The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-09
COMMUNISTS CAIN
SUPPORT OF penn.
LABOR PARTY MEET
Foster and GitIow Are
Endorsed for Election

the time When the convention was IN
session. In absenting themselves
from the convention Maurer and the
socialists of Reading were following
in the footsteps of the reactionaries,
who have boycotted the labor party
and its convention.
The fifty delegates, representing
four county labor parties with eight
delegates, fifteen miners local unions,
with about twenty delegates, the re-
mainder representing miscellaneous
trade unions in the different parts of
the state were unanimous in condem-
nation of the former state chairman
Kutz, and the old state executive
committee for criminal failure to
fight the battle of the workers in
the political field and for reducing
the state labor party to an adjunct
to the republican and democratic
parties. So bitter was the anger and
resentment of the delegates against
the former chairman Kutz and the
old executive committee that neither
he nor any of the old officials with
the exception of executive member
Bob Norman and former secretary
Oyler. dared to show up in the con-
vention hall until the late afternoon
recess when Kutz made his appear
ance in the almost empty convention
hall accompanied by four people
claiming to be delegates, but present
ing no credentials, and declared the
convention adjourned leaving the hall
Immediately afterwards together with
the former secretary Oyler and the
four fake delegates. This action by
Kutz did not in the least disturb the
delegates who reconvened on time for
the evening and the last session of
the convention.
kutz Absent.
The delegates, as they were coming
to the convention hall beginning at
about 10 a. m. as instructed by the
official convention call issued by the
old state executive committee and
signed by Kutz and Oyler, seemed
rather amused at finding out that
Kutz was not there and that he was
not expected during this week as re-
ported by the hotel clerk who received
letter from kutz to that effect only
this morning. The explanation Of
fered by some of the delegates for
the absence of Kutz was his fear to
face the convention, whose state of
mind was known to Kutz before hand,
for his treachery in endorsing the re-
publican politician Water for state
treasurer on the labor party ticket.
The convention was opened Off
cially at noon today by Bob Norman,
the sole member of the old executive
committee at present at the conven-
ton hall. Following the opening of
the convention the delegates pro-
ceeded to the election of Emmett
Cush as temporary chairman and
Bob Norman as temporary secretary
Of the convention, also credentials
committee with delegate Getto,
miner of Bentleyville as chairman of
the committee. The arrival later of
Charles o. Oyler, former state secre-
tary, Kutz henchmen, and his per-
sistent effort to delay and block the
convention were unsuccessful.
Discuss Reports.
The discussion on the activities of
the old executive committee and the
immediate tasks of the state labor
party occupied the major part of the
afternoon session. This session closed
with the adoption of a resolution
repudiating the non working class
r. =
instructing the incoming state exec
utive committee to build real mill
tant labor party in Pennsylvania, to
fight politically the injunction, anti
strike laws and evictions of striking
workers, for unemployment relief and
insurance, for the abolition of the
coal and iron police and the with
drawal of the state police from the
mining area, against Wall Street war
in Nicaragua, and for the recognition
of the Soviet Union.
The endorsement of William z.
Foster and Benjamin Gitlow for
president and vice-president in the
national elections took place at the
last session in the evening, at which
were also adopted resolutions calling
for support of the miners strike, for
the immediate release Of Benito and
the other miners, for the protection
Of the foreign born, etc.
Ben Thomas, chairman of the state
committee closed the convention with
an impressive speech to the effect
that new working class leadership
has come into office in the Pennsyl-
vania state labor party as result
Of this convention, a leadership which
will strive to make the labor party an
effective political instrument in the
hands of the workers of Pennsylvania
BALTIMORE, Md, May s.-Wil-
liam z. Foster and Benjamin Gitlow
were placed on the ballot in Maryland
as Workers (Communist) Party can