The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-04
Continued from Page y.

L., paid-up per capita, is 2,812,40 a
slight increase of $500 over last
years figures, but registering loss
Of million and a quarter from the
high mark of 1920. Secretary Nor
rison claims, however, an additional
100000 members whose per capita
was not paid because of strikes and
unemployment. The membership fig
ures are from 29,394 local unions in
the 100 national and international
unions and 365 local trade and federal
labor unions directly affiliated to the
A. F. of L. There are 40 state fed
erations, 794 city central bodies, and
TAI local department councils, as well
as the national departments. The
largest unions in the convention are
the miners, with voting strength of
1000; carpenters, 1920; electrical
workers, 1920; painters, 1929; rail
way employees association, 1,012.
% Organizers On Payroll
he finances of the A. F. of L.
show quarter million dollars in the
defense fund, out of which sum only
one strike benefit was paid out to an
obscure local in Illinois, amounting to
ten thousand dollars. No major strike
or lockout was assisted out of this
enormous fund on hand. % organic
ers in the field expended the sum Of
$115,000, notably Hughe Frayne in
New York receiving $4,000, and E.
F. McGrady receiving $1,000. New
York militants may be somewhat ia
miliar with the activities for which
Frayne and McGrady received these
sums.
Another Step Backwards.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 3.-The re-
port of the Executive Council Of the
American Federation of Labor sub
mitted at the annual convention here
is most brazen defense of the So
called higher strategy of labor, that
has for its purpose making labor COM
pletely subservient to the demands of
the capitalist exploiters.
Anti-Strike Proposal.
The report takes a step backwards
from the decision of the Atlantic City
convention of two years ago, which
was to follow a program of shorten
ing hours so that the increased pro-
ductivity of labor would not throw
workers onto the streets. This pol
icy is reversed by the recommends
ton of the executive council, which
will 1Yr,JOy711 +aJ1xy he ,,oe,od - bo.o
demands upon long and carefully pre-
pared studies of costs of production
and profits. Only after fully inves-
tigating every angle of the question
will demands be made and then every
other possibility will be exhausted be-
fore a strike can be approved.
This is a fragrant move to erect
such complicated machinery that the
workers will be bewildered by the ex-
= ~ i.-.-.l--Ase.L:,-
tics.
Lip-Service to Shay Week.
The report further states that "the
5-day week is a goal to be aimed at"
but no practical method is suggested
for carrying into effect the shorter
work-week That this measure is
necessary as means of endeavoring
to overcome some of the unemploy-
ment that is becoming acute in many
sections of the country and in many
industries is plain even to the labor
lackeys of capitalism here assembled.
There does not appear to be anyone
here who will have the courage to
remind the convention that the Amer
lean labor movement at one time pro-
ceeded to conduct a shorter-hour
campaign by setting aside day for
the beginning of concerted action by
all the organized workers. But so petri-
fled is the reactionary clique in con-
troll of this convention that nothing
but pious resolutions on the shorter
work-day will be Forthcoming.
Urges Immigration Bars.
True to its role as the most venal