The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-15
SPEND MILLIONS
FIGHTING |. R. 7.
union EFFORTS
City Supports Traction
Slave System

Slave System
Over a million dollars spent in
breaking the strike of it's workers,
hundreds of thousands more spent in
maintaining it's company union, addi-
tional hundreds of thousands diverted
towards payment of spies, stool
pigeons and fake welfare schemes,
this is the record of the I. r. T. COM
pany activities according to report
published by the New York State
Transit Commission yesterday.
In letter addressed to Frank He'd
ley, president of the l. R. T. from
Commissioner Charles C. Lockwood
of the Transit Commission, demand
is made on the company that it re-
turn to the city over 100000 yearly
and the further return of over $5,000,-
900 in addition which in the past few
years have been improperly appro-
priated by the company.
Thousands for Company Union.
Among the items challenged by the
Transit Commission the most flag
rant, from the point of view of union
labor, is the one charging up $780,
841.70 for expense in maintainence of
the brotherhood, the company union!
1t is evident from the fact of this
enormously large sum that included
in it are undoubtedly certain hidden
items in payment for questionable
services to company union delegates,
charges for strikebreaking activities
not included. in the regular account
ing, etc.
Huge Slice for Poison" Ivy Lee.
Another item challenged by the
commission is $225,660.78 in payment
to Ivy Lee for so-called publicity
work, but it is known that this pay
ment was likewise in connection with
the establishment of the company
union, product of "Poison" Ivy Lees
fertile brain Immediately following the
origin of the 1916 strike.
Costs of the 1926 strike led by La
vim, Walsh and others are listed as
totalling S967,S76.37 The legal staff
Of the PETERBOROUGH of which Rough
Stuff" James L. Quackenbush is the
chief light, is recorded with $313,-
41001 in expenditures. Payments to
Hedley, Doyle and other company of
ficials for patent earnings amount 70
over $144,000. On the lines it is we'll
known that these patents have for
the most part been invented by the
workers themselves. In most cases
these workers are deprived of any
benefits from their creations, the Of
ficers appropriating them to them
selves, it is known. A case in point
often referred to on the lines is the
patent of the automatic doors which
has saved the railroad companies
millions of dollars. 1t is understood
that the inventor, now secretary of an
editor of one of the New York news
papers, received practically nothing
for this invention. 1t is further re-
ported that this worker was dis
charged by Hedley in order that the
president of the company might more
easily receive the rewards of the pat
ent.
\ At the headquarters of the Anal
gamated Union, the report of the
illegal expenditures of the I. R. T.
which under the dual contracts are
being charged to and borne by the
city, were pointed out as confirma-
ton of it's charge that the traction
lines in the city were at the forefront
of a conspiracy to destroy trade
unionism in the country and establish
company unionism in it's place.
A Record Slave System.
Charging that the slave system es-
tablished by the traction barons "rep-
resents the first attempt in the his
tory of American social life to bind
a free man Internationally for a def
mite period Of time while reserving
to the employer the right to discharge
him at WILL" Professor Oliphant of
Columbia University, of the legal
staff of the Amalgamated announced
that everything possible would be
done to overthrow this slave system
of the companies. "In PRACTISE" he
stated, 'the method of employment
followed by the l. r. T. means per-
1etual bondage for the I. P T. en-
7loyes,"