The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-12-17
.zAUSNER FAILS
TO DEFEND SELF
ON CRAFT CHARGE
Gangsters Try to Break
Up Union Meeting
ny a Worker correspondent

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.--SuIR bombs
were used by gangsters = an effort
to break up meeting Of 1900 union
painters, who had assembled az Park
Palace, w. III street. to listen to a
debate between Local Union No. 905
of the Brotherhood Of Painters aad
Phillip ZausneT, secretary of District
Council No. of New York. Charges
of $4,000 emhszzlement of the trea-
sury of the District Council No. 8 and
misconduct of office, which has been
placed by Local Union No. 9cs against
the officers Of the district council
were to be debated.
Zauzner, spokesman of the accused
gang, failed to appear, and did not
send anyone else to debate the sub
ject.
The meeting was then turned over
to the spokesman of the local and
other members Of the brotherhood In
terested in the prosecution. The
| chairman, Brother Vail, of L. u. 261,
stated that the meeting had been cali
I'd for the purpose discussing the af-
fairs of the district council openly,
since his was not possible at the
delegate meeting of the D. c. He
informed the audience that Zausner
had been challenged by the prosecut-
ing committee to defend himself of
the charges, but that, since the ac-
cused had not come, he would call
on other speakers to tell what they
knew OF the affair.
Tells Of Discovery.
Brother Kosloff, delegate to the
council, was the first speaker. He
stated that six months ago he dis
covered that the payments of init
alton, fees were not recorded proper
ly, which led him, together with 9TH
ers, to engage a public accountant
and have the books of District Coun-
Gil No. 8 audited The audit showed
a deficit of $4,000 in the treasury of
the council, which could not be ex-
planned. He said that the prosecu-
ton was not personal matter but
that it is imperative and necessary
for the good of the organization to re-
move men from office who deliberate
ly wreck its treasury.
Deplores Situation.
Thomas Wright deplored the fact
that union should have to spend its
energy in an internal fight, when all
its vitality is needed against the boss
es, but stated that union cannot con-
tinue when its policy and finances
are controlled by men of Zausner's
type.
George R. Brodsky, attorney for the
prosecution, reviewed the whole case
and assured the membership that he
would not rest until Zausner G. Co.
have given complete account of the
missing funds, or failing in that, until
they are up River"
Would Break up Meeting.
During the three hours of discus
sion, several efforts were made by
the Zausner gangsters to break up
the meeting. and 1t was during one
OF these disturbances that a stink
bomb was thrown. For a while It
seemed as II, to avoid suffocation, the
meeting would have to be called off.
However, the entire windows were
opened permitting the fresh air to en-
ter.
Before adjourning, a resolution was
read by the chairman condemning
zausner for not appearing for the
debate, and taking this policy as a.
sure indication of his guilt, the re-
solution urges every union painter
in New York to use all of its influ.
ence to remove Zausner from office.