The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-07-22
FEDERATION OF
LABOR SCORES
STRENGTHENING
NOckeIs CondOneS Tom
Rickert'S ScGbbery

I
Joseph Wise, recently on the pay
roll of the DAILY WORKER Publish
ing company as linotype operator, but
now a champion red batter, took the
floor to defend the United Garment
Workers in their scabbery. He thought
the scabs did not have their day in
court He wanted to know If the Off
cials of the U. G. w. we're invited
before the executive board of the Fe-
Iteration and why communication
from an organization not affiliated to
the A. F. of L. should receive such con-
sideration. He was referring to the
letter of the joint board of the Anal
gamated calling the attention of the
c. f. of L. to the situation created by
the strikebreaking tactics of the U.
G. w.
Fitzpatrick and Nockels stepped
pretty hard on Mr.. Wise. "If you want
to act as handmaiden and defender
for scabbery, go ahead" declared Fitz-
patrick. Nockels exchanged left hand
ed compliments with Wise, punning on
his cognomen. you are pretty wise
guy said Neckels "but you don't know
everything yet" The delegates laugh
ed at Mr. Wise's discontinue, and that
worthy pulled in his horns until the
TRADE against the Communists began.
On this point he was on all tours with
Fitzpatrick and Nockels and all got
along famously.
avaortfNyo oop1 paiffaosc ronnrf
contained two important recommen-
dations. One was the statement on
the garment workers; the other was a
broadside against the Communists
Several delegates remarked privately
that the action taken by the executive
committee of the federation was first
suggested by the DAILY WORKER
editorially and also raised in local
unions by Communists. In an inter-
view to the Federated Press, Fitzpa-
trick, while expressing friendliness to
the oAmalgamated Clothing Workers,
hoped that the central body would not
be drawn into the controversy. The
DAILY WORKER made this interview
the basis of a strong editorial point
ing out that expressions of friendship
on the part of Fitzpatrick would be
of no, use to the striking clothing
workers unless this friendship was
translated into action and that there
could not be any compromise with
scabbery.
Forced To Act
There, was nothing else for Fitzpa-
trick to do except denounce the scab-
berry of the United Garment Workers
or stand convincted as frothy wind
bag, and an artful dodger of import
ant issues. Fitzpatrick therefore de-
cided to change his tactics and the
condemnation of the U. G. scabbers
was the result. But this policy was
bound to draw fire from the reaction
airy Bill Green, who sits at the same
table with Tom Rickert president of
the United Garment Workers.
As Fitzpatrick explained to the dele
gates, it's game of trade and barter
on the executive committee of the A.
F. of L. you scratch my back and I'll
scratch yours" is the way the thing
works, so when RICKETTS, back became
infected with the hives of scabbery,
it was only natural that he should call
for William Green's scrub brush
Green came down on the Chicago Fe-
deration of Labor for injecting" it.
self into the situation, in fact he made
the same charge against Fitzpatrick
that Fitz is so fond of making against
the Communists.
Fitzpatrick and Nockels got a
stomach of fighting the executive
council of the A. F. of L. in the old
days. Evidently they prefer some
other kind of ballast nowadays. They
prefer to fight the Communists. In
order to ward off a charge that the
Federation had again come under the
control of the Communists the broad
side against the radicals was turned
loose.
1t is significant that no mention of
the attack on the United Garment
/ Workers got into the capitalist press,
but the Herald Examiner carried a
long story telling of the attack on the
Communists Were the reporters aot-
ing under the instructions of Fitzpa-
trick in ignoring the action against
scabbery, one of the biggest pieces of
news that broke on the floor Of the
Federation in many months?
This letter which winds up with the
melodramatic beware" =. mmon to
dime novel conspiracies is splendid
proof of intellectual bankruptcy and
political depravity and obviously writ
ten by the semi-literate who now edits
the champion ridicule butt of labor
journalism, The Federation News.
Fltz Aided British Empire
/ During the discussion that followed
reading of this work of art. Fitzpatrick
explained that he had no objection to
Communists appealing to local unions
for funds provided they came to the
doors Of the locals under their own
names. He appeared to be particularly
angry because Communists with Irish