The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-09-29
COMP ANY union
FAKE C0NFRONTS
OMAHA WORKERS
Need for Shop Papers,
Local Campaigns
By sERrRAM D. WOLFE.

\ OMAHA, Nebr., (By Mail.)-Com-
pany unions hog-tie the workers in
dustrially while progressive" repub-
licanism keeps them bound to the po-
litical chariot Of the party of Coo
lidge and Mellon in this progress
sive" state of Nebraska. The Rail-
way Clerks Union Of Omaha, with its
1900 members, will soon find itself in
a life and death struggle with the
company union that the u P. is form
ing to combat it, while the railway
shopmen in the Omaha shops have
been blessed with company unionism
since the defeat of their last strike.
Armour Company Methods.
The packing house of the Armour
Company here publishes taffy about
the workers going to work in autos,
throttles all attempts at organization
with a suckers union and gives its
best paid workers (the skilled butch
ers) $24 week while its other Gear
owning" workers average SIT and SIS
a week when times are good" and
get 81 forcibly deducted as an install
ment on a share in the company.
The Workers Party has shop nu-
cleus in the Armour plant and found
the workers here still talking of the
special packinghouse numbers Of The
DAILY WORKER and deploring the
fact that the campaign was too short.
Views Of Bryanism.
Nebraska is the state of Norris and
Howells and William jennings Bryan.
Progressivism is strong and the rem.
nants of populism still persist. The
records of Norris and Howells include
voting against MELONS tax reduc-
ton schemes for shifting the burden
of taxation from big business to the
rest OF the nation, against the world
court, against the Italian debt settle
ment, for income tax publicity, for
the retention Of the inheritance tax.
etc. Moreover, Howells has been
consistent advocate Of municipal own
ership in Omaha and the ice plant,
gas plant and water supply are now
municipality owned. Consequently, the
bulk of the workers and farmers of
the state believe in and swear by
Norris and Howells.
But establishment is beginning,
not on the score of national politics
but as a result Of local developments
in the municipal ownership field. The
ice house Of the city has paid OF its
indebtedness and is now running at
a profit. The heroic apostles of NUM-
cipal ownership declare that they are
in a quandry. What shall they do
with the profits The Workers Party
processes that they use them to re-
duce the cost of ice and sell it at cost.
'But this would ruin the private ice
Dealers" answer the ''progressives."
The Franchise Flaseo.
Another fiasco of the municipal
ownership advocates in the Republi-
can Party was exposed in the trac-
ton franchise question. The local
traction company's 4O-year franchise
expires in 1928. The progressives, la
Dor and the Communists united in
demanding that the franchise be not
renewed and a referendum to renew
the franchise for another 40 years
was defeated. Then the traction
company began to bring political
pressure to bear and it soon became
evident that the traction interests are
much more powerful than the ice
companies. The progressives who
had advanced no positive program
are now proposing not municipal own
ership but 20-year franchise in place
of 40-year franchise. Some victory!
These fiascos Of progressivism on To-
cal issues are beginning to destroy
the political Illusions Of the Omaha
labor movement and the field is be-
coming more favorable for the Com
munists to agitate for independent po-
litical action on the basis OF these
issues.