davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
P:.0. ADVOCATES
CALLED TO meet
Big Conference on Public Own.
ership and Democratic Control
TO be Held Next Month. !

: There is to be a public ownership
conference at Chicago next month. x
has been called by the Public Owner
ship League Of Am erica and will be:
held q tthe Congress hotel, Novem-
Der 1920 and FL. - -. : -. .s<s5.
delegates to the conference. have
been. elected by the miners farm orr
ganizations and railway employees.
John <Brophy has been elected to
represent the miners. He will speak
on the ."Nationaltbation Of the Coal
Mines" -. :: -. - -. s.
The Plumb Plan League, represent
ing the 16 railroad labor organizations.
will be officially represented by Glen
E. Plumb. Warren S. Stone and Tim.
othy Shea. -. 4, = s:l11s /.
The farmers organizati will be
represented by United Stated Senate
Edwin F. Ladd, Lynn J. Frazier, gov-
ernor of North Dakota, William
Lemke, attorney general, and other
big meh OF the farmefs' movement OF
the northwest. =Es< !. 5 IS 3 ss.Ss*s..
Among other speakers willsbes w q.
McAdoo, Eenator Robert N. I.aF'ol--
cite, Rev. John A. Ryan and Oscar.
e. Keller Of st. Paul, member OF C0n-
gress. Frank Hodges, s4crstafys
Miners Federation Of Great BFatla 10
also billed to be present.
The general purpose Of the tonfer.
enc fs to bring toEether. 0rgEnize md
fedcrats the public ownership f0fce1.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22

i ii think prohibition has a good
deal to do about this strike for every
time 1 enter a saloon I hear someone
saying: ITO hell about working If
we cannot get drink once in q while.
Water is no good, it only makes one
sick. Let Mr.. Carnegie drink, water. >
r told them that the whiskey might
come back when the strike is over"
(Report OF 'Z-16.") =s - T..
One undercover man works inside
the plant with the few strike breakers
and tells how "the office clerks are
shoveling coal and they seem to be
working very fine Others attend the
strikers mass meetings at the one
point in this region where the authori-
ties had not forbidden meetings. A
spy report blames these meetings for
the strikes morale and says:
1T is very difficult for me to UNDER
stand why the local authorities per
NIT these regular meetings to be held
in ,:Sharleroi. -. 3.@ Undoubtedly
1t occurs to me that our clients have
considerable influence with the local
authorities. No meetings are being
held In Monessen TERRITORY. nor In any
Of the other nearby mill cenfers and
Z can not see why these meetings
h. CONTINUED on page two.)
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
UNIONS DISCUSS
CEMENT PRICES
Recent Pennsylvania Decision
ON State Owned Plants Bring
Down Price.

WASHINGTON, Oct. Bodybuilding
trade unionlsts in St. Louis are dis
cussins a recent decision by -, the
Pennsylvania state supreme court
which upheld the legality Of state
owned cement plant and refused to
enjoin the selling of bonds by the
cement commission of that state.
The court ruled that. cement and it's
product commodities are necessary
to the people and that the manufac-
ture, distribution and sale Of. it by
the state will tend to promote public
welfare and secure equality of eco
nomic opportunity.
In letter to President Gompers
Maurice Cassidy, secretary of the st.
Louis building trades council, said
that the activities to. start a state
owned plant may be responsible for
the low price of cement in Pennsyl-
.vanla. In September the Pittsburgh
price was $2.02 a barrel as against
$2.23 at Indianapolis, 1928 at Cleve-
land, $2.31 at Detroit, $2.37 at Gin
cinnatti, $2.40 at the New York docks
and $2.86 at Boston,
x Ihe Pennsylvania decision is of in
terest to Missouri trade nnionists be.
cause attempts to have the Missouri
state legislature authorize state
oNnled cement, plant was. defeated at
the last session mainly on the ground
that the project is Unconstitutional
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
ABOUT Time TO Find
ANOTHER SCAPEGOAT

WILMINGTON, DEL, Oct. 20
Five years ago." says the Bulletin CT
the National single tax league there
were too many people in the world
That was how some university 'econ-
omists explained the high cost OF liv-
ing. Since then about ten million peo-
pie have been killed off, in addition to
the regular number of deaths through
natural causes. And the cost Of liv-
ing is still up with tendency to go
higher Unempl ployment, these same
economists attribute to overpopulation.
But at the end of whAle- sale slaugh-
ter, principally of 1aborers, employ
ment is scarcer still, and wages are
dropping.
The economists had better find
another scapegoat before too many
of the 'unlearned' observe that mono-
POLLING of natural opportunities has
some effect on production and distri-
button.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
ALL UNITING To
MAKE ARM|STlCE
DAY MEMORABLE
Mayor SniVe|y Appoints Strong
Committee to Take Full Charge
Of Celebration.

A great disarmament demonstration
will be held in Duluth on Friday. No
vember II, Armistic day, at the date
of the opening of the international
Conference on Armament Lin1ita ton
in Washington.
The Federated Trades assembly has
appointed a committee of ten. headed
by Henry Pereault, and that commit
tee is cooperating with civic, religious
and patriotic. organizations, all OF
which are jointly represented on the
committee having the arrangeme ents
in charge.
The decision to organize the lCcal
demonstration was reached after, the
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, con-
veying to the local labor. organize
tions the decision of the A. F.. OF l..
Executive Council to the effect that a
great demonstration is being organ
lied, of which the local demonstca-
ton is part.
The Importance of the disarma m ent
issue is shown by the fact If the lax
levy for war purposes were evenly
apportioned every man, woman and
child in America would pay yearly
s2S.04 for war, while paying but 54
cents national research, education and
general development. The great dis
parity between our destructive effort
and our constructive effort is thus
graphically shown.
The local dem monstration will not in
clude a parade, but at IL o'clock in
the morning there will be services in
all the churches. At 12. o'clock there
will be silent prayer and during the
afternoon there will be monster mass
meeting at the new armory.
The American Legion, Interchurch
Councile, Rotary, Kiwanis and. other
clubs are joining with organized labor
in the demonstration. Mayor Sniyely
has appointed the following commit
tee to have full charge Of the arrange
ments: w. S. Mccormick. John f.
Jensen, Harvey Hoshour w. L. Smith
les, Rev. H. A. Flyod, Thos Olafson
DR.. w. j. Eklund, Rev. w. F. SECULAR
George Pine. E. A. Silberstein, Mrs
G. C. Cotton and Mrs. A: F. Swan
strom.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
HEFL|N ANSWE ERS
SENATOR n ELS0N :
ON WAGE ATTACK
Shows That Workers. Wages
Are Coming Down While 0ttI.
ciaIs Are Going U ,.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2o.-While tn

WASHINGTON Oct. 2o.-While the
government swells the deafening
chorus for wage reductions, there is
no censure against the federal reserve
bank of New York-maintained and
controlled by: the government-for
It's salary increased of nearly 800 per
cent to Fl officials.
The figures were prepared by John
Shelton Williams, former comptroller
Of the currency and were used ty
Senator Heflin. of Alabama, in a reply
to Senator Nelson, of Minnesota, who
disapproved :'high' wages.
The figures show that 21 persons
connected with federal reserve bank
OF New York were formerly ~paia a
total. ..4ofs &12t80G', a., veal. They are
now paid a total OF $4,000 a year.
:: Formerly, the average for each Of
these. persons was $500 a year, but
the average is now $11,S00 a. year.
Some Of the increases are: Benjamin
Strong, from $50, 900 to $4,000: Pierre
Jay, from $4,000 to $4,000; j. H.
Case. from $4,000 to 100000; E. r.
Kennel, from $4,000 to $4,000; L. F.
,sailer, from $1,000 to $4,000; G. l..
Harrison, from $4,000. to $4,000; l..
III. Hendricks; from. $4,000 to- SIS, 600:
Shepard Morgan, from $4,000 to $751;
900.
1.-THE next time one Of you senators
feel called on to get up here and lam
bast labor said Senator Heflin. II
suggest that you clean up the nigh
salary scandal at the reserve bank
in New York.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
ALLEN Law DON'T WORK
AGAINST CORPORATIONS

KANSAS City, Kan., Oct. 90
This is how Governor Aliens
"can't-strikc" law operates, ac-
cording to the Labor Bulletin, pub
lished in this city:
"Allen has been preaching all
over the country about the success
of his Industrial court; said it had
teeth in both jaws; one to crush
labor and one to bring the corpora
tions to time, but now the Wclff
packing company has done the same
thing that HOWat did-defied the
power of the industrial court, How
ever, no one of the Wolff packing
company is in jail and Howat is.
'"The truth of the matter is that
court was never expected to do any
thing to corporations except some
big blowing for effect on the pub
lic.. Its main object, aside from
killing the unions, was to give Allen
a chance for publicity which they
were certain would land him in the
vice presidents CHAIR
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
DoDGES; Federal BENCH;
Will STAY IN SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20. Sena-
tor Kenyon has declined the ap-
pointment of federal judge OF the
northern Iowa district. 1t Is stated
that he has informed the president
to this effect.
Senator Kenyon is active I'm the
agricultural bloc, nOn-partisan
group of senators from the west
and middle west.
Reaction in the senate, always
non-partisan, fears this group.
whose latest exhibition of strength
is to force the administration crowd
to revise the revenue bill, passed
by the house.
This is bad enough, but worse
yet, the bloc menaces the two-party
llobgoblin that is SO necessary for
the continuance of our form Of
govcrnment-accordfng to reac-
tiOn's spokesman.
: And now Senator Kenyon refuses
to be pushed into a life job ON the
federal judiciary.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
BUILDING TRADES WAGES
REDUCED; WHY NOT BUILD?

CLEVELAND, Oct. 20.-A writer in
one Of the local newspapers says:
"Of course, we all know It was
cam mouflage when the advocates OF
wage reduction last spring said that
if building wages are cut building
will boom again, Well, mechanics
wages have been cut now for over
four months, and lest we forget allow
me to draw attention to the fact that
building operations in July (new) were
fewer in number and involved less
expenditure than in any month since
last February
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22

ing the widespread Corporations Aux
iliary company. The spies, designated
by code "Z-16," ''X-199," mo. 203."
etc., mixed with the strikers or held
jobs inside the plant dressed as
workers.
The Corporation Auxiliary company
professed to have 500 such "opera-
tives" at work in the steel strike and
the concerns Pittsburgh manager told
the investigator that many Of. these
were inside the unions frequently as
officers. The undercover men were
Aostly '"foreigners'' like the workmen
they mix with. Their reports were
very generally sent to the detective
.agency's headquarters to be "edited'
or rewritten, then mailed to the en-
ploying steel company. Their duties
were to "break the morale of the
strikes" IL.
,..%l Work among the Strikers.
! Extracts are given from scores Of
the undercover mems reports showing
how they wormed their way among
the Nonessen strikers, what sort Of
conversation they report what sort Of
strikebreaking rumors they spread. A
general unreliability and worthlessness
2characterizes their reports. offset by
human touches such as:: s.,.s s5sa 5sf
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
ADMINISTRATION.
UP IN AIR over
ITS TAX POLICY
Rock Upon Which Party is Split
ting in Congress Into Sepa-
rate Glass Groups.

WASHINGTON, Oct 2o.-The fiscal
policy of this administration is the
rock upon which the Republican party
is splitting in Congress and upon which
it will split throughout the nation
if the administration plans are carried
out.
The word "policy'' is used figura-
lively, for the proposed procedure in
matters of taxation particularly, in
wolves no policy that includes either
the principles of finance or economies.
Scheme is the better word for 1t
amounts solely to a scheme to relieve
profiteerins corporations of a just TAX
and shift that burden unjustly upon
the already overburdened small tax
payer, including the smaller corpora
tions.
This split among the Republicans in
the Senate is so much in view that
even the Presidents Washington news
paper mouthpiece is compelled to
note Of it.. After citing a proposed
coalition between the Progressive Re-
publicans and Democrats on the tax
bill and the alleged plan of the Demo-
Gratis to vote for sale tax amend
ment and then vote against the bill
in company with Republicans opposed
to the sale tax. the Washington Post
says
Threatens Disaster.
"Either horn Of the dilemma
threatens disaster to the Republican
party in whose ranks the split of dis
cord is daily growing wider. The
present situation at the Capital is dis
closing to public view a fact which
cannot much longer be concealed, that
the Republican party today is not
functioning smoothly and efficiently
apart as the poles on some of the
greatest questions underlying what is
attempt to be made into definite
policy.
'The bonds which held it's comno-
nent parts together during the cam
paign, when Republicans of all shades
Of opinion were actuated by a COM
mon opposition TO what became known
as Wisconsin, are today falling as
under. The serious feature Of the SIT
-uation from the ~party's point Of view
is not that the party is not working
harm oniously, but that the fundalnen-
tai differences between Republicans
are today as great, if not actually,
greater, than they were in 1912"
And then, as if to show the he!rful
and constructive efforts Of the Demo-
Gratis in behalf of honest taxation, the
Post adds.
Proposed Amendments
The Democrats have seized this
opportunity to propose to the Pro-
gressive Republicans certain definite
amendments which might be written
into the pending tax bill to make it
more accepta BILE to BOTH"
All Of this, mind you, comes from
a newspaper accepted as the admlnis-
| tration organ at the Capital which
faithfully chronicles the activities of
the administra ton, political and social,
including the marvellous feats Of Bud-
get Commissioner Dawes and his in
visible Savings" the goings out ard
comings in Of the valiant Brigadier
General Sawyer, the diversions of Lad
die Boy and the bull pup with the
editorial page literally spread over
with the lemon meringue of adula ton.
However, the Post is to be compli-
mented upon the accuracy of it's vision
and the boldness to a point out "a
fact which cannot much longer be con
cealed."
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
] ;|' | !: ! / !, ! !! "
TO vI07I''. 1,||''f'R||kE
In MEA1;pLANTS
Butcher Workmen Face ''0pen
Shop" Campaign to be Waged
byunho|y BIg-FIve.

At this writing it begins to look as
if general strike among the packing
house employees of the United States
is imminent. More than 900 em-
ployes walked out of the John Morrell
Packing company plant at Ottumwa,
Iowa, Wednesday afternoon, follow
ing failure to agree over wages and
working conditions in the trimming
department. Four hundred more left
work yesterday and the tie-up is COM
plete.
surprise to those who have been
keeping in touch with the labor situ-
alton in the packing industry, for the
various local unions throughout the
country in the Amalgamated Meat
cutters and Butcher Workmens'
union have just completed voting on
a proposition to authorize it's execu-
tive officers to call strike should
they fail in negotiations with the
packers.
A short time ago the packers an
in the future, following the expira-
ton of the Alschuler agreement on
September IS last. The big Five
declared they would recognize! "col-
ective bargaining" through "com-
pany union with no outside inte:fer-
ence." That would mean the end of
the Amalgamated among the pack ers.
Strike Vote Taken. ="
When the packers advised the
officers Of the Amalgamated that they
would refuse to deal with them fur
ther and would treat with their en-
plOyes as individuals" a strike vote
was taken which was carried in every
local by big majorities. Further at
tempts to negotiate with the packers
were contemplated before the execu-
tive officers would use the power
vested in them to call general strike
in the packing industry: The Ottum-
wa strike will in all proba bility bring
the whole situation to a. sudden head.
The big packers underestimate the
strength: of the union among their
employees. They have publicly de-
clared that the.union men were not,fn
the majority, while the unions of GERS
announce that the Industry is nearly
Ivy per cent Inc faCt <hat
900 employees out of 1900 walked out
of the Morrell plant at Ottur:owa
Thursday would indicate that the
union officials were correct in their
claim.
Eighty-five per cent of the pack
ing house employees at Omaha, 80 ner
cent at Milwaukee, 94 per. cent at
East st. Louis and a big majority at
Fort Worth, all strongly union, have
voted favoring a strike in the event
of the failure Of their officers to ef-
feet a decent settlement with the
packers. The officers are now busily
engaged in counting the big Chicago
and Kansas City ballots.
A railroad and a packing house
strike at the same time in the United
States, would involve more than
2,500,000 workers directly and more
than that number Indirectly. It is
the greatest crisis that has confronted
the American labor movement in its
history. The meat trust is part of the
organized anti-union bloc that has
sworn to destroy organized labor.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
union HEADS TO
STOP STRIKE|F
ROADS AREFA|R
Some Concession Must be Made
and Assurance Given Of F1-
ture Good Conditions.

Officers of all the railroad labor
unions are in possession of sealed
orders from their respective interna
tional presidents to be opened only
after the receipt of kilograms on the
evening of October 80. It believed
these orders contain the complete de-
tails Of the strike call.
All eyes are this day centered on
Chicago where the heads of the
brotherhoods are in conference with
the railroad labor board. The repre-
sentatives of the other II railroad Ia
Dor organizations are on hand, but
have not been called into the meet
ing. 1t may be decided today whether
the 16 unions will walkout together
should strike be called on October
80.
They Want No Strike.
Most railroad men believe there will
be an eleventh hour. adjustment Of
some kind, possibly but an armistic.
There is one thing certain, the unions
can not back down without some con-
cession. Every bridge has been
burned behind them. Some assurance
must be given that there will be no
further wage cuts and that working
conditions will not be made more
severe and less favorable to satisfy the
great army Of workers who have en-
powered their executive officers to call
a. strike.
Contrary to press reports the union
officials arp not eager for strike.
They are doing everything within
their power to avert one If a strike
is called it will be after every means
to prevent one HAS failed. 1t is the
railway executives who are obdurate
They seem to be courting trouble.
Let is come" said one Of them the
other day. Like Pullman of 1894 they
have nothing to arbitrate," or like
Jay Gould, the first of the railroad
plunderers, "the public be damned, 4"
and all the time through their pub
licitty agencies they are attempting
to fasten the blame on labor
Their Petty Chickering's.
Back Of all the labor unrest on the
railroads is their picayunish policy of
contesting every trifling complaint of
the man. The employees have a mil
nun grievances .dSd1IloL LIlc iOduS, all
little in the eyes Of the managers, out
big indeed in the lives of each of the
men.
F.. D. Underwood, one of the railway
executives said this week that rail-
road strike at this time. would be
be strike against the railroad labor
board. he held, because the mon ere
protesting against the recent 12 per
cent wage cut.
On the other hand the roads have
contested every decision of the rail-
road board that was unfavorable to
them. There is a case at Proctor on
the Duluth. Missa bi & Northern where
the railroad labor board ordered the
reinstatement of several shOpmen
unjustly discharged, one of whom was
to be given full pay for the time he
was out of the service through un-
warranted dismissal. That decision
has been ignored by the roads offic-
ials as has been mCst every decision
favorable to the employees rendered
by the labor board
The underlying cause of the pro-
sent controversy on the railroads is
not the wage question so much as it
is the failure of the roads to tote
square with the employees and there
IS an abundance fevidence to verify
the truth of this claim.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
WANTS MINES NATION Allied

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 2o.-Nation-
alization of mines was reaffirmed ty
the convention of the United Mine
Workers.
The lone big union idea was
showed down the coal chute by an
overwhelming vote without discus
sion. The miners have complete con-
troll of this industry and they are not
impressed by the logic" Of sky
shooters.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
RETAILERS ARE BLAMED
FOR HIGH FOOD PRICES

- NEW YORK, Oct. zo.-Retailers are
responsible for high food prices, &C.
cording to Ewin J.. O'Malley, commits
sioner of markets. He said the pre-
sent food supply is, on the whole, the
largest in the history of: the city. and
that if dealers were not seeking excess
sive profits food prices would be low
,er. than at any time since the COM
mencement of the war. :
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-22
BRAINERD MILL RESUMES

BRAINERD, MIMI, Oct. 2O.-
The Northwest Paper company re-
sumed work on Monday, Oct. 8. The
paper and pulp mills have been shut
down since May / when a strike was
called and the resumption of work
means much for Brainerd