davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
BOSTON A. F, OF |.
ORGANIZES DRIVE.
IN 8 INDUSTRIES
Card System Makes All
Organizers

BOSTON, April 19-The American
Federation Of Labor organizing con-
ference committee for Metropolitan
Boston, at a meeting in Wells Me-
mortal building last night, selected
three industries Of this city for the
first organized drive in the local cam
paign. The names were not an
nounced, but will be given the i'm
mediate attention OF members Of the
committee assigned by the confer
ence. ion
Gard System.
Last nights meeting unanimously
approved the card system campaign
suggested by the executive commit
tee. BY this system every member of
a union in the entire organized labor
movement acts as an organizer and
can pick his own field for his work.
More than 100000 Of these cards, bear
ing the caption, Declaration in Favor
of Union Membership" with designat-
ed places for filling in name, address,
the name Of industry and employer
will be distributed among the various
affiliated unions and will in turn be
given in blocks of 10 to each member
Of union by an officer of the local
to whom the filed in cards must be
returned.
Enrolment.
According to the plan worked out
by the body, the cards when filed will
be turned back to the conference for
classification, after which they will
be turned over to the unions of crafts
of occupations Of the signers. When
there are no unions of crafts or indus
tries mentioned by the signers, these
applicants will be enrolled into organ
izations by the conference and appli-
cations made to the A. F. of L. foi
charters for these particular groups.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
. The Minority Conference.
BY EARL 5RoWDER.

M7HEN the Extraordinary Confer
w ence of Action was called by the
British Minority Movement, to meet
on Sunday, March 81, in Battersea,
London, it was already quite well
known that great crisis was impend-
ing in Great Britain. What remained
to be seen was, to what extent the
British workers realized the gravity of
the struggles ahead of them, and
whether they are ready in sufficient
numbers to follow the fighting lead of
the British Minority Movement. The
conference was large beyond expecta-
tions, and the spirit of the delegates
there makes it certain, that in the
impending struggles the outcome will
not be left in the hands of the right
wing leaders.
Almost 2,400 workers crowded into
the great hall Of the Latchmere Baths,
where the conference met. OF these,
SSS were delegates, elected by SAT or
CARNATIONS, representing $50, 1000 men,
bers of the trade union movement.
About 1900 were individual trade
unionist supporters in the capacity of
guests. This compares well with the
last Minority Movement Conference at
which 63S delegates attended, repre-
senting 406 organizations with 10000
members. 1t is quite clear that there
has been a great increase in the fol-
lowing Of the Minority Movement in
the last months.
The extraordinary conference Of
action takes on all the more impor-
ance, because there have been a
1hole series Of developments in Great
Britain during February and March,
hich intensity the crisis, call for a
/ trong lead for the labor movement,
nd raise grave dangers before the
working class. The most important
Of these developments swing around
he points Of (a) the coal commission
report; (b) the threatening national
lockout in the engineering industry;
and (c) the danger Of betrayal of the
trade union movement by the right.
wing elements in the leadership.
Report of the Coal Commission.
A FTER "Red Friday" in the sum.
4 mer of 1925, when the splendid
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

man Win experiences IN west virginia
mine operation.
Explosions Due to skimpIng.
II do not hesitate to say" Wolfe
asserts, that many of our mine ex-
plosions are directly traceable to the
intense competition that now exists
and which has existed in the blum
nous mining industry in the past sew
eral years. Competition in the selling
of coal has so reduced the returns Of
the mining companies that in many
instances these companies are run at
loss"
Wolfe recalls Hoovers statement
that one-third of the mines must be
eliminated and continues: People who
have their money invested in the min
ing industry have been constantly
fighting to escape this elimination and
have in competition forced the price Of
coal down to a point where in a num-
Der Of cases II does not yield the min
ing cost to the operator, let alone the
depreciation to his property thru the
withdrawal of the mineral from his
land"
From practical knowledge acquired
in the running OF these mines Wolfe
then goes on to describe how "the
stockholders are on the back of the
president of the company for divi-
dends; in turn the president goes after
the general manager for lower OPP
Grating costs; the general manager
goes after the superintendent for
lower costs, and when 1t gets down to
this point, the superintendent is gen.
orally told that IL he cannot produce
coal cheaper he will have TO get out"
So the pressure of the stockholders
finally reaches the foremen, supplies
are skimped, necessary dead work is
left undone, and supervision, so i'm
portant factor in safety, is elimin-
ated.
1T takes a brave and independent
mining Official" says Wolfe, ito ignore
demands made upon him by superior
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

ready, however, the strategy Of Bald
win is becoming clear. On March II,
the Scottish miners executive official
ly took note Of rumors that the report
originally called for a continuance Of
the subsidy, but that this was with
drawn on the request Of Baldwin. On
March IS, the London Times printed
an inspired story which said:
at is understood that the cabinet
feel that the continuance of modi-
fed form Of subsidy should be ac-
companied by an agreement to ac-
cept the main proposals Of the re-
port in their entirity, coupled with
an assurance that there shall be no
upheavals in the industry for def
mite period of, say, five years."
ENROM all the foregoing, It is clear
4 what are the lines of attack
against the miners. AS it is we'll
known that only the continuance of
the subsidy will prevent the closing
down of innumerable mines and mass
unemployment of miners, the threat OF
this is held over the heads of the work
ers in order to force them to agree 20
the wage-cut. Further provision for
completely destroying the Miners Fed
GRAFTON of Great Britain is contained
in the proposal for tying its hands for
five years (taking leaf from the book
Of the American mine operators, who
have used precisely such scheme to
break the union in the United States);
in the proposal Of variable district
minimi (setting one district against
another, and destroying the basis Of
national solidarity, while keeping the
workers tied up with national agree
ment" which means nothing except ma
tional control to revent strikes); and
especially in the proposal for obliga-
tory profit sharing and pit commit
tees, (another item inspired by the
success Of similar methods used by the
capitalists of America-the infamous
company unionism," and the corrup-
ton Of special groups and leaders by
profits" bonuses, etc., at the expense
of the workers as a whole). Accom-
panying this is generous assistance to
the private capitalists, already rolling
in wealth, for the necessary reorgan-
ization of the industry. The so-called
naturalization Of the minerals" is
merely the consolidation Of the present
royalties In the form Of government
securities, a measure in the interests
Of the exploiters.
Altogether, 1t is vicious and cum
ningly prepared attack, which viii 70
quire intelligence and iron determine
ton, and fearless leadership on the
part Of the trade unions to repulse.
(Another article tomorrow
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
Timberworkers Badly
Exploited in Texas

HOUSTON, Texas, April 1s-Saw-
mill hands work hours a day for
S2.25 in Wiergate, Texas.
The workers, majority Of whom are
white, live in company houses and
buy all supplies from a company store.
These houses are built from old lum-
Der and few months rent pays the
cost of building.
A brotherin-law OF John Kirby, lum-
Der king, is the owner Of the whole
country. This boss and owner, Myers
Of the Wier-Longleaf Lumber Co. and
the w. R. Wier Lumber Co. is Judge
and lawmaker. When an undesirable"
moves in he is soon found out and
run out. An undesirable" is one who
disputes conditions.
Mr.. Myers is very considerable" OF
his men. When they are sick he in
quires about them and sees that their
religious needs are administered to.
AS yet the whole industry is I'M
organized. In fact, a union man is
not permitted on the vast holdings
Of this king"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

Bills Of this kind are potentially
dangerous, because they can be fire.
quently used by hostile interests to
the injury and disadvantage of the
labor movement" Now be it there
fore
Resolved, that we delegates to the
Central Trades and Labor Union of
st. Louis, Mo-, assembled at our reg
ular meetings on Sunday, April II, at
222S Olive street, do hereby earnestly
protest and emphatically declare our
opposition to the passage of bills Nos.
$3.50, 374S, 6523 and 44S9, or to any
other legislation having for its pur-
pose the outlawing of the foreign-born
workers in this country, and be it fur
Their
Resolved, that we call upon the ex-
ecutive council of the A. F. of L. to
carry on an energetic struggle against
the above mentioned bills, and to use
all Of its resources in its efforts to de-
feat them, and be it further
Resolved, that copies of this resolu-
ton be sent to the representatives of
this state in congress with the demand
that they shall cast their votes against
this discriminatory legislation against
the foreign-born workers and that cop
les also be sent to the press.
The above resolution was passed
without dissenting vote. In accord
ance with the standing custom it will
be spread on the minutes of the Cen
trail Trades and Labor Union and also
be sent to the press and various indi-
viduals and organizations mentioned
in the resolution.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

THE International holders Journal,
4 edited by John P. Frey, takes an
entirely different attitude toward the
strike of the 10000 textile workers in
Passaic than William Green, president
Of the American Federation of Labor,
and Mcmahon, head of the United Tex
tile Workers.
Green refuses to organize these
striking textile workers, despite their
numerous appeals that he come to Pas
sale and organize them. Mcmahon of
the United Textile Workers also re-
fuses to go to Passaic to organize
these workers. Both of them declare
that they will go to Passaic only after
the strike is settled" and has become
ancient history.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

officers in the matter of costs and 10
at all times preserve inside conditions
Of his mine at high degree of safety
There are such mining officials and
there are some companies that place
the general safety Of their property
and the lives of their employees above
every other consideration, but the
tendency is pretty general to do every
thing possible to meet the continued
lower sales price OF coal by reducing
the operating cost and in reducing
this cost long chances are sometimes
taken.
Accidents on Increase.
"There is no one connected with the
state mining department of West vir-
ginia who would openly admit that as
the price OF coal goes down the num-
Der Of mining accidents increase. They
would not dare TO make such an ad-
mission. But these very men will tell
you privately that such is the case"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

IOllOWbs
Whereas, Representatives Aswell,
Johnson, McClintic and others sub
mitted in the house bills Nos. 1888,
S74S, 652S and 44S9, proposing to regis
ter, photograph and fnger-print all
foreign-born workers, and to deport
them in case they fail to have them
selves registered, photographed and
finger-printed, thus threatening to sep
arate them from their families, and in
many cases sending them to their di-
rect death in their former home coun-
tries, and
Whereas, the purpose of these pro
posed laws is to create reserve army
of foreign-born workers, prevented un-
der threat Of deportation from organ
izing and going on strike to secure
higher wages and to better working
conditions, thus tending to lower the
standard of living of the entire work
ing class in this country, and
Whereas, the committee on legisla.
ton of the executive council of the
American Federation of Labor in its
report to the 54th annual convention
of the American Federation of Labor
made the following declarations re-
garding the above mentioned mills, as:
This highly obnoxious measure,
which would, If enacted into law, mean
the adoption by our government of the
spying practices of private detective
agents.
1.-THE potential danger of the prin-
ciple embodied in these bills is very
great. It has all the elements of a
strike-crushing, understanding pro-
posal"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
Points Out Miserable Conditions.

FoIntS OUT miserable Conditions.
Frey, in his editorial entitled Sup
plying Radical Ammunition" points
out the miserable conditions the work
ers were forced to work under and the
unreasonable attitude of the employ
ers in trying to slash the starvation
wages 10 per cent. He points out the
police brutality, showing that Passaic
police, by the use of their clubs and
tear-gas bombs, are doing more to
make revolutionists than all Of the
agitation Of the Communists could do.
The DAILY WORKER agrees with
Frey that the police thugs, by beat
ing and throwing gas bombs at the
strikers, are making Communists and
opponents of the capitalist system and
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

Estate Of New York,
County Of New York.
Justine Waterman Wise, being
duly sworn, deposes and says, as fol-
lows:
Il have lived in Passaic for over
four months during the winter OF
1924-1925. During that time / worked
on the evening shift OF the Passaic
Cotton Mills, for day at Forstmann-
Huffmann's when was discharged
and threatened with arrest by the
head Of the personnel department. Mr..
Rheinhold. | was then absolutely
blacklisted. my card emitting me to
apply for work being confscated by
the Central employment Bureau, the
agency Of the Wool Council of Pas
sale, and was forced to work in a
small knitting mill in Passaic Park
where / earned IS week to begin
with.
Seereuate Foreign-5orn.
while living and working in Pas
sale with three other friends, we
found that the different foreign groups
were segregated and were in no way
touched by any Worthwhile American
ization work. We found that, when
we suggested classes in workers edu-
cation, the workers at once asked If It
would be safe for the textile workers.
fearing that those workers who at
tended would upon being reported to
the employers be discharged.
I'VE found that women still worked
all night. We found that the night
law which was supposed to go into
effect Jan 1, 1925 was ignored.
Low Wages.
I'VE found wages so low that moth
ers and grandmothers were forced
into the mills, no men, with the ex-
ception OF a few highly skilled WORK
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
BRITISH CRISIS
CONSIDERED BY
INTERNATIONAL
World Mine Unions to
Support British

BRUSSELS, April 1s.-At meeting
Of the executive committee Of the In
ternational Miners Federation to hear
an outline of the British coal crisis by
A. ]. Cook, Frank Hodges and other
British miners leaders, the following
action was taken:
1.-THE international committee is pre-
pared to take action, if necessary, to
prevent coal being exported to Great
Britain in the event of stoppage."
international Strike.
"In the event of an international
strike being called by competent ma
tional organizations, the international
committee adjures the national organi-
cations not to terminate the strike be-
fore a satisfactory basis for the re-
of work has been found in
all countries"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
Mill Shutdown Throws
$500 Out of Job

PROVIDENCE. r. l., April 10 -
Twenty-three hundred operatives were
thrown out of work when the Natick
and Arctic mills OF Knight Borthers,
Inc, in the Pawtucket Valley, and
the Grant mill of that concern in this
city. closed today. for an indefinite
period.
The Royal mill at Riverpoint also
suspended operations with the excep-
ton OF about 900 looms. Unfavorable
market conditions were given as the
cause for the suspension Of work.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
Seventeen Workers
Hurt in N. j. Blast

CAMDEN, N. j., April 19-seven-
teen persons were injured. one prob
ably fatally, in an explosion late to-
day in the plant Of the Victor Talking
Machine Company, here. About 200
employees were working on the third
and fourth floors when spontaneous
combustion caused the blast in a
metal sawdust conveyor.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

woman had been forced to report that
she seemed perfectly all right
Terrorized by Spy System.
eve found the workers terrorized
by the espionage system, which was
doing more than any other single fac
tor with the possible exception OF the
starvation wages, TO prevent the
workers from becoming Americans in
anything but their physical press in
America.
justine Waterman Wise,
Sworn to before me this 31st day
of March, 1926, Kate V. Slovin, Notary
Public, Kinks County Clerks N. 57S
New York County Clerks No. 1871, N.
Y. County Registers No. 1896. Term
expires March 30, 1927"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
ST. LOUIS CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL IN
VIGOROUS PROTEST AGAINST ALIEN
REGISTRATION BILLS IN CONGRESS

LOUIS Union at its reg
meeting
$685. Ss4S 1928 and ss which
resolution approval entire
vicious OF bills
capitalist
destroy resolution reads
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

The following is the first of three
articles on the impending industrial
crisis in Great Britain written by
Earl Browder. The writer is at
present abroad and has made a spe-
cial study of the English crisis.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

A bust Of Le'pia toitb each fre
hundred points. Get the point!
A book Of cartoons ioith erery
hundred points. Get the pointi
GET THE PolNTi
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

II you send a sub you will build
The DAILY WORKER, and The
DAILY WORKER will help to build
the movement. Get the polnts
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
ESPIONAGE SYSTEM TERRORIZES
THE PASSAIC TEXTILE WORKERS

PASSAC following afdavt points
the low the the terrible
mills the
teroze the workers the organizing
unions and fighting
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
Supplying Radical Ammunition

IL IS raLner dlmcult to secure a
complete, weH-balanced statement Of
what has been taking place in Passaic,
NJ ]. Wages in the textile mills in
Passaic have been reduced. So have
wages in most of the other textile
mills. The reduction was unjustila-
BILE for no industry has been more
thoroly protected by the tariff.
Police Beat Strikers.
"The textile operatives in Passaic,
smarting under low wages which were
being reduced to a still lower level, or
ganized and went on strike. Some
authorities claim that this strike was
seized upon by Communists as an op-
portunity to educate the workers, to
drill and discipline them in prepare
ton OF an armed overthrow Of the gov
eminent. II this is true, then the 20
lice force. under Chief Of Police Zober,
lid everything possible to assist these
revolutionary elements in training the
iiscontented for the day at the barri-
,ades and the revolution.
What alleged revolutionists endeav-
ored to stir up by words the police
,orce endeavored to stir up by direct
action. While many details are lack
ing, there was something in the nature
Of unusual excitement at least. The
police used tear-gas bombs, mounted
policemen rode down strikers, flremen
turned the hose upon them, and police
mems clubs were freely used. Not
only did the strikers get the benefit of
this display Of force, but the news
paper reporters and photographers
came in for a plentiful share OF vio-
lence, among the casualties being
some three thousand. five hundred dol
lars worth of newspaper cameras
which were smashed.
There have been, and there still
are, some men who preach the gospel
of revolution. They teach the work
men that their only salvation is to
overthrow the government, and seize
the power themselves. They tell wage
earners that the authorities are moth
ing but the tools of employers, pre-
pared to shoot down the workers upon
the slightest provocation.
Attacks Police Force.
What the police force did in Pas
sale, N. j., a few weeks ago supplies
at least as much ammunition for the
hery-tongued reyolutionists as that
supplied by the most pig-headed arbi-
trary employers. or the two, the un-
necessary use Of force against strikers
is much more dangerous to good gov
eminent than the doctrines taught BY
those who believe that European rcvo-
lutionary theories should be adopted
by America wage-earners."
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
LIVES OF COALDIGGERS ARE
SACRIFICED TO GET DIVIDENDS
BY LELAND oLps, Federated Press.

How the lives of coal dggers sacrificed
holders for dividends told letter
the
Wolfe writer produced compe
tn for profits The letter of especial interest
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

ers receiving anything near what has
been determined by the United States
department Of labor to be a minimum
wage.
I'm the Passaic Cotton Mills stood
eight hours at time, there being no
fixed lunch period, the workers being
expected TO either eat a sanwich or go
to an adjacent building to get lunch
at cafeteria, eat it and be back with
in Is minutes. The law makes a half
hour lunch period compulsory. There
were no seats either near the machine
or in the dressing room.
1--WE found that the workers were
suspicious not only Of newcomers but
Of neighbors because they did not
know who might be labor spy. /
never heard the words trade union or
labor movement mentioned in a shop.
After the mills thru their espionage
system discovered that my friends and
I we're college graduates, they not
only blacklisted us but we went to
the head Of the Y. w. @. A. and asked
that we be excluded from the privil-
eyes thereof.
Discharge Workers.
ION being asked how they knew
that we had been there and at the In
stitute, we had visited the latter only
once, Mr.. Andres said that had been
seen going in and coming out. Bertha
Paret, one OF our group was dis
charged from Observation-Disclosures
they at the time declaring that they
had found that she was a college grad
uate thru a friend and not thru any
spy system. Later we discovered
that they had a paid detective work
next TO her for three weeks to learn
about Miss Paret and that this young
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21

its institutions among the textile
workers of Passaic.
Tomorrow the DAILY WORKER
Will print another comment from some
other union journal to show the atti-
tude the greater section of the Ameri-
can trade union movement is taking
toward the Passaic strike.
Frey's editorial follows:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-21
Low Wages

I'VE found wages so low that moth
ers and grandmothers were forced
into the mills, no men, with the ex-
ception OF a few highly skilled WORK
Imperial Valley press., 1926-08-13
Legal Advertisement

~ aN
"A Wendell, Neils n.
Part of Lot l, Sec Ii,
r 13 S, r 12 f, being
all exc L $50 fit of that
part lying N Of Trifol-
ium No. | Drain, 22.86