The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 26, 1934, Page 3

Mass Rally|William Green S$ Called in South On Social Bill Alabama Red Baiters Lose Ground in Move to Block Insurance (Special to the Daily Worker) BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Dec. 26.—| Negro and white workers will rally this Friday evening, 7:30 o'clock, before the County Courthouse in 2 tremendous demonstration in sup- port of the National Congress for Unemployment and Social In- surance to be held in Washington, January 5 to 7, and for the Workers Insurance Bill. The demonstration will be ad- dressed by Howard Kester, Nashville chairman of the Committee on Economic and Social Justice, A. L. Bowers, International Organizer, Local 91 of the Blacksmiths Union; Mr. Bradford, editor of the Bir- mingham World, a Negro paper; Dr. H. A. Elkourie, Pres. of the Cos- mopolitan Political Club; Joe Strange, Secretary of the Dairy- men’s Union; Rev. Stewart Mea- cham, Jz., A. Thorp, Secretary Lodge 46, Switchmen’s Union, who will preside, Wide Support Widespread support of the Work- ers Insurance Bill insures a huge crowd Friday night. The labor bureaucrats who oppose the bill are rapidly losing ground as the work- ers recognize them as enemies within their ranks. The militants in the unions who are leading the fight for the Bill are also planning a fight for immediate unemployment relief. Lodge 46 of the Switchmen’s Union endorsed the Bill and the forthcoming Congress at its meeting last Sunday, and elected militants to office. This is the beginning of a relentless struggle by the rank and file against the reactionary interna- tional officials and their treach- erous class-collaboration policies. The united front of A. F. of L. unions and other workers’ organiza- tions is rapidly materializing here. Many A. F. of L. unions are form- ing unemployment locals to unite with the Unemployment Councils and others. On every hand it is recognized that the Communists are leading the fight for working-class unity. The “red scare” raised by the bosses and their agents in the unions is be- ing defeated even in locals where there are no Communist workers. This militant workers’ united front will further materialize in the trade union conference here on Decem- ber 30. A rapid growth of Negro and white workers is resulting from the struggles developing here, with | white workers now coming toward the Communist Party. A sharp struggle against. barter: schemes and dollar a day work re- lief, which means less relief for un- employed and wage slashing for the employed, is developing fast. Bu- reaucrats who favor this scheme are exposing themselves, while the protest is growing in the unions against the scheme as a blow to or- ganized labor. Chicago Rally To Hit Hearst Red Baiting (Special to the Daily Worker) CHICAGO, Dec. 25.— A mass meeting to counter the attacks on the Workers School, to rally Chi- cago workers for the fight against Negro segregation and against the general drive of capitalists against workers’ organizations will be held here on Friday in the Drill Hall Capital Building, 159 North State Street. The meeting will be addressed by Professor A. J. Carlson of the Uni- versity of Chicago; George Koop of the International Typographical Union; Robert Minor of the Com- munist Party; Arthur W. Falls of the Urban League; John Werlick of the American League Against War and Fascism, and Beatrice Shields, director of the Workers School. The speakers will reveal the true nature of recent attacks on work- ing class organizations and the vicious efforts of Chicago real es- tate owners and the city govern- ment to force through a policy of Negro segregation, The fascist attacks of the Hearst newspapers here on the Workers School, the efforts to railroad Jane Newton to an insane asylum for fighting by the side of her Negro husband against Jim Crowism and the general drive of government forces, American Legion leaders and private capitalist agencies will be explained at the meeting. Mine Company Eviction Order to Oust Miners Deferred Until Jan. 11 BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 25.— Eviction proceedings against 52 coal miners living in company shacks at the Alabama Fuel and Iron Com- pany’s Overton mine, in eastern Jefferson County, were deferred until Jan. 11 by an order from Cir- cuit Judge J. Fritz Thompson, re- straining Justice of the Peace James Regan of Irondale from hearing the suits. Who said William Green is a wall-flower? Come down to Wash- ington and watch him dance with Fannie Perkins. Watch them both dance into the hearts of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturers Association, The Daily Worker tells you to what tune they dance! Subscribe to! the Daily Worker! | Owners and Tenants to; to Exclude 16,000,000 Jobless fro pte Seeerk Si eer eee rtle Creek Mass Tax Sale) Rouses Fight Raise Demand for Moratorium TURTLE CREEK, Pa., Dec, 25.—| A mass meeting was held in Turtle Creek high school last night to pro- test against the impending sale of | 400 homes in the vicinity scheduled for the auctioneer’s block if delin- quent taxes are not paid by Jan. 7. Aroused citizens voiced their pro- test at the vicious laws of the state, which not only allow the sale of homes for delinquent taxes, but also provide that “the goods of a tenant on leased premises is subject to distress for non-payment of taxes and may be levied upon and sold to satisfy the claim.” (Quotation | from State Act of April 15, 1834, as! amended by Act of April 22, 1931.) Speakers denounced the obvious lobbying of landowners in passing the amendment three years ago, as the depression began to take on its present permanent character. A committee will visit county com- missioners to protest for a mora- torium on the properties, with pro- test letters to be mailed to all re- sponsible state and county authori- ties, and a campaign is to be) launched to have the act repealed at the next session of the legisla~ ture. The meeting was called by the! Turtle Creek Congress of Clubs, in- cluding the Republican Club, the Democratic Club, the Non-Partisan Club, the Italian Democratic Club, the Citizens’ Council, the Better | Government Club, the Real Estate Owners’ League, the Italian Citi- zens’ Club, the Small Home and Property Owners’ Association, the Unemployment Council, the Com- munist Party and the Young Com- munist League. “White Paper” On Reich Fire To Be Printed. PARIS, Dec. 25—The letter of} Karl Ernst, Storm Troop leader, who was executed in the Nazi purge of June 30, confessing his part in setting the Reichstag fire, and the Reichswehr memorandum to Mar- shal Hindenburg are to be published as the “White Paper on Events of June 30th, and will be issued by Carrefour, Paris. Senator Brant- | ing, of Sweden, has written a pre- face for-the work, Branting pos- sesses a photograph of the document | and declares that there is every reason to believe its authenticity. The Swedish senator writes in his preface: “There is a deep inner connection between the German ‘massacre of St. Batholomew’ (June 30th) and the Reichstag fire. National-Social- ism opened the way to power with a crime, and heaps crime on crime to keep that power. The technique of June 30th is similar, down to the tiniest detail, to that of February, | 1933. “The effects of the two crimes, however, were not the same. That of February 27 helped the rise of National-Socialism—that of June 30 was an attempt to arrest its decline. “The ‘White Paper’ appears at an opportune moment. As the Saar plebiscite approaches, Hitler seeks to appear not as the man respon- sible for June 30 but as a man of peace’. Hence the peculiar political and moral significance of this docu- ment on the events of June 30. The “White Paper’ is a vivid picture of the Germany of 1934... . This Nazi clique, which has made Germany a prison for millions of Germans, is judged by this evidence irrefutably and inexorably.” Birmingham Policeman Given Leave of Absence To Act As Strikebreaker BIRMINGHAM, Dec. 25.—Milton McDuff, former superintendent of the Police Identification Bureau and now a private detective in the employ of heavy industry, has been granted an extension to his leave of absence from the police department so that he may not “lose his seniority; his pension rights, and $4,000 insurance he carries as a member of the department” McDuff's request for an extension was vigorously protested by Police Chief Luthern Hollums, between whom and McDuff an enmity rising out of inter-police politics continues. McDuff was first granted a leave of absence last July after Hollums had demoted him from superintendent of the Bureau of Identification to the rank of patrolman. He has since been connected with his father, Sheriff-elect Fred. H. Mc- Duff in the operation of the Mc Duff National Detective Agency. During this period he has osten- sibly devoted his talents solely to in- vestigation of bombing cases throughout the country—his un- mentioned (by the local press) and more particular employment has been strike-breaking and red-bait- ing for the heads of industry. Reese Murray, attorney for McDuff, in making the plea for the extension, called attention to the numerous convictions which have been secured in bombing and dynamiting cases since McDuff has been in charge of the investigation and predicted that. a “similar wave would break out if jance plan, by which the govern- Store Strikers ; meeting, but many members of the McDuff were not allowed to con- tinue the work.” DAFLY WORKER, NEW YORK, W By I. Amter President Roosevelt, his Cabinet, leading industrialists, labor “lead- ers” like William Green, all united for the purpose of pre: venting the workers from obtaining protection through genuine unem- | ployment and social insurance. Great will be the disappointment | of millions of employed and unem- | ployed workers who trusted the| “great” man in the White House. | They voted by the millions in 1932 for unemployment insurance, with | the assurance that this would be the immediate concern of the champion of the “forgotten man.” | On Nov. 6th, of this year, they re- | turned his party to power in 38 states because of his message to Congress just before its adjourn- | ment. It was on June 8 that Roose- | velt in his message declared: “The security of the home, the | security of livelihood and the se- | curity of social insurance—are, it seems to me, a minimum promise | that we can offer to the American | people.” j Roosevelt Bans Social Insurance The setting up of the “National | Committee for Economic Security” seemed to promise action. Roose- velt’s address to the American Bankers Association convention on Oct. 25 removed some of the gloss of the promise. His speech at the White House on Nov. 14th, when the “National Convention Commit- tee for Economic Security” reported, left no further doubt. He would not deal with social insurance at he present time. Only unemploy- ment insurance would be considered in the coming session of Congress. It is not hard to guess the char- acter of the bill to be introduced, especially since the “National Com- mittee for Economic Security,” al- though it had its own ideas on the question, nevertheless gave them up and accepted Roosevelt's position. What was Roosevelt's position? He declared not only that unem- ployment insurance is the only pro- posal of this character that will be brought forward by the government in the coming session of Congress, but he also stated that the bill will be a “federal-state” jobless insur- ment might possibly provide the administrative expenses of the bill; that it would require a tax on pay- rolls, and provide compensation for a certain period and of a certain amount. These plans did not wholly agree with those of the “Na- tional Committee’—but they were accepted. Prominent people were present at the conference on Noy. 13-14. They included such leading industrialists as Teagle of Standard Oil; Swope of General Electric; Wliliam Green and Frank Morrison, president and secretary, respectively, of the A. F, of L.; Thomas Kennedy, secretary- treasurer of the United Mine Work- | ers and lieutenant governor-elect of Pennsylvania, etc. Acting under pressure of the rank and file of the United Mine Workers and the workers generally of Pennsylvania, Kennedy advocated a federal bill. “We have it on competent author- ity,” said Kennedy, “that a federal bill will be constitutional.” Morri- son spoke after Kennedy and stated that in general he agreed with Kennedy. nor did he take excep- tion to his statement about the legality of federal unemployment imsurance. This is completely in opposition to the statements of Green, Senator Wagner, etc. Proposal of President’s National Committee for Economic Security Is Designed to Prevent Any Benefits The so-called “Advisory Council | of the National Committee for Eco- nomic Security” has now announced its plans for “unemployment insur- ance.” They declare that they have brought it into line with Roose- velt’s proposals. Only the brief out- line of the bill has been disclosed, but enough of it has been published to make the general line clear. is a modification in slight degree of the Wagner-Lewis bill. It is noteworthy, however, that on the Advisory Council are not only William Green, but also. Walter Teagle of Standard Oil, Gerard Swope of General Electric, Morris E. Leeds of Leeds & Northrup, Sam Lewisohn of the Miami Copper Co., and Marion B. Folsem of the East- man Kodak Co. Representing labor and so-called liberals, in addition to Green, are Paul Kellogg, editor of the Survey Graphic, Helen Hull of the Henry Street Settlement of New York, and Frank Graham of the University of North Carolina. John A. Ryan, Catholic priest of Washington, also is said to favor the plan. What is the plan? Before going into the details, it is interesting to note that a few days before its announcement William Green pub- lished the outline of “his own” plan. In doing so, he called upon the A. F. of L, organizations earnestly to study it—because, as the secretary of the State Federation of Labor of Connecticut, Thomas Eagan, de- clared, “it offers far more than the Workers’ Bill,” which he branded as a “Communist bill.” Green's bill (N. Y. Herald Tribune, Dec. 12) called for “benefits amounting to at least 50 per cent of the normal weekly wage, but should not be less than $15 a week and should continue for twenty-six weeks in any one year. . . . Part- time employment should be com- pensated for by partial benefits.” Green continues: “It (insurance) should be compulsory and should include all workers except domestic workers, agricultural labor, profes- sional perfons and government em- ployees. Employers should pay sums equal to 5 per cent of their payrolls. .. . Employees should make no additional contributions. . . . No persons should be required to ac- cept work in a situation vacant as the direct consequence of a trade dispute.” 16 Million Jobless Forgotten Green’s program would not fur- nish any compensation whatever to the 16,000,000 unemployed. The employers would pay into the in- surance fund only for their own employes, even though the fund would be a state fund. Thus the 16,000,000 unemployed, the most “forgotten men,” remain unpro- tected at the hands of the “emi- nent leader” of the American Fed- eration of Labor. And not only they—also all agricultural workers, domestic workers, professionals and government employes would be ex- cluded. The worst feature of Green's plan, which shows the real face of the leadership of the A. F. of L., is the following: “Workers who quit work with- out good cause or who are dis- It| charged for misconduct shall not thereby forfeit benefits beyond a reasonable period.” What is misconduct? Agitation in the shop, building up a union. The steel, auto and textile work- | ers can tell an eloquent story. They are blacklisted in their industry— and Green would not penalize them “beyond a reasonable period.” “Quit- ting work without good cause”—} who is to judge that? If workers go on strike--have they good cause? Particularly since, according to Green’s plan, “labor and manage- ment should be represented equally in the management of unemploy- ment benefits.” This means to penalize strikers—in other words a strikebreaking bill! Only those who still have jobs when the bill goes into effect and who “behave them- selves” would receive benefits. The bill could not become law till Oc- tober, 1936. This is what Green “offers!” Three days later Green appar- ently abandoned “his plan,” her- alded as the “A. F. of L. plan!”| He accepted the plan of the Ad- visory Council of the “National Committee for Economic Security.” What is this latter plan? According to the meagre reports that have been published (N. Y. Times, Dec. 15), it corresponds in the main with the Wagner-Lewis and the Green plans. It calls for contributions of 3 per cent from the employers, with the employes exempt for the same reason as given for the Green bill, viz. that it will be handed on to the consumer (the worker) “who would pay his share of the tax that would be attached to the things he buys.” Unemploy- ment benefits would be at the rate of 50 per cent of the worker's ayer- age weekly wage, with a maximum compensation of $15 a week. The worker who is laid off would re- ceive “on a ratio of one week’s benefits for every four weeks of previous employment.” That is to say, if he has worked 20 to 30 weeks in a year, he will be entitled to only five to seven weeks of compensa- tion. And then? “At the end of such period, the insurance would be exhausted and the payments would stop.” Benefits Not Assured The benefits, however, are not assured. The plan states that: “To finance these payments, the Advisory Council provided that if business measured by the Federal Reserve Board's index does not average 90 per cent of normal in 1935, the tax rate in 1936 shall be only 1 per cent.” That is to say, economic produc- tion (which means profits) must equal at least 90 per cent of normal (1929 prosperity!), in order that the laid-off worker should receive the amount of benefit above mentioned. If it should not reach that mini- mum, then the amount of tax on the payroll would be cut to 1 per cent, whereby the amount of compensa- tion to the laid-off worker would also be reduced. The bill further proposes that there shall be a “waiting period” of two to four weeks. It has been established that during that period a worker finds some kind of work. If, for instance, a worker in the third week of a waiting period of four weeks should obtain work for | the bill provides that a worker can- PSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1934 a few hours or a day, he will again | have to wait for four weeks. This can occur over and over again, for not refuse work in his own trade/ at normal wages. Thus a bill of this kind has only one aim—to pre- vent the worker from obtain bene- | fit. | The bill does not state which | categories of workers shall receive | benefits. But judging by the Wag- | ner-Lewis and the Green bill, at Jeast those categories above men- | tioned will not come within the | | provisions of this bill. | ‘That the 16,000,000 unemployed | will receive no compensation un- | der these bills is evident from the | resolution of the National Manu- | facturers Association convention (Dec. 5). In demanding that the question of unemployment insur- | ace be further studied, the conven- | tion resolution says: “The establishment of compul- sory unemployment insurance or reserves will not benefit workers who are now unemployed.” | Bosses Given Subsidy The final point of the program is most interesting. Although States will be allowed to enact their own | programs, they will receive “federal grants-in-aid” if they keep up to certain standards. This means that employers in those States will re- ceive a subsidy from the federal goverument, in the form of a re- bate on excise taxes they pay to the federal government. In other words, the insurance will not cost the employers one penny, and at the same time they will increase the price of their products, by handing it_on to the consumer. | It is stated that Roosevelt will | approve the plan of the Advisory | Council since it “carries out in| much detail the President's idea | on unemployment insurance.” | Liberals Screen for Bosses In this fight against genuine un- employment and social insurance, the liberals of the type of Paul Kellogg play their usual role: A screen for the offensive of the em- ployers and the government. And in this situation the Socialist Party leaders, the leaders of the Socialist and Muste controlled unemployed organizations are doing their bit, in Preventing united effort in this fight. They are terrorizing their locals and membership. They go from local to local, speaking against participation in the National Con- sige threatening the rank and file, etc. This must spur us on to ever; greater effort. The discussion of unemployment insurance and the effort of the government to put through its fake plan, are due to the splendid support accruing to the Workers’ Bill from all kinds of | workers’, farmers’, fraternal, profes- sional, church, Negro, youth, vet- eran organizations, etc. The Na- tional Congress for Unemployment and Social Insurance must include delegates from every possible organ- ization. Mass delegations from the locals and central labor bodies of the A. F. of L. must be our answer to Green. Large delegations from the Socialist branches and locals and Socialist and Muste controlled fraternal, unemployed organiza- tions, etc., must be our answer to Thomas, Muste, etc. This Congress, as the mobilization point of all sin- cere people, who want to fight for genuine unemployment insurance, must be the starting point of a struggle which will force the U. S. Congress to discard the President’s plan, and to pass the only genuine bill, the Workers Unemployment and Social Insurance Bill. Hold Rally In Milwaukee MILWAUKEE, Wis., Dec. 25.— The united front mass meeting in support of the Boston Store strik- ers, held at the Municipal Audi- torium last Friday evening, was a tremendous success, and a collec- tion of more than $100 went for a Christmas fund to the strikers. The official policy of the Socialist Party was to stay away from the Socialist Party were present, includ- ing Mrs. Meta Berger, wife of the late Socialist leader Victor L, Ber- ger, who presided. Strikers coming from each department in the Bos- ton Store told of the conditions in the store and why they strike. Women Collect Signatures | A committee of the League of ‘Women Shoppers went to the Bos- ton Store Saturday with thousands of names on petitions pledging sup- port to the strikers and boycott of the Boston Store, but were refused admission. The Communist Party's official | paper here, the Wisconsin Voice of Labor, has devoted its last few is- sues chiefly for rallying support to the strikers, and building up a united front behind them. One is- sue prints a photostat of a Boston Store advertisement in the Mil- waukee Leader, Socialist Party daily here, which includes a statement to the public on the strike by the company. Leaflets issued by the Communist Party headed “Refuse to Buy at the Boston Store,” have been passed out in the neighborhoods. Another leaflet was directed to the strikers, and especially warns them against a settlement on the basis of arbitration. Part of the leaflet to the strikers reads: “Some of the slick tongued speak- ers and lawyers tell you that a wage increase is not important. They claim the chief thing is to settle the strike. Why did you or- ganize into a union? Because you want better working conditions and higher wages which cannot be got- ten without a union. The advice of these people. therefore, is all wrong. Some of the officials try to intimidate you by saying the Insurance Bill and vote FOR O Name Address not receive the sanction of the In- ternational Executive Board, Such people should be told where to get. off. What you need now is sup- port for the strike, not cold water. Let them know in plain language that the rank and file of the Union has something to say too. Unite your ranks and fight until you win. Beware of going back to work on Promises of arbitration. “No going back to work until your demands are granted. - “The Communist Party pledges to do everything in its power to the people of Milwaukee for the support of the Boston Store strikers. MILK PRODUCERS STRIKE BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 25.— Members of the Wholesale Milk Producers’ Association, Inc., struck here against Foremost Dairies and announced they would renew their fight for an equitable pronortion of the retail selling price of milk in strike is ‘illegal,’ and that it did Birmingham. VOTE for the Workers’ Unemployment Insurance Bill H.R. 7598 This ballot is sponsored by the Daily,QWorker serra eas comer for Ua. aneen or commvertertnanenaa) America’s Only Working Class Daily Newspaper , 50 East 13th Street New York (Cut out and sign this ballot today) BALLOT I have read the Workers’ Unemployment and Social AGAINST O City. Vote without delay and return your ballot at once to the worker who gave it to you, or mail it to the “Daily Worker” Anti-War Play ‘Drawn’ To Show in Portland PORTLAND,Ore.,Dec. 25.—A sen- sational anti-war play, “Dawn,” will be presented by an all-youth east at a New Year's Eve affair ar- ranged by the Young Communist League and to be held at the Italian Federation Hall, S. W. 4th and Madison Streets, this city. Doors will open at 7.30 p. m. Presentation of the play will be fol- lowed by dancing to music furnished by a youth orchestra. LONG TERMS FOR NEGROES TEXARKANA, Ark, — Herman Sheppard, Ben Peel and FE. L. Thomas, Negroes, were convicted of assault and robbery Dec, 12, Peel and Sheppard were given twenty- one-year sentences each, and Thomas ten years. They wer2 charged with assault upon a white cafe owner, In California Big Vote Gains For C.P. Shown: SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., Dec. 25.— The vote for Communist candidates in California was much higher than | previous reports indicated, the offi- cial canvass, just issued, reveals. Anita Whitney, Communist candi- date for State Controller, received 100,820 votes in the November elec- tion and Leo Gallagher, Communist endorsed candidate for associate Supreme Court Justice received 242,313 votes in the August primary. Both of these figures are con- | siderably higher than those in} earlier reports which gave 80,000 to Anita Whitney in the November election and 180,000 to Gallagher in the August primary. The Organization Department of the Communist Party here has ex- pressed its belief that large numbers of votes were stolen from Sam Darcy, candidate for Governor, who was Officially credited with oniy 5,826 votes while Pettis Pe:ry, his Negro running mate, received 10,- 528 and Archie Brown, candidate for State Treasure-, received 25,725. The 47,000 votes cast for Harold Ashe, candidate for secretary of State, were taken as a more nearly accurate indication of strength of the Communist Party in the elec- tion. Pat Chambers, militant agricul- tural workers’ leader, who spent the campaign period in prison as the result of his strike activity, received 1,025 votes on a write-in as candi- date fo> United States senator. BALTIMORE, M. D., Dec. 25.— The complete official canvass of the Communist vote polled in this state in the Nov. 6 election showed a small increase over the Communist vote in 1932. The vote for the Communist state ticket was as follows: Governor, Bernard Ades, 800; Samuel Gale, United States Senator, 1188; Pinker- ton, Attorney-General, 916; Comp- troller, Howell, 1.140; Clerk of the Court of Appeals, Parke, 1792, an increase of 343 votes over the high- est number ever polled before by the Communist Party when Bradley, running for United States Senator in 1932, received 1,449 votes. m Insurance Benefit Seamen Rap Forced Labor Camp Scheme Elect Delegates for Cap-| ital Congress On | Insurance pie | PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Dec. 25.—| Calling for a fight against the Hit- lerite transient relief camps which are planned for all seamen on re- ef, a meeting called by the Water- front Unemployed Council here last Friday elected delegates to the Washington Congress for Unem- ployment Insurance, The “Scuttle Butt,” bulletin sued by the Waterfront Unemployed | Council, in its Dec. 21 issue, warn- ing the seamen that Philadelphia may be the next port where a| forced labor camp may be estab- | lished for all seamen on relief, states: | “Seamen's relief has been cut off | in Norfolk and seamen are being put on transient relief. A fascist program of 30 hours forced labor a | week for 25 cents and garbage has been established. This attack upon the seamen’s relief follows on the heels of the transient policy for | seamen in New Orleans and New- port Nevs.” is- Seamen Demonstrate in South HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 24.—Un- | der the leadership of the Water- front Unemployed Council, unem- ployed seamen of this city dem- onstrated against the attempt of the relief authorities to take them | out of restaurants and rooming houses and place all seamen on re- lief in a transient camp five miles | from the shipping office. Seamen were likewise to be subject to 30 hours of forced labor a week. | Police broke up the march, after the seamen had gone two miles of the five to the transient bureau. The seamen, however, proceeded to the bureau, and sent in their com- | mittees, The relief officials were | finally forced to agree that the forced labor program be abandoned and that the present relief system | continue until it is possible to pre- pare a project nearby. Man Jailed For Picking | Coal in Yard WILKES-BARRE, Pa., Dec. 25.— | The Unemployment Councils and the International Labor Defense have organized a joint campaign for the release of Joe Salonas, a | young unemployed worker who was arrested by the Hudson Coal Com- pany for picking coal, and is being held for sentence here. An attempt is being made to rail- toad Salonas to jail on a charge of larceny and trespassing. The re- lief officials of Lucerne County, in | order to stop unemployed families | from receiving coal through the Emergency Relief Bureau, tells these workers to go out and pick | coal and not be so lazy. When these workers are caught, the relief | board washes its hands of the whole | affair by calling it an “unfortunate | incident” and telling the workers that they should be more careful | and they would not get into trouble. The Unemployment Council is carrying on a vigorous fight against this system of railroading workers | to jail, and has declared that the relief officials are responsible for all such cases. Resolutions protesting against | this system of railroading workers | to jail and has declared that the relief officials are responsible for | all such cases. | Resolutions protesting against this arrest and demanding the re- lease of Joe Salonas, as well as all| other workers arrested on similar | charges, are being passed in all Un- employment Council locals, and mass meetings are being arranged throughout Wyoming Valley to fur- ther this struggle and to raise the question of an adequate supply of coal for all families on relief. Scottsboro Mother And Richard Moore To Talk in Brooklyn NEW YORK—Mrs. Ida Norris, | Scottsboro mother, and Richard B. Moore will speak at a mass meet- ing for the defense of the Scotts- boro boys tomorrow evening at the Boro Park Cultural Center, 1280 56th Street, Brooklyn. The meet- ing is called by the Flla May Branch of the West End Section of the International Labor Defense to help raise urgently needed funds to push the mass fight and the appeal, already. filed with the U. S. Su- preme Court for reversal of the death sentences imposed upon Clarence Norris and Haywood Pat- terson. The State of Alabama has filed briefs with the courts opposing the I. L. D. appeal against the lynch verdicts, and the decision of the court is expected early in January. Mrs. Norris and Moore will speak at another Scottsboro rally Friday night at 220 East 14th Street, un- der the auspices of the Tom Mooney Branch of the I. L. D. You know neighbors who should | date polled 1,951 |to the mercy of the bosses. | cessful conclusion. read the Daily Worker. Ask them to subscribe! Page 3 upports Plan of Roosevelt Committee Rank and File | Painters Hail | Call for Unity Protective Association to Organize Fight for One Union The steps taken recently by the Alteration Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers Union in an effort to bring about the establishment of one union in the industry by their uniting with the Brotherhood of Painters of District Council No. 9, A. F. of L., received yesterday the endorsement of the Painters’ Rank and File Protective Association of the Brotherhood. The Association is an influential organization of rank and file mem- bers of the Brotherhood. In ths last elections, in June, its candi- as compared with the 2,400 claimed by Phillip Zausner, secretary of District Coun- cil 9. The endorsement the unity proposal of the A. P. D. P. U. by the Association is contained in a statement issued by the Executive Board of the Association. The statement follows “The Painters’ Rank and File Protective Association, in the name of the rank and file membership of our organization, greets and wel- comes the initiative steps taken by of the Alteration Painters’ Union to unite all the painters into one union. Unity Is Burning Need “The unbearable conditions of the thousands of painters, both within and outside of the organiza- tion, and the further attacks planned by the employers and real estate owners to iower our stand- ards of living even more, point to the burning need of unity of ail painters in the industry. “The rank and file membership of the Brotherhood of D. C. 9 never considered the A. P. U. a dual ore | ganization. The reasons for the ex- istence of the Alteration Painters’ Union are well known to our mem- bership. The A. P. U., while in ex- istence, played an important role as a driving force in compelling the Brotherhood to begin unionization in the alteration trade. Officials Always Opposed Move “For many years the rank and file in the Brotherhood advocated and agitated for the organization of the alteration trade. This, however, was disregarded by the officials of our union, on the grounds that the | membership was kept working on new construction. “The result of such a policy was that tens of thousands of painters in the City of New York were left With the 1929 crash the number of unem- ployed members in the Brotherhood grew, and mey began to look to- | ward the alteration field for work. The criminal neglect of our officials to organize the alteration painters resulted in wage cut after wage cut for both the organized and unor- ganized. “The racketeering and gangster methods practiced by some officials in the local unions, as well as in the District Council 9, the high initiation fees of $75, $150 and $300, the denial of trade union democ- racy, stealing of elections and such other methods of the officials, kept thousands of unorganised painters away from our Brotherhood. The unorganized painters, therefore, were forced to organize into a union which would protect and safeguard their interests. They organized the A.B. D-£..U. “The Painters’ Rank and File Protective Association calls upon the broad membership of our union to force the action for unity pro- posed by the A. P. D. P. U. to suc- Let us all join hands in the fight for better con- | ditions and for one union in the painters’ trade.” ‘WorkersCenter To Get Funds From Banquet NEW YORK.—Many outstanding leaders in the revolutionary activity of the American working class will be present at the banquet in Irving Plaza Hall, Irving Place and 15th St., on Saturday evening, sponsored by the Central Committee of the Communist Party for the benefit of the New York Workers Center. Among those who will greet the delegates from workers organiza- tions attending the banquet will be Earl Browder, Clarence Hathaway, James W. Ford, Jack Stachel, and Charles Krumbein. Joseph Brodsky, chief counsel for the International | Labor Defense, and Carl Brodsky, treasurer of the New York State Committee of the Communist Party, will also be present. The banquet will be a high point in the effort of workers’ organiza- tions to raise $5,000 for the Work= ers Center, which is needed imme- diately to maintain all the services | and functions of the building. A concert program has been ar- ranged for the occasion. There will be dancing following the banquet. Volunteer waiters and ushers have been asked to register at Room 200, 50 E. 13th St. WHAT’S O. Philadelphia, Pa. Mass Meeting and send off for Dele- — gates to National Congress for So= « cial and Unemployment Insurance, Friday, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. at Broadway Arena, Broad and Christian streets. Speakers: Herbert Benjamin, M¢ Bloor, William N. Jones, Freiheit sangs Parein, Workers’ Harm Band. New Year's Eve Dance and tainment Monday, Dec. 41 at Manor Hall, 911 W. Girard Aj Good orchestra, bar and buffet,” Girard :