The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-28

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CHICAGO, H., (By Mall On
Monday night, August 18th at the
meeting of the District s lodge of
the International Association of
Machinists, two progressive mem
bers of the l. A. of NJ, William
Mauseth of Lodge 113 and William
Simons, of Lodge 1879, both of Chi
cago were set upon by Charles Fry,
business agent of Lodge 1875 and
the sluggers from his lodge.
Mauseth is a trustee of his lodge,
and delegate to the Chicago Fed
Grafton of Labor. Simons is
trustee of Lodge 1919 and recently
elected by Lodge 1919 as the dele
gate to the Atlanta convention of
the 1. A. of M. on September 18th.
Simons got blows on the forehead
and jaw, which became swollen, be-
fore he succeeded in getting out of
their hands, Mauseth, unable to get
away, was beaten almost to a pulp,
drenched in blood. In the meeting
hall, he was battered, thrown to the
ground, and kicked all over his
body. His nose and eyes are swol-
len, his body bruised all over. AS
Mauseth was being pushed down
stairs, he was punched from all
sides. Fry himself, big bully, di-
rected the beating.
Desperate Over Defeat.
Fry, the boss of District 8, has
become desperate because of the
growth of the progressive forces in
this district. In the Chicago dis
trict election in December, 1927,
the progressive forces increased
their vote for business agents and
other district offices, running on a
program which was printed and
distributed among the membership,
making great Roadway. Threats of
expulsion and beating up progress
sives were made by Fry in the dis
trict lodge meetings, but later de-
MED by him. Last Monday nights
exhibition of unbridled ferocity
shows that his program is one of
smuggling, of gangsterism.
Gar Fry introduced amendments
to the l. A. of M. Constitution,
proposing the abolition of the pres
ent referendum for election of
grand lodge officers Substituting
election by the convention every
four years.; and also proposing
compulsory insurance which means
much higher dues. Fry's PROPOSE
tons were defeated in a large num-
Der of locals, largely due to the eff
forts of the progressive forces.
Lodge 113, tool and die makers,
voted down Fry's propositions. In
Lodge 1919, Brother Simons was
elected delegate to the Atlanta
convention on full progressive
program, in opposition to Fry,s
amendments.
A week ago at the Lodge 1919
meeting, Fry made an attack on
Simons, laying down an anti-Com-
munist barrage, branding every pro-
gressive a Communist, making the
usual stupid charges of Soviet con-
troll, trotting out the usual takers
line. Simons made an effective re-
ply, despite threats of physical
beating from some of Fry's bench
men.
Fry, a Thug Himself.
Under the heading Good and
Welfare" Fry read the recently is
sued program for the l. A. of M.
convention by the International
Machinist Progressive Group,
branding the Amalgamated plank
an /. w. w. program, of the One
Big Union. The argument for or
ganizing women he dismissed
lightly with the old fashioned idea
that "Woman's place is in the
home" He opposed taking Negroes
into the organization because "these
nlggers scabbed during the packing
house strike" After declaring that
the program was contrary to the
principles of the l. A. of NJ, he
said that the time had come for a
show down; the progressives were
gaining too much ground among the
membership; the time had come to
act. Mauseth and Simons should be
given chance to speak, and then
be kicked out of the hall; if the
district lodge couldn't do it, then he,
Fry, would do so.
Progressives Stand Firm.
Mauseth and Sifnons hurled back
at Fry his own accusations, charg-
ing him with disrupting the organ
izatioa- with terrorizing members,