The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-16
NEW JERSEY STATE
FEDERATION OF LABOR
Cash in on Greetings"

FEDERATION OF LABOR"
Cash in on Greetings"
Hilfers then sent out two "solici-
tors" to cash in on the "best wishes
and support of the manufacturers" of
the State of New Jersey. Donations
and complimentary advertisements
were received. New Jersey is motor
iously the paradise of the open-shop-
pers. 1t is the home of some of the
largest trusts in the country. Fifty
per cent Of the copper is smelted and
refined here. Standard Oil has one
of its largest refining plants in Bay
onne, N. J. Huge chemical plants
operate here. E. I. DUPONT DeNe-
mours and Co., the powder trust, has
large plants in N. j. and in Whining
ton. The General Electric and West
inghouse Companies have one Of their
largest plants in Newark. The Cen
eral Baking Co. together with the
Ward Baking Co. and the A. e P.
Stores have recently combined and
represent a capital investment great
err than the beef trust and second
only to the U. S. Steel Corporation
and have one of their largest units
in Newark, N. j.
Ninety per cent of silk products are
dyed in the vast establishments at
Paterson, N. J. The Standard Gas
Equipment Co. of Jersey City sup
plies most of the municipal gas COM
panies with its products. The Vic
tor Talking Machine Co. has it's ire
mendous plant at Camden, N. j.
These vast aggregations of capital
are VIGOROUSLY anti-union and I'M
mercifully exploit the unskilled and
semi-skilled and unorganized workers
of New jersey New Jersey has a
lower percentage OF organized work
ers in proportion 70 its industrial
population than any other state with
the exception of some of the southern
states.
! Look through the year book of the
/ N. j. State Federation and you will
find complimentary advertisements
from all these companies.
/ On what basis were these powerful
and anti-union trusts willing to sup
ply half of the income to the New
Jersey State Federation of Labor as
an affiliated body of the A. F. of L.?
Only upon the promise expressed or
implied that the A. F. of L. would
not only not organize their workers
into unions, but would discourage any
attempt on the part of these workers
to organize In other words the do
nations and complimentary ads
were a direct bride by the powerful
capitalists to the officials of the A,
| F. of L. to prevent the unionization of
their plants.
Raised 100000.
In This manner former secretary
Hilfers admits that he raised over
100000 and placed this sum in the
I Golfers of the N. ]. State Federation
of Labor. There would have been nc
objection to this pleasant little game
of betraying the interests of the
workers for this Judas money, ex-
cept that the dear brother Hilfers
ran little private graft on his own
account. 1t was disclosed that Hill.
fers kept a secret bank account with
the Federal Trust Company, where
as the official depository for the
funds of the Federation was the Lab
or National Bank of Newark, N. j
Hilfers couldn't properly account fol-
about S3,100. He made out checks
for over $500 to himself signed as
secretary Of the Federation. He
Couldn't find" the stubs, or cancelled
checks, or vouchers or give any sat
isfactory statement for the expendi-
ture of these secret funds. He SIM
ply wept and pointed to his long, long
record as a labor Official and g
friend of Gompars, VOL, Green anc
others. Hilfers pleaded that justice
be tempered with mercy and wonder.
ed why President Quinn and Secre.
tary Reilly could be so foolish as tC
raise this issue and throw monkey
wrench into the we'll oiled machinery
of the Federation and give the wicked
Communists and left-wingers mater
ial with which to prove the fole Of
these henchmen of the bosses in The
labor movement. But Henry didnt
produce the books-they were simply
lost.
7 Whitewash Hilfers.
The Committee on Officers Reports
brought in report at the close Of
the convention and whitewashed tn,
whole affair and gave Hilfers a clear
bill of health-saying that there are
no charges against Mr.. Hilfers anC
that the whole unfortunate" affair
should be dropped. The Convention
gave the Committee on Officers Re
ports a rising vote of thanks for 81
ably disposing of the matter. The
Federation may forget it'' but the
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