction Boston Workers’ Trial Set for Next Thursday BOSTON, Mass. April 20. — Twenty-seven workers, members of the National Furniture Workers In- dusrtial Uinon were arrested this morning while engaged in mass picketing of the Columbia Meyers Upholstery Co. They were released) on $100 bail each, and the cases will come up Thursday, April 26. Warrants for contempt of court are being used against the pickets. One hundred fifty participated in the picketing despite an injunction taken out by the company. The strike has been in progress | | ithe dollar was sold in large quan-| Against Roosevelt’s Fascism and War Plans : AMERICA’S ONLY WORKING CLASS DAILY NEWSPAPER (Eight Pages) Price 3 Cents 10 P.C. Cut For RR Men U. 8. Orders Halt on Sale of Steel Scrap | for Japan Munitions (Daily Worker Washington Bureau) WASHINGTON, April 20.—Secre- tary of Commerce Daniel Roper has ordered the United States Shipping Board to stop the sale of old ships to prevent Japan from acquiring more scrap iron to increase its arm- aments. The Roosevelt administration it- self enlisted in the imperialist ex- ploitation of China, is in quite a dither over Japan’s recent an- nouncement that she intends to fight to retain her Far Eastern spoils and that she wishes to be understood as the chief imperialist robber of China. It is understood here that Roosevelt is considering negotiation with other nations to draw up a united front against Japanese imperialism. Toledo Court Orders Mass Picketing End Injunction Hits Unity Stands, ~ Roosevelt Rules The Brotherhood Chiefs Agreed To It, He Points Out AIDS R. R. OWNERS Admits Terrible State of R. R. Workers WASHINGTON, April 20. —President Roosevelt today refused to budge from his February 15 letter to the rail- road magnates in which he proposed the continuation of the basic ten per cent cut for six months after June 30, 1934, the date of the exviration of the present agreement between the owners and the Railwey Labor Executive Asso- ciation. The President’s refusal, in the form of a letter to Federal Coordi- nator of Transportati: Eastman, followed we: ances, ultimatums, negot shadow boxing agers and the sxecutives. Roosevelt declared that the cause of the terrible unemr and misery among railroad work It is rather, he said, the pract of part-time work, demotions and |}Common Pleas Judge Roy of Unemployed and Strikers the use of the furloughs. Brotherhoods Proposed Cut es Pointing to the fact taat the Fei present basic cut was voluntarily (Special to the Daily Worker) |? A. Whitney’ Bred TOLEDO, Ohio, April 20.—In an effort to smash the strike of em- ployees in their plants, the Bing- ham Stamping Co. and the Electric| twenty railway yosevell Auto-Lite Co. got an injunction, | choracterized thi nas a wise reducing the number of, pickets. to| one. 25 at each gate and to stop the Un-/| employed Council and other organ-| athe: the railway workers’ leaders izations from aiding the pickets. | or the management, the matter will The injunction was granted by|be referred to a board appointed Stuart | by the President, which board, said when it was evident that the idea | Roosevelt, will be instructed to re- of mass picketing as proposed by| view the matter without regard to the Auto Workers Union was taken | today's letter. up by the strikers and the mem-| In discussing the capital struc- bers of the Unemployed Councils,|ture of the railroads Roosevelt ex- Relief Workers Unions and other| plained that he expects them to organizations. They had swelled the|increase the wages of the lowest dent of the Brotherhood of Rail- road Trainmen and Chairman of the Labor Executiv and the other leaders, ior If the decision is not. accepted by. number of pickets at the Auto-Lite | last Tuesday to over 1,000. | At the hearing the Auto-Lite| management stated that such al show of force, if continued, would} mean the closing of their plant. The injunction mentions the unem- ployed council, naming 21 members the Unemployed League, but not naming any members and the So-| cialist Party, naming one member. | Thomas Ramsey, b agent | of the United Automotive Workers | Federal Union, consistently turned | down all offers of assistance from the Unemployed Council and always carried on a campaign against “vio- lence,” and warned the strikers to| have nothing to do with the Com- munists. | It is the plan of the auto bosses | to drag out the hearings and in-| vestigations until the strike is broken or they have their contracts filled. The union officials are play- ing into this trap. | | for five weeks. The owners of the| company, in attempting to shatter the opposition of the workers, took advantage of a legal trick to change the firm name, thereby breaking the union agreement. With that it pro- ceeded to cut wages. A meeting has been arranged for) Monday night at Franklin Union! Hall, Berkeley St., in order to take} further action against this latest| co-operation between the bosses and the police. Joe Kiss, national sec- retary of the Union, will be the main speaker. The I. L. D., the Needle Trades Union and the Mar- ine Workers are helping the Fur- niture Workers fight. MESA Warkers Protest | Use of Gangsters Against Pickets BULLETIN (Special to the Daily Worker) DETROIT, Mich., April 20.—The | Auto Workers Union today re- | ceived informztion that an emer- | gency meeting is bing heid Sun- | day afternoon in St. Louis, Mis- souri, to call a strike Monday of 3,000 workers of the Fisher Body and Chevro'et plants, unless the | companies meet the workers’ de- mands, especially reinstatement of | 129 men discharged for union | activity. These workers are mem- bers of the Federated Automobile Workers of America, an indepen- dent union. The Auto Workers Union is planning to send a rep- | | youthful picketer was taken up by resentative to the mecting to pro- pose united action. eee (Special to the Daily Worker) DETROIT, Mich., April 20—‘we don’t want a lovers’ lane; what we want is a fighting picket line.” This was the cry of a youthful picketer of the Michigan Stove at last night’s mecting at the Deutsches Haus, called by she Mechanizs Educational Socicty to protest the hiring of gangcters to attack the Michigan Stovo pickets. The cry of the Michigan Stove the ran‘ and file at the mecting and was a challenge to the Smith ma- chine which is secretly conspiring with the Detroit Labor Board to break the strike of the tool and die makers and the Michigan Stove workers, ‘The spark which released the! workers, that is being choked by the Smith machine, was the fighting speech of production workers’ or- ganizer, John Anderson. Anderson, "A F ighting Picket Line,” Demands Young Auto Worker who was warmly greeted by the workers, charged in his speech that the District Committee did not make real efforts to tell Detroit workers DETROIT, Mich. April 20— United action of all auto workers is proposed to the members of the Mechanics Educational Society in a ers Union. The leaflet, in part fol- lows: “We have repeatedly proposed to the M. E. S. A. the unification of the ranks of all militant unionists militancy of the assembled 1,500 in a common fight against the com-’ ! leaflet distributed by the Auto Work-| Auto Union Calls for United Action with M.E.S.A. Members panies and their agents—the A. F. of L. chiefs. “When the strike sentiment was at its highest pitch and the A. F. of L. officials were playing the com- panies’ game and delaying action, we urged immediate and decisive united action to get the strike movement started. But Smith opposed this (Continued on Page 2) of this protest meeting against gangsterdom. He criticised them for failure to print 100,000 leafiets to! arouse the workers in the city| against police protected gangsters who attacked picket lines. | The Smith leadership, which | hems the strike, which is directing} the strike into strike-breaking chan-| nels of N.R.A. Labor Boards, refuses’ to bring the issue of the strike to, support. When Anderson told the as-| sembied workers that the Auto) Workers Union should have been! was roundly applauded. } Anderson urged the workers to develop mass picketing, rely upon! their own forces and reject the NR. ing wi threugh mass on cry a were cheered by the! » “That onl ithe strike,” Ke Anderson Criticizes Dis-| trict Committee; Urges Mass Picketing workers. The Smith machine as- sembled on platform, fearing the effect of Anderson's speech, rushed in with little speeches to poison the! minds of the workers and instill] mass picketing. Talks of Clashes Harrison cautioned the workers, Spencer told the workers, that “thousands of leaflets resulted in flops in other places.” Hunter made @ provocative speech against mili- . Labor Boards, H's conclud-| tant trade unions, slandered the | the Manhatten Ly workers who were killed in the Ford | (Contmucd on Page 2) paid workers up to the N. R. A. level (a low one—Ed.) and to in- crease the pay, within reasonab/c limits, as earnings increase. Roosevelt also announced that he has asked the Secretary of Labor Perkins, Secretary of Commerce Roper and Attorney-General Cum- mings to prepare a study of the railroad situation with a view to mapping out a national railroad policy. Milk Price ToGoUp 1 Cent a Quart on Mon., Board Rules Communist Party Calls For Ficht Against Milk Robbery ALBANY, April 19.—Milk ovrics will rise by 1 cent a quart hegin- ning Monday. Commissioner Bald- win of the State Department of Agriculture and Markets ennounced today. This rise will cost consumers more than $1,000,000 a month. At present the big milk monopo- lies like Borden and Sheffield are reaping huge profits as a result of the Roosevelt milk program of di- viding the milk supply into “sur- plus” and non-surplus categoris “The announcement that work- ine class mothers will have t> pay still another inerease in the price ef milk for their babies is a cani- talist crime against the workiny class children in the cities com- mitted by a capitalist Milk Board whose main function is to protect. Wali Street monopoly profits,” the New York District of the Communist Party declared today, following the announcement, “This raise will in no way solve the vrohlems of the thonsands of small dairy farmers who re ground by these mi'k monopolies just as cruelly as the consumers are. What is needed is a deter- mined fight by a united front of the consumers and the milk pro- ducers against the robbery of the richer farmers and the monono- lies.” Clara Bodian of the Council of Detroit workers and ask them for fear in their hearts about taking up| working Class Women stat-d that this new rise in milk costs will meen more hunger and disease for thoi- sands of working class children. She invited to the mesting, and out-| “that thousands on the picket line”! issued a call to all working class lined the need for united action, he/ will bring clashes with the police.| mothers as well es all others inter- ested in fighting the extortionate prices of the miJk companies to as- sist the Nationel Conference of the Council to be held this Sin7a~ mi, 63, E. Nev York Down Tools May First