davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
UNITED FRUIT co.
WORKS men UNDER
WORST CONDITION

The United Fruit Company exer-
cizes one of the most tyrannical
methods Of supervision and control
of the workers in the Maine industry
that any Wall Street controlled cor
poration can be found guilty of. This
company is the leader in the impor-
tation of fruits and similar products
such as coffee, etc.
The work in the industry at its best
is very hard and exhausting being
the connecting link between the
source Of the supply and its trans
portation into the United States and
the freighting and shipping of the
fruit or coffee or cocoa.
Miserable Conditions.
Working conditions on the docks
and ships of the United Fruit COM
pany are miserable.
The men commence work at GAS
A. M. on the company's program,
but in reality if the men are not
down at the dock and at work ten
minutes before this time they are
either heavily fined or else fired be-
fore the job really begins. Most Of
the men are up at four or five in the
morning waiting to get this work,
which consists at this time of the
syear in unloading of the heavy
punches of bananas which arrive from
South and Central American ports.
1t is no rare sight to find a veritable
mob of men of all nationalities around
the empty docks piled into the empty
freight cars, shivering and milling
about waiting for their turn to slave
away the day from four in the morn
ing to six thirty, when the foremen
come around to pick their men.
Do they get these jobs then, by
rotation or some other such method.
Nothing Of Che kind, regardless Of the
fact that they have been waiting all
morning and that some of the weaker
men have even gone to the extent
of getting in the ovens which are
provided for the heating of the freight
cars by the company, that the cargo
may not spoil.
Hardboiled Foremen.
g The foremen then choose the men
whom they feel win do the most
work or else pick their personal
friends from out of the hungry, cold
crowd.
As to the actual working conditions
these are of the worst type imaginable
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
John Dewey to Speak
At .Anti-LegiOn Meet

PHILADELPHIA, April 21.-John
Dewey, psychologist and author, Of
Columbia University, will be the prin-
eipal speaker of the mass meeting
held by the American Civil Liberties
Union in the Stephen Girard Hotel
auditorium, Philadelphia, Sunday at
3 p. m, "to expose the meddlesome
tactics Of the American legion in
schools and colleges"
Other speakers. who will talk on the
attack Of the Bernard r. Schlegel
Post Of the American Legion against
the West Chester State Normal
School Liberal Club are DR.. Albert C.
Barnes, of Merton, Pa, founder of
the Barnes Foundation; a representa-
tive of the Willard Straight Post of
the American Legion, New York City;
and Professor Robert T. Kerlin, and
John A. zimmerman, who defended the
Liberal Club and were dismissed from
the Normal School faculty. Congress-
man Hamilton Fish Of New York an
nounced that he was unable to attend
the meeting but would send a state
ment.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
New York's Water Front
Ne0S and Views Of the Biggest World Port
MaChadO, Murderer and
Sugar Trust Puppet to
Be Entertained by Cal

WASHINGTON, April q. (FP)
President Of Cuba, whose police
agents are credited by the investi-
gators for the Pan-American Fed
Grafton Of Labor with having muir
dered more than 100 labor union
leaders in Cuba in the past 10
months, is to be given a pompous
reception by the Coolidge admins
tration when he comes to Wash
ington April %.
Trade unionists have formulated
no plans for approaching him dur
ing his visit with either a petition
for decent humanity toward the
Cuban workers, or with warning
that the P, "A. f. of l.. will take
steps to bring upon him the de-
nunciation of organized workers
in the other republics of the west
ern hemisphere. Machado will be
closely surrounded by police and
detectives, and will be accessible
only to known conservatives and
reactionaries and the official set.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
Brooklyn ShOeworkers
To Defend Their Union

The Shoe Workers Protective
Union held a membership meeting
last night at the Amalgamated Tenn
pie, Il Arion Place, Brooklyn where
plans for the preservation of the
union were discussed.
1t was disclosed that the bosses
have forced strikes upon the Brook
lyn shoe workers by a series of wage
cuts. That they have employed thugs
and private detective agencies to
smash the strikes. Defense measures
was adopted by the meeting.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
Bank Failure Brings
Panic to japanese

TOKYO, April 21.-Japan faced
financial panic today. The failure of
the Jugo-Bank of Tokyo, one Of the
five largest financial institutions in
the empire, created great uneasiness
throughout Japan. Numerous small
err banks have suspended. The
Watkatsuki cabinet fell because of its
attempt to bolster the tottering Bank
of Formosa. The new cabinet, in
Quoted yesterday, is doing everything
possible to stabilize conditions.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22

gator now hobnobbing with his erst-
while "foes.'
But Charles Evans Hughes was no
longer outside looking in--he was
acting as counsel for the Equitable
Life Insurance Company. The odor
Of the fleshpots smelled sweet to the
ex-investigator's nostrils.
The insurance companies let loose
on a fury of uplift. Service" be-
came the slogan and watchword.
Free" nursing service was given to
the bewildered policyholders, who
were 50 amazed at this burst Of ben
evidence that they failed to notice
that the cost Of their insurance (al-
ready too excessive in price, was be-
ing lacked up.
Haley Fiske became president of
the Metropolitan-he was second
vice-president under the old regime.
On assuming office he issued an
encyclical letter to his underling
agents that henceforth the company
must be referred to as Mother
Metropolitan"
Stingy Step Mother.
Said he, "Your Mother Metropoli-
tan is sweet, kind Mother to her
agents and clerks" In those days
clerks at the home office were get
ting $40 per week. Today twelve
and fifteen dollars is a good weeks
pay. Sounds more like step
mother!
To the outsider all this mother
liness may sound like so much slop.
But the officials of the big Four
go in for the new uplift and all its
attendant hokum. To this day Haley
Fiske in opening his annual man.
ayers conventions leads off by call
ing them "my children. ="
But uplift or no uplift, business is
business. ''The Big Four" assets
were pyramiding. Now that the
weekly payment life insurance COM
panies are no longer soulless corpora
tions but nice big brothers to their
policyholders, everybody may there
lore rejoice In a friendly spirit Of
mutually.
Same Situation.
But when the festivities are over,
these facts still persist: The Metro
politan Life Insurance Company has
hundreds Of millions invested in pub
lie utilities and railroads. Take for
example Frederick H. Ecker, who
pinch hits for Haley Fiske as the
first executive at number One, Madi-
son Avenue.
Mr. Ecker is director of the fol-
lowing corporations in which the
Metropolitan Life invests much of
its Mutual" funds:
Chase National Bank
Chicago Eastern RR
Cincinnati & Western RR
Denver & Rio Grande RR
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
Injunction Hits N. j.
Transfers Union

JERSEY CITY,-(FP)-April 81.
Another injunction hits transfers
and building trades workers of north
ern New Jersey. The writ, issued by
vice chancellor Church, is an attempt
to prevent unionization of 81 open
shop firms.
Want Closed Shop.
The injunction is counter move OF
employers against the vigorous drive
that the teamsters and building trades
unions have been making in the
northern counties. Nearly all Of the
actual construction work is done by
union labor but half the hauling and
most of the building material work is
non union. BY an informal alliance
recently formed between the various
trades the construction workers have
been discouraging the use Of scab
building materials and all goods
hauled by non union teamsters and
chauffeurs.
Most of the seven unions enioined
in the temporary writ--returnabl
April 26th-have already been en-
joined by other firms. They are Lo-
cal $50, teamsters; Local 139, Hudson
County carpenters; the Init. Brother
hood of steam and operating en-
gineers and Locals 1926 and S25A of
that organization; also the Hosting
and Portable Engineers of New Jer-
sey; the international iron workers
union and their Berge county board
Of business representatives. The open
shop firms are: building supply,
quarry and construction firms en-
ploying several thousand workers.
Read The Daily Worker Every Day.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
FOrd-SapirO Case
Ends in MiStriaI;
FramG-Up Charged

DETROIT, April 21.-The million
dollar Ford-Sapiro libel case was
thrown out Of court today when Fed
eral Judge Fred NJ. Raymond ordered
a mistrial, discharged the jury and
remanded the case for a new trial.
The preliminary scenes to this action
were featured by charges and coun-
ter-charges, in which the Ford attor-
neys charged that a woman on the
jury had expressed prejudice in talk
ing with newspaper reporters and the
Sapiro forces declared the whole thing
was a frame-up engineered by Ford
agents because Ford feared the case
would go against him.
Baron On Detroit.
Ford's immense wealth and the
fact that he practically controls De-
troit and all its institutions gives
color to the Sapiro charge that the
trial ended today in order to pro-
tect Henry Ford from keeping him
off the witness stand. Many recalled
the famous Chicago Tribune suit in
which Ford was placed on the stand
and under cross-examination proved
to be one Of the most ignorant men
in the United States, having not the
slightest knowledge Of history or any
thing else except devising ways of
getting an exoorbitant amount Of la
Dor out of workers in his slave pens
where he endeavors to standardize
the workers as he does his flivvers
that are turned out of his industries
At that time he made his one contri-
button to the gayety of nations with
the observation that History is
Bunkw
Judge Flags Newspapers.
The judge declared the trial might
have continued, "if it had not been
for the newspapers which went so
far as to intrude upon the duties Of
the court"
at is unfortunate that any report
err or editor should so far forget his
ethics as TO intrude upon the courts
functions" the court added. "These
stories, though, make it impossb
to make further progress with this
trial"
"This intrusion Of the newspapers
exceeded any appreciation Of the de-
mands of justice" the court conclud-
ed. Justice has been crucified upon
the cross Of sensational journalism.
There viii be no chance to make pro-
gress in future trials OF this case
unless justice is given the right of
way over sensationalism. IL is q
terribly unfortunate experience for
the court. II has set back the pro-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
WeiSbord and Dunno
Speaking Tonight at
Passaic Mass Meeting

PASSAIC, n. j., April 21.-A
campaign rally for Albert Weis-
bord, Simon Smelkinson and Simon
Bambach, the labor candidates for
city commissioners will be held to-
night at Ukranian Hall, President
Street. The speakers will include
Albert Weisbord. William F. Dunno,
editor Of The DAILY WORKER,
Emil CARLOS and others. The meet
ing will open 7.30 p. m.
All those who have election cam
paign subscription lists are urged
to return them with donations at
once to campaign headquarters, 81
Dayton Ave., Psssaic, N. J.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
l. n. S. Manager a Suicide

BREMEN, Germany, April 21.--As
the result of a nervous breakdown,
S. Dunbar Weyer, for the past six
years manager of the international
News Service Bureau in Berlin, shot
and killed himself in a compartment
on the Berlin-Bremen express early
today.
Weyer was on his way to Bremen
to embark for the United States. He
was accompanied by H. r. Knicker-
booker, Moscow correspondent of the
International News Service WHO was
to fill in for Weyer during his trip
to America.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22

on any longshore work whatsoever.
The work is by no means steady
Four or five hours in the slow season
and ten hours d day in the busy sea-
son. There Is never more than an
average Of four days week. When
the men do work ten hours they
work at fierce pace without stop
ping to rest or eat. If you are
caught eating, the foreman viii fine
you anything from fifty cents to
half of your wages, and you got no
kick coming and no damned chance to
kick if you want to.
If you do raise hell about it, and
you are unable to protect yourself
against the strong arm tactics of the
foremen who are specially selected
for this kind Of work, you are in for
heck Of a bad beating and then
getting fired afterwards. The fine
also holds good in the event that you
are too tired to stand the average
grind for a length of time.
When the 'longshoremen are not
carrying bananas for the United
Fruit Company they are carrying two
hundred and fifty pound sacks of
coffee all day, and when it isn't cof-
fee its two hundred and severity
pound bags of cocoa enough
to breaks the average mans back if
overdone, but it seems that the long
shoremen that work for United Fruit
are beasts Of this quality in the eyes
of the company.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
Banks and Railroads Aid
Insurance Holdup
Past Events Of Insurance Expose.

This the eleventh. of series Of thirty articles exposing the
fraud Of jdsa (oeeky pdynnenD life Insurance Previous
articles haze dealt aUh the methods employed By the big Four
IA nisusng naaW assets to the benefit of the banks lch
operate hand gloUe a0itb this poCeM combine The Big
Four composed of Metropolitan Prudential John Hon
cock and the Colonial Life Insurance Companies Names pro
IN financial and government circles hare figured largely
the SERIES Charles Hughes Governor Smith, SNpt Of
Insurance james A. Beha Charles Sbacab and AansoR B.
Houghton are duoRq those present
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
400 Plumbers Are Back
At Work With All Their
Demands Granted Them

Victory for almost 400 Of the
striking plumbers Of Brooklyn was
announced yesterday with all of
their demands granted. They are
$14 a day and the five day week.
The workers are back at their jobs
today following meetings with the
bosses in Lenduth Hall, Waverly
and Myrtle AYES.
Helpers Prepare.
C. E. Miller, president of the
American Association of Plumbers
Helpers, said last night that they
are preparing to organize the help
ers throughout the city in prepara-
ton for the threatened lockout.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
Marconi Is Silent.

ROME, April Ex-senator Mar
conf on his arrival here tonight re-
fused TO discuss the Roman Rota's
annulment of his first marriage.
This evening Marconi joined the
party Of the crown prince and
princess Of Sweden and Lord Rother-
mere for gala Eastern dinner at
the Grand Hotel.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
DEATH TOLL IN
RECORD FLOOD
REACHES SIXTY

ST. LOUIS, April 21.--Though it
has not reached the crest, the great
est Mississippi River flood in history
already has taken a toll Of 60 dead,
300 injured, made more than $4,000
homeless and caused property damage
estimated at approximately S25,000,-
900 according to official totals here
today.
Waters Still Rise
Flood waters today are rapidly
spreading out over the entire St.
Francis basin, and hopes of repairing
the main Mississippi levee near New
Madrid, Mo-, have been abandoned.
The levee at that point has been swept
away for a distance Of ten miles.
Clarendon, Ark, where the crumb-
ling White River levee sent the tur-
bulent waters flowing into the town
at speed of 40 miles an hour, was
under 10 feet Of water today. Claren-
don's streets we're canals and scores
of houses were reported to have been
washed away. The towns 5000 popu-
lation fled to the hills.
Medical authorities Of Arkansas and
Missouri are rushing vaccines, sup
plies and manpower to the refugee
eenters to check any outbreaks of dis
ease. a&aM
Some cases Of measles and mulnps
have been reported and with the con-
centration points hourly Increased in
numbers Of refugees, fear Of contagion
is felt.
Thousands Homeless
The main barrier at Scott, Miss,
crashed before a torrent, sweeping a
wall Of water into dozen counties in
the delta section of the state of Mis-
sissippi, and adding thousands to the
huge number Of homeless.
The known death toll mounted to
% today with The death of Negro
workman, who was drowned near Scott
when the levee gave way. Three other
Negroes went to the bottom of the
river near Little Rock when their skiff
overturned. The 14-year-old daughter
of James Ross was drowned at Para
gould, Ark, and E. Rainwater, IA, was
drowned near Morrilton, Ark.
Refugees IN Arkansas have been
kept almost constantly on the move
the past "a hours, according to re-
ports. Following the break in the
levee of the White River at Clarendon,
1000 persons fled from that city when
water one to 10 feet filled their homes.
These refugees went chiefly to
Brinkley but they were advised to
move even further from the flooded
section and an appeal was sent out
for 1000 tents to be used in that sec
ton.
Arkansas Hard Hit
Arkansas is probably the hardest
hit section in the flood-torn territory,
at Jonesboro, 700 additional refugees
have just arrived and 5000 more are
expected from Craighead, Poinsett and
Mississippi. Red Cross relief workers
there reported if the situation be-
comes more serious, mass feelings
soon will be necessary.
Seven companies of Missouri Ma
tional guardsmen have been called out
by Governor Baker to patrol the areas
most affected in this state-Missis-
sippi, Pemiscot and New Madrid
counties.
National, state and local agencies
were rushing relief to the stricken
areas along the river from Illinois to
the Gulf. Vaceines and other medical
supplies were in particular demand
because of the fear of an epidemic in
the refugee camps.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
copyrighted by The DAILY
WORKER, 1929
BY CHARLES YALE HARRISON
ARTICLE XXI.

AM A0AIA4 Al
To the uninitiated the question
occurs, "If the Big Four are mutual
companies, and there is no wholesale
theft Of assets by the directors,
where does the swindle arise?" In
this article evidence will be adduced
to show the interests of the mutual"
weekly-payment policyholders, and
those Of the high-finance Wall Street
directors are in direct opposition to
each other.
Following the Armstrong Insurance
Investigation in 1905, the public be-
gan clamoring for the naturalization
of life insurance companies. 1t was
argued that the insuring Of lives was
a public service Of great social
significance, and that the attendant
accumulation of great sums Of public
money in the hands of hard-boiled
manipulators was a menace to the
economic life of the country.
To Sell and Keep.
Came the day when the yellow
dog" directors reasoned thus: why
continue as privately owned corpora
tions and thus invoke the wrath of
a defrauded public? Would it not be
wiser if we were to "sell" our inter-
ests to the policyholders, taking the
payment price from the assets, and
still retain our seats on the director
ates and still continue to manipulate
the reserves" and assets? In this
manner two birds will be slaugh-
tered with enc projection Of financial
reasoning.
So the naturalization of the "Big
Four" began. The capitalistic press
hailed the move as benevolent and
far-seeing. The then superintendent
of insurance beamed and declared
that "a new day had dawned for the
insurance business" All this hap
pened in 1915. The old stockholders
dipped a hungry hand into "the
necessary reserve which is required
to insure payments to policyholders
in the event of epidemics." The old
boards of directors elected them
selves to the latest, cushi9st. jobs
they could lay hands on. The in
surance business secured a new lease
of life. A life free from the prying
eyes of suspicious public.
Hughes Gets Job.
Charges Evans Hughes attended
insurance company luncheons and
dinners and loosed streams sugary,
panegyric, about the selflessness of
life insurance corporations now dis
guised as mutual" companies. The
press saw nothing ludicrous in the
sight of the late insurance investi
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22

gress of justice for long time. The
court deplores- it, but the court has
no other choice but to allow the mo-
ton for a mistrial."
The Judge than discharged the jury
but ordered all subpoenaes in force
for a new trial.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
Four Aviators Killed.

MELBOURNE, Australia, April
21.-Four aviators were killed today
when two planes taking part in the
official ceremonies welcoming the
Duke and Duchess of York collided in
mid-air. The accident took place
just as the royal visitors reached
Government House.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22
Indiana & Illinois RR
marlborough Rapid Transit
Pittsburgh Terminal
st. Louis & San Francisco RR
Western-Pacific RR

Western-Pacific RR
Wheeling & Lake Erie RR
The total amount Of mutual
Metropolitan money invested and de-
posted with the above corporations
in which Mr.. Ecker is interested is
S4S, $3.50, 10000. In addition to earn
ing whatever he makes as an invest
ment go-between for this string of
railroads, the Metropolitan Life pays
him S125,000 per year for his ser
vices as vice-president
When will the "a million policy
holders Of the Metropolitan Life be-
come aware of the fact that the in
terests which Mr.. Ecker serves aAd
their own are in contradistinction to
each other?
Let US now impale Mr.. Albert II.
Wiggin upon the lance Of our pub
licity. Mr.. Wiggin is one of those
shy, retiring Wall Street buccaneers
who detests the limelight. He pre-
fers to work in the dark; somehow
or other knowledge of his operations
mitigates against success.
Mr.. Wiggin is on the Metropolitan
board of directors for the following
reasons:
Chase National Bank
Adams Express
American Locomotive
American Railway Express
American Securities
Chase Securities
Duquesne Light & Power Co.
Franklin Securities
Great Fall Power Co.
Greenwich Savings Bank
Hudson & Manhattan RR
Lawyers Title & Trust Co.
Montana Power Co.
N. Y. Rapid Transit
Pacific Coast RR
Pittsburg Utilities
Western Union Telegraph
Westinghouse Electric
Southern Express Co.
In addition to giving Mr.. Wiggin
the privilege of looking after some
Of its investments the Metropolitan
pays him $3.50 year or $16.84 per
week for acting as a director.
Robert w. deForrest, another
Metropolitan director, is tied up
with:
Lehigh & Hudson RR
Niagara Fire ms. Co.
Natl Employment Exchange
Title Guarantee
Russell Sage Foundation
One could go on indefinitely show
ing lists Of corporations which are
intimately linked with the directors
of the big Four" Banks, railroads
security companies, and public util-
tiles of any prominence are all inter-
woven in this general scheme TO de-
fraud and swindle the 40 million
weekly payment policyholders who
are victimized by this arrant holdup
Many of the corporations listed
above are the most notorious union
smashing organizations in this coun-
try. Offhand in this connection one
recalls the Western Union, the Mon
tana Power Company, subsidiary
Of the ill-famed Anaconda Copper
Company, whose gunner killed and
wounded 20 pickets during a strike
in 1921.
How long will the American
worker-insurer tolerate this gigantic
fraud which operates in vicious
circle that perpetuates his slavery?
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-22

Read The Daily Worker Every Day.