The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-30
HOFFMAN FIGHTS
PLANS FOR AID
OF CLOAKMAKERS
Boston c. L. u. Is Scene
of Heated Battle
BY a Worker Correspondent.


nection with a national movement
started by the A. F. of L. to investi-
gate and collect data and devise ways
and means of combating this menace
to labor.
A request for funds from the Pas.
sale textile strikers received favor.
able action, and affiliated unions which,
are yet unaware that these workers
have been received into the A. F. of L.
will be urged to send in their contribu-
tions in aid of the strike.
Commends cIoakmakers.
In recommending financial support
to the striking cloakmakers of New
York, ex-President Kearney Of the c.
L. U. added to the motion common
dation of the manner in which the
strike had been conducted.
A heated discussion arose on the
reading of a communication from the
capmakers of Boston. They had sug-
gested that the c. L. U. and fraternal
bodies organize a conference for col
lecting funds to aid the striking New
York cloakmakers.
HOFFMAN Shows coIors.
This request was vehemently OPP
posed by Julius HICKMAN, vice-presi-
dent of the l. L. G. w. u, whe had
come before the c. L. U. for the pur-
pose of speaking against the proposal
Hochman's purpose was rather
thinly vailed behind formal request
made by the joint board of sanitary
control, thru its secretary, to come be-
fore the executive committee of the
c. l.. U. to explain the "Prosanis"
label The joint board of sanitary con-
troll is an auxiliary body of the gar
ment workers union, and when a del
egate asked what it was all about
Brother HICKMAN was "Johnny-on-the-
spot" to explain. And he remained for
further business.
Opposes Conference.
When the question of the capmak-
ers' request came up, HICKMAN got the
floor and gave as his reasons for OBJ
to such a conference that there
ly 1000 workers now on strike,
49, - he does not believe in relief
conferences. Then he blew off on his
fayorite theme against those outsid-
ers" who seek to disrupt "our beloved
trade union meaning, in
this case, the capmakers, the most ac-
tive and unselfish of all the needle
trades unions in Boston.
Miller Answers.
J. Miller, of the capmakers, took the
floor to answer what he called Hoch-
mans insinuations and false state
ments. Some of the delegates tried to
shut him. off, but others objected to
this procedure and demanded that he
be allowed to give his side Of the
story. Miller told how the attempts
of the capmakers to organize COM
mittee to make thoro canvass Of
Boston unions, in order to secure
money for the strikers, had been first
postponed, and then ignored by Hoch-
man, who then proceeded by his own
methods, which were deliberately
made inefficient, to bring in as little
money as possible for the strikers.
Held Down Contributions.
Brother HICKMAN boasts about the
money raised in Boston," said Miller,
"but it was not nearly enough, nor
what it should have been when, due
to the New York strike, the Boston
cloakmakers were earning 500 and
$3.50 a week, and were working night
and day Not until the 18th week did
the Boston union take any steps to
help the New York strikers, and then
taxed itself .inadequately one days
pay. And now, in the 21st week Of
the strike, there are still 1000 work
ers out, and in need of relief"
He said the conference that they
expected to organize would have
raised many times more than $4,000
turned in by the Boston garment
workers. When Miller stated that
scab shops had been opened in Hoch-
mans jurisdiction without his pre-
venting it, and challenged him to deny
1t, HICKMAN tried to turn Miller's
words into a statement that the Bos
ton cloakmakers were scabbing.
Would Have It Failure.
II do not wish the delegates to leave
this meeting with the impression
Brother HICKMAN has tried to create,
that the New York cloakmakers' strike
has been a failure" Miller continued.
He would have liked to see It a fail
ure-because II was conducted by the
left wing leadership. Yes, and he and
the Sigmans have done all they could
TO make 1t failure-by sabotage and
laying down on the job. HICKMAN ac-
cuses the left wing Of capitalizing fail
ures in strikes for their own purposes.
And here he is trying to capitalize
the so-called failure Of the settlement
with inside manufacturers. As a mat
ter of fact, those terms are better
than his own right wing wished for"